A Bridge Too Far
original film poster
Directed by	Richard Attenborough
Produced by	Joseph E. Levine, Richard Levine
Written by	William Goldman
Starring	Dirk Bogarde James Caan Michael Caine Sean Connery Edward Fox Anthony Hopkins Hardy Krüger Laurence Olivier Robert Redford Maximilian Schell
Editing by	Antony Gibbs
Distributed by	United Artists
Release date(s)	June 15, 1977
Running time	176 min. Richard Samuel Attenborough Baron Attenborough Joseph E Levine ( September 9, 1905 – July 31, 1987) was an American Film producer. The following is a list of characters from Michael Crichton 's novels Jurassic Park and The Lost World. This article is about the screenwriter/novelist For the mathematician see William Goldman (professor. Sir Derek Jules Gaspard Ulric Niven van den Bogaerde ( 28 March, 1921  &ndash 8 May, 1999) better known by his Stage name James Edmund Caan (born March 26, 1940) is an American Academy Award - Emmy - and Golden Globe -nominated American Sir Maurice Joseph Micklewhite Jr, CBE (born 14 March 1933 better known by his screen name Michael Caine, is an Oscar - and BAFTA Sir Thomas Sean Connery (born August 25 1930) is an Academy Award - Golden Globe - and BAFTA Award -winning Scottish Edward Charles Morrice Fox, OBE (born 13 April, 1937) is an English stage film and television Actor. Sir Philip Anthony Hopkins, CBE (born 31 December 1937 is a Welsh Film, stage and Television Actor. Hardy Krüger (born Franz Eberhard August Krüger on April 12, 1928 in Berlin-Wedding) is a German Actor. Laurence Kerr Olivier Baron Charles Robert Redford Jr (born August 18 1936) is an Academy Award -winning American Film director, Actor, Maximilian Schell (born December 8, 1930) is an Academy Award -winning Austrian Actor. This article is about the film studio Previously it was affiliated with a cinema chain bearing its name now owned by Regal Entertainment Group. Events 763 BC - Assyrians record a Solar eclipse that will be used to fix the Chronology of Mesopotamian history Also 1977 (album by Ash. Year 1977 ( MCMLXXVII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays
Language	English
IMDb profile

A Bridge Too Far is a 1977 film based on the 1974 book of the same name by Cornelius Ryan, adapted by William Goldman. English is a West Germanic language originating in England and is the First language for most people in the United Kingdom, the United States The year 1977 in film involved some significant events Events In the Academy Awards, Peter Finch, Faye Dunaway A Bridge Too Far, a non-fiction book by Cornelius Ryan published in 1974 tells the story of Operation Market Garden, a failed Allied attempt Cornelius Ryan, ( 5 June 1920 &ndash 23 November 1974) was an Irish-American Journalist and Author mainly known This article is about the screenwriter/novelist For the mathematician see William Goldman (professor. It was directed by Richard Attenborough. Richard Samuel Attenborough Baron Attenborough

The film tells the story of Operation Market Garden, an ultimately unsuccessful Allied attempt to break through German lines and seize several bridges in the occupied Netherlands during World War II. Operation Market Garden ( September 17, 1944 – September 25, 1944) was an Allied military operation fought in the Netherlands In general allies are people groups or nations that have joined together in an association for mutual benefit or to achieve some common purpose Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. The Netherlands ( Dutch:, ˈnedərlɑnt is the European part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, which consists of the Netherlands the Netherlands World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including The name for the film comes from a comment made by British Lt Gen Frederick Browning, deputy commander of the First Allied Airborne Army, who told Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery before the operation, "I think we may be going a bridge too far. Lieutenant General Sir Frederick Arthur Montague Browning GCVO, KBE, CB, DSO ( December 20, 1896 &ndash The First Allied Airborne Army was an Allied formation formed on 2 August 1944 by the order of General Dwight D For other meanings see Field Marshal (disambiguation Field marshal is a military officer rank Field Marshal Bernard Law Montgomery 1st Viscount Montgomery of Alamein, KG, GCB, DSO, PC, (məntˈgʌmərɪ əv ˈæləmeɪn "

