Battle of Britain 1969

type: Movie

language: English

duration: 126 min

theme: war

director: Guy Hamilton

Score: 6 / 10

Battle of Britain is a 1969 British war film directed by Guy Hamilton, and produced by Harry Saltzman and S. Benjamin Fisz. The film documents the events of the Battle of Britain. The film drew many respected British actors to accept roles as key figures of the battle, including Laurence Olivier as Air Chief Marshal Sir Hugh Dowding, Trevor Howard as Air Vice-Marshal Keith Park, and Patrick Wymark as Air Vice-Marshal Trafford Leigh-Mallory. It also starred Michael Caine, Christopher Plummer, and Robert Shaw as Squadron Leaders. The script by James Kennaway and Wilfred Greatorex was based on the book The Narrow Margin by Derek Wood and Derek Dempster.

Plot

During the Battle of France in June 1940, RAF pilots evacuate a small airfield in advance of the German Blitzkrieg. The pilots, along with British and French military, leave just as German aircraft arrive and execute a heavy strafing attack. RAF Air Chief Marshal Hugh Dowding, realising that an imminent invasion of Great Britain will require every available aircraft and airman to counter it, stops additional aircraft being deployed to France so that they are available to defend Britain. In the next dramatic scene, French civilians watch in grim despair as a convoy of German troops marches into France and takes control.

Awards

National Board of Review: Top Ten Films

Cast

More details

author	James Kennaway
award	National Board of Review: Top Ten Films
contentLocation	England
director	Guy Hamilton
editor	Bert Bates
events	aviation Battle of Britain World War II
keywords	11 group 12 group adlertag adolf hitler air battle air battle of 15 september 1940 air chief marshal air force albert kesselring bad weather battle of britain day battle of france bbc berlin big wing blitz blitzkrieg british prime minister burn capture church commanding officer david victor kelly dunkirk eagle day end evacuation evacuations of civilians in britain during world war ii fight fighter pilot follow free polish air force führer general weygand german great britain hawker hurricane heinkel he 111 hermann göring hurricane junkers ju 87 keith park kesselring kriegsmarine land london london to be razed lose luftwaffe luftwaffe inspector-general field marshal milch march massive attack meet military leave morning nazi germany no. 11 group raf no. 12 group raf one by one operation sea lion prime minister prime minister of the united kingdom radar raf royal air force sea-borne invasion sir david kelly spitfire stuka dive bombers supermarine spitfire switzerland trafford leigh-mallory train trap turn wife and child wing commander winston churchill
musicBy	Ron Goodwin
producer	Benjamin Fisz Harry Saltzman
productionCompany	Spitfire Productions
publisher	United Artists
recordedAt	Malta Pinewood Studios Spain
theme	epic war