633 Squadron
Encyclopedia
633 Squadron is a 1964 British film
which depicts the exploits of a fictional Second World War
British fighter-bomber
squadron
. It was based on a novel of the same name by Frederick E. Smith
, published in 1956, which itself drew on several real Royal Air Force
missions. The film was directed by Walter Grauman
, produced by Cecil F. Ford for United Artists
and stars Cliff Robertson
and George Chakiris
. 633 Squadron was the first aviation film to be shot in colour and Panavision
wide screen.
leader Lieutenant Erik Bergman reports the location of a German V-2 rocket
fuel plant, the Royal Air Force's 633 Squadron is assigned the mission to destroy it. 633 Squadron is under the command of Wing Commander
Roy Grant, an ex-Eagle Squadron pilot (Americans serving in the RAF before America entered the war).
The plant is in a seemingly impregnable location beneath an overhanging cliff at the end of a long, narrow fjord
lined with anti-aircraft guns. The only way to destroy the plant is by collapsing the cliff on top of it, a job for 633 Squadron's fast and manoeuvrable de Havilland Mosquito
s. The squadron trains in Scotland
, where there are narrow valleys similar to the fjord. There, Grant is introduced to Bergman's sister, Hilde. They are attracted to each other, despite Grant's aversion to wartime relationships.
The Norwegian resistance is supposed to destroy the anti-aircraft defences guarding the facility. When unexpected German reinforcements arrive, Bergman returns to Norway to try to gather more forces for the upcoming attack. However, he is captured while transporting desperately needed weapons. He is taken to Gestapo headquarters and tortured for information. Since Bergman knows too much, he must be silenced before he breaks. Grant and newly married Flying Officer Bissell are sent in with a single Mosquito to bomb the place. Though they are successful, their shot-up airplane crashes on its return, and Bissell is wounded and becomes blind. A tearful Hilde thanks Grant for ending her brother's suffering.
Still worried, Air Vice-Marshal Davis decides to move up the attack to the next day. However, all of the Norwegian resistance fighters are ambushed and killed, leaving the defences intact. Though Grant is given the option of aborting, he decides to press on. The factory is destroyed at the cost of the entire squadron, though a few crews are able to ditch in the fjord. Grant crash-lands. A local man helps Grant's navigator, Flying Officer
Hoppy Hopkinson, pull the wounded wing commander from the burning wreckage. Back in England, Davis tells a fellow officer, "You can't kill a squadron."
widescreen format, a choice that made the use of archival footage problematic.
In the novel on which the film was based, Roy Grant was British. Robertson, a US actor, was cast because he was popular internationally at the time and because an American central character improved the production's access to finance and worldwide audiences. Additionally, Robertson was an experienced pilot, owned a Supermarine Spitfire
and was personally interested in making the film as an accurate portrayal of wartime flying. Although he was refused permission to fly for the purposes of the film, his scenes stand out as a realistic depiction of operational flying. When Robertson expressed reservations about the script, director Walter Mirisch
engaged US scriptwriter Howard Koch
, resident in London, to rewrite the film to placate him.
near Glencoe
, with most of the attack sequences filmed above Loch Morar
and Loch Nevis
. The distinctive outline of the island of Eigg
can be seen behind some of the cockpit shots. While the spectacular aerial scenes used real aircraft, more dangerous sequences were created with models.
RAF Bovingdon
substituted for the fictional RAF Sutton Craddock base. The riverbank where Robertson's character romances Maria Perschy's was also used in a similar early scene in the Bond film From Russia with Love
.
Lairig Ghru
was used for training flight sequences and scenes with the Norwegian resistance.
, the director, collected flying period aircraft, creating the "Mirisch Air Force" or M.A.F. as it was dubbed. Grauman's wartime experience as a B-25 Mitchell
bomber pilot helped create an authentic aviation epic.
The film features eight De Havilland Mosquito
s, an aircraft nicknamed the "Wooden Wonder" because of its primary construction material. As the Royal Air Force had recently retired the type in 1963, civilian operators leased mostly former converted bomber examples (TT Mk 35) to the RAF for target-towing. Scouring RAF bases at Exeter
, South Devon
, Henlow
, Shawbury
and the Central Flying School
at Little Rissington
provided not only 10 authentic aircraft, but also vehicles and equipment from the war.
