Facebook Twitter Instagram YouTube
    Nostalgia Central
    • Home
    • Blog
      • Lists
      • Playlists
    • Television
      • TV by Decade
        • TV – 1950s
        • TV – 1960s
        • TV – 1970s
        • TV – 1980s
        • TV – 1990s
      • Comedy
      • Drama
      • Kids TV
      • Variety
      • News & Sport
      • Advertisements
    • Music
      • Music by Decade
        • Music – 1950s
        • Music – 1960s
        • Music – 1970s
        • Music – 1980s
        • Music – 1990s
      • Artists – A to K
        • Artists – A
        • Artists – B
        • Artists – C
        • Artists – D
        • Artists – E
        • Artists – F
        • Artists – G
        • Artists – H
        • Artists – I
        • Artists – J
        • Artists – K
      • Artists – L to Z
        • Artists – L
        • Artists – M
        • Artists – N
        • Artists – O
        • Artists – P
        • Artists – Q
        • Artists – R
        • Artists – S
        • Artists – T
        • Artists – U
        • Artists – V
        • Artists – W
        • Artists – X
        • Artists – Y
        • Artists – Z
      • Artists – 0 to 9
      • Genres
      • Music on Film & TV
      • One-Hit Wonders
      • Online Radio
    • Movies
      • Movies by Decade
        • Movies – 1950s
        • Movies – 1960s
        • Movies – 1970s
        • Movies – 1980s
        • Movies – 1990s
      • Movies – 0 to 9
      • Movies – A to K
        • Movies – A
        • Movies – B
        • Movies – C
        • Movies – D
        • Movies – E
        • Movies – F
        • Movies – G
        • Movies – H
        • Movies – I
        • Movies – J
        • Movies – K
      • Movies – L to Z
        • Movies – L
        • Movies – M
        • Movies – N
        • Movies – O
        • Movies – P
        • Movies – Q
        • Movies – R
        • Movies – S
        • Movies – T
        • Movies – U
        • Movies – V
        • Movies – W
        • Movies – X
        • Movies – Y
        • Movies – Z
    • Pop Culture
      • Fads
      • Toys & Games
      • Fashion
      • Decor
      • Food & Drink
      • People
      • Radio
      • Technology
      • Transport
    • Social History
      • 1950s Year by Year
      • 1960s Year by Year
      • 1970s Year by Year
      • 1980s Year by Year
      • 1990s Year by Year
      • Events
    Nostalgia Central
    Home»Movies»Movies by Decade»Movies - 1970s
    Movies - 1970s Movies - B 5 Mins Read

    Bridge Too Far, A (1977)

    Share
    Facebook Twitter Pinterest WhatsApp Reddit Email

    It seems as if an entire regiment of movie notables appears in this $26 million WWII epic based on Cornelius Ryan’s bestseller about the disastrous ‘Operation Market Garden’ Allied attempt to seize several bridges in the occupied Netherlands in order to outflank German defences and end the war in Europe by Christmas of 1944.

    Concocted by British Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery, it was a combined airborne and ground assault calling for 35,000 paratroopers to be flown from bases in England and dropped behind enemy lines in the Netherlands.

    Their mission was to secure bridges along a north-south road and hold them for 48 hours so that an armoured column advancing north from the Allied frontline in Belgium would be able to reach Arnhem, 60 miles deep into German-held territory.

    The British 1st Airborne Division, commanded by Major General Roy Urquhart (Sean Connery), supported by a Polish airborne brigade under General Stanisław Sosabowski (Gene Hackman) is chosen to land in drop zones east and west of Arnhem and to secure both sides of the bridge there.

    Further south, the American 82nd Airborne Division under Brigadier General James Gavin (Ryan O’Neill) is to land near Nijmegen and secure its bridge and approaches.

    The US 101st Airborne Division under Major General Maxwell Taylor (Paul Maxwell) is tasked with securing the road and bridges around Eindhoven while the XXX Armoured Corps under Lt. General Brian Horrocks (Edward Fox) is to advance north, cross the bridges captured by the American paratroopers, and reach Arnhem two days after the drop.

    All are assured that German resistance in the area will be negligible – despite the fact that reconnaissance photographs and reports from the Dutch resistance indicate Panzer tanks are located near Arnhem. Lt. General Frederick Browning (Dirk Bogarde) ignores these reports because he is not willing to contravene Montgomery.

    bridgetoofar_045

    British officers also quash reports that the portable radios used by the paratroopers will probably not work across the long distances from the drop zones to the Arnhem Bridge.

