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Hollywood Releasing Multiple WWII Films

Oct. 4, 1964 - A sharply increased number of movies about World War II have gone into production recently in Hollywood. The renewed popularity of war themes is making itself apparent in varied ways.

Two massive reproductions of World War II prison camps have just been constructed to serve as sets for major motion pictures.

Columbia Pictures has spent $400,000 to build a 12-acre set representing the Changi jail of Singapore, a notorious prisoner-of-war camp that will be the subject of “King Rat.”

Twentieth Century-Fox has just finished building its own 12-acre prisoner-of-war camp on its back lot to serve as a set for “Von Ryan’s Express” (pictured), to star Frank Sinatra.

While these studios were building prison camps, two other companies were racing to make a picture based on the Battle of the Bulge. One version, “Battle of the Bulge,” will be filmed for Warner Brothers. Another, to be called “The 16th of December,” is being prepared by Joseph M. Schenck Enterprises and Gotham-Rhodes, Ltd.

The list of war films includes many other diverse entries. Among them are “The Americanization of Emily,” a biting study of a wartime self-preservationist starring James Garner and Julie Andrews; “Morituri,” a story of intrigue aboard a German cargo ship, starring Marlon Brando and Yul Brynner; and “In Harm’s Way,” the Otto Preminger production about Pearl Harbor, starring John Wayne.

A surprising number of war movies have post-World War II settings. These include “The Green Beret,” a Columbia picture about Vietnam, and two films that involve nuclear accidents — “Fail-Safe” and “The Bedford Incident.”

Studio officials in Hollywood attribute no special significance to the increase in war films. Both movie and television executives believe the public appetite for Westerns has been satiated, and they are therefore turning to war for their action and adventure.

On television, such series as “No Time for Sergeants,” “Gomer Pyle — U.S.M.C.,” “Combat,” and “McHale’s Navy” use military settings.



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