The ensemble cast includes Dirk Bogarde, James Caan, Michael Caine, Sean Connery, Denholm Elliott, Elliott Gould, Edward Fox, Gene Hackman, Anthony Hopkins, Jeremy Kemp, Laurence Olivier, Robert Redford, Liv Ullmann, Maximilian Schell, Hardy Krüger and Ryan O'Neal. Sir Derek Jules Gaspard Ulric Niven van den Bogaerde ( 28 March, 1921  &ndash 8 May, 1999) better known by his Stage name James Edmund Caan (born March 26, 1940) is an American Academy Award - Emmy - and Golden Globe -nominated American Sir Maurice Joseph Micklewhite Jr, CBE (born 14 March 1933 better known by his screen name Michael Caine, is an Oscar - and BAFTA Sir Thomas Sean Connery (born August 25 1930) is an Academy Award - Golden Globe - and BAFTA Award -winning Scottish Denholm Mitchell Elliott, CBE (31 May 1922 &ndash 6 October 1992 was a distinguished English Actor of stage and Screen, with Elliott Gould (born August 29, 1938) is an Academy Award -nominated American actor Edward Charles Morrice Fox, OBE (born 13 April, 1937) is an English stage film and television Actor. Eugene Allen "Gene" Hackman (born January 30, 1930) is a two-time Academy Award -winning American actor and author Sir Philip Anthony Hopkins, CBE (born 31 December 1937 is a Welsh Film, stage and Television Actor. Jeremy Kemp (born 3 January 1935) is an English actor He is perhaps best known for his role as PC Bob Steele in the BBC Television Laurence Kerr Olivier Baron Charles Robert Redford Jr (born August 18 1936) is an Academy Award -winning American Film director, Actor, Liv Johanne Ullmann (born December 16 1938 in Tokyo Japan is a Norwegian actress and was the beloved muse of Swedish Academy Award winning director Ingmar Maximilian Schell (born December 8, 1930) is an Academy Award -winning Austrian Actor. Hardy Krüger (born Franz Eberhard August Krüger on April 12, 1928 in Berlin-Wedding) is a German Actor. Ryan O'Neal (born Charles Patrick Ryan O'Neal; April 20 1941 is an Academy Award - and Golden Globe -nominated American Actor The music for the film was scored by John Addison, who was a soldier with the British XXX Corps during Operation Market Garden. John Mervyn Addison ( 16 March 1920 - 7 December 1998) was a British Composer.

Plot summary

The film begins with a description of the state of affairs five years into the war. D-Day had come and gone and the allies were bogged down by overextended supply lines. Supreme Allied Commander Dwight D. Eisenhower had to decide between General Patton (U. Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower (October 14 1890 – March 28 1969 was President of the United States from 1953 until 1961 and a five-star general For the 19th century Scottish jurist/politician see George Patton Lord Glenalmond. S. ) and Field Marshal Montgomery (UK), each of whom had competing plans for ending the war quickly. Field Marshal Bernard Law Montgomery 1st Viscount Montgomery of Alamein, KG, GCB, DSO, PC, (məntˈgʌmərɪ əv ˈæləmeɪn Under political pressure, Eisenhower chose Montgomery's Operation Market Garden. Operation Market Garden ( September 17, 1944 – September 25, 1944) was an Allied military operation fought in the Netherlands

In September, 1944, the Allies are advancing but have paused in Belgium. A Dutch family observes the German withdrawal toward the Fatherland and awaits the impending arrival of Allied forces. Generalfeldmarschall Gerd von Rundstedt arrives in the Netherlands and discovers he has few resources in men or equipment and morale is very poor. Karl Rudolf Gerd von Rundstedt ( December 12, 1875 - February 24, 1953) was a Generalfeldmarschall of the German A local teenager keeps careful notes of German troops evacuating through his town, information he will later pass on to the Dutch resistance. Dutch Resistance to the Nazi occupation during World War II developed relatively slowly but its counterintelligence domestic sabotage and communications networks

