While many of Hollywood’s tales about heroism during the Second World War were tainted by smug patriotism and unwelcome sentiment, postwar British cinema tended to handle the events of the conflict with fidelity and dignity, thanks no doubt to its worthy documentary heritage.
This inspiring tale of unassuming courage is one of the finest in a proud tradition.
Lewis Gilbert masterfully makes the drama as compelling as the action sequences, and Kenneth More gives the performance of his career playing Douglas Bader, the cocky pilot who overcame the loss of his legs in a pre-war flying accident to take on the Luftwaffe in the Battle of Britain and become one of the RAF’s most decorated heroes.
Douglas Bader
Kenneth More
Thelma Bader
Muriel Pavlow
Johnny Sanderson
Lyndon Brook
Mr Joyce
Alexander Knox
Stan Turner
Lee Patterson
Nurse Brace
Dorothy Alison
Harry Day
Michael Warre
Robert Desoutter
Sydney Tafler
“Woody” Woodhall
Howard Marion-Crawford
Peel
Jack Watling
Streatfield
Nigel Green
Sister Thornhill
Anne Leon
Air Vice Marshal Leigh-Mallory
Ronald Adam
Director
Lewis Gilbert