    The airborne drops on 17 September 1944 go well, but the Son Bridge near Eindhoven is blown up by the Germans just before the 101st Airborne can get to it. Stiff German resistance, the narrowness of the sometimes raised road (dubbed “Hell’s Highway”), and the need to construct a Bailey bridge all combine to slow the advance of the XXX Corps.

    At Nijmegen, units of the 82nd Airborne cross the Waal River in canvas-and-wood assault boats under withering fire. Eventually, the bridge is captured.

    At Arnhem, the situation begins to deteriorate. As predicted, the radios are useless and many of the jeeps needed to quickly reach the Arnhem Bridge never arrive by glider or are destroyed during landings.

    The Germans overrun the British supply drop zones and launch an armoured attack over the bridge being held at one end by British units under the command of Lt. Col. John Frost (Anthony Hopkins).

    The British manage to hold their positions but incur mounting casualties as General Sosabowski’s men have been delayed by ground fog in England and join the battle too late to reinforce the British.

    After days of fierce house-to-house fighting, Urquhart’s lightly armed troops are forced to surrender or retreat with staggering losses.

    When Urquhart returns to British HQ, he confronts Browning about the fiasco that was Market Garden and Browning sheepishly replies, “Well, as you know, I always felt we tried to go a bridge too far”.

    In the final scene, a Dutch woman (Liv Ullmann) abandons her badly damaged home, which had been used as a hospital by the British. Passing through the front yard – which has been converted into a makeshift graveyard – she and her children walk along the high riverbank with her father, an elderly doctor (Laurence Olivier), pushing some salvaged household items in a wheelbarrow.

    Committed WWII buffs may spot microscopic inaccuracies in the film, such as a few anti-tank guns being painted the wrong colour, but overall the recreation of the battles was acclaimed by real veterans. The action scenes are a triumph, visceral and memorable: swarms of planes, massive explosions and hundreds of paratroopers floating through the sky.

    Most of the film’s characters are either real people or closely based on real people. Plus – in a refreshing change from the usual movie weirdness of watching Nazis speak colloquial English – the Germans speak German, the Dutch speak Dutch, and the British say things like, “I’m awfully sorry, but I’m afraid we’re going to have to occupy your house.”

    Gene Hackman – who plays Polish General Stanisław Sosabowski – is the exception, with an accent foundering somewhere between vampire and pirate

    Unfortunately, hardly any of the big American or British stars are on screen long enough to establish audience involvement, and at an almost three-hour length, A Bridge Too Far is a movie too long. By the end, you’ll feel like you too have trudged for days through muddy Dutch fields without food or sleep.

    Lt. Gen. Frederick Browning
    Dirk Bogarde
    Sgt. Eddie Dohun

    James Caan
    Lt. Col. Joe Vandeleur

    Michael Caine
    Maj. Gen. Robert Urquhart

    Sean Connery
    Lt. Gen. Brian Horrocks

    Edward Fox
    Col. Bobby Stout

    Elliott Gould
    Maj. Gen. Stanislaw 
    Sosabowski
    Gene Hackman
    Lt. Col. John Frost

