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Warner War Classics on DVDBattle Cry 
This is a fascinating World War II soap opera that follows a group of raw recruits to the US Marine Corps from the day they enlist till the day the survivors come home again. As such, soap operatic aspects aside, it’s a must see if you’ve ever wondered what it must have been like to live through those times. We also get to see how the war affected the women left at home, many of whom never again saw the love of their lives after they went off to fight the evil empires of their time. Van Heflin gets star billing as the group’s commanding officer, with James Whitmore as “Mac,” the career sergeant who’s his right arm – and eventually the buddy of the Marines who make the grade. Also along, as the Marines, are Tab Hunter and Aldo Ray, the latter of whom experiences arguably the most growth as an individual in the story. He’s a lumberjack and career ladykiller, who vows never to fall in love with any single woman. And he doesn’t, in one respect: he falls in love with a married woman – or at least a widow, a Kiwi whose man marched off to war and didn’t marching back home again. The story is by Leon Uris, and though it does tend to drag in a few places (much like military life consists of much “hurry up and wait” with smatterings of horror and healthy doses of camaraderie) it’s intriguing and involving. We get to see the recruits’ characters tested in a variety of ways, we see them bond and, in some cases, we see them die. We even see some Navajo “windtalkers” long before their story was made famous in John Woo’s movie of the same name. All in all, it’s a terrific look, fictionalized as it is, at Marine life – though the vast majority of the film’s 148 minutes doesn’t include combat. Rather, it’s not so much about their fighting as it is about them. There’s also some surprisingly adult and sexy stuff for a movie of this era. It’s a good DVD, too, with anamorphic widescreen video (16x9 TV compatible) that features a sharp image and that “old movie color” that looks so neat. Audio is claimed to have been remastered in Dolby Digital 5.1, though we didn’t hear a lot that made it seem like multichannel sound to us. Still, the audio quality of a 1950’s vintage film isn’t generally anything to write home about, so one can’t quibble. Extras include a portrait of director Raoul Walsh and the theatrical trailer. Battle Cry, from Warner Home Video 
Errol Flynn stars as a paratroop captain whose platoon attacks a Japanese outpost in the jungle. The Yanks take out the enemy with aplomb, then gear up for their return home. Wait a minute, that’s enough story to fill a war movie from beginning to end, but with Objective Burma, it’s just the beginning! From there, as with “Tears of the Sun,” things don’t work out as planned and the platoon has to head for friendly territory over land, behind enemy lines. Made during WWII, this is a terrific war movie, directed brilliantly by Raoul Walsh. Okay, so it rewrites history by suggesting that only American forces fought the Japanese in Burma, but it’s still a ripping yarn, well told. The jungle is oppressive, parts of their journey are nothing short of terrifying - and there are crocodiles to contend with, too. Errol Flynn turns in an excellent performance, going from the patented Flynn bravado to world-weary resignation over the course of the movie. And his supporting cast, including Henry Hull as an aging war correspondent, James Brown, William Prince, George Tobias, and Stephen Richards, is very strong as well. The DVD is presented in its original full frame aspect ratio of 1.33:1, so it isn’t 16x9 TV compatible natively. The black and white picture quality is very good, however. Audio, not surprisingly, is an unremarkable Dolby Digital mono. There are some pretty neat extras, too, including a couple of WWII propaganda films. One focuses on the frightening and thankless job of tailgunner and stars Burgess Meredith and Ronald Reagan. The other one’s about tanks, and is in color. You also get a profile of director Walsh and the theatrical trailer Objective Burma, from Warner Home Video 
Perhaps not on of the WWII masterpieces, Operation Pacific is still entertaining. John Wayne stars as the appropriately nicknamed "Duke" Gifford, first officer of the submarine Thunderfish. Patricia Neal is his ex-wife, and when they have a chance to meet again they try to recapture their old magic. Do they? Watch the movie to find out. On a mission, the Duke and his shipmates discover that their torpedoes are duds, though they later find out why and put back to sea. Meanwhile his best friend's brother starts putting the move on Neal. How's that for a plot synopsis? Well, we don't want to spoil it for you! There’s lots of action at sea and at home, and all in all it’s a pretty good flick. The action moves along well, toward a climactic scene where against overwhelming odds our heroes manage to prevail and you can take a breath again. Wayne’s character is strong and larger than life, not surprisingly, but the Duke gives a simple, honest performance, while Neal as usual epitomizes class and dignity. Ward Bond and Jack Pennick also star. The DVD is more Spartan than “Objective Burma,” but the overall quality is fine. The video is presented in the original full frame aspect ratio, which means owners of 16x9 TV’s will have to stretch and/or zoom the picture to fit their screens. We watched it on our 4x3 home theater and found the black and white picture quality more than adequate. Audio, naturally, is merely adequate. For extras, you get the trailer and some cast/crew film highlights. Operation Pacific, from Warner Home Video
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