Movie Battle Scenes: Naval Warfare Quiz

Answer: The Sand Pebbles

This Oscar-nominated film stars Steve McQueen, Richard Crenna, Candice Bergen, and Richard Attenborough. "The Sand Pebbles" tells a story of an American gunboat crew trying to carry out an impossible task, protecting American lives and property, in a country on the verge of civil war.

Answer: Damn The Defiant!

Released in 1962, "Damn The Defiant!" is a fictional account of a British frigate fighting the French in the time before Napoleon's rise to supreme power. The crew is terrorized by the first officer(Dirk Bogarde) who believes in brutal punishment for all, including the Captain's (Alec Guinness) son, a junior officer. Anthony Quayle plays the sailor who leads the mutineers.

Answer: Ben-Hur

A true blockbuster movie from 1959, "Ben-Hur" is a story written by American Civil War general Lew Wallace. The book tells the tale of Judah Ben-Hur, a Jewish prince living around the time of Jesus, who is sent to the galleys on false charges. The battle scenes convey the feeling of terror in being chained to an oar while other ships are trying to ram and sink your vessel.

Answer: Midway

This 1976 movie uses a mixture of fictional and historical characters. The film is a fairly accurate retelling of the June, 1942 Battle of Midway, in which the U.S. Navy surprised a Japanese fleet, sinking four aircraft carriers and preventing the invasion of Midway Island.

While there are some technical errors with the appearances of ships and aircraft, the battle scenes are very well done. The movie stars Charlton Heston, Henry Fonda, and Toshiro Mifune.

Answer: Captain Horatio Hornblower

Based on the C.S. Forester character, "Captain Horatio Hornblower" is a 1951 film with Gregory Peck in the title role. In command of the frigate Lydia, he and his crew take a much larger Spanish ship by trickery and turn it over to an anti-Spanish rebel, only to learn later that Spain is now a British ally.

He must now re-take the ship before it can be used against Spanish colonies. Hornblower is then given command of a larger ship blockading the French fleet in the Atlantic.

Answer: Cleopatra

The main focus of "Cleopatra" is on the relationships between the legendary Egyptian queen and Roman leaders Julius Caesar and Mark Antony. The naval battle of Actium in 31 BCE was the beginning of the end for Antony and Cleopatra's bid for independence from Rome. The depiction of the battle is huge, as was this entire film, almost bankrupting the studio.

Answer: In Harm's Way

Directed by Otto Preminger and based on the novel by James Basset, "In Harm's Way" stars John Wayne as Rock Torrey, a cruiser captain who is almost cashiered when his ship is torpedoed after Pearl Harbor. Restored to command, he runs operations against Japanese-held islands in a fictional campaign reminiscent of the fighting in the Solomon Islands during 1942-1943.

There are some excellent surface action recreations including scenes of PT boat actions, as well as sequences of combat with battleships, cruisers, and destroyers.

Answer: Tora! Tora! Tora!

A Japanese-American co-production featuring a huge cast, "Tora! Tora! Tora!" Is a faithful account of the events leading up to the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, as well as the actual battle. Purists will spot some mistakes and anachronisms in the ships and planes used in the battle sequences, but that shouldn't keep one from enjoying a good war movie.

Answer: Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World

Based on the Patrick O'Brian books and directed by Peter Weir, "Master and Commander" is an action-packed film which is also a good look at life aboard a naval ship in the early 19th century. The film stars Russell Crowe and Paul Bettany, and differs from the books in that the adversary of the British frigate was changed from an American ship to a French one, to better appeal to American audiences.

Answer: Sink the Bismarck!

Released in 1960, "Sink the Bismarck!" Is an intense, fairly accurate portrayal of the desperate British efforts to track down and destroy the German battleship "Bismarck" before she reached the vital shipping lanes that were Britain's lifelines. While the film concentrates mostly on the efforts of the Admiralty staff in finding the German ship and directing adequate forces to deal with her, there are some excellent surface battle scenes.

The film stars Kenneth More and Dana Wynter.