THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN
"Battle of Britain - The Movie", by Robert J.
Rudhall, book excerpt #13
All text by the late Robert J. Rudhall, circa 2000
Cast and Credits
Harry Saltzman and Ben Fisz did a remarkable job in assembling an all-star
cast for Battle of Britain. The list of performers read like a veritable 'who's
who' of the British cinema, with big names such as Sir Laurence Olivier, Sir
Ralph Richardson, Sir Michael Redgrave, Kenneth More, Michael Caine, Robert
Shaw, Christopher Plummer, Patrick Wymark and Trevor Howard all making
significant appearances throughout the film.
Some of the younger and lesser well-known members of the cast later went on to
achieve screen stardom. Edward Fox became the sinister assassin in the film Day of the Jackal, and on the television screen he took the lead role as the Prince of Wales in the series
Edward and Mrs Simpson.
Ian McShane appeared in a number of other films (If It's Tuesday This Must Be
Belgium -1969, Villain -1971 and Ransom -1974) before finding fame with his portrayal of the roguish antique dealer in the BBC television series
Lovejoy.
Barry Foster played the Dutch detective Van der Valk in the very successful ITV
series during the early 1970s, and also appeared as the 'necktie murderer' in
Alfred Hitchcock's 1972 film Frenzy.
Coming down the ladder of priority somewhat, actor John Savident only appeared
in Battle of Britain for about one minute, uttering just a handful of lines in
the process. He later went on to appear in several television costume dramas, as
well as taking a leading role in the hugely popular ITV 'soap opera' Coronation
Street, in which he played the highly comical butcher, Fred Elliot. Behind the
cameras was the cream of the British film industry. Director Guy Hamilton had a
reputation for getting every detail right. His previous work on films such as:
The African Queen, The Colditz Story, A Touch of Larceny and the James Bond film
Goldfinger had stood him in good stead for his work on Battle of Britain.
Assistant Director Derek Cracknell had previously worked on A Shot in the Dark,
The Blue Max, Robbery and 2001 A Space Odyssey, before coming to
Battle of Britain. He was later involved in the productions Live and Let Die,
Aces High,
The Wild Geese, Evil Under the Sun, Supergirl and Aliens.
Director of Photography Freddie Young's work on The Winslow Boy, The Barrells of
Wimpole Street, Soloman & Sheba, Lawrence of Arabia, Dr Zhivago and You Only Live
Twice, among others, had won him wide acclaim and many awards in the world of film. Aerial Cameraman Skeets Kelly entered the film industry as a junior
assistant to Freddie Young at the Elstree British & Dominion Studios. He
made his name as an aerial cameraman on such films as Sink the Bismarck,
Those Magnificent Men in their Flying Machines and The Blue Max
before working on Battle of Britain. His life and career was cut short
when he was killed in an accident during the filming of Zeppelin in 1970.
'Battle's other aerial cameraman, John Jordan, was also to lose his life
during an aerial sequence for a film. Jordan fell out of a B-25 Mitchell bomber
while shooting footage for Catch 22 in 1970.
In front of, and behind, the cameras Battle of Britain truly had an
international 'star' cast.
Cast
General Theo Osterkamp Wilfred van Aacken
Major Brandt, Heinkel Wing Leader Alexander Allerson
Jeschonnek, Luftwaffe
Chief of Staff Karl Otto Alberty
Sir Francis Stokes, Under Secretary of State for Air
Harry Andrews
Aircraft
Fitter Albert
Peter Angelis
Farmer John Bascomb
Warrant Officer Warwick
Michael Bates
Andy's Wife
Isla Blair
Squadron Leader
Canfield Michael Caine
Willoughby's Assistant Tom Chatto
Policeman
John Comer
Sergeant Pilot Jamie
James Cosmo
'B' Station
Intelligence Officer Basil Dignam
'A' Station Plot Room Controller
Eric Dodson
Northolt Flight Commander Michael Elwyn
Wing Commander Willoughby Robert Flemyng
Pilot
Gareth Forward
Squadron Leader Edwards
Barry Foster
Pilot Officer Archie Edward Fox
Squadron Leader Tom Evans W G Foxley
Feldmarschall Erhard Milch Dietrich Frauboes
Sergeant Pilot Chris
David Griffin
Feldmarschall Albert Kesselring
Peter Hager
General Fink Wolf Harnish
WAAF Corporal Seymour Pat Heywood
Bruno,
Messerschmitt Pilot Reinhard Horras
Air Vice Marshal Keith Park
Trevor Howard
Peter Myles Hoyle
Brandt's navigator Alf Jungermann
Baron Max von Richter Curt Jurgens
Boehm Helmut Kircher
Flight Sergeant Arthur
Duncan Lamont
Skipper's Wife Sarah Lawson
