A Bridge Too Far [Dirk Bogarde] [1977] : Lunar Monkey : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive (2024)

A Bridge Too Far is a 1977 epic war film depicting Operation Market Garden, a failed Allied operation in Nazi-occupied Netherlands during World War II. Based on a non-fiction book of the same name by historian Cornelius Ryan, the film is directed by Richard Attenborough and with a screenplay by William Goldman. It stars an ensemble cast, featuring Dirk Bogarde, James Caan, Michael Caine, Sean Connery, Edward Fox, Elliott Gould, Gene Hackman, Anthony Hopkins, Hardy Krüger, Laurence Olivier, Ryan O'Neal, Robert Redford, Maximilian Schell and Liv Ullmann.

Independently produced by Richard and Joseph E. Levine, it was the second film based on a book by Ryan to be adapted for the screen (after The Longest Day) (1962). It was the second film based on the events of World War II's failed Operation Market Garden, following Theirs Is the Glory (1946). A co-production between the United Kingdom and the United States, the film was shot on location in the Netherlands, in many of the real locations where the historical events took place.

Though it received a tepid critical response, A Bridge Too Far received several awards. At the 31st BAFTA Awards it won four out of eight nominated categories, including Best Supporting Actor for Edward Fox and Best Score for John Addison—who himself had served in the British XXX Corps during Market Garden. Attenborough was nominated for Best Direction, and the film was nominated for Best Motion Picture.

Plot

Operation Market Garden envisages 35,000 men being flown 300 miles (480 km) from air bases in England and dropped behind enemy lines in the Netherlands. Two divisions of US paratroopers are responsible for securing the road and bridges as far as Nijmegen. A British division, under Major-General Roy Urquhart, is to land near Arnhem and hold both sides of the bridge there, backed by a brigade of Polish paratroopers under General Stanisław Sosabowski. XXX Armoured Corps are to push up the road over the bridges captured by the American paratroopers and reach Arnhem two days after the drop.

As General Urquhart briefs his officers, some of them are surprised they are going to attempt a landing so far from their objective since the distance from their landing zone to the bridge will render their portable radios useless. Although the consensus is that resistance will consist entirely of inexperienced old men and Hitler Youth, reconnaissance photos show the presence of German tanks at Arnhem. General Browning nevertheless dismisses the photos and also ignores reports from the Dutch underground, believing the operation will be successful regardless.

The Arnhem bridge is the prime target, since it serves as the last means of escape for the German forces in the Netherlands and a direct route to Germany for the Allies. However the road to it is only a single lane linking the various key bridges and vehicles have to squeeze onto the verge to pass. The road is also elevated, causing anything moving along it to stand out.

Though the airborne drops catch the enemy by surprise and encounter little resistance, the Son bridge is demolished by the Germans just before it can be secured. Furthermore, troubles beset Urquhart's division, since many of the jeeps either do not arrive or are destroyed in an ambush, in addition to their nonfunctional radio sets.

Meanwhile, XXX Corps' progress is slowed by German resistance, the narrowness of the road and the need to construct a Bailey bridge to replace the one destroyed at Son. They are then halted at Nijmegen, where soldiers of the 82nd Airborne Division perform a dangerous daylight river crossing to capture the Nijmegen bridge and XXX Corps is further delayed waiting for infantry to secure the town.

The Germans close in on the isolated British paratroopers occupying part of Arnhem at the bridge, and although Sosabowski's troops finally arrive after being delayed in England they are ultimately too late to reinforce the British. After days of intense fighting against SS infantry and panzers the outgunned troops are eventually either captured or forced to withdraw to Oosterbeek. Urquhart receives orders to retreat, while the other Allied commanders blame the various difficulties encountered for their failure to provide the needed support.

Urquhart escapes with less than a fifth of his original 10,000 troops while those who are too badly injured to flee stay behind to cover the withdrawal. On arrival at British headquarters Urquhart confronts Browning about his personal sentiments regarding the operation and the latter contradicts his earlier optimism regarding it.

