Naval Reserve pilot Lieutenant Harry Brubaker (William Holden) is called back to active duty from his civilian profession as an attorney to destroy a set of highly defended bridges at Toko-Ri in Korea. Meanwhile, his wife Nancy (Grace Kelly) waits anxiously for his return...IF he returns.
The Bridges at Toko-Ri is a 1953 novel by American author James Michener, a former United States Navy lieutenant and news correspondent aboard the aircraft carriers USS Essex and USS Oriskany offshore in Korea. The character of Harry Brubaker was based on Lieutenant Donald S. Brubaker, a naval aviator attached to the USS Valley Forge, who was a Denver lawyer called to duty as a reservist. The character of Mike Forney (Mickey Rooney) was based on Lieutenant Duane Thorin, an enlisted pilot known for his green baseball cap, who flew rescue missions off the cruiser USS Rochester. The book was adapted for the film by American film-maker Valentine Davies.
There are no bridges named Toko-Ri in Korea. Michener modeled the story on actual missions flown during the winter of 1951-1952 against the railroad bridges at Majon-ni and Samdong-ni in North Korea.
While Brubaker hides in the irrigation ditch, Korean soldiers begin to come out of the brush and head toward his downed plane. The other fighter jets attempt to cover Brubaker until Forney and Gamidge (Earl Holliman) can get in with their helicopter, but the enemy fires on the copter and Gamidge is killed. Forney joins Brubaker in the irrigation ditch, and they attempt to hold off the enemy soldiers with their rifles, but Forney is killed by a grenade and Brubaker is shot to death. Back on the aircraft carrier, Admiral Tarrant (Fredric March) berates Commander Lee (Charles McGraw) for sending Brubaker on the second mission. Lee defends his actions, noting that Brubaker was his pilot, too. In the final scene, Tarrant asks himself rhetorically, Where do we get such men? They leave this ship and they do their job. Then they must find this speck lost somewhere on the sea. When they find it, they have to land on its pitching deck. Where do we get such men?
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- How long is The Bridges at Toko-Ri?1 hour and 42 minutes
- When was The Bridges at Toko-Ri released?December 1954
- What is the IMDb rating of The Bridges at Toko-Ri?6.7 out of 10
- Who stars in The Bridges at Toko-Ri?
- Who wrote The Bridges at Toko-Ri?
- Who directed The Bridges at Toko-Ri?
- Who was the composer for The Bridges at Toko-Ri?
- Who was the producer of The Bridges at Toko-Ri?
- Who was the cinematographer for The Bridges at Toko-Ri?
- Who was the editor of The Bridges at Toko-Ri?
- Who are the characters in The Bridges at Toko-Ri?Lt. Harry Brubaker, Nancy Brubaker, Rear Adm. George Tarrant, Mike Forney, and Cmdr. Wayne Lee
- What is the plot of The Bridges at Toko-Ri?Set during the Korean War, a Navy fighter pilot must come to terms with with his own ambivalence towards the war and the fear of having to bomb a set of highly defended bridges. The ending of this grim war drama is all tension.
- How much did The Bridges at Toko-Ri earn at the worldwide box office?$12,600
- How much did The Bridges at Toko-Ri earn at the US box office?$4.7 million
- What is The Bridges at Toko-Ri rated?Approved
- What genre is The Bridges at Toko-Ri?Drama, Romance, and War
- How many awards has The Bridges at Toko-Ri won?1 award
- How many awards has The Bridges at Toko-Ri been nominated for?3 nominations
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By what name was The Bridges at Toko-Ri (1954) officially released in India in English?
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