World War I Movies for Fun and Research

I bet you’ve seen more World War I movies than you think you have.

Everyone knows about the classic All Quiet on the Western Front, of course. And a movie scholar could probably come up with the first Academy Award winner: Wings.

War Horse came out a few years ago, so you may know that one.

PBS fans could counter with Birdsong and probably Downton Abbey not to mention Upstairs, Downstairs.

How many of you know about Snoopy‘s escapes from the Red Baron? (Of course, he was quaffing root beer with the French mademoiselles in his off hours!)

I watched them all as I learned all I could about World War I.

Why watch a World War I movie?

Research, of course.

Many films were good examples of the types of clothing and machinery used during the war.

Another Masterpiece Theater presentation I remembered well was Testament of Youth.

It provided me with an idea of the manners and attitudes of Vera Brittain‘s family during the war. (I read her book as well).

 Lawrence of Arabia provided insight into a man who emerged as a marquee character in A Poppy in Remembrance.

It allowed me to see British Army life in Cairo during the war. Who can forget the desert and those camels?

A totally ridiculous choice was Julie Andrews as a spy and Rock Hudson as a stupid pilot in Darling Lili. (Loved the music, hated the story).

World War I on the ground in film

My Boy Jack was so very sad–the story of how Rudyard Kipling browbeat his only, near-sighted son into serving. The boy died almost immediately.

We enjoyed the fantastic aerial shots by intrepid pilots in The Flyboys‘ bi-planes.

I liked Wings better as a (silent) movie. The director used pilots from the actual war. (He filmed the movie about ten years after the end of the war).

Similarly, The Battle of the Somme film was shot by Pathe in 1916. Filmed before the end of the war, Another major battle came in the Somme River Valley the next year.

That film haunted–because many of the men depicted, real soldiers, died there months later.

Gary Cooper epitomized Sergeant York–based on the true story of one of the great Army heroes of the war. A terrific movie worth watching, even if it did involve death and mayhem.

Humphrey Bogart–who served in the Navy during WWI–starred in The African Queen, during WWI. The story involved blowing up a German ship in the middle of an African lake!

Who can forget King of Hearts, Paths of Glory, Gallipoli, In Love and War, and The Blue Max?

You can see an entire list of World War I movies here.

Other films pertinent to World War I in the time period, but not the actual war.

Periphery films would include more favorites: Secondhand Lions and Chariots of Fire (post WWI, but includes several wounded veterans. Harold served in the King’s Army).

Even Doris Day’s On Moonlight Bay includes WWI references.

Titanic, the liner, sank in 1912. I gained some insight into the attitudes and clothing depicted in the film of the same name. (I detested the movie, by the way.)

What comes to mind when you think of World War I movies? How many of them have you seen?

Tweetables

A surprising list of WWI movies. Click to Tweet

Who knew The African Queen was set during WWI? Click to Tweet

Snoopy and the Red Baron, Lawrence of Arabia, what’s your favorite WWI movie? Click to Tweet