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 documenting the events of the Battle of Britain, the war for aerial supremacy between the German Luftwaffe and the defending Royal Air Force waged over British skies during summer of 1940. The nature of the subject 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. Directed by Guy Hamilton and produced by Harry Saltzman and S. Benjamin Fisz, 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

The Battle of France rages in June 1940. It has turned against both the British and French. RAF pilots evacuate a small airfield in advance of German advance forces. The pilots, along with British and French military, leave just as Luftwaffe aircraft arrive and execute a heavy strafing attack. As the deserted beaches of Dunkirk are shown, where retreating British forces were overwhelmed and driven into the sea by the Wehrmacht, the BBC reports British Prime Minister Winston Churchill's declaration that "what General Weygand called the 'Battle of France' is over. The Battle of Britain is about to begin."

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 abandon adlertag adolf hitler air armada air battle air battle of 15 september 1940 air force bad weather battle of britain day battle of france bbc berlin big wing blitz british prime minister commanding officer david victor kelly dover dunkirk eagle day end engage first time free polish air force general weygand german hawker hurricane hermann göring hurricane keith park london london to be razed luftwaffe march maxime weygand military leave morning nazi germany no. 11 group raf no. 12 group raf prime minister prime minister of the united kingdom raf royal air force sir david kelly spitfire strength training supermarine spitfire switzerland trafford leigh-mallory train turn ventnor wehrmacht winston churchill
musicBy	Ron Goodwin
producer	Benjamin Fisz Harry Saltzman
productionCompany	Spitfire Productions
publisher	United Artists
recordedAt	Malta Pinewood Studios Spain
theme	epic war