    Anthony Hopkins
    Gen. Ludwig

    Hardy Kruger
    Dr Spaander

    Laurence Olivier
    Maj. Julian Cook

    Robert Redford
    Brig. Gen. James Gavin

    Ryan O’Neal
    Lt. Gen. Wilhelm Bittrich

    Maximilian Schell
    Maj. Harry Carlyle
    Christopher Good

    Director
    Richard Attenborough

    Video

    Related Posts

    • Bridge On The River Kwai, The (1957)
      Bridge On The River Kwai, The (1957)
      This superb war drama is distinguished by magnificent acting and direction and an out-of-the-ordinary approach to its subject. In early…
    • Bridges of Madison County (1995)
      Bridges of Madison County (1995)
      Clint Eastwood directed and starred in this romantic drama based on Robert James Waller's bestseller. National Geographic photographer Robert Kincaid (Eastwood) is…
    • Battle Of Britain, The (1969)
      Battle Of Britain, The (1969)
      The air is thick with screen stars and 27 restored Spitfires flown by genuine WWII veterans defending Britain from the…
    • Silver Jubilee (1977)
      Silver Jubilee (1977)
      In 1935 when King George V celebrated his silver jubilee, the Empire had to come to London. In 1977, acknowledging…
    • Shimmering Light (1978)
      Shimmering Light (1978)
      This Australian made-for-TV movie presented 29-year-old American dropout Kevin Pearse (Beau Bridges) who decides to pursue his love of surfing…
    • Battle of the Bulge (1965)
      Battle of the Bulge (1965)
      This truly spectacular war epic is almost on a par with Patton (1970), though its original widescreen impact is sorely diminished…
    • Betrayed (1954)
      Betrayed (1954)
      Clark Gable stars in a wartime espionage drama which has as many thrills as surprises. It is based on the…
    • Breaker Morant (1980)
      Breaker Morant (1980)
      Beautifully filmed, expertly acted and meticulously directed by Bruce Beresford, Breaker Morant tells the true story of the court-martial of…

    1977
    Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest WhatsApp Reddit Email
    Previous Article10 Rillington Place (1971)
    Next Article InterCity 125

    Comments are closed.

    A Labour of Love

    Nostalgia Central has been a labour of love for me since 1998.

    If you find the site informative or enjoyable, please consider a donation – no matter how small – to help me with the running costs of the site and ensure I can keep Nostalgia Central running for your entertainment and education.

    Thank you so much, and please enjoy your trip in the time machine!
    Follow us
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • YouTube
    You May Also Like
    • Wildside
      1 9 9 7 – 1 9 9 9 (Australia) 60 x 50 minute episodes This […]
    • Stripes (1981)
      Best friends John Winger (Bill Murray) and Russell Ziskey […]
    • Rag Trade, The
      1 9 6 1 – 1 9 6 3 (UK) 37 x 30 minute episodes 1 9 7 7 […]
    • Pandoras, The
      The Pandoras – an all-female rock band from Los Angeles […]
    • Hey Landlord!
      1 9 6 6 – 1 9 6 7 (USA) 32 x 30 minute episodes A […]
    • Plague of the Zombies, The (1966)
      Respected doctor Sir James Forbes (André Morell) comes to a […]
    Comments Box SVG iconsUsed for the like, share, comment, and reaction icons

    OUR LATEST FACEBOOK POSTS

    www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-coventry-warwickshire-65006801 ... See MoreSee Less

    Link thumbnail

    Terry Hall: Coventry scooter ride-out pays tribute to singer

    www.bbc.co.uk

    Hundreds of people ride through Coventry on what would have been the singer's 64th birthday.
    4 days ago
    View on Facebook
    · Share
    Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email
    View Comments
    • Likes: 12
    • Shares: 2
    • Comments: 0

    Comment on Facebook

    metro.co.uk/2023/03/13/the-whos-roger-daltrey-thinks-theres-no-point-releasing-an-album-18434779/ ... See MoreSee Less

    Link thumbnail

    The Who's Roger Daltrey thinks there's 'no point' releasing another album

    metro.co.uk

    Bad luck.
    4 days ago
    View on Facebook
    · Share
    Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email
    View Comments
    • Likes: 0
    • Shares: 0
    • Comments: 0

    Comment on Facebook

    www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cambridgeshire-64963359 ... See MoreSee Less

    Link thumbnail

    Sir Michael Caine's first Rolls Royce sells at Duxford for £120K

    www.bbc.co.uk

    The Italian Job actor hired a chauffeur to drive the 1968 Silver Shadow, with its doors still intact.
    1 week ago
    View on Facebook
    · Share
    Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email
    View Comments
    • Likes: 2
    • Shares: 0
    • Comments: 0

    Comment on Facebook

    www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-64900348 ... See MoreSee Less

    Link thumbnail

    Mystic Meg: Astrologer dies aged 80

    www.bbc.co.uk

    The TV star, whose real name was Margaret Lake, was a well-known TV figure in the 1990s.
    2 weeks ago
    View on Facebook
    · Share
    Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email
    View Comments
    • Likes: 1
    • Shares: 0
    • Comments: 1

    Comment on Facebook

    Do you think she know it eas going to happen

    PlayTalk Teletext (1976) | BFI Replay

    Talk Teletext (1976) | BFI Replay ... See MoreSee Less

    2 weeks ago
    View on Facebook
    · Share
    Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email
    View Comments
    • Likes: 7
    • Shares: 2
    • Comments: 0