Operation Market Garden envisions 35,000 men being flown 300 miles from air bases in England and being dropped as much as 64 miles behind enemy lines in the Netherlands, laying a "carpet of airborne troops" to seize key river bridges with "thunderclap surprise" and hold them until they can be taken over by allied mechanized units. Arnhem's bridge, the bridge which turns out to be "too far", crosses the mighty Rhine River, and seizure of it will allow vast Allied armies to swing around Germany's main defences.

Gene Hackman plays a Polish General (Sosabowski) who remains silent during the Market Garden command briefing, after which he voices his deep doubts that the plan can work. He is one of two dissident voices that are shuttled aside but correctly forecast defeat. American command worries about parachuting in daylight but note it is a "no moon period" anyway meaning a night drop would be difficult.

The Dutch teenager manages to pass through German lines and discover that German Field Marshal Walter Model is at the German command HQ, an important bit of information for the underground because Model is a prominent figure and is always accompanied by crack German troops. Otto Moritz Walter Model ('modəl (24 January 1891 – 21 April 1945 was a German general and later field marshal during World War II.

A young British intelligence officer, in the film called Major Fuller (actually Brian Urquhart), asks British command to allow another low level recon mission of the landing zone. Sir Brian Edward Urquhart KCMG MBE (born 28 February 1919) is a former Undersecretary-General of the United Nations. Later, learning a German Panzer tank division might be near the drop zone, the intelligence officer brings the reconnaissance photos to the British commander and it is quite clear Panzers are present at Arnhem. A panzer, pronunced, is a German Tank, especially in the context of World War II. The British commander speculates the tanks are not operative and dismisses the photos, also ignoring the reports from the Dutch underground. Major Fuller's concerns are brushed off and he is actually removed from duty by a British doctor whose diagnosis is that the officer is too stressed to perform his duties.

British commanders planning the drop note they are badly short of transport aircraft and the area near Arnhem is ill-suited for a landing. They will have to land in an open area eight miles (13 km) from the bridge. Hackman gets his best line when he walks up to check the British officers uniform insignia and says "Just making sure whose side you're on. " Everyone at the briefing is surprised they are going to attempt a landing so far from the bridge, but of course they have to make the best of it. As British officers, they keep a "stiff upper lip" and do not question their orders.

British technical support preparing the portable radios for the mission note they are not likely to work for the long distance from the drop zone to Arnhem bridge. As with most others with doubts about the mission, they choose not to rock the boat and do not convey their concerns up the chain of command.

At the ground forces (XXX Corps) briefing, the overall plan is outlined, laying out the bridges that will be taken by the paratroopers, held and then secured by ground forces. Speed is the vital factor. Arnhem must be reached within 2-3 days. It is the crucial bridge, the last means of escape for the German forces in the Netherlands and an excellent route to Germany for Allied forces who hope to finish the War by Christmas. There is only a single highway (much of it elevated) linking the various key bridges.

The initial phases of Market Garden go as planned but German resistance begins slowing XXX Corps' progress immediately. The advance is also curtailed by the narrow highway. A bridge near Eindhoven is blown, and it takes many hours to bring up bridging equipment. In Nijmegen, part of the 82nd Airborne is forced to perform a dangerous river crossing in flimsy canvas-and-wood assault boats. British paratroopers do take and occupy parts of Arnhem in some exciting battle scenes, but can only hold so long. British Armor continues to fight its way up the corridor, but is hopelessly delayed by events. After days of house-to-house fighting in Arnhem, paratroops versus crack SS infantry and Panzers, the paras are either captured or forced to withdraw. Operation Market Garden has failed.

