A Bridge Too Far

Details

Release year: 1977

Storyline

Operation Market Garden, September 1944: The Allies attempt to capture several strategically important bridges in the Netherlands in the hope of breaking the German lines.

Top credits

Awards

4 wins & 4 nominations

Did you know

• Sir Dirk Bogarde's portrayal of General Browning was highly controversial, and several friends of the late General suggested that, had Browning still been alive in 1977, he would have sued director Sir Richard Attenborough and screenwriter William Goldman for libel. Bogarde took issue with the portrayal during filming, having known Browning personally, as he was a member of Field Marshal Bernard L. Montgomery's staff during the war. Bogarde was upset by the personal criticism he received following the release of the film, especially as he had not been involved in the writing of the script. Although Attenborough publicly took responsibility for the controversy, his relationship with Bogarde was never the same again. Browning's son said he believed his father was made the fall guy for the failure of Operation Market Garden in the film because the producers knew there would have been too much flak if they went after Montgomery.

• During World War II, Sir Dirk Bogarde, who played Lieutenant General Browning, served in intelligence with the British Army. He, and eight other intelligence officers, were sent to Arnhem by General Bernard L. Montgomery during the battle.

• Sir Michael Caine's scripted line to order the column of tanks and armored cars into battle, was "Forward, go, charge." Luckily for Caine, Lieutenant Colonel J.O.E. Vandeleur was on the set, so he could ask him what the actual line was. Vandeleur told him, "I just said quietly into the microphone, 'Well, get a move on, then,'" which is what Caine says in the movie.

Box Office

Gross (Domestic): $50,750,000

User reviews

Technical specs

Sound mix

4-Track Stereo, 70 mm 6-Track, Mono

Aspect ratio

2.20 : 1, 2.35 : 1

Color

Color, Black and White, Black and White

FAQ

• Whose voice was used for the very moving narration at the beginning of this film?
• Subtitles, were they originally included? Deliberately omitted for some reason?
• Was the charactor of Major Fuller (worried Intelligence officer) real or fictitious?