Back in Oosterbeek Kate ter Horst, whose home has been converted into a makeshift hospital by the British, abandons its ruins. Passing through the front yard, now a graveyard for fallen troops, she and her children leave with an elderly doctor, pulling a few possessions in a cart, while wounded British troops sing "Abide with Me" as they await capture.

Cast and roles
Note: Characters ordered by rank

British
ActorCharacterBased onNotes
Dirk BogardeLieutenant-General Frederick 'Boy' Browning—GOC I British Airborne Corps, and at HQ First Allied Airborne Army as its deputy commander, British Army at Nijmegen.
Edward FoxLieutenant-General Brian Horrocks—GOC, XXX Corps, British Second Army.
Sean ConneryMajor-General Roy Urquhart—GOC, 1st British Airborne Division, Arnhem
Donald DouglasBrigadier Gerald Lathbury—Brigade Commander, 1st Parachute Brigade, British Army in Arnhem.
Gerald SimColonel SimsArthur Austin EaggerSenior Medical Officer, 1st Airborne Corps, RAMC, British Army.
Richard KaneColonel WeaverGraeme WarrackSenior Medical Officer, Headquarters RAMC, 1st British Airborne Division, at the Main Dressing Station in the Schoonoord Hotel of the Oosterbeek Perimeter.
Philip RaymondColonel McEwanEdward H. GoulburnC.O. 2nd Armoured Grenadier Guards Battalion.
Michael CaineLieutenant-Colonel J.O.E. Vandeleur—CO, 3rd Battalion (Infantry), the Irish Guards, the Guards Armoured Division, XXX Corps, British Army
Anthony HopkinsLieutenant-Colonel John Frost—Commanding Officer, 2nd Battalion The Parachute Regiment, 1st Parachute Brigade, 1st British Airborne Division at Arnhem road bridge
Michael ByrneLieutenant-Colonel Giles Vandeleur—Acting CO, 2nd Battalion (Armoured), the Irish Guards, the British Guards Armoured Division. Cousin to 'Joe'.
Donald PickeringLieutenant-Colonel C.B. MacKenzie—Principal General Staff Officer (Chief of Staff), Headquarters, 1st Airborne Division, British Army, Divisional HQ at the Hartenstein Hotel
Christopher GoodMajor Harry CarlyleAllison Digby Tatham-Warter.Officer Commanding, A Company, 2nd Battalion The Parachute Regiment, 1st Parachute Brigade, Arnhem.
Frank GrimesMajor FullerBrian UrquhartG-2 (Intelligence Officer) for the 1st Airborne Corps, British Army stationed at the HQ located in Moor Park Golf Club, Hertfordshire, England.
Stephen MooreMajor Robert SteeleAnthony Deane–DrummondSecond–in–command of the divisional signals for 1st Airborne Division, later attached to 1st Parachute Brigade.
John StrideGrenadier Guards MajorCaptain Lord CarringtonBritish Grenadier Guards Commander who argues with Major Cook after 82nd capture Nijmegen Bridge.
Michael Graham CoxCaptain Jimmy Cleminson—T/Capt., 5 Platoon, B Company, 3rd Battalion The Parachute Regiment, British Army, Arnhem
Keith DrinkelLieutenant CornishEric MacKay9th Parachute Squadron Royal Engineers, 1st Airborne Division.
Denholm ElliottRAF Meteorology Officer—
Jeremy KempRAF Briefing Officer—RAF, although the briefing probably took place at the 1st Airborne Corps HQ in Moor Park Golf Club, Hertfordshire, England
Mark SheridanSergeant Tomblin—2nd Battalion, 1st Parachute Brigade, 1st British Airborne Division
George InnesSergeant MacDonald—British 1st Airborne Division radio operator at the Hartenstein Hotel