Production notes

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, together with the dropping of supplies from a number of Dakota aircraft. Year 1976 ( MCMLXXVI) was a Leap year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout The Daks 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 ten fell through when two airframes were rejected as passenger configured without the necessary jump doors. Eleven Dakotas were procured. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout Two Portuguese, ex-Portuguese Air Force, 6153, and 6171, (N9984Q and N9983Q), and two Air International Dakotas, operating from Djibouti in French Somaliland, F-OCKU and F-OCKX, (N9985Q and N9986Q) were purchased by Joseph E. Levine. Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic (República Portuguesa is a country on the Iberian Peninsula. The Portuguese Air Force ( PoAF) (Força Aérea Portuguesa FAP) is the Air force of Portugal. Air International is a British aviation magazine covering current defence aerospace and Civil aviation topics Djibouti ( جيبوتي Jībūtī, Somali: Jabuuti) officially the Republic of Djibouti, is a country in the Djibouti ( جيبوتي Jībūtī, Somali: Jabuuti) officially the Republic of Djibouti, is a country in the Joseph E Levine ( September 9, 1905 – July 31, 1987) was an American Film producer. 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. The Royal Danish Air Force ( Danish: Flyvevåbnet) is the Air force of Denmark, it is an expeditionary Air Force with capability organised The Finnish Air Force (FAF ( Finnish: Ilmavoimat, Swedish: Flygvapnet) is one of the branches of the Finnish Defence Forces. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout

Aircraft 6171 doubled as the camera ship on most formations, with a camouflaged Piper Aztec, G-AWDI. The Piper PA-23, named Apache and later Aztec, was an American twin-engined monoplane the first twin-engine aircraft built by Piper Aircraft 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 back-up 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. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout Ten Horsa glider replicas were built, but a windstorm damaged almost all of them. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout Seven or eight were hastily repaired for the shoot. Dakota 6153 was fitted with tow gear and Horsa replicas were towed at high speed, though none went airborne. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout A two-seat Blaník sailplane, provided by a member of the London Gliding Club, Dunstable, was towed aloft for the interior take-off shots. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout The London Gliding Club was formed shortly after the formation of the British Gliding Association on February 20 1930. Dunstable is a Market town in Bedfordshire, England. It lies on the eastward tail spurs of the Chiltern Hills, 30 miles north of London

Four Harvards portrayed American and German fighters. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout Their original identities were PH-KLU, PH-BKT, B-64 and B-118, the latter two aircraft loaned by the Royal Netherlands Air Force. The Royal Netherlands Air Force (RNLAF, Dutch Koninklijke Luchtmacht (KLu, is the aviation branch of the Netherlands armed forces 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. For the Roman god of the south wind see Anemoi. For the American writer see Paul Auster or Lawrence Auster. For the Roman god of the south wind see Anemoi. For the American writer see Paul Auster or Lawrence Auster. Spitfire Mk. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout IX, MN434, depicting a photo reconnaissance variant, coded AC-S, was lent by the Hon. Patrick Lindsay, and was flown by aerobatic champion Neil Williams. Neil FetzGerald Williams (born St Vincent July 2, 1962 &ndash died March 27 2006) was an English Cricketer ^[1].

The scenes around the 'Arnhem' bridge were actually shot in Deventer, where a similar bridge over the IJssel was still available. Deventer is a Municipality and City in the Salland region of the Dutch Province of Overijssel. River IJssel (ˈɛi̯səl sometimes called Gelderse IJssel (" Gelderland IJssel" to avoid confusion with its Hollandse IJssel namesake The bridge at Arnhem, while still unchanged from 1944, was by the mid-1970s sitting in modern urban surroundings which could not be used to portray a 1940s city. A few scenes were shot in Zutphen, where the old municipality house (a white building which in the film featured the Nazi command centre) and the main church can be seen. Zutphen is a city in the province of Gelderland in the Netherlands. Nazism, which was a short name for National Socialism (Nationalsozialismus refers primarily to the Ideology and practices of the National Socialist German

The movie's treatment of military history is somewhat misleading compared to the original book; in particular, the reasons for the delay in XXX Corps reaching the Arnhem bridge, which led to the failure of the attack, differ considerably from the book. XXX Corps (30 Corps was a Corps within the British Army during World War II.

