Ww2 Films That Mainly Involve The British

I have not seen the "longest day"for some time but I think Richard Burton played a crashed Spitfire pilot in the film.

Brum

 

Richard Todd was a paratrooper who landed in Normandy on D Day. See here:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/insideout/eastmidland...dtodd_war.shtml

However, I think that by "Lieutenant Danny Brotheridge" is wrong.

I don't know about Richard Burton, other than his real name was Jenkins.
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I think it is debatable whether Brotheridge was the first to be killed, as there could have been airborne pathfinder casualties before the Pegasus Bridge glider landings, but he was certainly one of the first. By the way, according to Stephen E Ambrose he was Den Brotheridge, not Danny.

 

By the way, according to Stephen E Ambrose he was Den Brotheridge, not Danny.
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That was my point. He is called Den in "We Remember D Day" too.

However "Den" is just a nickname derived from his middle name, which was Denham - Lt. Herbert Denham Brotheridge.


http://www.cwgc.org/cwgcinternet/casualty_...asualty=2345255

 

Richard Todd played Major Howard.

Richard Burton played a fictional RAF "Flight Officer" who delivers a little monologue at the start and ends of "The Longest Day."

In the movie, we find Burton at the start mourning the death of his pal who "jumped clean, but his parachute failed."

At the end, he's found crippled, having shot a German officer, chatting with Richard Beymer.

It's an interesting scene, because Burton talks about having been stitched up by an American medic who used safety pins. The medic who historically used safety pins was Alfred Eigenberg on Omaha Beach.

In the movie, the German officer is seen searching his backyard for two Canadian pathfinders who dropped into his greenhouse, wearing his boots on the wrong feet. So that is on the east side of the Orne River.

Then he gets shot by Burton who has been tended by a medic who landed at Omaha, who just meets up with Dutch Schultz of the 82nd Airborne, who landed behind Utah Beach. That's quite a walk for all concerned.

Burton makes the point of the movie: The German is dead, the Briton crippled, the American lost...that's the way it is in war (and the geopolitics of the time).

That was supposed to be the final scene, but Zanuck was told to tack on Norman Cota "running up the beach."

 

Originally posted by Kiwiwriter@Oct 11 2004, 10:25 PM
Richard Todd played Major Howard.

Ric

At the end, he's found crippled, having shot a German officer, chatting with Richard Beymer.

It's an interesting scene, because Burton talks about having been stitched up by an American medic who used safety pins. The medic who historically used safety pins was Alfred Eigenberg on Omaha Beach.

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That is based upon the experinces of a real pilot shot down on d-day. Sorry but i am just getting ready for bed, but, will search "The longest day" for the name!

 

But did anybody see the "Way to the Stars" this afternoon? Okay the lovey dovey bits and the rotten acting aside; it provided a snap shot of service. it was written by Terance rattigan the playwrit who served in Bomber Command and it was full of future stars.

it was interesting because it included Bill owen AKA Compo as a Warrant Officer AG, which was both the Rank and trade he was at the time!

 

Thanks for the lists and help guys, I have managed to see a couple of the films that you have listed to me.

BTW are there any of these films that you have listed been made in the last 10 years. It's not that I don't like older films but it's just that they are harder to find

 

There's a list of British made W.W.II films I drew up (and categorised) over 18 months ago at http://www.ww2forums.com/cgi-bin/ubbcgi/ul...c;f=18;t=000151

At the time all were linked to a respective review, which may or may not still work?

One of my favourites remains the little shown "The Long Days' Dying". No big 'shoot-em-up' but poignant just the same.

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