Alun ArmstrongCorporal Davies—2nd Battalion The Parachute Regiment, 1st Parachute Brigade, 1st British Airborne Division
Paul CopleyPrivate Wicks—Batman to Lieutenant Colonel Frost, CO, 2nd Battalion The Parachute Regiment, British Army
Ben CrossTrooper Binns—2nd Battalion, 1st Parachute Brigade, 1st British Airborne Division
David Auker'Taffy' Brace—Medic, 1st British Airborne Division
Americans
ActorRoleBased onNotes
Paul MaxwellMajor General Maxwell Taylor—CG, 101st Airborne Division, US Army at the Son bridge and later St-Oedenrode
Ryan O'NealBrigadier General James Gavin—Division Commander, US 82nd Airborne Division, US Army at the bridge across the River Maas in Grave, later at the Maas-Waal canal and the bridge across the River Waal in Nijmegen
Elliott GouldColonel Robert StoutRobert SinkCO, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division.
Arthur HillUS Army Surgeon ColonelDavid GoldChief Division Surgeon, 101st Airborne Division Clearing Station.
Robert RedfordMajor Julian Cook—Commanding Officer, 3rd Battalion, 504th PIR, 82nd Airborne, US Army seizing key bridges over the Maas-Waal Canal and the river assault crossing of the Waal.
Nicholas CampbellCaptain GlassLeGrand King JohnsonCO, F Company, 2nd Battalion, 502PIR.
Garrick HagonLieutenant Rafferty—Lieutenant, 101st Military Police Platoon, 101st Airborne Division, Division Field Hospital, US Army
John RatzenbergerLieutenant Wall1Lt. James MegellasLieutenant, Company H, 504th PIR, 82nd Airborne Division, US Army, at River Waal crossing.
James CaanStaff Sergeant Eddie DohunCharles DohunFirst Sergeant of Company F, 2nd Battalion, 502nd Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division U.S. Army (attacking Best).
Other Allies
ActorRoleNotes
Gene HackmanMajor General Stanisław SosabowskiBrigade Commander, Polish 1st Independent Parachute Brigade, Polish Armed Forces
Peter FaberCaptain Arie BestebreurtjeLiaison officer with the 82nd Airborne Division, Office of Strategic Services, Royal Dutch Army
Siem VroomDutch underground leader
Erik van 't WoutUnderground leader's son
Marlies van AlcmaerUnderground leader's wife
Germans
ActorRoleBased onNotes
Wolfgang PreissGeneralfeldmarschall Gerd von Rundstedt—Commander, OB West
Walter KohutGeneralfeldmarschall Walter Model—Commander, Army Group B
Hardy KrügerGeneralmajor der Waffen-SS Karl Ludwig— Heinz HarmelDivision Commander, 10th SS Panzer Division Frundsberg.
Maximilian SchellGeneral der Waffen-SS Wilhelm Bittrich—Corps Commander, II SS Panzer Corps.
Hans von BorsodyGeneral der Infanterie Günther Blumentritt—Chief of Staff, OB West
Fred WilliamsSS-Hauptsturmführer Viktor Eberhard Gräbner—Commander, reconnaissance battle group of 9th SS Panzer Division Hohenstaufen
Lex van DeldenSS-Oberscharführer Matthias Boschmann—Bittrich's orderly.
Hartmut BeckerGerman Army Feldgendarmerie sentry—
Dutch civilians
ActorRoleNotes
Laurence OlivierDr. Jan Spaander
Liv UllmannKate ter Horst
Mary SmithuysenOld Dutch lady
Hans CroisetOld Dutch lady's son
Josephine PeeperCafe waitress
Tom van BeekJan ter Horst
Erik ChittyOrganist
Albert van der HarstMedic
Richard AttenboroughLunatic wearing glassesUncredited cameo