According to an episode of the Dutch TV history programme Andere Tijden (site in Dutch) (English: Different Times) about the making of this movie, the producer Joseph E. Levine told the Deventer town government that their town should get the world premiere for A Bridge Too Far, on June 14, 1977. Events 1276 - While taking exile in Fuzhou in southern China, away from the advancing Mongol invaders, the remnants of the Also 1977 (album by Ash. Year 1977 ( MCMLXXVII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays This never came to be, though, and Deventer even missed out on the Dutch premiere, which was held in Amsterdam.

Cast and roles (Allies)

Major General Roy Urquhart (Sean Connery)

Cast and roles (Germans)

Cast and roles (Dutch)

Historical accuracy

The film was never intended to be a literal retelling of the book, and certain liberties were taken. Liv Johanne Ullmann (born December 16 1938 in Tokyo Japan is a Norwegian actress and was the beloved muse of Swedish Academy Award winning director Ingmar Kate ter Horst (born July 6 1906, Amsterdam &ndash February 21 1992, Oosterbeek) was a Dutch nurse &ndash Dutch Resistance to the Nazi occupation during World War II developed relatively slowly but its counterintelligence domestic sabotage and communications networks Erik Chitty ( 8 July, 1907 in Dover, Kent – 22 July, 1977 Brent, Middlesex) was an Nevertheless, it tried for a high degree of accuracy, presenting one of the most realistic portrayals of a World War II battle within the confines of the movie format.

