The best William Holden’s war movies

William Holden

William Holden

17/04/1918- 12/11/1981
We present our ranking of the best William Holden’s movies. Do you love cinema? Or are you looking for a movie of your favorite actor to watch tonight? Surely you have some to see or that you did not know yet about William Holden.
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The Bridge on the River Kwai

The Bridge on the River Kwai
8.1/10
The classic story of English POWs in Burma forced to build a bridge to aid the war effort of their Japanese captors. British and American intelligence officers conspire to blow up the structure, but Col. Nicholson , the commander who supervised the bridge's construction, has acquired a sense of pride in his creation and tries to foil their plans.

Stalag 17

Stalag 17
8/10
It's a dreary Christmas 1944 for the American POWs in Stalag 17 and the men in Barracks 4, all sergeants, have to deal with a grave problem—there seems to be a security leak.

The Horse Soldiers

The Horse Soldiers
7.1/10
A Union Cavalry outfit is sent behind confederate lines in strength to destroy a rail supply center. Along with them is sent a doctor who causes instant antipathy between him and the commander. The secret plan for the mission is overheard by a southern belle who must be taken along to assure her silence.

Escape to Athena

Escape to Athena
5.6/10
During the World War II, the prisoners of a German camp in a Greek island are trying to escape. They not only want their freedom, but also seek an ineffable treasure hidden in a monastery at the summit of the island's mountain.

The Devil's Brigade

The Devil's Brigade
6.7/10
  • Genre: ActionDramaWar
  • Release: 15/05/1968
  • Character: Lt. Col. Robert T. Frederick
At the onset of World War II, American Lt. Col. Robert Frederick (William Holden) is put in charge of a unit called the 1st Special Service Force, composed of elite Canadian commandos and undisciplined American soldiers. With Maj. Alan Crown (Cliff Robertson) leading the Canadians and Maj. Cliff Bricker (Vince Edwards) the acting head of the American contingent, there is initial tension -- but the team comes together when given a daunting mission that few would dare to attempt.

The Bridges at Toko-Ri

The Bridges at Toko-Ri
6.7/10
A naval aviator is assigned to bomb a group of heavily defended bridges during the Korean War.

Alvarez Kelly

Alvarez Kelly
6.3/10
In 1864, during the American Civil War, Mexican cattleman Alvarez Kelly supplies the Union with cattle until unexpected circumstances force him to change his customers.

The Key

The Key
6.7/10
In wartime England, circa 1941, poorly-armed tugs are sent into "U-Boat Alley" to rescue damaged Allied ships. An American named David Ross arrives to captain one of these tugs. He's given a key by a fellow tugboat-man -- a key to an apartment and its pretty female resident. Should something happen to the friend, Ross can use the key.

Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing

Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing
6.4/10
A widowed doctor of both Chinese and European descent falls in love with a married American correspondent in Hong Kong during China's Communist revolution.

Submarine Command

Submarine Command
6.2/10
  • Genre: DramaWar
  • Release: 01/11/1951
  • Character: Lt. Cmdr. Ken White
Submarine commander Ken White is forced to suddenly submerge, leaving his captain and another crew member to die outside the sub during WW II. Subsequent years of meaningless navy ground assignments and the animosity of a former sailor, leave White (now a captain) feeling guilty and empty. His life spirals downward and his wife is about to leave him. Suddenly, he is forced into a dangerous rescue situation at the start of the Koren War.... reassigned to the same submarine where all of his problems began.

The Counterfeit Traitor

The Counterfeit Traitor
7.5/10
Blacklisted in modern day WW2, a Swedish oil trader opts to assist British Allies, by means of infiltrating and surveying Nazi Germany.

I Wanted Wings

I Wanted Wings
6.3/10
  • Genre: DramaWar
  • Release: 26/03/1941
  • Character: Al Ludlow
Told in flashback, this drama follows the training and personal lives of three recruits in the Army Air Corps: a wealthy playboy, a college jock, and an auto mechanic. Love interest is supplied by a female photographer and a sultry blonde.

Force of Arms

Force of Arms
6.5/10
  • Genre: DramaRomanceWar
  • Release: 13/08/1951
  • Character: Sgt. Joe 'Pete' Peterson
During the winter of 1943, the German army halted the American advance in the mountains of Italy; back-and-forth combat decimates Joe Peterson's platoon. On leave in Naples, Joe meets WAC lieutenant Eleanor MacKay; initially cool, she begins to melt during a bombing raid. Their romance develops despite Joe's periodic returns to the front. But whether he'll come back in the end becomes more than doubtful...

Toward the Unknown

Toward the Unknown
6.5/10
The story of a US Air Force major who was captured during the Korean War, and cracked signing a confession. After his release he ultimately arrives at Edwards Air Force base and works for his old buddy, now base commander. And runs into an old love forming the romantic triangle sub plot. But the main story line is the testing of high speed aircraft and the two main characters restoring their trust in each other. The aviation story line centers on the testing of the testing of the Gilbert XF-120 fighter, which suffers structural problems. And who will test the rocket powered X-2, designed to fly to the edge of space.

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