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Bookmark this pageThe Cockleshell Heroes (1954)
Director: José Ferrer
Movie review
From Time Out Film Guide
As the Empire blew away on the winds of change, a spate of films celebrating Britain's heroic achievements in WWII attracted huge box-office success. Bond producer Cubby Broccoli proved adept at finding the right formula: pipe-smoking humanitarian Ferrer battles it out with embittered disciplinarian Howard while tough sergeant-major Maddern licks the bunch of good-for-nothing 'volunteers' into a crack fighting force for a glorious Technicolor finale (breaking the blockade of Bordeaux by limpet-mining German battleships). Fortunately there's more. Ferrer directs with a freshness of vision which cuts through the usual coy clichés, and Howard's magnificently bad-tempered performance lifts the film a degree beyond jingoistic flag-waving.Author: RMy
Cast & crew
Director: José Ferrer
Producer: Phil C Samuel
Cast: José Ferrer, Trevor Howard, Victor Maddern, Anthony Newley, David Lodge, Peter Arne, Dora Bryan, Christopher Lee full cast
Genre(s): War
Duration: 97 mins
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