Eight Mosquitos were primarily used, five airworthy and others that could be taxied on runways or used as set dressing. The airworthy TT 35 Mosquitos were converted to resemble a fighter-bomber variant (FB Mk VI). The TT 35 models had their clear nosecones and side windows painted over and dummy machine gun
barrels fitted. One airworthy Mosquito was a T3 with a solid nose which only required the fitting of dummy gun barrels. It lacked the two-stage Merlin engines, V-shaped windscreen and bulged bomb bay of the TT 35s. At least one surplus Mosquito was destroyed in a simulated crash scene.
The Mosquitos used in the film were:
No original German aircraft were available; consequently Messerschmitt Bf 108
aircraft were used to represent the Messerschmitt Bf 109
.
The camera aircraft, a North American
B-25 Mitchell
, appears in the film, dropping Bergman back into Norway. His original escape from Norway is in a Miles Messenger
.
A technical advisor
, former RAF Group Captain
Thomas Gilbert "Hamish" Mahaddie, told Walter Mirisch that, considering the number of aircraft used in the film, Mirisch "commanded the 14th largest air force in the world" at the time.
(RAF) did not form a unit called "633 Squadron" during the Second World War.
A multinational Allied war effort is depicted: in addition to an American central character, the film features members of the Norwegian resistance, airmen from the India
, New Zealand
and Australia
. This reflects three historical facts: first, airmen of many nationalities joined the RAF proper; second, under the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan
, airmen from Commonwealth
air forces were frequently assigned to RAF units and; third, many squadrons belonging to Commonwealth air forces
, or European governments-in-exile were under the operational control of the RAF during the war.
The film draws from many of the real operations of 617 Squadron
, in particular their attack on the German battleship Tirpitz
in a Norwegian fjord, although the Mosquito was not large enough to carry "earthquake bombs".
, the aerial scenes were spectacular and with Ron Goodwin
's music remained the main attraction. 633 Squadron appears on the list of "The 100 Greatest War Films" voted by the public of the UK and is featured in the 2005 documentary of the same name.
stated that this sequence inspired the "trench run" sequence in Star Wars
.
633 Squadron is well known in the UK for its regular appearances on television, and became almost a part of the Christmas schedule. Although erroneously considered a sequel, the film Mosquito Squadron
is similar to 633 Squadron and influenced by it, even using footage from the original.
that became well known to the public even after the film's initial release. The title tune featured six then three musical beats similar to the seven beats of Elmer Bernstein
's theme to The Magnificent Seven
and John Barry
's 007 from the James Bond
films.
Cinema of the United Kingdom
The United Kingdom has had a major influence on modern cinema. The first moving pictures developed on celluloid film were made in Hyde Park, London in 1889 by William Friese Greene, a British inventor, who patented the process in 1890. It is generally regarded that the British film industry...
which depicts the exploits of a fictional Second World War
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
British fighter-bomber
Fighter-bomber
A fighter-bomber is a fixed-wing aircraft with an intended primary role of light tactical bombing and also incorporating certain performance characteristics of a fighter aircraft. This term, although still used, has less significance since the introduction of rockets and guided missiles into aerial...
squadron
Squadron (aviation)
A squadron in air force, army aviation or naval aviation is mainly a unit comprising a number of military aircraft, usually of the same type, typically with 12 to 24 aircraft, sometimes divided into three or four flights, depending on aircraft type and air force...
. It was based on a novel of the same name by Frederick E. Smith
Frederick E. Smith (author)
Frederick Escreet Smith is a British author, who is best known for his 1956 novel 633 Squadron about a Second World War RAF Mosquito squadron undertaking a seemingly impossible mission to bomb a well protected German factory at the head of a Norwegian fjord. The novel was made into a successful...
, published in 1956, which itself drew on several real Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
missions. The film was directed by Walter Grauman
Walter Grauman
Walter E. Grauman is an American director of stage shows, films and television shows.-Early life:Grauman was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin to Jacob and Irene Grauman, both children of German immigrants who married after settling in the United States...
, produced by Cecil F. Ford for United Artists
United Artists
United Artists Corporation is an American film studio. The original studio of that name was founded in 1919 by D. W. Griffith, Charles Chaplin, Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks....
and stars Cliff Robertson
Cliff Robertson
Clifford Parker "Cliff" Robertson III was an American actor with a film and television career that spanned half of a century. Robertson portrayed a young John F. Kennedy in the 1963 film PT 109, and won the 1968 Academy Award for Best Actor for his role in the movie Charly...
and George Chakiris
George Chakiris
George Chakiris is an American-Greek dancer, singer and actor.-Early life:Chakiris was born in Norwood, Ohio, to Steven and Zoe Chakiris, immigrants from Greece. Chakiris studied at the American School of Dance....
