Theirs is the Glory
Encyclopedia
Theirs Is the Glory a Rank production, is a 1946
British film about the British Airborne element of the World War II
Operation Market Garden
, and specifically the Battle of Arnhem
. It was the first film to be made about this battle, and the biggest grossing war movie for nearly a decade. The later film A Bridge Too Far depicts the operation as a whole and includes the American, British and Polish Airborne forces, while Theirs Is the Glory focuses solely on the British forces, and their fight at Oosterbeek and Arnhem.
The two films were compared in the battlefields magazine Against All Odds (published in October 2010) and the comparison is stark and revealing "A Bridge Too Far is a slow moving epic, well worth a viewing with some authentic scenes, but is unconvincing in its portrayal of the battle of Oosterbeek...'Theirs is the Glory' is the only feature film currently released that accurately portrays the events at Oosterbeek in atmospheric and chronoligical terms, despite its jerky portrayal of events. This is a film to watch.".
Directed by Ulsterman Brian Desmond Hurst
who, himself, was a veteran of the first world war having survived Gallipoli where he had served with the Royal Irish Rifles. Hurst was an accomplished film director having been mentored by John Ford in Hollywood and directing more than 30 films including Malta Story
. Scrooge
and Tom Brown's Schooldays
. Hurst was also Ireland's most prolific film director of the 20th Century. The producer was Leonard Castleton Knight, Head of Gaumont British News. The film weaves original footage from the battle with re-enactments shot on location at Oosterbeek and Arnhem just a year after the battle had ravaged the streets. All of the actors portraying the paratroopers were actual Airborne soldiers who fought in the battle and it remains a magnificent testimony to those men. The film also features local people like Father Dyker (a Dutch civilian priest who conducts the service in the movie) and Kate ter Horst
(who reads a psalm to the wounded men in the cellar) re-enacting their roles and what they did for the Airborne troops during the battle.
The film may have been the "Help For Heroes of its day". Hurst's biographer, Allan Esler Smith in "Theirs is the Glory- 65th Anniversary of the filming of the movie" explains that "The popularity of Theirs is the Glory allowed Arthur Rank, the head of the Rank Organisation, to fulfil his pledge to help the Airborne Forces Security Fund. Collections , raffles and parades rode the wave of enthusiasm that swept the United Kingdom following its premier. The Earl Mountbatten subsequently received a cheque for £50,0000 for the Airborne Forces Security Fund from Arthur Rank".
With no credits appearing before or after the film little is known about the 200 veteran actors in the film. "Just ordinary men" as the narrator says at the beginning. "But when you next watch the movie look closely at the faces of the men and especially at their eyes in the many close shots that Brian Desmond Hust arranged. When you look into the eyes you will start to gain a little bit of the experience that those ordinary men went through"."".
Brian Desmond Hurst said "The film is my favourite because of the wonderful experience of working with soldiers, and because it is a true documentary reconstruction of the event. I say without modesty it is one of the best war films ever made"".
1946 in film
The year 1946 in film involved some significant events.-Events:*November 21 - William Wyler's The Best Years of Our Lives premieres in New York featuring an ensemble cast including Fredric March, Myrna Loy, Dana Andrews, Teresa Wright, and Harold Russell.*December 20 - Frank Capra's It's a...
British film about the British Airborne element of the World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
Operation Market Garden
Operation Market Garden
Operation Market Garden was an unsuccessful Allied military operation, fought in the Netherlands and Germany in the Second World War. It was the largest airborne operation up to that time....
, and specifically the Battle of Arnhem
Battle of Arnhem
The Battle of Arnhem was a famous Second World War military engagement fought in and around the Dutch towns of Arnhem, Oosterbeek, Wolfheze, Driel and the surrounding countryside from 17–26 September 1944....
