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The Bridge at Remagen

DVD cover
Directed byJohn Guillermin
Produced byDavid L. Wolper
Written byRoger O. John Guillermin (born on 11 November 1925) is a British Film director, Writer, and producer who was most active in big David Lloyd Wolper (born January 11, 1928) in New York City, New York) is one of the most successful and influential producers in the entertainment Hirson (story)
William Roberts
Richard Yates
StarringGeorge Segal
Robert Vaughn
Ben Gazzara
Bradford Dillman
E.G. Marshall
Music byElmer Bernstein
CinematographyStanley Cortez
Editing byWilliam Cartwright
Distributed byUnited Artists
Release date(s)1969
Running time115 min. William Roberts was a screenwriter He was born 4 September 1913 Richard Yates ( February 3 1926 &ndash November 7 1992) was an American Novelist and Short story writer George Segal (born February 13, 1934 in Great Neck, Long Island, New York) is an American film and stage actor Robert Francis Vaughn (born November 22, 1932) is an American Academy Award -nominated actor noted for stage, Film Biagio Anthony “Ben” Gazzara (born August 28, 1930) is an American Actor in Television and Motion pictures. Bradford Dillman (born April 14, 1930 in San Francisco, California) is a retired American film and television actor and author E G Marshall ( June 18 1914 - August 24 1998) was a two-time Emmy Award -winning American Actor who co-starred Elmer Bernstein ( April 4 1922 - 18 August 2004) was an Academy and two-time Golden Globe award winning American Stanley Cortez, ASC (born Stanislaus Krantz; November 4, 1908 &ndash December 23, 1997) was an American cinematographer William T "Bill" Cartwright Sr is an American Television and film director producer and editor responsible for a number of Documentaries This article is about the film studio Previously it was affiliated with a cinema chain bearing its name now owned by Regal Entertainment Group. The year 1969 in film involved some significant events Events Cannes Film Festival opens but closes in support
CountryU.S.
LanguageEnglish
Allmovie profile
IMDb profile

The Bridge at Remagen is a war film released in 1969, directed by John Guillermin and starring George Segal, Ben Gazzara and Robert Vaughn. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the English is a West Germanic language originating in England and is the First language for most people in the United Kingdom, the United States Year 1969 ( MCMLXIX) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. John Guillermin (born on 11 November 1925) is a British Film director, Writer, and producer who was most active in big George Segal (born February 13, 1934 in Great Neck, Long Island, New York) is an American film and stage actor Biagio Anthony “Ben” Gazzara (born August 28, 1930) is an American Actor in Television and Motion pictures. Robert Francis Vaughn (born November 22, 1932) is an American Academy Award -nominated actor noted for stage, Film The film is based on the book by Ken Hechler, adapted for screen by Richard Yates and William Roberts, which describes the capture of the Ludendorff Bridge at Remagen on March 7, 1945 by the U.S. 9th Armored Division. Kenneth William Hechler (born September 20 1914) --whose baptismal name was officially changed by court order to Ken Hechler -- was a long-serving Richard Yates ( February 3 1926 &ndash November 7 1992) was an American Novelist and Short story writer Bill(y or Wil(liam Roberts may refer to Bill Roberts (born 1925 former American basketball player Billy Roberts (born 1936 American History The bridge was built by Grün & Bilfinger between 1916 and 1919 to connect the Right Rhine Railway, the Left Rhine Railway and the Remagen is a town in Germany in Rhineland-Palatinate, in the district of Ahrweiler. The 9th Armored Division (the "Phantom Division" was an armoured division of the United States Army in World War II.

Contents

Synopsis

In the last months of World War II, elements of the US 1st Army approach the last standing bridge over the Rhine River. 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 Rhine (Rhein Rijn Rhin Reno Rain Rhenus is one of the longest and most important Rivers in Europe at 1320 kilometres (820 mi with an average discharge The Rhine is the last natural barrier between Allied forces on the western front, and Germany's industrial heartland. While the battle weary Americans reluctantly follow orders to capture the bridge intact, a scratch force of less than 200 Nazi defenders do their best to defend the bridge without actually destroying it and cutting off the escape route of 75,000 of their German comrades on the far side of the Rhine.

