JERICHO, N.Y., May 20, 2002 – On Monday, May 27, AMC honors the legacy of the men and women of the armed forces when it presents the "The Way We War" Memorial Day Marathon. The all-day line-up of nine World War II-related films includes COURAGE UNDER FIRE starring Meg Ryan and Denzel Washington.
The marathon begins at 7:00 AM (ET) with NONE BUT THE BRAVE (1965). Frank Sinatra directed and starred in this tale of American and Japanese soldiers who must strike a temporary truce to survive being stranded on a Pacific island. Clint Walker and Tatsuya Mihashi co-star.
In THE PURPLE HEART (1944), airing at 8:55 AM (ET), Dana Andrews portrays the Captain of a group of U.S. bomber pilots captured in Japanese-occupied China, imprisoned and put on trial for war crimes. Fox studio chief Darryl F. Zanuck wrote the script under his pseudonym, Melville Crossman.
MIDWAY (1976), airing at 12:30 PM (ET), features extensive use of actual battle footage to tell the story of the turning point in the war of the Pacific Theatre. The all-star cast includes Charlton Heston, Henry Fonda, James Coburn and Robert Mitchum as U.S. Naval officers who led the American victory over the Japanese Imperial Navy as it attempted to invade a key base on Midway Island.
In COURAGE UNDER FIRE (1996), airing at 6:30 PM (ET), The pilot of a rescue copter, Captain Karen Walden, portrayed by Meg Ryan, died shortly before her helicopter crew was rescued after it crashed in Desert Storm. It first appears that she made a spectacular rescue of a downed helicopter crew, and then held her own crew together to fight off the Iraqis after her copter crashed. LT Colonel Serling (Denzel Washington), who is struggling with his own demons from Desert Storm, is assigned to investigate and award her the Medal of Honor. But some conflicting accounts from her crew and soldiers in the area cause him to question if she deserves it.
The marathon concludes at 1:10 AM (ET) with the WWII film STRATEGIC AIR COMMAND (1955), starring Jimmy Stewart. The Strategic Air Command, America's main nuclear strike force, is short-staffed and recalls aging Lt. Col. Robert 'Dutch' Holland (Stewart) to active duty. The film was nominated for an Oscar® for Best Writing.
Other highlights of AMC's "The Way We War" Memorial Day Marathon include BACK TO BATAAN (1945), at 10:45 AM (ET); FLYING LEATHERNECKS (1951), at 4:45 PM (ET); and TO HELL AND BACK (1955), at 2:50 PM (ET). A complete schedule of films and airtimes is attached.
AMC is a premiere 24-hour movie network dedicated to the world of American film. With one of the finest, most comprehensive libraries of popular films, and a diverse blend of original series, documentaries and interstitials, AMC offers an elegant and contemporary entertainment destination. AMC is a fully distributed network reaching over 83,000,000 U.S. homes (as of May 2002) and ranking #16 in size among all 55 networks.
Since its launch in 1984, AMC has been dedicated to deepening the movie experience for its viewers, featuring film-loving celebrity hosts and an increasingly visible, critically acclaimed slate of original programming. AMC has more than doubled its original programming over the past 3 years and garnered many of the industry's highest honors, including five Emmy awards.
AMC is owned and managed by Rainbow Media Holdings, Inc., a leader in news, sports and entertainment programming. A subsidiary of Cablevision Systems Corporation (NYSE:CVC) and NBC, Rainbow manages American Movie Classics, WE: Women's Entertainment, Bravo, The Independent Film Channel, MuchMusic USA, Rainbow Sports Networks, News 12 Networks, MetroChannels and Mag Rack as well as the Rainbow Advertising Sales Corporation and Rainbow Network Communications. In addition, Rainbow is a fifty-percent partner in Fox Sports Net. AMC is one of the assets included in the Rainbow Media Group tracking stock (NYSE:RMG), a series of Cablevision common stock. MGM (NYSE:MGM) owns a 20% stake in four of Rainbow's national networks – AMC, Bravo, IFC, and WE: Women's Entertainment.
Monday, May 27, 2002
| 7:00 AM | NONE BUT THE BRAVE (1965) |
| 8:55 AM | THE PURPLE HEART (1944) |
| 10:45 AM | BACK TO BATAAN (1945) |
| 12:30 PM | MIDWAY (1976) |
| 2:50 PM | TO HELL AND BACK (1955) |
| 4:45 PM | FLYING LEATHERNECKS (1951) |
| 6:30 PM | COURAGE UNDER FIRE (1996) |
| 8:35 PM | FORCE 10 FROM NAVARONE (19) |
| 10:50 PM | MIDWAY (1976) |
| 1:10 AM | STRATEGIC AIR COMMAND (1955) |