Wing and A Prayer

What a movie.

I found this on sale at a local department store and bought it on a whim. A great decision!

Staring Don Ameche and Dana Andrews, this World War II action-adventure takes place on an aircraft carrier in the Pacific. Sent on a decoy mission, the men are ordered not to engage in combat with the enemy in order to lull the Japanese into a sense of false security before the battle of Midway.

With frustration increasing and moral hitting an all-time low, the men engage in their own private battles with each other.

But it's not long before they have their chance to fight - and become heroes.

Wing and A Prayer has a lot going for it. One, it has great actors. Don Ameche does a stellar job of the ship's commander who has to make tough decisions. Dana Andrews is the squadron leader, struggling to hold his men's moral together while battling his own personal frustrations. William Eythe gives a wonderful performance as a Hollywood star who is now fighting in the war.

The realism of this movie is wonderful. From the inner workings of life on an aircraft carrier to how the men lived, Wing and A Prayer is a history lesson as well as a moving tale of men fighting for their country.

The Best Years of Our Lives

I bought this DVD without ever having watched the movie. Call it a leap of faith. And I wasn't disappointed.

The Best Years of Our Lives portrays three soldiers and their struggles to readjust to civilian life after World War II. Dana Andrews, Frederic March, and Harold Russell all do a magnificent job of coming to terms with returning to a sense of normalcy.

Each one manages to capture different aspects of civilian life, whether it be trying to find a job, returning to an old job, dealing with the memories of war, or dealing with the injuries of war. All three actors do a wonderful job.

Highly recommended not only for a great look at the difficulties of servicemen returning from war, but a touching story.