Production
Air filming was done in the first weeks of September 1976, culminating in a series of air drops of a total of 1,000 men. Supplies were dropped from a number of Dakota aircraft. The Dakotas were gathered by the film company Joseph E. Levine Presents Incorporated. All aircraft were required to be CAA (Civil Aviation Authority) or FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) registered and licensed to carry passengers. An original deal for the purchase of 10 fell through when two airframes were rejected as passenger configured without the necessary jump doors. Eleven Dakotas were procured. Two ex-Portuguese Air Force, 6153 and 6171 (N9984Q and N9983Q), and two from Air Djibouti, operating from Djibouti in French Somaliland, F-OCKU and F-OCKX (N9985Q and N9986Q) were purchased by Joseph E. Levine. Three Danish Air Force K-685, K-687, and K-688, and four Finnish Air Force C-47s, DO-4, DO-7, DO-10 and DO-12, were loaned for the duration of the parachute filming.

Aircraft 6171 doubled as the camera ship on most formations, with a camouflaged Piper Aztec, G-AWDI. A camera was mounted in the astrodome, one on the port upper mainplane surface, with a third camera on the outside of the forward port cabin window and a fourth under the aircraft centre section. In addition, centre escape hatches were removed to make additional camera ports available, provided that no troops were aboard during filming. A second Aztec, G-ASND, was a backup camera ship on some shots, but it was not camouflaged. An Alouette, G-BDWN, was also employed. After a mishap with G-AWDI, two locally hired Cessna 172s, PH-GVP and PH-ADF, were also used. Ten Horsa glider replicas were built, but a windstorm damaged almost all of them. Seven or eight were hastily repaired for the shoot. The replica gliders were tail-heavy and required a support post under the rear fuselage, with camera angles carefully chosen to avoid revealing this. Dakota 6153 was fitted with tow gear and Horsa replicas were towed at high speed, though none went airborne. A two-seat Blaník sailplane, provided by a member of the London Gliding Club, Dunstable, was towed aloft for the interior takeoff shots.

Shooting of a scene in Deventer on May 18, 1976. German vehicles are crossing the bridge.
Four Harvards portrayed American and German fighters. Their original identities were PH-KLU, PH-BKT, B-64 and B-118, the former two aircraft loaned by the Royal Netherlands Air Force. These were flown by members of the Gilze Rijen Aero Club, which also provided an Auster III, PH-NGK, which depicted an Auster V, RT607, in wartime camouflage. Spitfire Mk. IX, MH434, depicting a photo reconnaissance variant, coded AC-S, was lent by the Hon. Patrick Lindsay, and was flown by aerobatic champion Neil Williams.

Sufficient American tanks, jeeps, and trucks of World War II vintage were found because many of the vehicles were being discarded from European military (almost entirely reserve) units, especially from Greece and Turkey.

The scenes set around the Arnhem bridge were shot in Deventer, where a similar bridge over the IJssel was still available. Although a replica of the original road bridge in Arnhem existed, by the mid-1970s modern urban development surrounded it, making it impossible to use as a setting for a 1940s city. A few scenes were shot in Zutphen, where the old municipality house and the main church can be seen. Additional scenes were filmed at Twickenham Studios.

The Motion Picture Association of America initially gave the film an R rating for its use of the F-word and depictions of war violence, but United Artists lobbied it to change it to a PG rating so that younger audiences could see the film. Cuts were also made to the film when released in the United Kingdom to avoid an AA rating from the British Board of Film Censors.

Finance

In order to keep costs down, all the star-name actors agreed to participate on a "favoured-nation" basis (i.e. they would all receive the same weekly fee), which in this case was $250,000 per week (the 2012 equivalent of $1,008,250 or £642,000).

Shooting of the American-led assault on the Bridge at Nijmegen was dubbed the "Million-Dollar Hour". Because of heavy traffic, the crew had permission to film on the bridge only between eight and nine o'clock on October 3, 1976. Failure to complete the scene would have necessitated rescheduling at a cost—including Redford's overtime—of at least a million dollars. For this reason, Attenborough insisted that all actors playing corpses keep their eyes closed.

After United Artists agreed to pay $6 million for US and Canada distribution rights, the film was a box office disappointment in North America, but performed well in Europe.