A true story of soldier and former jobbing actor Meyrick Edward Clifton “Jimmy” James who ended up impersonating Field Marshal Montgomery in a real-life mission during WW2 due to his uncanny resemblance to the British army leader.
‘Operation Copperhead’ saw Lt. James assigned to Montgomery’s staff as a driver so he could learn his speech and his mannerisms. James had to quit drinking and smoking and, having lost the middle finger of his right hand during the First World War, a prosthetic one was made for him.
To deceive the Germans into believing the Allied D-Day landings would take place in the South of France rather than Normandy it was essential that they should be led to believe that Montgomery, Britain’s leading General, was in North Africa, the obvious launch-pad for any such invasion.
As a result of the subterfuge, Hitler sent a panzer division and 50,000 troops to the south of France just before the Normandy invasion.
Released in the US as Hell, Heaven or Hoboken from an American slogan of World War I. The city of Hoboken in New Jersey was the main point of departure and return for US troops and the phrase meant that by Christmas 1917 the soldiers would either be dead or have returned in triumph.
The phrase is not relevant to a movie about a senior British Army officer of World War II but American distributors were perhaps aware that Field Marshal Montgomery’s personal popularity was not high Stateside.
Major Harvey
John Mills Lt. Meyrick Edward Clifton James/Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery
Meyrick Edward Clifton James Colonel Logan
Cecil Parker Colonel Mathers
Patrick Allen Colonel Dawson
Patrick Holt Major Tennant
Leslie Phillips Governor of Gibraltar
Michael Hordern Nielson
Marius Goring Hester
Barbara Hicks Wing Commander Bates
Duncan Lamont Flight Lieutenant Osborne
John Gale Flying Officer Davies
Kenneth Warren Sgt. Adams
James Hayter
Director
John Guillermin
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