Plot

The film is a fictionalized version of the real events. The real life officer who led US troops across the bridge, Lieutenant Karl Timmermann, and the first soldier across the bridge, Sergeant Alex Drabik, bore little resemblance to the fictional characters in the film.

George Segal plays Lieutenant Hartman, an experienced mechanized infantry platoon commander who is promoted to command a company ordered to capture the eponymous bridge.

Major Paul Kruger (Robert Vaughn) is a German officer charged with defending the bridge. Official orders have been given to destroy the span, but a gentleman's agreement with his commander has Kruger pledge to keep the bridge open as long as possible, facilitating the withdrawal of thousands of men of the 15th Army, who would otherwise be trapped on the far side of the river.

A company of armored infantry under Hartman capture the town of Stadt Meckenheim against no resistance, and are ordered to keep going until they make contact with the enemy. Their battalion commander, Major Barnes, is anxious to please his superiors (Hartman acidly remarks to his friend and company commander, Captain Colt, that "Barnes jumps at orders like a dog at a bone").

The company makes contact in the town of Remagen, and after clearing the town finds the bridge intact. General Shinner orders the bridge taken. "It's a crap shoot, Major," he tells Barnes. "We're risking 100 men, but you may save 10,000. " He feels the risk of losing Hartman's company is worth the possible gains - a foothold across the Rhine preventing the need for a costly assault crossing elsewhere. One of Hartman's squad leaders, Sergeant Angelo, highlights the mood of the weary men by striking Major Barnes after being ordered onto the bridge.

Simultaneous to these actions, Major Kruger assumes command at the bridge, assisted by two captains, Hauptmann Baumann, an engineer ordered to blow up the bridge, and Hauptmann Schmidt of the Remagen Bridge Security Command. Kruger finds that the thousands of troops belonging to the local garrison have either deserted or exist only on paper, and the two battalions of tanks he has been promised as reinforcements have been sent "elsewhere. "

Unable to counter-attack, Kruger is forced to blow up the bridge, but the explosives given - "cheap, industrial explosive", as Baumann complains - are unable to drop the span into the river. As Kruger leaves to get reinforcements, the remnants of the bridge force surrenders to the remnants of the US company sent across the bridge. Hartman and Angelo find themselves survivors, and Kruger is executed for desertion and failure to carry out his orders to blow up the bridge.

Cast

Filming in Czechoslovakia

Because of river traffic on the Rhine, German official would not allow the film to be shot in Germany. Bo Hopkins (born February 2, 1942 in Greenville, South Carolina) is an American actor Steve Sandor (born February 18, 1937 in Brooklyn New York) is an actor who made his first television appearance on Star Trek The Original Series Gunter Meisner ( April 18, 1926 - December 5, 1994) was a character movie actor Robert Logan (born May 29, 1941, in Brooklyn New York) is an American Actor who has appeared in several Films and Matt Clark (born November 25, 1936) is an American Actor and director with credits in both film and television The film company opted to film in Czechoslovakia instead in the town of Davle south of Prague. Czechoslovakia may also refer to what is now the Czech Republic and Slovakia. Davle is a market town in Central Bohemian Region, Czech Republic. As one of the first Hollywood films to be shot behind the Iron Curtain, it was controversial to the Communist authorities. Czechoslovakia was seen as being too "Western" leaning, and falling from the Soviet orbit at the time. During filming, the Soviet Union invaded Czechoslovakia to restore the government to being pro Soviet. The entire film crew was evacuated out in taxis to the West. Soviet propagandists spread rumors that the actors in the film were actual American soldiers to try and further justify the invasion by Soviet forces. On the night of August 20 - August 21, 1968, the Soviet Union and four of its Warsaw Pact allies invaded the Czechoslovak Socialist [1]

Character analogies to real-life figures

As noted above, the real-life officers and NCOs involved in the battle for the Ludendorff Bridge bear little resemblance to the characters in the film; however, the duty positions and actions of the characters were clearly analogous to several of the real-life men.

Karl H. Timmermann
Karl H. Timmermann
William M. Hoge
William M. Hoge

[2]

External links

References

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