The War Lover

1962
Approved
1h 45m

IMDb RATING

6.5/10

2.3K

YOUR RATING

Robert Wagner and Shirley Anne Field in The War Lover (1962)

In 1943, while stationed in Britain, arrogant Captain Buzz Rickson is in command of a Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress bomber, but his recklessness is endangering everyone around him.

Play trailer3:09

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99+ Photos

Survival Adventure Drama War

In 1943, while stationed in Britain, arrogant Captain Buzz Rickson is in command of a Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress bomber, but his recklessness is endangering everyone around him.In 1943, while stationed in Britain, arrogant Captain Buzz Rickson is in command of a Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress bomber, but his recklessness is endangering everyone around him.In 1943, while stationed in Britain, arrogant Captain Buzz Rickson is in command of a Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress bomber, but his recklessness is endangering everyone around him.

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

6.5/10

2.3K

YOUR RATING

See production info at IMDbPro

Videos1

Trailer 3:09

Trailer

Photos106

+ 100

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Storyline

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Did you know

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Trivia
Warren Beatty turned down the role of Rickson, possibly because he had recently caused the divorce between Natalie Wood and Robert Wagner, and the two men were not on speaking terms.

Goofs
When the bomber takes off on the first mission the pilot calls out "gear up" telling the co-pilot to raise the landing gear. The co-pilot activates the landing gear retrieval switch without saying anything, a breach of safety protocol. Raising the landing gear is a checklist item and requires the co-pilot to immediately respond "Gear up" when executing the order. This checklist challenge-response procedure is followed religiously by all air crew, no matter how loose the crew might be otherwise.

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.

Connections
Featured in The Many Faces of...: Michael Crawford (2013)

Soundtracks
Roll Me Over
(uncredited)
Written by Robert Musel and Desmond O'Connor

User reviews39

Review

Featured review

Character Study of Arrogance and Conceit

I haven't read the John Hersey novel others praise. (I've always liked Hersey's reporting and writing - just missed this one). So I can judge only the movie.

Steve McQueen gives a truly wonderful performance as the sort of guy you want to punch - arrogant, self-absorbed, cruel, conceited. (Of course in life, we read the same of him!). Robert Wagner also gives a wonderful performance - how not to appear a loser when the cruel arrogant one always wins. Shirley Anne Field is absolutely lovely in a very upper class/dreamgirl sort of way.

The movie is quite romantic - you really believe in Wagner-Field as a couple. There is warmth and lust and trust and realism between the two. The movie gives the flavor of love in wartime almost as well as Yanks.

I quite liked the movie- but it seems too short - let us have more of these characters' interactions. They ARE interesting characters at an interesting and dangerous time. I suppose if they'd have taken more from Hersey's novel, it would have felt a more substantial meal.