Make the Film "The Battle of Britain" a major international success

[Lindseyman]

Whilst perusing the "No James Bond" thread the film was mentioned with regards to Harry Saltzman. Now a film was going to be made about it at some time, so lets have the film made at the time the OTL one was made.
There was such a lot right with the film as it was made. In no particular order
1. The scene with Ralph Richardson and Curd Jurgens in the Swiss Embassy.
2. The aerial photography (It did help that Spain had all those surplus Buchons and 2.111) which has not been surpassed even by CGI IMHO.
3. Laurence Olivier as Sir Hugh Dowding and Trevor Howard as Keith Park
4. The scene where the "not" Galland asks for a Staffel of Spitfires
5. The film score
How do you make sure that it becomes a major international success ?
Did it really need to have famous American actors?

 

[sonofpegasus]

Considering that it is a classic of its type, does not distort history too much, survives most nit picking and stands up well some half centaury I would personal say that to seek popular world wide appeal would have to sacrifice the very things that make the film the icon that it is.

 

[MKD]

you would have to have some hot shot big American star as a crack Eagle Squadron pilot winning the battle single handed while fighting against stuffy British upper crust senior officers outraged by his unconventional ways and attitudes

 

[TDM]

I think there are a couple of issues the battle of Britain had

1). it a British story (yes pilots of other nations are there but they don't exactly get the spot light shone on them), so that will limit international appeal,

1a). as you mention lack of big Hollywood star appeal

2). it was expensive to make

3). As a 'stiff upper lip brit war flick' history lesson on celluloid, it's coming out the wrong end of the 60's for as broad demographic appeal as it might have had earlier


couple of match ups here (figs all from wiki/imdb)


Battle of Britain
released 1969
Cost $14m
Box $13m

Where Eagles Dare (early modern action film set in WW2)
released 1968
Cost $6.2-$7.7m
Box $21m


The Longest Day (classic old style, epic, lots of big names)
released 1962
Cost $7.75m
Box $50.1

A Bridge Too Far (classic old style, epic, lots of big names but 15 years after Longest day and tellingly same box but 3x the cost)
release 1977
Cost $25m
Box $50.7m


if I had to sum up BoB's issues it's an older style WW2 film made in the time of later style WW2 films, and it was expensive


Make it earlier and it will do better, make it in 1969 about the Eagle squadrons saving "Britain in their darkest hour" and it will sell better in the US especially if you have big names. (although expect loud retching noises from the home audience)

EDIT ninja'd by MKD!

 

[MKD]

EDIT ninja'd by MKD!

Apologies - it is a great film mind.

 

[TDM]

Apologies - it is a great film mind.

Nothing to apologise for!

 

[Fuzzy Dunlop]

How do you make sure that it becomes a major international success ?

The problem with The Battle of Britain is that's a huge campaign lasting the best part of three months so a lot of what went on cannot be put into a two or a even three hour film unlike specific battles like Normandy (The Longest Day) A Bridge Too Far ( Market Garden)

It's like trying to put The Korean War, The Battle of the Atlantic, The Falklands, Operation Barbarossa or Vietnam etc into one film. It wont work as it'll be so condensed it'll miss huge chunks out of it.

My best bet is to have it made later on in the 1980's and make it into a TV series with around 6/81 hour parts encompassing the entire campaign from The Battle of France, the defense of the Channel conveys, Eagle Day itself until the start of the Blitz.

Much obliged!

 

[MKD]

My best bet is to have it made later on in the 1980's and make it into a TV series with around 6/81 hour parts encompassing the entire campaign from The Battle of France, the defense of the Channel conveys, Eagle Day itself until the start of the Blitz.

There was Piece of Cake made in the late 1980's - a British six-part television serial depicting the life of a Royal Air Force fighter squadron from the day of the British entry into World War II through to one of the toughest days in the Battle of Britain. I think it was on ITV. It was based on the novel by Derek Robinson

 

[merlin]

The only option for an American actor - apart from an Attaché or news reporter, would be someone with an East European accent who could pass as Polish and be a central figure within the Polish squadron's drive to get recognised - though the lack of english by the Poles in the film complicates that e.g. 'no more Polish chit-chat'.
Moreover, any entry into the film for example of Joe Kennedy and his almost pro-German victory forecast - wouldn't pan out very well!