• During the conference between Model and von Rundstedt where they discuss moving II SS Panzer Corps to Arnhem, the marker designating that unit incorrectly reads, "II SS Panzer Div". Otto Moritz Walter Model ('modəl (24 January 1891 – 21 April 1945 was a German general and later field marshal during World War II. Karl Rudolf Gerd von Rundstedt ( December 12, 1875 - February 24, 1953) was a Generalfeldmarschall of the German
• German military policeman properly wear the appropriate gorget while on duty.
• The "such power at my disposal" dialogue attributed to General Bittrich as he watched the massive Allied air armada was actually only thought by German paratroop expert General Student. Kurt Student ( May 12, 1890 &ndash July 1, 1978) was a German Luftwaffe General who fought as
• On the German side, there was no "Maj. Gen. Ludwig". He is a composite of Generals Harzer and Harmel of the 9th and 10th SS Panzer Divisions. SS- Oberführer Walter Harzer (1912-1982 was a German Waffen-SS officer who served in the SS-Standarte ''Deutschland'' and later commanded Heinz Harmel ( 29 June, 1906 in Metz, Lorraine (region - 2 September, 2000 in Krefeld) was a highly decorated The 9 Waffen SS Panzerdivision "Hohenstaufen", also known as SS-Panzergrenadier-Division 9, SS-Panzergrenadier-Division 9 Hohenstaufen or In the film's meeting between "Ludwig" and Bittrich right after the initial British landings, Bittrich says he'll handle Arnhem and that Ludwig should deal with the Allied troops in Nijmegen. In reality, the 9th SS (Harzer) was ordered to deal with the British in Arnhem and the 10th SS (Harmel) was ordered to Nijmegen.
• British tanks are of the right color, and impressively, wear the appropriate divisional insignia of the Guards Armoured division. However, there are no short-barrelled 75 mm Shermans in evidence, which should still be the predominant type in service in late 1944. World War II foreign variants and use Lend-Lease Sherman tanks.
• The anti-tank guns used by the Germans defending against XXX Corps' advance look like 75 mm PAK 40s, which would be correct. XXX Corps (30 Corps was a Corps within the British Army during World War II. The 75 cm PaK 40 ( 75 cm Panzerabwehrkanone 40) was a German Anti-tank gun developed in 1939-1941 by Rheinmetall and used during the However, their light grey color is wrong and the muzzle for some pieces are incorrect.
• In a road clearing operation, a British Guards Armoured division tankdozer pushes a knocked out M24 Chaffee out of the road. A tank is a tracked, Armoured fighting vehicle designed for Front-line combat which combines Operational mobility and tactical The Light Tank M24 was an American light tank used during World War II and in postwar conflicts including the Korean War. But the Allies did not use M24s during that period. The tank only became available in small numbers to American units during the Battle of the Bulge. The Ardennes Offensive (16 December 1944 – 25 January 1945 was a major German offensive launched towards the end of World War II through the forested Ardennes Mountains
• Unusually for a film of this period, many actors representing Waffen SS soldiers wear the correct, distinctive uniforms of the Waffen SS. The Waffen-SS ( German for "Armed SS" literally "Weapons SS" was the Combat arm of the Schutzstaffel ("Protective Squadron" However, by 1944 the party insignia on Waffen SS helmets was usually not worn.
• For the attack by the 9th SS Aufklärungs Abt, commanded by SS-Hauptsturmführer Graebner, it was understandably impossible to accurately recreate that unit's armoured cars and half-tracks, although a reasonable attempt was made. A military armored (or armoured) car (see spelling differences) is a wheeled armored vehicle lighter than other armored fighting vehicles primarily A half-track is a civilian or military vehicle with regular wheels on the front for steering and Caterpillar tracks on the back to propel the vehicle and carry most of the Vehicles that somewhat resemble Sdkfz 231s and Sdkfz 222s were built for the film. The Leichter Panzerspähwagen (roughly "Light Armoured Reconnaissance Vehicle" were a series of light 4 x 4 armoured cars produced by Nazi Germany from Also, authentic Sdkfz 7 prime movers (atlthough Graebner's unit did not deploy those) and Kübelwagens were also used. The Volkswagen Kübelwagen (short for Kübelsitzwagen meaning bucket-seat car was a military vehicle designed by Ferdinand Porsche and built by Volkswagen during The actor portraying Graebner rides in what looks like a Sdkfz 251/3 command/communications half-track which was correctly used by his HQ company. The Sonderkraftfahrzeug 251 ( SdKfz 251) Half-track was an Armored fighting vehicle designed and first built by Nazi Germany 's Hanomag But in reality Graebner reportedly rode in a captured British Humber Armoured Car. The Humber Armoured Car was one of the most widely produced British armoured cars of World War II.
• The vehicles of the 9th SS Aufklärungs Abt bear the correct insignia of the "Hohenstaufen" division, and the correct tactical sign for the unit.
• In reality, the first few German armoured cars of Graebner's column made it across the bridge unscathed due to the fact that they took the defenders by surprise. The British had laid mines on the bridge's approaches and these were expertly avoided by the speeding German drivers. An anti-tank mine, (abbreviated to "AT mine" is a type of Land mine designed to damage or destroy vehicles including Tanks and Armoured fighting
• Leopard tanks of the Dutch Army portrayed German armour (presumably intended to be German panzer IVs or panthers). The Leopard (or Leopard 1) is a German designed and produced main battle tank that first entered service in 1965 and was used as the main battle tank The Royal Netherlands Army ( Koninklijke Landmacht) is the land forces element of the Military of the Netherlands. Their light grey color was incorrect for any German armour of WWII.
• When the lone "Tiger" attacks the British at Arnhem, it attacks from the southern end of the bridge. In reality, after Graebner's failed attack, no more German armoured attacks came from that direction.
• In the film, the British kill or disperse the resting crew of a German tank, thus allowing General Urquhart to return to his headquarters. In reality, while a number of German tanks (including King Tigers) were lost in the battle to British PIATs and 6-pounders, in this case, he just waited for the German tank to move on. Tiger II is the common name of a German Heavy tank of the Second World War. The Projector Infantry Anti Tank ( PIAT) was one of the earlier Anti-tank weapons using a high explosive anti-tank projectile
• On the American side, there was no "Col. Robert Stout" of the 101st Airborne. The character is based on Colonel Robert Sink, commander of the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment whose troops were about to seize the Son River bridge when it blew up in their faces, and who hastily built a temporary bridge in its place. Lieutenant General Robert Frederick Sink ( April 3, 1905 &ndash December 13, 1965) was a United States Army officer (Sink was portrayed by Dale Dye in the TV miniseries Band of Brothers, which also covered Operation Market-Garden. Captain Dale Adam Dye (born October 8, 1944) is an American Actor, Presenter, Businessman, and retired U Band of Brothers is a ten-part Television World War II Mini-series based on the book of the same title written by Historian )
• In a few scenes filmed in Nijmegen, the Sint Stevenskerk (Saint Stevenschurch) isn't partially destroyed, which it was, because of the bombardment of February 22, 1944 by the Americans.
• The incident where a British paratrooper is killed bringing back a supply canister full of red berets is only partially accurate. In reality the paratrooper survived.
• The Dutch physician 'Dr Jan Spaander' played by Laurence Olivier was a fictional character.