. 633 Squadron was the first aviation film to be shot in colour and Panavision
Panavision
Panavision is an American motion picture equipment company specializing in cameras and lenses, based in Woodland Hills, California. Formed by Robert Gottschalk as a small partnership to create anamorphic projection lenses during the widescreen boom in the 1950s, Panavision expanded its product...
wide screen.
Plot
When Norwegian resistanceNorwegian resistance movement
The Norwegian resistance to the occupation of Norway by Nazi Germany began after Operation Weserübung in 1940 and ended in 1945. It took several forms:...
leader Lieutenant Erik Bergman reports the location of a German V-2 rocket
V-2 rocket
The V-2 rocket , technical name Aggregat-4 , was a ballistic missile that was developed at the beginning of the Second World War in Germany, specifically targeted at London and later Antwerp. The liquid-propellant rocket was the world's first long-range combat-ballistic missile and first known...
fuel plant, the Royal Air Force's 633 Squadron is assigned the mission to destroy it. 633 Squadron is under the command of Wing Commander
Wing Commander (rank)
Wing commander is a commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many other Commonwealth countries...
Roy Grant, an ex-Eagle Squadron pilot (Americans serving in the RAF before America entered the war).
The plant is in a seemingly impregnable location beneath an overhanging cliff at the end of a long, narrow fjord
Fjord
Geologically, a fjord is a long, narrow inlet with steep sides or cliffs, created in a valley carved by glacial activity.-Formation:A fjord is formed when a glacier cuts a U-shaped valley by abrasion of the surrounding bedrock. Glacial melting is accompanied by rebound of Earth's crust as the ice...
lined with anti-aircraft guns. The only way to destroy the plant is by collapsing the cliff on top of it, a job for 633 Squadron's fast and manoeuvrable de Havilland Mosquito
De Havilland Mosquito
The de Havilland DH.98 Mosquito was a British multi-role combat aircraft that served during the Second World War and the postwar era. It was known affectionately as the "Mossie" to its crews and was also nicknamed "The Wooden Wonder"...
s. The squadron trains in Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
, where there are narrow valleys similar to the fjord. There, Grant is introduced to Bergman's sister, Hilde. They are attracted to each other, despite Grant's aversion to wartime relationships.
The Norwegian resistance is supposed to destroy the anti-aircraft defences guarding the facility. When unexpected German reinforcements arrive, Bergman returns to Norway to try to gather more forces for the upcoming attack. However, he is captured while transporting desperately needed weapons. He is taken to Gestapo headquarters and tortured for information. Since Bergman knows too much, he must be silenced before he breaks. Grant and newly married Flying Officer Bissell are sent in with a single Mosquito to bomb the place. Though they are successful, their shot-up airplane crashes on its return, and Bissell is wounded and becomes blind. A tearful Hilde thanks Grant for ending her brother's suffering.
Still worried, Air Vice-Marshal Davis decides to move up the attack to the next day. However, all of the Norwegian resistance fighters are ambushed and killed, leaving the defences intact. Though Grant is given the option of aborting, he decides to press on. The factory is destroyed at the cost of the entire squadron, though a few crews are able to ditch in the fjord. Grant crash-lands. A local man helps Grant's navigator, Flying Officer
Flying Officer
Flying officer is a junior commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many countries which have historical British influence...
Hoppy Hopkinson, pull the wounded wing commander from the burning wreckage. Back in England, Davis tells a fellow officer, "You can't kill a squadron."