But do we measure 'international success' just by US reaction?

If the historical narrative was twisted to satisfy the US audience - the vilification it would receive in the UK would give it a very short shelf life, as it is, can be see on TV several times a year - so the re-run fees must be adding up.

The filmmakers were very keen that the film would be authentic, so much so that Douglas Bader was put out that his 'Big Wing' wasn't given the success he thought it deserved.

 

[Dorknought]

Mush TopGun with Mrs Miniver.

 

[Fuzzy Dunlop]

There was Piece of Cake made in the late 1980's - a British six-part television serial depicting the life of a Royal Air Force fighter squadron from the day of the British entry into World War II through to one of the toughest days in the Battle of Britain. I think it was on ITV. It was based on the novel by Derek Robinson

Great minds think alike, as that's the format that I was thinking of.

I remember it well, on a Sunday night on ITV at 9.00 pm.

If I recall, it starts out in the 'Phoney War' in France when they egging each other on to fly under an arched bridge until one of the sqn face plant themselves into it.

 

[Fuzzy Dunlop]

no more Polish chit-chat'.

👍 The late, great Barry Foster RIP!

 

[Captain Seafort]

The filmmakers were very keen that the film would be authentic, so much so that Douglas Bader was put out that his 'Big Wing' wasn't given the success he thought it deserved.

"...Big Wing? Might as well stay on the ground for all the use they are!"

"Don't forget the targets are my airfields Leigh-Mallory, and you're not getting fifty, you're not even getting ten!"

That film is almost as quotable as Holy Grail.

 

[MKD]

Worth noting Park used tactics similar to the "Big Wing" when in command of the air defence of Malta. At least once he had enough aircraft he did................

 

[Paul_Sussex]

The only option for an American actor - apart from an Attaché or news reporter, would be someone with an East European accent who could pass as Polish...

Or there were also 100+ Canadian pilots involved.

 

[MKD]

Or there were also 100+ Canadian pilots involved.

There were also a number of "Canadian" pilots involved ;-) The most notable being Billy Fiske ( he is worth looking up - 2 gold medals in bobsleigh at the Olympics!)

 

[Sooty]

I think there are a couple of issues the battle of Britain had

1). it a British story (yes pilots of other nations are there but they don't exactly get the spot light shone on them), so that will limit international appeal,

1a). as you mention lack of big Hollywood star appeal

2). it was expensive to make

3). As a 'stiff upper lip brit war flick' history lesson on celluloid, it's coming out the wrong end of the 60's for as broad demographic appeal as it might have had earlier


couple of match ups here (figs all from wiki/imdb)


Battle of Britain
released 1969
Cost $14m
Box $13m

Where Eagles Dare (early modern action film set in WW2)
released 1968
Cost $6.2-$7.7m
Box $21m


The Longest Day (classic old style, epic, lots of big names)
released 1962
Cost $7.75m
Box $50.1

A Bridge Too Far (classic old style, epic, lots of big names but 15 years after Longest day and tellingly same box but 3x the cost)
release 1977
Cost $25m
Box $50.7m


if I had to sum up BoB's issues it's an older style WW2 film made in the time of later style WW2 films, and it was expensive


Make it earlier and it will do better, make it in 1969 about the Eagle squadrons saving "Britain in their darkest hour" and it will sell better in the US especially if you have big names. (although expect loud retching noises from the home audience)

EDIT ninja'd by MKD!

 

[gaitskellitebevanite]

"DAKA DAKA DAKA DAKA"
"Where the hell are you Simon?"

Of course Christopher Plummer had starred 4 years previously in the second highest grossing film of all time, and probably qualifies as an A-list star at the time. Albeit a Canadian rather than an American.

 

[David Flin]

It's like trying to put The Korean War, The Battle of the Atlantic, The Falklands, Operation Barbarossa or Vietnam etc into one film.

You mean, like The Cruel Sea?

 

[sonofpegasus]

Billy Fiske and seven other Americans did join the RAF and fight in the BoB, that in itself lends a possible story line that could be made into a film in its own rights.
Those eight adventurous and extraordinarily determined men a very much overlooked in the overall story of the battle. However miniscule there contribution was, it is still very worthy of our thanks and approbation.