    Comment on Facebook

    Gary Rossington: Lynyrd Skynyrd's last founding member dies aged 71.
    ... See MoreSee Less

    Link thumbnail

    Gary Rossington: Lynyrd Skynyrd's last founding member dies aged 71

    www.bbc.co.uk

    Guitarist Gary Rossington had survived a 1977 air crash that killed several of his bandmates.
    2 weeks ago
    View on Facebook
    · Share
    Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email
    View Comments
    • Likes: 2
    • Shares: 0
    • Comments: 1

    Comment on Facebook

    What a talented man. Lucky enough to see original band in concert. BRILLIANT.

    Rest in peace Dickie Davies. An absolute giant of British sports broadcasting.

    ... See MoreSee Less

    Link thumbnail

    Dickie Davies, World of Sport presenter, dies at 94

    www.theguardian.com

    The broadcaster became something of a cult figure after fronting the ITV show for 20 years
    1 month ago
    View on Facebook
    · Share
    Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email
    View Comments
    • Likes: 4
    • Shares: 1
    • Comments: 1

    Comment on Facebook

    Yes, one of the great presenters. R.I.P.

    For fans of the radio series Round The Horne (1965 - 1968) - starring the inimitable Kenneth Williams - there are several full episodes on Spotify. Some of the humour is still pretty close to the edge, even by modern standards. Bona! 

https://open.spotify.com/show/7DIM1wfGKwDis0uzsjHeP7?si=pG0_U0TjRKGzVDvrePs4vA

    For fans of the radio series "Round The Horne" (1965 - 1968) - starring the inimitable Kenneth Williams - there are several full episodes on Spotify. Some of the humour is still pretty "close to the edge", even by modern standards. Bona!

    open.spotify.com/show/7DIM1wfGKwDis0uzsjHeP7?si=pG0_U0TjRKGzVDvrePs4vA
    ... See MoreSee Less

    1 month ago
    View on Facebook
    · Share
    Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email
    View Comments
    • Likes: 12
    • Shares: 1
    • Comments: 2

    Comment on Facebook

    For those interested, the complete “Jules and Sandy” is available on Audible…

    Bona to vada your jolly old eek. Lovely riah....

    RIP the beautiful Stella Stevens, who has died at the age of 84.

    ... See MoreSee Less

    Link thumbnail

    Stella Stevens: Nutty Professor and Poseidon Adventure star dies at 84

    www.bbc.co.uk

    The co-star of Elvis Presley also worked in TV on series such as Murder She Wrote and Magnum, P.I.
    1 month ago
    View on Facebook
    · Share
    Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email
    View Comments
    • Likes: 0
    • Shares: 0
    • Comments: 0

    Comment on Facebook

    A very young Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr and George Harrison and friends. 

If they only knew what lay ahead . . .

    A very young Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr and George Harrison and friends.

    If they only knew what lay ahead . . .
    ... See MoreSee Less

    1 month ago
    View on Facebook
    · Share
    Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email
    View Comments
    • Likes: 18
    • Shares: 1
    • Comments: 1

    Comment on Facebook

    I always hated the Beatles, and as it happens I still do.

    Load more
    Please note


    Nostalgia Central covers the period 1950 to 1999 and contains some words and references which reflect the attitudes of those times and which may be considered culturally sensitive, offensive or inappropriate today.
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • YouTube
    Search Nostalgia Central
    Tag Cloud
    1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 Action Figures Amicus Arcade games Australia Beach movies Beatles Blaxploitation Board games British Invasion Britpop Bubblegum music Canada Civil rights Cold War Computer games Crime Disc Jockeys Disco Disney Doo-Wop Elvis Presley Folk rock Girl groups Glam Goth Hammer Heavy Metal Irwin Allen James Bond JFK Kraütrock Labels Madchester Merseybeat Mod revival Motown New Romantic New Wave New Zealand Nixon Northern Soul NWOBHM Oi! One-hit wonders Politics Power Pop Prog rock Pub rock Punk Radio Reggae Rolling Stones Scotland Ska Ska revival Skiffle Soul music Space Race Sport Surf music Video games Vietnam war
    Copyright © 1998, 2023 Nostalgia Central. Run by volunteers. Funded by donations.
    • About Nostalgia Central
    • Contact
    • FAQ

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.