Many of the best — yet severely underrated — classic war romance movies deal with borrowed time and immense tragedies. That is to be expected in these types of films, isn’t it? Whether characters must depart from their loves because of military orders, whether civilian love interests must try not to die from air raids, and whether homecomings will occur — or never happen — can often be staples in war romances.
There are many movies that are certified classics that are also war romances — films such as Casablanca and From Here to Eternity. You won’t find those classics here. Instead, we’ve decided to focus on the wartime romances that receive far less attention, but should be better known to audiences, particularly those who enjoy classic cinema.
Below, you’ll find the best underrated classic war romance movies you should watch next! The movies will range when it comes to what makes it a “war” film; some will feature heavy battle sequences, others won’t touch the front lines at all. Some are placed during a character’s time of service, while others might focus more on veterans. Finally, some of these films might not focus on military characters at all, and instead focus on everyday civilians who are caught up in terrible times of war.
- 10. The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse (1962)
- 9. The Red Danube (1949)
- 8. Ever in My Heart (1933)
- 7. The Dark Angel (1935)
- 6. The White Cliffs of Dover (1944)
- 5. Miracle in the Rain (1956)
- 4. The Clock (1945)
- 3. Heaven Knows, Mr. Allison (1957)
- 2. The Enchanted Cottage (1945)
- 1. The Mortal Storm (1940)
- Watch the Best Underrated Classic War Romance Movies Today
10. The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse (1962)
Genre: Romantic War Drama
Starring: Glenn Ford, Ingrid Thulin, Charles Boyer, Paul Henreid
Directed by: Vincente Minnelli
Though not everyone will absolutely adore the 1962 version of The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, this movie does remain an intriguing, underrated classic war romance.
Vincente Minnelli updated the classic Vicente Blasco Ibáñez from World War I to World War II, focusing on the rise of Nazi Germany and the brutal occupation of France.
In The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, reckless Argentine playboy Julio (Ford) becomes involved with the wife of an anti-Nazi publisher in Paris. Their affair unfolds as war threatens to break out — and as Julio’s family, full of French and German descendants, begins to take sides in the approaching conflict.
Amid this romance, Julio watches as some of his family members become Nazis, while others become fighters for the French Resistance. Not one family member remains untouched by this war by the time the film ends.
Best for fans of historical melodramas and family sagas.
9. The Red Danube (1949)
Genre: Tragic Romantic War Drama
Starring: Walter Pidgeon, Ethel Barrymore, Peter Lawford, Janet Leigh, Angela Lansbury
Directed by: George Sidney
Set immediately after World War II in Allied-occupied Vienna, The Red Danube has its flaws — it was made during the Red Scare, after all — but it remains an intriguing and underrated wartime romance, thanks largely to its absolutely stacked cast.
The film follows British officer Colonel Michael “Hooky” Nicobar (Pidgeon), who is ordered to supervise the forced repatriation of Soviet citizens who are living within the British zone of Vienna. Very quickly, this order becomes personal, as Major John “Twingo” McPhimister (Lawford) has fallen in love with Maria Buhlen (Leigh), a Soviet ballerina who desperately doesn’t want to go back to Russia.
Now, Nicobar and McPhimister are in direct conflict with their military orders. They must return Maria to the country she fears she’ll die in — or face severe consequences. A tragic postwar romance.
Best for viewers interested in Cold War era films and postwar romances.
8. Ever in My Heart (1933)
Genre: Romantic War Drama
Starring: Barbara Stanwyck, Otto Kruger, Ralph Bellamy
Directed by: Archie Mayo
Ever in My Heart follows New Englander Mary Archer (Stanwyck) in 1909 when she prepares to reunite with her childhood sweetheart, Jeff (Bellamy), the man she’s intent on marrying. However, when Jeff returns to New England with his German friend, chemist Hugo Wilbrandt (Kruger), Mary quickly falls in love with this new man. Against all odds, and some social controversy, the two wed.
Their relationship is what dreams are made of until World War I arrives. Almost overnight, Hugh goes from being a respected professor and naturalized American citizen to a suspicious German that their neighbors don’t trust. Thanks to the rampant anti-German hostility seen at the time, Mary and Hugh’s marriage begins to fall apart, even though they both love each other.
Ever in My Heart mainly takes place on American soil, yet it portrays a relationship trying its best to deal with wartime xenophobia very interestingly.
Best for those looking for romances that deal with wartime prejudice, rather than wartime combat.
7. The Dark Angel (1935)
Genre: Romantic War Drama
Starring: Fredric March, Merle Oberon, Herbert Marshall
Directed by: Sidney Franklin
In The Dark Angel, Kitty (Oberon) is childhood friends with Alan (March) and Gerald (Marshall). The trio enters adulthood, and both men end up falling madly in love with Kitty. Though she ends up choosing Alan, the outbreak of World War I sends both men to France before the two can even begin their life together. A tragedy soon reshapes the relationship between all three when Alan is stated to be killed on the battlefield.
The Dark Angel is definitely one of the best underrated classic war romance movies of all time. Oberon’s performance is especially wonderful, and she received a Best Actress nomination for her restrained performance.
Best for those looking for an emotionally restrained WWI melodrama.