Cast
| Character (novel) | Role | Character (film)!! Actor | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Squadron Commander Squadron Leader Squadron Leader is a commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many countries which have historical British influence. It is also sometimes used as the English translation of an equivalent rank in countries which have a non-English air force-specific rank structure. In these... Roy Grenville DSO Distinguished Service Order The Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other parts of the British Commonwealth and Empire, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.Instituted on 6 September... DFC Distinguished Flying Cross (United Kingdom) The Distinguished Flying Cross is a military decoration awarded to personnel of the United Kingdom's Royal Air Force and other services, and formerly to officers of other Commonwealth countries, for "an act or acts of valour, courage or devotion to duty whilst flying in active operations against... |
Wing Commander | Wing Commander Wing Commander (rank) Wing commander is a commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many other Commonwealth countries... Roy Grant |
Cliff Robertson Cliff Robertson Clifford Parker "Cliff" Robertson III was an American actor with a film and television career that spanned half of a century. Robertson portrayed a young John F. Kennedy in the 1963 film PT 109, and won the 1968 Academy Award for Best Actor for his role in the movie Charly... |
| Flying Officer Flying Officer Flying officer is a junior commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many countries which have historical British influence... Hoppy Hopkinson |
Grenville's Navigator | Flying Officer Flying Officer Flying officer is a junior commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many countries which have historical British influence... Hoppy Hopkinson |
Angus Lennie Angus Lennie Angus Lennie is a Scottish actor best known for his film appearance as Steve McQueen's friend Archibald Ives in the 1963 film The Great Escape. He was also known for being in the television soap opera Crossroads.... |
| Lieutenant Lieutenant A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank... Finn Bergman |
Norwegian resistance leader | Lieutenant Lieutenant A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank... Erik Bergman |
George Chakiris George Chakiris George Chakiris is an American-Greek dancer, singer and actor.-Early life:Chakiris was born in Norwood, Ohio, to Steven and Zoe Chakiris, immigrants from Greece. Chakiris studied at the American School of Dance.... |
| Hilde Bergman | Sister of Finn Bergman | Hilde Bergman | Maria Perschy Maria Perschy Maria Perschy was an Austrian actress.Perschy was born in Eisenstadt, Burgenland, Austria and moved to Vienna at the age of 17 to study acting. After completing her education, she moved to Germany for more training, leading to a movie career. Her first major success came with Nasser Asphalt where... |
| Air Commodore Air Commodore Air commodore is an air-officer rank which originated in and continues to be used by the Royal Air Force... Davies |
Air Vice-Marshal Air Vice-Marshal Air vice-marshal is a two-star air-officer rank which originated in and continues to be used by the Royal Air Force. The rank is also used by the air forces of many countries which have historical British influence and it is sometimes used as the English translation of an equivalent rank in... Davis |
Harry Andrews Harry Andrews Harry Fleetwood Andrews, CBE was an English film actor known for his frequent portrayals of tough military officers. His performance as Sergeant Major Wilson in The Hill alongside Sean Connery earned Andrews the 1965 National Board of Review Award for Best Supporting Actor and a nomination for the... |
|
| Wing Commander Wing Commander (rank) Wing commander is a commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many other Commonwealth countries... Don Barrett AFC Air Force Cross (United Kingdom) The Air Force Cross is a military decoration awarded to personnel of the United Kingdom Armed Forces, and formerly also to officers of the other Commonwealth countries, for "an act or acts of valour, courage or devotion to duty whilst flying, though not in active operations against the enemy"... DFC |
Station Commanding Officer | Group Captain Group Captain Group captain is a senior commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many other Commonwealth countries. It ranks above wing commander and immediately below air commodore... Don Barrett |
Donald Houston Donald Houston Donald Daniel Houston was a Welsh actor whose first two films – The Blue Lagoon with Jean Simmons, and A Run for Your Money with Sir Alec Guinness – were highly successful... |
| The Brigadier Brigadier (United Kingdom) Brigadier is a senior rank in the British Army and the Royal Marines.Brigadier is the superior rank to Colonel, but subordinate to Major-General.... |
Liaison with the Norwegian Resistance | ||
| Squadron Leader Squadron Leader Squadron Leader is a commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many countries which have historical British influence. It is also sometimes used as the English translation of an equivalent rank in countries which have a non-English air force-specific rank structure. In these... Frank Adams |
