Search - World War II Collection, Vol. 2 - Heroes Fight for Freedom (36 Hours / Air Force / Command Decision / Hell to Eternity / The Hill / Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo) on DVD

Great collection

D. Wright | FLORIDA USA | 03/13/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I disagree totally with the above reviewer. These films are excellent. The only one I am not thrilled with is The Hill, all the others are very good WWII films. I have been waiting for Command Decision for a long time. This collection will not disappoint."

Dvd availability

Lynn R. Fairbanks | Diamond Bar, California United States | 03/24/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I'm not sure about THE HILL, but the other 5 titles in this collection have NOT been on DVD--at least legitimiate disk. AIR FORCE, THIRTY SECONDS OVER TOKYO, and COMMAND DECISION are all wonderful war or combat films (there's a difference between the two--see the books on the genre by Mike Mayo, Thomas Doherty and Jeanine Basinger). It's great that other classics such as THE PURPLE HEART and even the less stellar SO PROUDLY WE HAIL are finally being released this spring on DVD. Collectors and film historians should appreciate all of these titles that really reflected the country's mood between l94l and l945. Propaganda was such a vital component on the home front and these movies show us the nationalistic side of the American people at the time."

One Hell of a collection...

Patrick Selitrenny | Switzerland a.k.a. Helvetia Felix | 08/31/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The older ones were far better, than the more recent ones.

I could end my review here, but it would be unfair, considering the effort made to put this collection together.
So let's start at the beginning:

1. "Air Force" (1943) - B&W - 124 min.
starring John Garfield and Gig Young, is a simple tale of a crew of a Flying Fortress struggling their way from "The Day of Infamy" through the entire Pacific War. (Watch the B-17 closely, it was a true Flying Fortress and alas was lost in the process of fighting that war!);

2. "Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo" (1944) - B&W - 139 min.
Who doesn't remember Spencer Tracy in this one, together with Van Johnson and Robert Walker? This too, is based on a true story of WWII, but this time we're talking about a B-25 "Mitchell" crew and its deeds that led to the first bombing of the Capital of Japan.

3. "Command Decision" (1948) - B&W - 112 min.
with Clark Gable at the helm and based on a stage play, comes through from a different perspective. What do Commanders do, when it comes to gambling with people's lives (in this case Bomber Pilots and Crews), when the stakes are high and the mission is key for victory or defeat?
Assisting Mr. Gable (who himself was an Air Force Captain and flew real missions, hence knows what he's talking about...) are Walter Pidgeon, again Van Johnson, Brian Donlevy and Charles Bickford.

4. "Hell to Eternity" (1960) - B&W - 132 min.
The story of a man, raised in an American-Japanese family, confronted with the War in the Pacific. Based on a true story, this is the tale of a man facing prejudice from both sides and who manages to win his internal struggle by even capturing, single-handedly, hundreds of Japanese Soldiers. Incredible but true!

5. "36 Hours" (1964) - B&W - 115 min.
A "What If..." movie, starring a powerful James Garner. We are in 1950, the war is over and the lead Character wakes from a Coma in an American Military Hospital. He suffers from Amnesia, he can't recall anything.
Only that we are not in 1950, but rather in 1944, in a mock-up Hospital built by German Intelligence and the setting has carefully been prepared in order to find out where the Allies will finally land.
More than a true War Movie, this is far more a Spy Thriller, and tightly knit at that, so well told it is almost believable as a true story.
These are 36 Hours you won't easily forget.
Together with Mr. Garner appear actors of the caliber of Rod Taylor and Eva Marie Saint, together with Werner Peters as a Gestapo Man (an actor I love to hate).

All DVD transfers are clean and the sound although mostly in 2.0 channel Mono, is sharp and clear.
This is a very interesting Collection, even from a purely analytical standpoint. I must compliment the people at Warner's for having chosen 5 very significant movies out of dozens others and having offered them in this very reasonably priced set.
If more, of the same quality were produced, I am sure people would flock to buy them."

Good Collection

C. A. Luster | Burke, VA USA | 06/15/2007

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Some of these may have been available before now, but none in a WWII set that includes shorts and cartoons from the period. Pick any two you like and they are worth the price. "Command Decision" with Clark Gable as General Casey, a serious officer commanding a bomber group in England, is wonderfully realistic. "Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo" with Spencer Tracy as Jimmy Doolittle leading the first bomb raid on Japan is excellent. The others are just bonus as far as I'm concerned and a very good one at that. "The Hill" is a good English military prisoner movie with Sean Connery as a prisoner that must buck up under a tyranical Commander. "36 Hours" with James Garner is good espionage movie. Air Force is resonably decent account of a B-17 crew that witnessed Pearl Harbor starring John Ridgely. "Hell to Eternity" with Jeffrey Hunter and David Janssen is about Hispanic boy raised by Japanese-Americans and fought for United States. Fans of WWII movies should enjoy the set. I recommend it. Especially for a Fathers Day gift."