Fifties British War Films: Days of Glory
Simon Heffer looks at war films such as The Dam Busters, The Cruel Sea and The Colditz Story and argues that they have real cinematic merit and a genuine cultural importance.
In the 1950s, Britain looked back on its epic war effort in films such as The Dam Busters, The Cruel Sea and The Colditz Story. However, even at the time these productions were criticised for being class-bound and living in the past.
Journalist and historian Simon Heffer argues that these films have real cinematic merit and a genuine cultural importance, that they tell us something significant not only about the 1950s Britain from which they emerged but also about what it means to be British today.
His case is supported by interviews with stars including Virginia McKenna, Sylvia Syms and Sir Donald Sinden, with further contributions from directors Guy Hamilton (The Colditz Story) and Michael Anderson (The Dam Busters).
Last on
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Sylvia Syms is asked to cover up
Duration: 01:16
Credits
Role | Contributor |
---|---|
Presenter | Simon Heffer |
Producer | Hans Petch |
Director | Hans Petch |
Executive Producer | Tom Webber |
Broadcasts
- New Year's Day 2013 21:00
- Sun 6 Jan 2013 02:00
- Sun 6 Jan 2013 19:0091热爆 HD
- Wed 9 Jan 2013 00:2091热爆 HD
- Tue 30 Jul 2013 23:30
- Wed 9 Apr 2014 22:50
- Mon 17 Aug 2015 23:30
- Tue 9 Feb 2016 00:20
- Fri 12 Feb 2016 01:40
- Mon 22 Aug 2016 00:30
- Thu 2 Mar 2017 23:50