Workman in Blitz Reg
Lye
Pasco Mark Malicz
Old Man in Church
Hall
George Merritt
Peter's First New Boy Richard Morant
British Embassy Valet
Richardson Morgan
Group Captain Baker
Kenneth More
French NCO Andre Morell
Major Foehn Paul Neuhaus
Air Minister
Anthony Nicholls
Air Chief Marshal Sir Hugh Dowding
Sir Laurence Olivier
Group Captain Hope
Nigel Patrick
Lady Kelly
Eileen Peel
Simon Nicholas Pennell
Beppo Schimdt, Luftwaffe Intelligence Colonel Malte Petzel
Squadron Leader
Colin Harvey
Christopher Plummer
Falke, Senior Messerschmitt Pilot Manfred Reddeman
Air Vice Marshall Evill
Sir Michael Redgrave
'C'
Squadron Pilot
Ben Richardson
David Kelly, British Minister in Switzerland
Sir Ralph Richardson
Reichsmarschall
Herman Goering Hein Riess
Senior Signals Officer Harley John Savident
Ox Andrzej Scibor
Squadron Leader Skipper
Robert Shaw
Adolf
Hitler Rolf Stiefel
'C' Squadron Pilot
Nicholas Tate
RAF Flight Sergeant Reg
Thomason
Sergeant Pilot Charlie Lambert
Alan Tucker
Lift Operator/MoD
Edward Williams
Jean Jaques
Jean Wladon
Air Vice Marshal Trafford Leigh-Mallory Patrick
Wymark
WAAF
Section Officer Maggie Harvey Susannah York
* * * * * * * * *
Production Credits
Executive Producer
Harry Saltzman
Producer Benjamin S Fisz
Associate Producer
John Palmer
Director
Guy Hamilton
Assistant Director David Bracknell
First
Assistant Director Derek
Cracknell
Screenplay James Kennaway, Wilfred Greatorex
Director of Photography Freddie Young BSC
Director of Photography (Second Unit) Bob Huke BSC
Editor
Bert Bates
Sound
Editors
James Shields, Edward Mason
Music Composed & Conducted by
Ron Goodwin
'Battle in the Air' composed by
Sir William Walton OM
Conducted by Malcolm
Arnold
Chief Technical Advisor G/C TG Hamish Mahaddie
Technical & Tactical Advisors G/C Tom Gleave, W/C R Stanford-Tuck, W/C Robert
Wright,
S/L Ginger Lacey, S/L B Drobinski, W/C Claire Legge (WRAF)
German Technical & Tactical Advisors Lt Gen Adolf Galland, Col Hans Brustellin, Major Franz Frodl
Producer's Assistant
David Haft
Supervising Art Director Maurice Carter GF
AD
Assistant Art Directors Alan Tomkins, Bert Davey GFAD, Tony Masters, Lionel Couch, Jack Maxstead, Andrew
Campbell,
William Hutchinson GFAD, Tony Rimmington,
William Alexander,
Gill Parrondo
Camera Plane Pilot
John 'Jeff' Hawke
Camera Plane Co-Pilot
Duane Egli
Helicopter Pilot
John Crewdson
Camera
Plane Modification
Robert E Weimer,
Frank Hill,
Flying 'W' Products, Hill Air Co
Aerial Unit Director Quentin Lawrence
Aerial Photography Skeets Kelly,
John Jordan
Special Effects Supervisor
Wally Veevers
Researcher
John Roast
MoD Airspace Supervisor (ATC)
W/G Leslie Young
Property Buyer Ron Baker
Production Supervisor
John Palmer
Chief Production Accountant Ron Allday
Unit Doctor (Spain) Raphael Torroba
Replica Aircraft Construction Manager
Ken Softly
Production Office
Tony Smith
Properties Manager
John 'Paddy' Bennett
Props
John Chisholm
Publicity (USA) Dick McKay
Chief Electrician
Vic Smith
Camera Operator Dudley Lovell
Head of Publicity
Derek Coyte
Publicity Executive (in charge of liaison)
Air Cdr James Wallace
Publicity Assistant
Jill Thomas
Publicity Head Writer
Tom Hutchinson
Unit Publicity Director
John Willis
Head ofTelevision Publicity
Christopher Doll
Radio Publicity
John Dyas
Model Effects Supervisor
John Siddal
Model Unit Supervisor
Richard Conway
Radio Control Model Pilots
Mick Charles,
Chris Olsen,
David Platt,
Jack Morton,
A Oliver,
J Hoesli,
J Holden, J Kirk, T Thomas
Replica Aircraft Effects
Ken King, Les Steele
British Fighter Leader W/C George Elliot
Spanish Air Force Leader Commandante
Pedro Santa Cruz
Sound Gordon Everrett,
Gordon McCallum
Special Effects (Physical)
Cliff Richardson, Glenn Robinson, John
Richardson, Nick Alder, Wally Armitage,
Alan Barnard, Jimmy Harris, Garth Inns, Roy Wbybrow
Matte Effects Wally Veevers, Ray Caple
Optical Effects Ronnie Wass
Production Supervisor Sydney Streeter
Production Manager Claud
Hudson
Spanish Production
Manager
Agustin Pastor
Production Manager (Aerial Unit)
Bernard Williams
Continuity Elaine Schreyeck
Casting Director Maude Spector
Main Title
Design
Maurice Binder
German Casting & Dialogue Director Carl Fox-Duering
Carpenter
William Creighton
Wardrobe Manager John Wilson-Apperson
Wardrobe
Mistress Brenda Dabbs
Hairdresser
A G Scott
Chief Make-up George Frost, Eric Allwright
Colour by Technicolor
Filmed in Panavision
© Spitfire Productions Limited
Distributed By United Artists.
- END-
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