The Bridges at Toko-Ri (1954)

Director:

Mark Robson

Writers:

Valentine Davies (writer)
James Michener (novel)

Release Date:

December 1954 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Romance | War

Plot:

Set during the Korean War, a Navy fighter pilot must come to terms with with his own ambivalence towards...

Plot Keywords:

Pilot | Navy | Fear | Korean War | Fighter Pilot

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 2 nominations

US TV Schedule:

Thur. Nov. 19

10:00 PM

TCM

Cast

William Holden	...	Lt. Harry Brubaker
Grace Kelly	...	Nancy Brubaker
Fredric March	...	Rear Adm. George Tarrant
Mickey Rooney	...	Mike Forney
Robert Strauss	...	Beer Barrel
Charles McGraw	...	Cmdr. Wayne Lee
Keiko Awaji	...	Kimiko
Earl Holliman	...	Nestor Gamidge
Richard Shannon	...	Lt. (j.g.) Olds
Willis Bouchey	...	Capt. Evans (as Willis B. Bouchey)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Keith Aldrich	...	Pilot (uncredited)
Corey Allen	...	Enlisted Man (uncredited)
Bill Ash	...	Spotter (uncredited)
Nadine Ashdown	...	Cathy Brubaker (uncredited)
Marshall U. Beebe	...	Pilot (uncredited)
Ray Boyle	...	Marine Orderly (uncredited)
Cheryl Callaway	...	Susie Brubaker (uncredited)
Steven Clark	...	Pilot (uncredited)
James Connell	...	Assistant L.S.O. (uncredited)
Jim Cronin	...	Talker (uncredited)
Gene Hardy	...	Chief Petty Officer Second Class (uncredited)
James Hyland	...	Officer of the Day (uncredited)
James Jenkins	...	Assistant C.I.C. Officer (uncredited)
Dickie Jones	...	Pilot (uncredited)
Bob Kenaston	...	Pilot (uncredited)
Robert Kino	...	Bartender (uncredited)
Paul Kruger	...	Capt. Parker (uncredited)
Burt Metcalfe	...	Military Police Sergeant (uncredited)
Lee Miller	...	Officer Seated at Club (uncredited)
Rollin Moriyama	...	Bellhop (uncredited)
Dick Morris	...	Pilot (uncredited)
Leo Needham	...	Pilot (uncredited)
Roger Pace	...	Pilot (uncredited)
Paul Raymond	...	Spotter (uncredited)
Gene Reynolds	...	C.I.C. Officer (uncredited)
Jack Roberts	...	Quartermaster (uncredited)
Robert A. Sherry	...	Flight Surgeon (uncredited)
Teru Shimada	...	Japanese Father (uncredited)
Charles Tannen	...	Military Police Major (uncredited)
Bob Templeton	...	Military Police Sergeant (uncredited)
Dennis Weaver	...	Air Intelligence Officer (uncredited)

Directed by
Mark Robson

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Valentine Davies		writer
James Michener		novel

Produced by
William Perlberg	....	producer
George Seaton	....	producer

Original Music by
Lyn Murray

Cinematography by
Loyal Griggs

Film Editing by
Alma Macrorie

Art Direction by
Henry Bumstead
Hal Pereira

Set Decoration by
Sam Comer
Grace Gregory

Costume Design by
Edith Head

Makeup Department
Wally Westmore	....	makeup supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Francisco Day	....	assistant director

Art Department
Gene Lauritzen	....	construction coordinator (uncredited)

Sound Department
Gene Garvin	....	sound recordist
Gene Garvin	....	sound
Hugo Grenzbach	....	sound recordist
Hugo Grenzbach	....	sound

Visual Effects by
Farciot Edouart	....	process photography
John P. Fulton	....	special photographic effects
W. Wallace Kelley	....	process photography (as Wallace Kelley)
Paul K. Lerpae	....	optical cinematography

Camera and Electrical Department
Charles G. Clarke	....	aerial photographer
W. Wallace Kelley	....	photographer: second unit (as Wallace Kelley)
Tom Tutwiler	....	photographer: second unit (as Thomas Tutwiler)
Charles G. Clarke	....	additional photography (uncredited)
Cliff Shirpser	....	assistant camera: Technicolor (uncredited)
Murray Young	....	key grip (uncredited)

Other crew
Marshall U. Beebe	....	technical advisor
Arthur Jacobson	....	assistant to producers
Richard Mueller	....	technicolor color consultant
Frank Coghlan Jr.	....	naval liaison (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Paramount Pictures

Distributors

• Paramount Pictures (1954) (USA) (theatrical)
• National Broadcasting Company (NBC) (1965) (USA) (TV) (original airing)
• Paramount (1955) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• CIC Vídeo (????) (Brazil) (VHS)
• CIC-Taft Home Video (????) (Australia) (VHS)
• Ciné-Tamaris/Paramount Home Video (2006) (France) (DVD)
• Paramount Home Entertainment (2003) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Paramount Home Video (2001) (USA) (DVD)
• Paramount Home Video (2006) (USA) (DVD)
• Paramount Home Video (????) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)

Runtime:

102 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Certification:

Canada:PG (Ontario) | Australia:G | West Germany:12 (f) | Finland:K-16 | Spain:18

Filming Locations:

Fujiya Hotel, Miyanoshita, Hakone, Kanagawa, Japan

Company:

Paramount Pictures

Trivia:

William Holden's younger brother, Robert Beedle, was a Navy fighter pilot who was killed in action in World War II. After this film was released, he was remembered by his squadron-mates as having been very much like the character of Lt Harry Brubaker.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: At the very beginning of the movie, an announcement is made that 2 flights will land in 10 minutes. A view of the landing area of the ship is shown full of aircraft. I know those sailors are fast but not fast enough to move all those aircraft in 10 minutes.

Quotes:

Lt. Harry Brubaker: Did you ever hear Admiral Tarrant go on about the war? About the chosen few who have to lay it on the line?
Mike Forney: Naw, Me and Nester don't do too much fraternizing with Admirals.

Movie Connections:

Featured in "The Fifties" (1997)

A Bit Tedious Until Final Half Hour

The last half hour of this war movie was very good as William Holden and others bomb bridges, the ones in the film is named. Holden is then forced to ditch his plane after being hit and then he and rescuers Mickey Rooney (yes, you read right) and Earl Holiman shoot it out with the Koreans.

Those scenes - and the shocking ending which I won't mention - are the highlights of this film.

Unfortunately, most of the movie - especially the first half of it, is somewhat boring. Very little happens. However, it certainly picked up at the end and had that memorable ending. This is one of the few movies that involved the Korean War. You just don't see many movies about that conflict.

Note: Grace Kelly gets good billing but does not have much of a role.