The War Lover (1962)

Director:

Philip Leacock

Writers:

John Hersey (novel)
Howard Koch (writer)

Release Date:

25 October 1962 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | Drama | War

Tagline:

Some men love war the way others love women. This is the story of both kinds!

Plot:

Buzz Rickson is a dare-devil World War II bomber pilot with a death wish. Failing at everything not involving flying...

Plot Keywords:

B 17 Bomber | B 17 | American | Bomber | Courage

Cast

Steve McQueen	...	Capt. Buzz Rickson
Robert Wagner	...	1st Lt. Ed Bolland
Shirley Anne Field	...	Daphne Caldwell
Gary Cockrell	...	2nd Lt. Marty Lynch
Michael Crawford	...	Sgt. Junior Sailen
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Ed Bishop	...	Col. Vogt (as Edward Bishop)
Bernard Braden	...	Flight Surgeon Randall
Tom Busby	...	Sgt. Farr
Charles De Temple	...	Capt. Braddock
Louise Dunn	...	Hazel
Robert Easton	...	Sgt. Handown
Bill Edwards	...	2nd Lt. Max Brindt
Arthur Hewlett	...	Vicar
Chuck Julian	...	Lamb
Bob Kanter	...	2nd Lt. Haverstraw
Sean Kelly	...	Capt. Woodman
Richard Leech	...	Maj. Murika
Justine Lord	...	Street Girl
Neil McCallum	...	Sully
George Sperdakos	...	Sgt. Bragliani
Jerry Stovin	...	Col. Emmet
Viera	...	Singer
Al Waxman	...	Sgt. Prien

Also Known As:

Amante de la muerte, El (Spain) [es]
Amante di guerra (Italy) [it]
Sotahullu (Finland) [fi]
Wir alle sind verdammt (West Germany) [de]

Runtime:

105 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono | Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

Australia:PG | West Germany:16 (f) | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15 | UK:X

Filming Locations:

Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, England, UK

Company:

Columbia Pictures Corporation

Trivia:

Warren Beatty turned down the lead role.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: The briefing map the pilots get to see before the raid on Leipzig shows the Netherlands as having an area of reclaimed land that was not yet there during WW II. It's called Eastern Flevoland (or, in Dutch: Oostelijk Flevoland) and wasn't finished until 1957.

Quotes:

Captain Buzz Rickson: What's the matter Bolland, afraid to die?
1st Lt Ed Bolland: Damn right I am. But you're scared to live.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Marilyn Hotchkiss' Ballroom Dancing and Charm School (1990)

Drama centers on lives of the crew of a bomber crew, in and out of the air.

Buzz Rickson is an arrogant, conceited, bomber pilot- But he is the best at what he does. Troubles arise when he puts the move on his co-pilot's girl. Extensive use of actual combat footage enhances realism. The 'McQueen persona' comes thru the script and only helps to make it a better performance.