Facts and figures

• Joseph E. Levine financed the $22 million budget himself. Joseph E Levine ( September 9, 1905 – July 31, 1987) was an American Film producer. During the production, he would show footage from the film to distributors who would then pay him for distribution rights. By the time the film was finished, Levine had raised $26 million, putting the film $4 million in the black before it had even opened.
• To tempt the distributors, Levine needed to assemble an all-star cast. The principal players were paid $250,000 a week, though Sean Connery held out for a total of $750,000. Sir Thomas Sean Connery (born August 25 1930) is an Academy Award - Golden Globe - and BAFTA Award -winning Scottish The part of Major Cook came down to a choice between the two biggest box office stars, Steve McQueen and Robert Redford. Terrence Steven "Steve" McQueen (March 24 1930 – November 7 1980 was an American movie Actor, nicknamed "The King of Cool" Charles Robert Redford Jr (born August 18 1936) is an Academy Award -winning American Film director, Actor, Attenborough pushed for McQueen, with whom he had worked as an actor on The Sand Pebbles and The Great Escape. The Sand Pebbles, a 1966 film directed by Robert Wise, is a period war story of an independent rebellious U The Great Escape is a popular 1963 War film about the 250 Allied prisoners of war escaping from a German POW camp But McQueen wanted $3 million, plus $50,000 for his entourage, $470,000 to buy a house he couldn't sell and to have his part scheduled so he could immediately begin production on another film for which he was being paid $3 million. Levine turned him down and Redford agreed to play the part for $2 million.
• Shooting of the American-led assault on the Bridge at Nijmegen was dubbed the “Million-Dollar Hour”. Because of the heavy traffic, they had permission to film on the bridge between eight and nine o'clock on the 3rd October 1976, and if they couldn't shoot the scene, they would have to reschedule 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.
• Michael Caine's scripted line to order the column of tanks and armoured cars into battle, was "Forward, go, charge". Luckily for Caine, Lieutenant Colonel Joe 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 film as released. Vandeleur was apparently enamoured of Caine playing him, telling him that he was taller and more handsome than in reality.
• Steven Spielberg's idea for putting his Saving Private Ryan actors through boot camp was originally done by Attenborough for this film. Saving Private Ryan is a 1998 War film set during the invasion of Normandy during World War II. Attenborough put many of the extras/soldiers through a mini-boot camp and even had them housed in a barracks of sorts during filming.

See also

• War film
• Theirs is the Glory
• Piet J. Kroonenberg
• Replacements (Band of Brothers)

References

• Cornelius Ryan (1974). A Bridge Too Far. Coronet Books. ISBN 0-340-19941-5.  

External links

• A Bridge Too Far at the Internet Movie Database
• A Bridge Too Far at Allmovie
• A Bridge Too Far at the TCM Movie Database
• A Bridge too far at http://www.britishcinemagreats.com/films_page/a_bridge_too_far/a_bridge_too_far_page_one.htm"