633 Squadron (1964)

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  • 633 SQUADRON


    DIRECTED BY WALTER GRAUMAN
    PRODUCED BY CECIL F. FORD/ LEWIS J. RACHMIL
    MIRISCH/UNITED ARTISTS


    Photo with the courtesy of Gorch

    Information From IMDb


    Plot Summary
    633 Squadron has enjoyed an unqualified string of successes.
    Their luck changes when they are assigned to bomb a German rocket fuel plant,
    in Norway which is guarded by heavy anti-aircraft defences, and the plant is considered bomb-proof.
    Their nearly impossible mission is further complicated by a German air raid,
    the difficult approach to the target and the capture and torture
    of the underground leader who is assisting the squadron.
    Written by Derek R. Watts


    Full Cast
    Cliff Robertson ... Wing Cmdr. Roy Grant
    George Chakiris ... Lt. Erik Bergman
    Maria Perschy ... Hilde Bergman
    Harry Andrews ... Air Vice Marshal Davis
    Donald Houston ... Group Capt. Don Barrett
    Michael Goodliffe ... Squadron Leader Frank Adams
    John Meillon ... Flight Lt. Gillibrand
    John Bonney ... Flight Lt. Scott
    Angus Lennie ... Flying Officer Hoppy Hopkinson
    Scott Finch ... Flying Officer Bissell (as Scot Finch)
    John Church ... Flying Officer Evans
    Barbara Archer ... Rosie the barmaid at Black Swan Inn
    Sean Kelly ... Lt. Nigel
    Julian Sherrier ... Flight Lt. Singh
    Geoffrey Frederick ... Flight Lt. Frank
    Suzan Farmer ... WAAF Sgt. Mary Blake / Bissell
    Johnny Briggs ... Lt Jones
    Edward Brayshaw ... Pilot
    John Dray ... Henrik
    Drewe Henley ... Thor
    Peter Kriss ... Lt. Maner
    Arnold Locke ... Innkeeper, Black Swan Inn
    Cavan Malone ... Ericson
    Richard Shaw ... Johanson
    Chris Williams ... Goth
    Wendy Hall ... WAF Officer in Bar (uncredited)
    Ricardo Montez ... New Zealand Pilot at Casino (uncredited)
    Anne Ridler ... SS Torturer (uncredited)
    Anne Ridley ... Female SS Interrogator (uncredited)
    Rita Tobin-Weske ... Norwegian Farmer's Wife (uncredited)
    Jeremy Wagg ... Pilot Officer Reynolds (uncredited)
    Katy Wild ... WAAF Officer in Bar (uncredited)


    Writing Credits
    James Clavell (screenplay) and
    Howard Koch (screenplay)
    Frederick E. Smith (novel)


    Original Music
    Ron Goodwin


    Cinematography
    Edward Scaife


    Trivia
    Four of the De Havilland Mosquitos seen in this film were airworthy and three could taxi on the ground. The same crash at Abindon Airfield, U.K., shot from a different angle, was used with matte painting (by 'Tommy Howard (IV)''s Special Effects team) to look like it was crashing in Norway. No shooting was done in Norway in fact. For "Norway" scenes, the mountains of Scotland were pressed into service.


    The German "fighters" were actually 4-seat Messerschmitt 108 "Taifuns," painted to look like Me-109 fighters.


    Cliff Robertson, an accomplished pilot, wanted to buy one of the Mosquitoes after filming had finished, as he was so impressed with the type. He was not permitted to do this but he later bought a Spitfire Mk IX which he owned until the late 1990s.


    Most of the attack on the Fjord at the end of the film was done with 1/48th scale Mosquito models.


    Three of the airworthy Mosquitoes used in the film were TT35 models (target tug versions of the B35 bomber). These were made to resemble FB MkVI (fighter bomber) versions by painting over the clear perspex nosecones and side windows and fitting dummy machine gun barrels. The fourth airworthy Mosquito was a T3 model with a solid nose which only required the fitting of dummy gun barrels.


    The Mosquito's used in the film were RS715 Cockpit section only TJ118 Cockpit section only TV959 At Bovingdon airfield, but did not fly in film TW117 Flew in film RS709 Flew in film RS712 Flew in film TA639 Flew in film TA719 Flew in film


    The 3-Barreled Anti Aircraft 'Nordenfelt Gun' is a triple mounted MG151/20 Drilling flak weapon that was also adopted by Yogoslavia as it was very versatile and had effective anti aircraft capability.


