Theirs Is the Glory facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Theirs Is the Glory |
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Detailing the battle plans in Theirs Is the Glory
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| Directed by | Brian Desmond Hurst |
| Produced by | Leonard Castleton Knight |
| Written by | Louis Golding and Terence Young |
| Music by | Guy Warrack |
| Cinematography | C. M. Pennington-Richards |
| Studio | Gaumont British |
| Distributed by | General Film Distributors |
| Release date(s) | 15 August 1946 |
| Running time | 82 minutes |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
Theirs Is the Glory (also known as Men of Arnhem) is a British war film from 1946. It tells the story of the British 1st Airborne Division during the Battle of Arnhem. This battle took place from September 17 to 25, 1944, as part of Operation Market Garden in World War II.
This movie was the very first film ever made about the Battle of Arnhem. It became the most successful British war film for almost ten years! Another film, A Bridge Too Far, came out much later. That movie shows the whole operation, including British, Polish, and American forces. But Theirs Is the Glory focuses only on the British soldiers. It shows their brave fight in Oosterbeek and Arnhem.
The film was directed by Brian Desmond Hurst. He was a veteran of the First World War himself. He survived the Gallipoli campaign, where he served with the Royal Irish Rifles. The producer was Leonard Castleton Knight, who led Gaumont British News. The main writer was Louis Golding. However, Hurst's student, Terence Young, helped make the script even better. Young later directed famous movies like They Were Not Divided and some early James Bond films. He had been in the Irish Guards during the war. He was part of the XXX Corps that tried to help Arnhem. This helped make the story very real. The veterans who acted in the film also helped write the script.
Making the Movie
This movie was filmed in the actual places where the battle happened. The film even featured real soldiers who fought in the battle! The J. Arthur Rank Organisation and the Army Film and Photographic Unit (AFPU) worked together to make it.
The filmmakers mixed real footage from the battle with new scenes. These new scenes were re-enacted (acted out again) in Oosterbeek and Arnhem. They filmed these scenes about a year after the battle had destroyed parts of the Dutch streets. Besides the veterans, local people also appeared in the film. For example, Father Dyker, a Dutch priest, played himself leading a service. Kate ter Horst also played herself, reading a psalm to wounded soldiers in a cellar. They showed what they did to help the airborne troops during the battle.
The film does not list actors at the beginning or end. But over 200 veterans appeared in it. This included important officers like Majors CFH "Freddie" Gough and Richard "Dickie" Lonsdale. Many other soldiers and war reporters also took part. Each veteran was paid £3 per day by the Rank Organisation.
The film's narrator says the soldiers were "just ordinary men." But he also suggests looking closely at their faces and eyes. He says this will help you understand a little of what these ordinary men experienced.
Theirs Is the Glory was very popular and helped a good cause. Allan Esler Smith, who wrote about Hurst, explained this. He said the film's popularity helped Arthur Rank keep his promise to help the Airborne Forces Security Fund. People held collections, raffles, and parades. These events used the excitement that spread across the United Kingdom after the film came out. Later, Earl Mountbatten received a check for £50,000 for the fund from Arthur Rank.
Brian Desmond Hurst said this film was his favorite. He loved working with the soldiers. He also felt it was a true and real story of the event. He believed it was one of the best war films ever made.
How It Compares to A Bridge Too Far
In October 2010, the magazine Against All Odds compared Theirs Is the Glory with A Bridge Too Far. The differences were very clear. A Bridge Too Far is described as a "slow moving epic." It has some real scenes but doesn't show the Battle of Oosterbeek very well. However, Theirs Is the Glory is called the only movie that truly shows the events at Oosterbeek. It captures the feeling and the order of events accurately. Even though it can seem a bit jumpy, it is a film worth watching to understand the battle.