Station Intelligence Officer | Squadron Leader Squadron Leader Squadron Leader is a commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many countries which have historical British influence. It is also sometimes used as the English translation of an equivalent rank in countries which have a non-English air force-specific rank structure. In these... Frank Adams |
Michael Goodliffe Michael Goodliffe Lawrence Michael Andrew Goodliffe was an English actor best known for playing suave roles such as doctors, lawyers and army officers. He was also sometimes cast in working class parts.... |
| Warrant Officer Warrant Officer A warrant officer is an officer in a military organization who is designated an officer by a warrant, as distinguished from a commissioned officer who is designated an officer by a commission, or from non-commissioned officer who is designated an officer by virtue of seniority.The rank was first... Gillibrand |
Pilot, B Flight | Flight Lieutenant Flight Lieutenant Flight lieutenant is a junior commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many Commonwealth countries. It ranks above flying officer and immediately below squadron leader. The name of the rank is the complete phrase; it is never shortened to "lieutenant"... Gillibrand |
John Meillon John Meillon John Meillon was an Australian actor, most widely known outside Australia for his role as Walter Reilly in the films "Crocodile" Dundee and "Crocodile" Dundee II. He also voiced Victoria Bitter beer commercials until his death.-Biography:Meillon was born in Mosman, Sydney... |
| Jimmie Willcox | Gillibrand's Navigator | ||
| Flight Lieutenant Scott | John Bonney | ||
| Bissell | Flying Officer Bissell | Scott Finch (as Scot Finch) | |
| Flying Officer Evans | John Church | ||
| Maisie | Barmaid at Black Swan Inn | Rosie | Barbara Archer |
| Flight Lieutenant Nigel | Sean Kelly | ||
| Flight Lieutenant Singh | Julian Sherrier | ||
| Flight Lieutenant Frank | Geoffrey Frederick | ||
| WAAF Women's Auxiliary Air Force The Women's Auxiliary Air Force , whose members were invariably referred to as Waafs , was the female auxiliary of the Royal Air Force during World War II, established in 1939. At its peak strength, in 1943, WAAF numbers exceeded 180,000, with over 2,000 women enlisting per week.A Women's Royal Air... Sergeant Sergeant Sergeant is a rank used in some form by most militaries, police forces, and other uniformed organizations around the world. Its origins are the Latin serviens, "one who serves", through the French term Sergent.... Mary Blake / Bissell |
Suzan Farmer Suzan Farmer Suzan Farmer is an English actress, mainly on television.She first appeared in an episode of the Patrick McGoohan series Danger Man entitled No Marks for Servility and went on to feature in many other ITC series in the 1960s and 70s including UFO, The Saint, Man in a Suitcase and The Persuaders!... |
||
| Flight Lieutenant Jones | Johnny Briggs Johnny Briggs (actor) Johnny Briggs, MBE is an English actor. He is best known for his role as Mike Baldwin in the soap opera Coronation Street, in which he appeared from 1976 to 2006... |
||
| 'Teddy' Young | Flight Commander, A Flight | ||
| Sam Milner | Flight Commander, B Flight | ||
| Lieutenant Maner | Peter Kriss | ||
| Jan Ericson | Norwegian resistance fighter | Ericson | Cavan Malone |
| Johansen | Norwegian resistance fighter | Johanson | Richard Shaw |
| Goth | Chris Williams | ||
| Valerie Adams | |||
| Kearns | Landlord of the Black Swann Inn | ||
| SS Interrogator | Anne Ridley |
Production
Authentic period aircraft were used instead of models or special effects to recreate the aerial sequences. In part, this was because 633 Squadron was the first film shot in colour in PanavisionPanavision
Panavision is an American motion picture equipment company specializing in cameras and lenses, based in Woodland Hills, California. Formed by Robert Gottschalk as a small partnership to create anamorphic projection lenses during the widescreen boom in the 1950s, Panavision expanded its product...
widescreen format, a choice that made the use of archival footage problematic.
In the novel on which the film was based, Roy Grant was British. Robertson, a US actor, was cast because he was popular internationally at the time and because an American central character improved the production's access to finance and worldwide audiences. Additionally, Robertson was an experienced pilot, owned a Supermarine Spitfire
Supermarine Spitfire
The Supermarine Spitfire is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was used by the Royal Air Force and many other Allied countries throughout the Second World War. The Spitfire continued to be used as a front line fighter and in secondary roles into the 1950s...
and was personally interested in making the film as an accurate portrayal of wartime flying. Although he was refused permission to fly for the purposes of the film, his scenes stand out as a realistic depiction of operational flying. When Robertson expressed reservations about the script, director Walter Mirisch
Walter Mirisch
Walter Mortimer Mirisch is an American film producer. In his long and successful motion picture career, Walter Mirisch has produced some of the industry’s finest and most memorable films...
engaged US scriptwriter Howard Koch
Howard Koch (screenwriter)
Howard E. Koch was an American playwright and screenwriter who was blacklisted by the Hollywood movie studio bosses in the 1950s.-Early Years:...
, resident in London, to rewrite the film to placate him.
