on the Longest Day and a Bridge Too Far

[Richmond516]

Trivial useless info...

Did you know:

Dirk Bogarde, who plays General Frederick 'Boy' Browning in the Attenborough epic, A Bridge Too Far, was 'there' during Operation Market Garden? He was on Monty's staff.

Peter Lawford, who plays Commando leader Lord Lovat in The Longest Day was the son of Major-General Sydney Turing Barlow Lawford, commander of the WW1 British 41st (New Army) Division throughout its existence.

The eccentric Major Harry Carlyle of the movie is based on events that happened to Capt Eric Mackay of the R.E. and Maj.Digby Tatham-Warter.

Tom R.

[Tomus]

Richard Todd who plays Major Howard who captures Pegasus Bridge with 6th Airborne in "The Longest Day" was actually in the same action but was a Lieutenant in 1944.

[Arjuna]

Yes and did you know that the 1946 British movie "Theirs is the Glory" which covered the battle for Arnhem casted many of the survivors of the battle as "themselves". According to the blurb on the back of the video case "Theirs is the Glory was produced entirely without the use of studio sets or actors and every incident was either experienced or witnessed by those who appear in the film. Original footage shot at the time is interwoven to produce a remarkable piece of cinema history." Good stuff, including the real Panther tank being shot up amongst the actual ruins of Arnhem.