. It was the first film to be made about this battle, and the biggest grossing war movie for nearly a decade. The later film A Bridge Too Far depicts the operation as a whole and includes the American, British and Polish Airborne forces, while Theirs Is the Glory focuses solely on the British forces, and their fight at Oosterbeek and Arnhem.
The two films were compared in the battlefields magazine Against All Odds (published in October 2010) and the comparison is stark and revealing "A Bridge Too Far is a slow moving epic, well worth a viewing with some authentic scenes, but is unconvincing in its portrayal of the battle of Oosterbeek...'Theirs is the Glory' is the only feature film currently released that accurately portrays the events at Oosterbeek in atmospheric and chronoligical terms, despite its jerky portrayal of events. This is a film to watch.".
Directed by Ulsterman Brian Desmond Hurst
Brian Desmond Hurst
thumb|right|200px|Portrait by [[Allan Warren]]Brian Desmond Hurst was a Belfast-born film director. Responsible for over 30 movies as director, Hurst was Ireland's most prolific movie director during the 20th century.-Early life:Hurst was born Hans Hurst in Ribble Street, East Belfast"". into a...
who, himself, was a veteran of the first world war having survived Gallipoli where he had served with the Royal Irish Rifles. Hurst was an accomplished film director having been mentored by John Ford in Hollywood and directing more than 30 films including Malta Story
Malta Story
Malta Story is a 1953 British war film based on the heroic defence of Malta, the island itself, its people and the RAF aviators who fought to defend it...
. Scrooge
Scrooge
Scrooge is a common English term for a miserly person.It may refer to:*Ebenezer Scrooge, the name of the selfish and miserly protagonist of Charles Dickens' 1843 novel A Christmas Carol ....
and Tom Brown's Schooldays
Tom Brown's Schooldays
Tom Brown's Schooldays is a novel by Thomas Hughes. The story is set at Rugby School, a public school for boys, in the 1830s; Hughes attended Rugby School from 1834 to 1842...
. Hurst was also Ireland's most prolific film director of the 20th Century. The producer was Leonard Castleton Knight, Head of Gaumont British News. The film weaves original footage from the battle with re-enactments shot on location at Oosterbeek and Arnhem just a year after the battle had ravaged the streets. All of the actors portraying the paratroopers were actual Airborne soldiers who fought in the battle and it remains a magnificent testimony to those men. The film also features local people like Father Dyker (a Dutch civilian priest who conducts the service in the movie) and Kate ter Horst
Kate ter Horst
Kate ter Horst MBE was a Dutch full-time housewife and mother who tended wounded and dying Allied soldiers during the Battle of Arnhem. Her British patients nicknamed her the Angel of Arnhem.Ter Horst was born Kate Anna Arriëns, daughter of Pieter Albert Arriëns and Catharina Maingay...
(who reads a psalm to the wounded men in the cellar) re-enacting their roles and what they did for the Airborne troops during the battle.
The film may have been the "Help For Heroes of its day". Hurst's biographer, Allan Esler Smith in "Theirs is the Glory- 65th Anniversary of the filming of the movie" explains that "The popularity of Theirs is the Glory allowed Arthur Rank, the head of the Rank Organisation, to fulfil his pledge to help the Airborne Forces Security Fund. Collections , raffles and parades rode the wave of enthusiasm that swept the United Kingdom following its premier. The Earl Mountbatten subsequently received a cheque for £50,0000 for the Airborne Forces Security Fund from Arthur Rank".
With no credits appearing before or after the film little is known about the 200 veteran actors in the film. "Just ordinary men" as the narrator says at the beginning. "But when you next watch the movie look closely at the faces of the men and especially at their eyes in the many close shots that Brian Desmond Hust arranged. When you look into the eyes you will start to gain a little bit of the experience that those ordinary men went through"."".
Brian Desmond Hurst said "The film is my favourite because of the wonderful experience of working with soldiers, and because it is a true documentary reconstruction of the event. I say without modesty it is one of the best war films ever made"".