Locations
The scenes were shot in the Scottish HighlandsScottish Highlands
The Highlands is an historic region of Scotland. The area is sometimes referred to as the "Scottish Highlands". It was culturally distinguishable from the Lowlands from the later Middle Ages into the modern period, when Lowland Scots replaced Scottish Gaelic throughout most of the Lowlands...
near Glencoe
Glen Coe
Glen Coe is a glen in the Highlands of Scotland. It lies in the southern part of the Lochaber committee area of Highland Council, and was formerly part of the county of Argyll. It is often considered one of the most spectacular and beautiful places in Scotland, and is a part of the designated...
, with most of the attack sequences filmed above Loch Morar
Loch Morar
Loch Morar is a freshwater loch in Morar, Lochaber, Highland, Scotland. It is the fifth-largest loch in Scotland, with a surface area of and the deepest freshwater body in the British Isles, with a maximum depth of ....
and Loch Nevis
Loch Nevis
Loch Nevis is a sea loch in Lochaber on the west coast of Scotland.It runs inland from the Sound of Sleat, and is bounded by the peninsula of Knoydart to the north and North Morar to the south....
. The distinctive outline of the island of Eigg
Eigg
Eigg is one of the Small Isles, in the Scottish Inner Hebrides. It lies to the south of the Skye and to the north of the Ardnamurchan peninsula. Eigg is long from north to south, and east to west. With an area of , it is the second largest of the Small Isles after Rùm.-Geography:The main...
can be seen behind some of the cockpit shots. While the spectacular aerial scenes used real aircraft, more dangerous sequences were created with models.
RAF Bovingdon
RAF Bovingdon
RAF Bovingdon was a Royal Air Force station, located to the west of Bovingdon, two and a half miles south of Hemel Hempstead and two and a half miles south east of Berkhamsted, in Hertfordshire, UK....
substituted for the fictional RAF Sutton Craddock base. The riverbank where Robertson's character romances Maria Perschy's was also used in a similar early scene in the Bond film From Russia with Love
From Russia with Love (film)
From Russia with Love is the second in the James Bond spy film series, and the second to star Sean Connery as the fictional MI6 agent James Bond. Released in 1963, the film was produced by Albert R. Broccoli and Harry Saltzman, and directed by Terence Young. It is based on the 1957 novel of the...
.
Lairig Ghru
Lairig Ghru
The Lairig Ghru is one of the mountain passes through the Cairngorms of Scotland.Like many traditional routes the ends of the route through the Lairig Ghru are like the ends of a frayed rope. From the south the Lairig Ghru can be approached from Braemar though Glen Lui, or Glen Dee, and from Blair...
was used for training flight sequences and scenes with the Norwegian resistance.
The aircraft
Walter GraumanWalter Grauman
Walter E. Grauman is an American director of stage shows, films and television shows.-Early life:Grauman was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin to Jacob and Irene Grauman, both children of German immigrants who married after settling in the United States...
, the director, collected flying period aircraft, creating the "Mirisch Air Force" or M.A.F. as it was dubbed. Grauman's wartime experience as a B-25 Mitchell
B-25 Mitchell
The North American B-25 Mitchell was an American twin-engined medium bomber manufactured by North American Aviation. It was used by many Allied air forces, in every theater of World War II, as well as many other air forces after the war ended, and saw service across four decades.The B-25 was named...
bomber pilot helped create an authentic aviation epic.
The film features eight De Havilland Mosquito
De Havilland Mosquito
The de Havilland DH.98 Mosquito was a British multi-role combat aircraft that served during the Second World War and the postwar era. It was known affectionately as the "Mossie" to its crews and was also nicknamed "The Wooden Wonder"...
s, an aircraft nicknamed the "Wooden Wonder" because of its primary construction material. As the Royal Air Force had recently retired the type in 1963, civilian operators leased mostly former converted bomber examples (TT Mk 35) to the RAF for target-towing. Scouring RAF bases at Exeter
Exeter
Exeter is a historic city in Devon, England. It lies within the ceremonial county of Devon, of which it is the county town as well as the home of Devon County Council. Currently the administrative area has the status of a non-metropolitan district, and is therefore under the administration of the...
, South Devon
South Devon
South Devon is the southern part of the county of Devon, England.South Devon may also refer to*South Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty*South Devon *South Devon College*South Devon cattle, a breed of cattle...
, Henlow
Henlow
Henlow is a village and civil parish in the district of Central Bedfordshire in Bedfordshire, England.RAF Henlow, is located nearby, but is in fact nearer to the village of Stondon...
