Steve McQueen plays a really screwed up bomber pilot, Buzz. Unlike most of these guys, Buzz LIKES that there's a war and finds the whole thing exciting and even fun! This doesn't bother his men during much of the film...he's very, very good at what he does and seems to lead a charmed existence. However, as the film progresses, it becomes obvious to several of the men that he really is a sociopath....a loner who likes to destroy things and has contempt for women. Nothing seems to get to him at all...until his last mission.In contrast, there's his co-pilot, Bo (Robert Wagner). As the film progresses, the two have a falling out and in many ways, they are different. However, he's no angel either when it comes to women. Handsome and likable, like Buzz, he's a bit of a user. But he does not love war and can't wait to go home.This film did a great job of fooling the viewer. According to IMDb, there were only three B-17s used in the film...and they made it seem like a lot more. Additionally, MOST of the aerial sequences are pretty good and the stock footage they used was better than normal in most cases (though the stuff later in the film wasn't nearly as good). There were only two serious problems I noticed (and I am a stickler for these details) were scenes where a plane exploded, as they were obviously just cheap models and could have been done better. There also was a BRIEF clip of a supposedly German fighter plane attacking at 94 minutes into the film...and it's actually an American P-38. In many ways, the film is an interesting portrait of the folks who flew the missions. I am pretty sure a reasonable number must have been like Bo and Buzz...and such attitudes must have proved helpful in war...and certainly NOT during peace time! Not a great film like "12 O'Clock High" (probably the best film about WWII bombers) but very good nevertheless.

Philip Leacock's "The War Lover" puts as much emphasis on the 'lover' as it does on the 'war'. Robert Wagner and Steve McQueen are American bombers stationed in England during World War Two. Wagner falls for local girl Shirley Anne Field while McQueen is more in love with killing. This was an early lead performance from McQueen and he certainly displays charisma. Wagner, on the other hand, is his usual eager-to-please self and, although he's the good guy, comes across as a bit too serious and far too smug. Again Shirley Anne Field is wasted in a bland, under-written role while the film's main strength lies in Bob Huke's first-rate black and white photography. Look out for a young Michael Crawford in a small part.

Not a run of the mill war movie by any standard. Surprisingly moody and downbeat with a great script and a superb performance by Steve McQueen. Let down by one poor exterior stunt scene, the rest of the film excels. Like one other correspondent, caught the film Sunday afternoon whilst channel hopping and was hooked. Not heard of the film till today but now on my favourites list. Wooden performance from Shirley Anne Field parried well by a handsome and on - form Robert Wagner and supporting cast help the action and non-action scenes flow. Not read the book so can't compare but that's normally a pointless exercise anyway. Michael Crawford (Some Mothers do Ave em)carries off the American accent well. Spent most of the film trying to spot future film, TV and theatre stars

Aviation author Martin Caiden (his books were the basis for the film "Marooned" and the t.v show "The Six Million Dollar Man") published a book entitled "Everything But The Flak" that detailed the efforts to revive three Navy PB-1 Flying Forts and the ensuing flight adventure of moving them across the Atlantic to England for the making of "The War Lover" which is a "must read" for those interested in the making of this film. He accompanied the flight crews and although his larger-than-life account of their hijinks (rumbling with Soviets in the airport in Greenland, being locked up by Interpol in Portugal on suspicion of smuggling illicit warplanes - after all these three B-17s had active gun turrets) must be taken with a grain of salt, the guy sure could spin a great yarn! The book is probably WAY out of print but is well worth seeking out as it gives some idea of the difficulty of reactivating three WW II bombers years before the warbird revival got underway. Unfortunately, due to import/export duties in England in the early 1960s, Columbia Pictures scrapped two of the three Fortresses after filming was completed and only one has survived, used for promotion of the film before being passed onto other hands.The movie itself has lots of B-17 action of the planes taxiing around the airfield prior to mission take-off that is frequently edited out for television broadcast to save time for commercials or to fit into a specific airtime envelope. If it airs uncut, notice the patchy paint on the Fortress noses as three airframes portray a much larger squadron, with nose art changed several times.Mark Sublette, Falls Church, Virginia