6. The White Cliffs of Dover (1944)
Genre: Romantic War Drama
Starring: Irene Dunne, Alan Marshal, Roddy McDowall
Directed by: Clarence Brown
In The White Cliffs of Dover, American visitor Susan Dunn Ashwood (Dunne) arrives in England shortly before the outbreak of World War I. She rather quickly falls in love with British aristocrat Sir John Ashwood (Marshal). Their relationship — and the tragedy they face — spans two generations and both world wars.
Made during World War II, The White Cliffs of Dover is openly patriotic. However, Dunne gives the generational sweeping drama its heart and soul — as can be expected from a talent like Dunne.
Best for audiences who enjoy classic war romances featuring multigenerational epics.
5. Miracle in the Rain (1956)
Genre: Romantic War Drama
Starring: Jane Wyman, Van Johnson, Peggie Castle
Directed by: Rudolph Mate
Miracle in the Rain is set in New York City in 1942 during World War II. Secretary Ruth Wood (Wyman) finds her routine forever changed after she meets serviceman Arthur Hugenon (Johnson) on a very rainy day. Though Arthur will soon be sent overseas, the two develop a relationship — and it’s beautiful to watch unfold.
Instead of the film showcasing war battles, Miracle in the Rain instead focuses on loneliness and the instability of everyday life on the home front. It’s truly a must-watch.
Best for viewers who prefer 1950s melodramas set on the home front.
4. The Clock (1945)
Genre: Romantic War Dramedy
Starring: Judy Garland, Robert Walker, James Gleason
Directed by: Vincente Minnelli
In The Clock, Corporal Joe Allen (Walker) only has two days of leave in New York when he meets secretary Alice Maybery (Garland) in Pennsylvania Station. Rather like Miracle in the Rain, isn’t it? But still so good!
The film follows the two as they fall in love. Their quick courtship includes city crowds and the threat of Joe leaving again very soon. The movie is spectacular for many reasons, including the fact that it was Garland’s first dramatic, non-singing feature role! It’s hard not to believe that this film isn’t one of the best underrated classic war romance movies of all time!
Best for those who want to watch a warm romance without any battlefield sequences.
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3. Heaven Knows, Mr. Allison (1957)
Genre: Romantic War Adventure
Starring: Robert Mitchum, Deborah Kerr
Directed by: John Huston
Though more well-known than some of the other films on this list, Heaven Knows, Mr. Allison is definitely one of the best underrated classic war romance movies. This wonderful John Huston film reduces a grand war epic to a film starring mainly just two people.
In this 1957 adventure, Corporal Allison (Mitchum), a stranded U.S. Marine, meets Sister Angela (Kerr), an Irish nun left alone on a South Pacific island in 1944 during World War II. Slowly, their wariness of each other develops into a strong bond, thanks to their desire to survive the island, the threat of Japanese occupation, and the war itself.
Though not a romance in the way these other films are, Heaven Knows, Mr. Allison still features a strong — and at times romantic — connection between two people in a period of wartime. Mitchum and Kerr’s chemistry really sells this film.
Best for viewers who enjoy restrained romantic tension and war survival stories.
RELATED: 10 Best Deborah Kerr Movies, Ranked
2. The Enchanted Cottage (1945)
Genre: Romantic War Fantasy
Starring: Dorothy McGuire, Robert Young, Herbert Marshall
Directed by: John Cromwell
The Enchanted Cottage is also one of the very best underrated classic war romance movies of all time. How could this fantasy not be?
The film follows veteran Oliver Bradford (Young) who, after suffering life-changing injuries during World War II, withdraws to a secluded cottage — the very same cottage he was supposed to stay at during his honeymoon.
While there, he grows close to the cottage’s housekeeper, Laura Pennington (McGuire), an isolated woman who is used to people judging her by her appearance. However, in this cottage, the two find themselves able to be exactly who they’d like to be — and they fall in love in the process.
Best for viewers who want a tender veteran romance with hints of fantasy.
1. The Mortal Storm (1940)
Genre: War Drama
Starring: Margaret Sullavan, James Stewart, Robert Young, Frank Morgan
Directed by: Frank Borzage
The Mortal Storm is perhaps the best underrated classic war romance movie — though it luckily has become better remembered in recent years!
Set during World War II, The Mortal Storm takes place in a German university town in 1933 during the rise of Adolf Hitler. This rise completely divides the family of Professor Viktor Roth (Morgan). His daughter, Freya (Sullavan), finds herself pulled between Fritz (Young), an enthusiastic Nazi supporter, and her family friend Martin (Stewart), a principled young man who does not support the Nazis.
Released before the U.S. officially entered the war, The Mortal Storm somehow manages to depict a lovely romance — all while treating the rise of fascism as something that destroys relationships, friendships, and even homes.
Best for those who are seeking an anti-fascist drama that somehow, beautifully, contains romance and moral responsibility.
Watch the Best Underrated Classic War Romance Movies Today
While all of these films approach wartime — or post-wartime — love from various directions, each deals with romance that seems to become even more urgent when their future is uncertain — and very much dealing with life-or-death situations.
You can check out these films online:
- The Mortal Storm (1940) is currently streaming on HBO Max.
- The Clock (1945) is currently streaming on HBO Max.
Which overlooked and underrated war romance would you add to this list? Hit the comments below with all your thoughts! For more classic Hollywood movie lists, return to Soapy Tea daily.
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