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The Winds of War 
Actors : Robert Mitchum, Ali MacGraw, Jan-Michael Vincent, John Houseman, Polly Bergen
Studio : Paramount Pictures
by Paramount Pictures
Release Date : 1997-06-25
Publisher : Paramount Pictures
Availability : Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Number of Items : 7
EAN : 9780792110804
UPC : 097368013032
Avg. Customer Rating: (based on 100 reviews)
List Price : $19.95
Our Price : $48.99
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Marketadvisory.com |
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An engrossing, 1983 television miniseries based on a bestselling work of historical fiction by Herman Wouk, The Winds of War is an admirable production reminiscent of the era of Hollywood's epic features. At the center of the globe-trotting story is the Henry family, whose laconic but straight-shooting patriarch is United States Navy Commander Victor "Pug" Henry (Robert Mitchum), sent to Hitler's Berlin in the spring of 1939 as a naval attaché to the then-neutral American embassy. A keen observer, Pug deduces that Germany is not preparing for war on two fronts (western Europe on one side, Russia on the other) despite what the Nazis want the world to believe, meaning that Hitler must be working out a secret peace deal with Stalin. Pug's prescience makes him a favorite eyewitness in Berlin for Franklin D. Roosevelt (Ralph Bellamy); the irony is that Pug is far less sagacious when it comes to the realities of his family. Polly Bergen plays unhappy wife Rhoda, who turns to A-bomb developer Palmer Kirby (Peter Graves) for comfort. Pug's 19-year-old daughter, Madeline (Lisa Eilbacher), defies her iron-willed dad's decision that she stay in school by taking a job for CBS radio in New York. Compliant son Warren (Ben Murphy) can't seem to get Pug's attention despite doing everything right (including becoming a Navy pilot, eventually present at the bombing of Pearl Harbor). By contrast, Pug spends more time fuming over black sheep son Byron (Jan-Michael Vincent), who is working in increasingly Fascist Italy as an assistant to an art historian (John Houseman) while trying hard to woo the latter's exasperating niece, Natalie (Ali MacGraw). The story of Byron and Natalie takes up much of The Winds of War as the pair traverse Poland during the shock of Hitler's 1939 assault, and Jewish Natalie later finds herself trapped inside Italy facing the threat of concentration camps. Before The Winds of War ends, each of these characters will end up in places and situations, and with historical figures (Churchill, Mussolini) as well as ordinary people, they would not have anticipated outside the pressures of war. The program's length and smart script allow for a lot of ideas and background detail that pull a viewer in--happily. --Tom Keogh |
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Great movie |
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Unbelievebly great movie. One of the best movie I have ever seen. Done with great actors. It is well done and leave aside the bloody scenes of the war which we do not need to see and appreciate not seeing. The movie has been very appreciated by the family because of the excellent performance of the actors and the very good script. |
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Simply Great! |
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This is my first purchase of anything that had to deal with the 2nd world war. Sure, I've watched Private Ryand and Bands of Brothers but this series showed the makeup behind the USA getting slapped at Pearl Harbor. If anyone is looking for a history lesson via the DVD arena, this series sums it up within 15 hours. |
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If only we had Ali MacGraw instead of Jane Seymour for the complete mini series |
I just spent an hour with reading all reader's reviews and agree with most of them, enjoyed reading the one by the history professor from Zagreb the most!
However I totally disagree with the reader's review from Tracy Marks on 9/14/2006. I did read the Wouk books before I watched the mini series and always felt that there was no better cast choice for the part of Natalie Jastrow than Ali MacGraw. I've seen "Love Story" and found it quite nice, but when I watched "Winds of War", I was completely taken with the undeniable chemistry between Ali MacGraw and Jan-Michael Vincent and their good acting. If they were only acting that they were in love, then these were the most convincing love scenes I ever saw on the big screen or on TV in more than 40 years.
How big was my disappointment when I started watching the sequel "War and Remembrance" and had to accept that Dan Curtis (or his casting agency) had replaced the vivid and passionate Ali MacGraw by sleeping pill actress Jane Seymour (I was already wondering way back in the early seventies when I watched the James Bond movie "Live and let Die" how Seymour got that part???).
The actor who replaced Jan-Michael Vincent as Byron Henry was not bad, but he was simply lacking Vincent's charisma. Vincent might not be the world's greatest actor, but he certainly has sex appeal and charisma. So has MacGraw.
At first I watched the whole series, all 19 parts. When I watched it a second time about 2 years later, I fast-forwarded the Seymour scenes (they are unbearable to watch) and focussed on the remaining good actors like Mitchum, Tennant and a few others.
Lately I only watched the first 7 parts.
I once did read somewhere that Ali MacGraw did not get the part offered again in "War and Remembrance", because she was considered being too old. I had no clue that she was over 40 when she played 28 year old Natalie Jastrow. She looked and acted like late twenties to me. She WAS Natalie Jastrow. If Curtis would not have waited 5 years, before he started filming the sequel, she would have been 5 years younger and as perfect as in the first part of this mini series. I think even 5 years later she would have been perfect still. In any case hundred times better than the sleeping pill :). But that's just MHO. |
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Winds of War |
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Very good serie about a US naval family during the pre war days of 1939-1941. Also very informative about the outbreak of WW2 |
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A tremendous mini-series |
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This is a wonderfully engrossing mini-series. I know there are some complaints about the ages of the actors but the romance is very captivating. Great performances all around. Highly recommended. |
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