    Donald Houston served in the RAF during the Second World War.


    The film's opening prologue states: "This story is inspired by the exploits of the Royal Air Force and Commonwealth Mosquito air crews during World War II."


    Goofs
    * Anachronisms: At the beginning, as the squadron returns from a mission, a blue Land Rover can be seen in front of an airport building. Land Rover began production in 1947.


    * Revealing mistakes: During the final attack, one of the Mosquitos is shot down and crashes into a rock in the fjord and explodes. Behind the explosion, the complete fuselage and tail flip unrealistically over the rock and onto the water


    * Anachronisms: When the "earthquake" bombs are being pulled in single file along a lane in preparation for the raid, a modern car (1964) is seen driving past the end of the lane in the background.


    * Crew or equipment visible: In the scene that show the special bombs convoy , you can see in the background two modern cars - looks like a Rover van - on the road .


    * Anachronisms: Right at end of film, after the 'you cannot kill a squadron' speech, as the car drives away, there are 1960's fire tenders parked to the left of the shot.


    * Revealing mistakes: The aircraft used to drop Erik Bergman over Norway is a genuine wartime B-25 Mitchell, but is wearing a silver and white color scheme typical of peacetime RAF transports and appears to have had its gun positions removed. It seems unlikely that a brightly-colored aircraft with no defensive capabilities would have been chosen for such a mission.


    * Revealing mistakes: When the Germans chase the resistance men in their lorry, the Germans armored car is actually a British Alvis Saracen, first produced in 1952.


    * Factual errors: The first view of enemy fighters is the 'kette' formations (only briefly seen high above) the lower of these 'stacked' kette formations are of three aircraft with noses apparently having the round cowling of Fw 190s. The attacking "enemy aircraft" were obviously the wider body Messerschmitt Bf 108 which is first very apparent in one banking to attack a Mosquito near the first of the attack. Even the vertical stabilizer shape shows it is not of a Bf 109. The Bf 108 is further confirmed by the head on view showing the sport lightplane windshields. The "gunfire" is flashing lights set into landing light positions flashing to simulate gunfire. Two persons are even visible in the 108 cabin side-by-side. There is also a center windshield divider separating the two windshield panels, not the flat bulletproof windshield of the 109. These unmistakable facts are seen in the rear-projection shot of one hitting a Mosquito "head-on" in a scene.


    * Revealing mistakes: The Mosquitoes used in the movie are of the B.Mk.IX or XVI versions with bulged bomb bays to accommodate 4,000 lbs 'Cookies'. The bombardiers' clear noses were painted over and a quartet of 'machine guns' (but not the four 20mm cannon) added to make the aircraft look like FB.Mk.VIs.



    Filming Locations
    Aldenham, Hertfordshire, England, UK
    (Three Compasses Pub - Black Swan)
    Glen Coe, Highland, Scotland, UK
    (Mosquitoes fly down the deep valley)
    Lochgilphead, Argyll and Bute, Scotland, UK
    (one of the bombing runs)
    MGM British Studios, Borehamwood, Hertfordshire, England, UK
    RAF Bovingdon, Bovingdon, Hertfordshire, England, UK

    Best Wishes
    Keith
    London- England

    Edited 3 times, last by ethanedwards ().

  • 633 Squadron is a 1964 British film, which depicts the exploits
    of a fictional Second World War British fighter-bomber squadron
    and stars Cliff Robertson, George Chakiris and Maria Perschy.
    The plot was based on a novel of the same name by Frederick E. Smith,
    published in 1956, which itself drew on several real Royal Air Force operations.


    The film was directed by Walter Grauman and produced by Cecil F. Ford
    for the second film of Mirisch Productions UK subsidiary Mirisch Films for United Artists.
    633 Squadron was the first aviation film to be shot in colour and Panavision wide screen


    A good action war movie, with great aerial shots.
    Very much a British film but with the studios
    clever casting of Cliff Roberson, for the American Market.


    Best Wishes
    Keith
    London- England

    Edited 3 times, last by ethanedwards ().