, Shawbury
Shawbury
Shawbury is a village and civil parish in the English county of Shropshire. The village is north east of the town of Shrewsbury, north west of Telford and north west of London. The village straddles the A53 between Shrewsbury and Market Drayton...
and the Central Flying School
Central Flying School
The Central Flying School is the Royal Air Force's primary institution for the training of military flying instructors. Established in 1912 it is the longest existing flying training school.-History:...
at Little Rissington
RAF Little Rissington
RAF Little Rissington is an RAF aerodrome and former RAF station in Gloucestershire, England. It was once home to the Central Flying School, the Vintage Pair and the Red Arrows.Built during the 1930s, the station was opened in 1938 and closed in 1994...
provided not only 10 authentic aircraft, but also vehicles and equipment from the war.
Eight Mosquitos were primarily used, five airworthy and others that could be taxied on runways or used as set dressing. The airworthy TT 35 Mosquitos were converted to resemble a fighter-bomber variant (FB Mk VI). The TT 35 models had their clear nosecones and side windows painted over and dummy machine gun
Machine gun
A machine gun is a fully automatic mounted or portable firearm, usually designed to fire rounds in quick succession from an ammunition belt or large-capacity magazine, typically at a rate of several hundred rounds per minute....
barrels fitted. One airworthy Mosquito was a T3 with a solid nose which only required the fitting of dummy gun barrels. It lacked the two-stage Merlin engines, V-shaped windscreen and bulged bomb bay of the TT 35s. At least one surplus Mosquito was destroyed in a simulated crash scene.
The Mosquitos used in the film were:
- RS709 - flown in the film
- RS712 - flown
- RS715 - cockpit section only
- TA639 - flown (now on show at the RAF Museum, Cosford, Shropshire)
- TA719 - flown
- TJ118 - cockpit section only
- TV959 - at Bovington Airfield, but not flown
- TW117 - flown
No original German aircraft were available; consequently Messerschmitt Bf 108
Messerschmitt Bf 108
-Popular culture:Bf 108s and postwar Nord 1000s, played the role of Messerschmitt Bf 109 fighters in war movies, including The Longest Day, 633 Squadron, Von Ryan's Express and Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.-See also:-References:Notes...
aircraft were used to represent the Messerschmitt Bf 109
Messerschmitt Bf 109
The Messerschmitt Bf 109, often called Me 109, was a German World War II fighter aircraft designed by Willy Messerschmitt and Robert Lusser during the early to mid 1930s...
.
The camera aircraft, a North American
North American
North American generally refers to an entity, people, group, or attribute of North America, especially of the United States and Canada together.-Culture:*North American English, a collective term used to describe American English and Canadian English...
B-25 Mitchell
B-25 Mitchell
The North American B-25 Mitchell was an American twin-engined medium bomber manufactured by North American Aviation. It was used by many Allied air forces, in every theater of World War II, as well as many other air forces after the war ended, and saw service across four decades.The B-25 was named...
, appears in the film, dropping Bergman back into Norway. His original escape from Norway is in a Miles Messenger
Miles Messenger
-Bibliography:* Amos, Peter. and Brown, Don Lambert. Miles Aircraft Since 1925, Volume 1. London: Putnam Aeronautical, 2000. ISBN 0-85177-787-0.* Brown, Don Lambert. Miles Aircraft Since 1925. London: Putnam & Company Ltd., 1970. ISBN 0-37000-127-3....
.
A technical advisor
Technical advisor
A technical advisor is an individual who is expert in a particular field of knowledge, hired to provide detailed information and advice to people working in that field...
, former RAF Group Captain
Group Captain
Group captain is a senior commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many other Commonwealth countries. It ranks above wing commander and immediately below air commodore...
Thomas Gilbert "Hamish" Mahaddie, told Walter Mirisch that, considering the number of aircraft used in the film, Mirisch "commanded the 14th largest air force in the world" at the time.
Historical events
The Royal Air ForceRoyal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
(RAF) did not form a unit called "633 Squadron" during the Second World War.
A multinational Allied war effort is depicted: in addition to an American central character, the film features members of the Norwegian resistance, airmen from the India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
and Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. This reflects three historical facts: first, airmen of many nationalities joined the RAF proper; second, under the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan
British Commonwealth Air Training Plan
The British Commonwealth Air Training Plan , known in some countries as the Empire Air Training Scheme , was a massive, joint military aircrew training program created by the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, during the Second World War...
