Мосты Токо-Ри

1954 American war film by Mark Robson
the novel

The Bridges at Toko Ri is a 1954 American war film about the Korean War and stars William Holden, Grace Kelly, Fredric March, Mickey Rooney, and Robert Strauss. The film, which was directed by Mark Robson, was produced by Paramount Pictures. Michener based the character of Harry Brubaker on Lieutenant Donald S. Brubaker, who like his counterpart, was a 29 year old Naval Reservist from Denver recalled to active duty aboard Valley Forge. The basis for Admiral Tarrant was Rear Admiral John Perry, the carrier division commander at the time; that of Lee was Commander Marshall U. Beebe, CAG aboard Essex in 1951 and technical advisor for the film; and Forney on Chief (NAP) Duane Thorin, himself a colorful enlisted pilot known for his trademark non regulation green headgear. The pilot's rescue attempt at the climax of the novel and film was a composite of a pair of unrelated rescue attempts on February 8, 1952, both in the area of Wonsan, North Korea, with the second one involving a propeller driven Douglas AD 1 Skyraider from Valley Forge that had been shot down while bombing the railroad bridges at Samdong ni. However, though the shot down aviators in the second attempt were initially listed as missing in action, they survived their ordeal, and they were captured by North Korean soldiers. In the attacks against the historical bridges, the McDonnell F2H Banshee fighter bombers (represented by Grumman F9F Panther) that are at the heart of the story did not bomb the bridges themselves, since they did not have the capability of carrying the heavy aerial bombs that were needed. Instead, they carried out the perilous mission of suppressing enemy anti aircraft fire.

Film rights were purchased for $100,000 by the team of George Seaton and William Perlberg, who had a production unit at Paramount. They wanted Spencer Tracy for the role of admiral, but this was played by Frederic March.

Exteriors were shot aboard Oriskany and Kearsarge, 27,100 ton s standing in for USS Savo Island. The aircraft used in the film is the Grumman F9F 2 Panther, a Korean War workhorse still in service and equipping the air groups of both carriers at the time the film was made. In the novel, however, Brubaker's squadron flew McDonnell F2H Banshees. The squadron depicted is an actual unit, Fighter Squadron 192 (VF 192) "Golden Dragons," which was aboard Oriskany during the filming, and from its part in the movie, thereafter, billed itself as the "World Famous Golden Dragons." VF 192 had two war deployments to Korea, but aboard Princeton and flying Vought F4U 4 Corsairs. The movie also took advantage of the early uses of helicopters in the military. Rooney's character flies a S 51/HO3S 1/H 5F, G, H Sikorsky "DragonFly" which was well known as a naval rescue aircraft. Location filming was also done in Post War Japan at the US Naval Base in Yokosuka, Kanagawa, and the historic Fujiya Hotel at Hakone. A ranch in Thousand Oaks, California, was also used for filming.

Although the film was released in Canada in December, 1954, it opened in the rest of the world, including the U. S., in 1955.

The Bridges at Toko Ri was well received by critics and public alike. Typical of the reviews was one by Bosley Crowther of The New York Times, who noted how the film adaptation was true to the original story and was "vividly and movingly developed in this punctilious film." The movie also premiered at the Radio City Music Hall. The close cooperation of the U. S. Navy led to spectacular aerial scenes as well as carrier action. A raid sequence with large scale models intercut with combat footage was a particularly effective scene that was later recognized in the Academy Awards.

The Bridges at Toko Ri won the Academy Award for Best Special Effects (1956) and Alma Macrorie was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Editing (1956). Mark Robson was also nominated for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Motion Pictures in the Directors Guild of America Awards (1956).

Atypical of the World War II movies produced by Hollywood, The Bridges at Toko Ri was considered a quiet anti war themed movie. The Korean War never got the same attention in media as World War II as its geopolitical purpose in world security was considered dubious. Brubaker's character questions the purpose of the Korean War with the Rear Admiral and others. The final scenes of the movie document the hopeless deaths of the main protagonists as they lie in a muddy ditch in a foreign land. As the movie progresses through dangerous missions(ditching, flak fly throughs), Brubaker experiences moments of panic and PTSD as the Bridge mission looms closer and closer. Grace Kelly's character being a metaphorical representation of the country's confusion over the Korean War but remaining dutiful and unquestioning in its purpose.

In a scene from the 2021 movie Licorice Pizza, Sean Penn plays an aging actor named "Jack Holden" who starred with Grace Kelly in a film called The Bridges of Toko San. Despite the name changes, this scene is an obvious allusion to William Holden and The Bridges at Toko Ri (as is Tom Waits' character, director "Rex Blau", an obvious allusion to Mark Robson, director of Toko Ri, in the same scene).