Other Titles • The Bridges at Toko-Ri • Die Brücken von Toko-Ri (1955)
Synopses for The Bridges at Toko-Ri (1955)
1.
Amazon.com Review A powerful study of courage in the face of irrational odds, The Bridges at Toko-Ri (based on James Michener's novel) is no less patriotic than many other war films, but it dispenses with gung-ho bluster to focus instead on the very real and tragic consequences of war. This is also one of the first films to openly criticize the morality of the Korean War while praising the honor and integrity of the men who fought it. Lt. Harry Brubaker (William Holden) is one of those men, with one difference: A lawyer with a loving wife (Grace Kelly) and two young daughters, he's been recalled to duty from the Navy Reserve, and reluctantly accepts his mission to fly with a bomber-jet squadron over one of the Communists' most heavily protected targets--the strategically vital bridges in the Korean canyon of Toko-Ri.
Brubaker has his own noble protection, from his fellow pilots (including Charles McGraw in a fine supporting role), his admiring admiral (Frederic March), and from the helicopter scouts (Mickey Rooney and Earl Holliman) who've saved his life on previous missions. But his ambivalence--and his fear that the Toko-Ri mission will be his last--is what gives the film its potent emotional impact. Holden is perfect in his role, and director Mark Robson steadfastly avoids any false sentiment or macho theatrics that would diminish the film's devastating climax. The Bridges at Toko-Ri is also a superlative showcase for Naval operations; the aerial sequences earned an Oscar for special effects, and complete Navy cooperation assures total authenticity in the "flat-top" aircraft carrier scenes. For these and other reasons, this will remain a timeless classic for anyone seeking to comprehend the emotional maelstrom of warfare. --Jeff Shannon
2.
This exciting war film details the heroism of U.S. Navy fliers who fought during the Korean War. Lieutenant Harry Brubaker (William Holden), a naval reserve officer, reluctantly leaves his wife (Grace Kelly) and children behind after he's called back into service. Soon Brubaker receives his orders: to bomb five bridges that are of vital importance to the enemy. Despite his unhappiness at being back in action and his doubts about U.S. soldiers risking their lives on such a dangerous mission, Lieutenant Brubaker puts his life on the line to make sure the effort is a success. Directed by Mark Robson (EARTHQUAKE, VALLEY OF THE DOLLS) and starring, in addition to Holden and Kelly, Fredric March and Mickey Rooney, THE BRIDGES AT TOKO-RI is a standout film, based on the thrilling novel by James A. Michener.
3.
Not every pilot can guide his aircraft from a wave-tossed deck, seek out targets over unfamiliar Korean terrain, then return to what looks like a speck in the sea. Naval Reservist Harry Brubaker (William Holden) can.
This masterful story of a war-weary World War II veteran who must leave his family to fight again combines moving drama with surefire, bombs-away aerial action. Also starring Grace Kelly as his loving luminescent wife.
4.
Although they had already served their country during World War II, many men were called back into service during the Korean War. One of them, Lt. Harry Brubaker (William Holden), resents the intrusion upon his life which separates him from his wife Nancy (Grace Kelly), yet does his duty as a pilot ordered to destroy the bridges at Toko-Ri.
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