, airmen from Commonwealth
Commonwealth
Commonwealth is a traditional English term for a political community founded for the common good. Historically, it has sometimes been synonymous with "republic."More recently it has been used for fraternal associations of some sovereign nations...
air forces were frequently assigned to RAF units and; third, many squadrons belonging to Commonwealth air forces
Article XV squadrons
Article XV squadrons were Australian, Canadian, and New Zealand air force squadrons formed from graduates of the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan , during World War II....
, or European governments-in-exile were under the operational control of the RAF during the war.
The film draws from many of the real operations of 617 Squadron
No. 617 Squadron RAF
No. 617 Squadron is a Royal Air Force aircraft squadron based at RAF Lossiemouth in Scotland. It currently operates the Tornado GR4 in the ground attack and reconnaissance role...
, in particular their attack on the German battleship Tirpitz
German battleship Tirpitz
Tirpitz was the second of two s built for the German Kriegsmarine during World War II. Named after Grand Admiral Alfred von Tirpitz, the architect of the Imperial Navy, the ship was laid down at the Kriegsmarinewerft in Wilhelmshaven in November 1936 and launched two and a half years later in April...
in a Norwegian fjord, although the Mosquito was not large enough to carry "earthquake bombs".
Reception
While critics derided the wooden acting and hackneyed plot, especially the miscast Mirisch Pictures contract star George ChakirisGeorge Chakiris
George Chakiris is an American-Greek dancer, singer and actor.-Early life:Chakiris was born in Norwood, Ohio, to Steven and Zoe Chakiris, immigrants from Greece. Chakiris studied at the American School of Dance....
, the aerial scenes were spectacular and with Ron Goodwin
Ron Goodwin
Ronald Alfred Goodwin was a British composer and conductor known for his film music. He scored over 70 films in a career lasting over fifty years....
's music remained the main attraction. 633 Squadron appears on the list of "The 100 Greatest War Films" voted by the public of the UK and is featured in the 2005 documentary of the same name.
Influence
The film's climax shows the squadron flying through a deep fjord while being fired on by anti-aircraft guns. George LucasGeorge Lucas
George Walton Lucas, Jr. is an American film producer, screenwriter, and director, and entrepreneur. He is the founder, chairman and chief executive of Lucasfilm. He is best known as the creator of the space opera franchise Star Wars and the archaeologist-adventurer character Indiana Jones...
stated that this sequence inspired the "trench run" sequence in Star Wars
Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope
Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope, originally released as Star Wars, is a 1977 American epic space opera film, written and directed by George Lucas. It is the first of six films released in the Star Wars saga: two subsequent films complete the original trilogy, while a prequel trilogy completes the...
.
633 Squadron is well known in the UK for its regular appearances on television, and became almost a part of the Christmas schedule. Although erroneously considered a sequel, the film Mosquito Squadron
Mosquito Squadron
#Mosquito Squadron is a 1969 British war film made by Oakmont Productions, directed by Boris Sagal and starring David McCallum, with a memorable music score , which was composed and conducted by Frank Cordell.-Plot:During a Second World War Royal Air Force attack against German V-1...
is similar to 633 Squadron and influenced by it, even using footage from the original.
Soundtrack
The film's musical score was written by British composer Ron GoodwinRon Goodwin
Ronald Alfred Goodwin was a British composer and conductor known for his film music. He scored over 70 films in a career lasting over fifty years....
that became well known to the public even after the film's initial release. The title tune featured six then three musical beats similar to the seven beats of Elmer Bernstein
Elmer Bernstein
Elmer Bernstein was an American composer and conductor best known for his many film scores. In a career which spanned fifty years, he composed music for hundreds of film and television productions...
's theme to The Magnificent Seven
The Magnificent Seven
The Magnificent Seven is an American Western film directed by John Sturges, and released in 1960. It is a fictional tale of a group of seven American gunmen who are hired to protect a small agricultural village in Mexico from a group of marauding Mexican bandits...
and John Barry
John Barry (composer)
John Barry Prendergast, OBE was an English conductor and composer of film music. He is best known for composing the soundtracks for 12 of the James Bond films between 1962 and 1987...
's 007 from the James Bond
James Bond
James Bond, code name 007, is a fictional character created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short story collections. There have been a six other authors who wrote authorised Bond novels or novelizations after Fleming's death in 1964: Kingsley Amis,...
films.