They Were Not Divided
| They Were Not Divided | |
|---|---|
 UK DVD cover | |
| Directed by | Terence Young |
| Produced by | Herbert Smith |
| Written by | Terence Young |
| Starring |
Edward Underdown Ralph Clanton |
| Music by | Lambert Williamson |
| Cinematography | Harry Waxman |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | General Film Distributors |
Release dates | 29 March 1950 |
Running time | 137 min. |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
They Were Not Divided is a 1950 British war film, which depicted the Guards Armoured Division in Second World War Europe. It was written and directed by Terence Young, a former Guards officer who served in the campaigns depicted in the film.
The cast consisted of little known professional actors, and real soldiers with speaking parts. The male leads were Edward Underdown and Ralph Clanton with Michael Trubshawe.
Two supporting actors who became famous later on were Christopher Lee as a tank commander, and Desmond Llewelyn as a tank gunner. Llewelyn becoming well known as "Q" in the James Bond franchise and Lee for roles in various Hammer films, the Star Wars prequel films, and Peter Jackson's Middle-Earth films.
Plot
During the middle years of the war, three men are called up to serve in the British Army. The Englishman Philip Hamilton (Underdown), the American David Morgan (Clanton) and the Irishman Smoke O'Connor (Michael Brennan) are conscripted into the Guards Division and report to their barracks at Caterham, Surrey. After going through strict training (including real Coldstream Guards Regimental Sergeant Major Brittain) they find themselves receiving emergency promotions. Philip and David are promoted to 2nd lieutenant and Smoke to corporal and are attached to a tank company of the Welsh Guards, where Philip and David command their own tank and Smoke is part of David's crew. Months of 'real' training follow, where they learn about tank warfare and also their comrades.
The film follows the three main characters as the Guards Armoured Division lands at Normandy weeks after D-Day, and on into action as part of the break-out. They cope with different aspects of fighting a war on another continent, such as being separated from family and loved ones and coping with the loss of comrades. Operation Market Garden and the Battle of the Bulge are depicted, but with the Welsh Guards as the pivotal British Army unit. During Market Garden, the Welsh Guards are shown linking up with American paratroopers at the Grave bridge before moving on to Nijmegen and the failure of the operation. The film ends with the Ardennes Offensive and the Guards' unknown operations around the east side of the River Meuse, and only Smoke left alive of the three friends.
Cast
- Edward Underdown as Philip Hamilton
- Ralph Clanton as David Morgan
- Helen Cherry as Wilhelmina
- Stella Andrew as Jane
- Michael Brennan as Smoke O’Connor
- Michael Trubshawe as Major Bushey Noble
- Rupert Gerard as Earl of Bentham
- John Wynn as ’45 Jones
- Desmond Llewelyn as ’77 Jones
- Anthony Dawson as Michael
- Estelle Brody as War Correspondent
- Rufus Cruikshank as Sergeant Dean
- R.S.M. Brittain as Regimental Sergeant Major
- Christopher Lee as Chris Lewis
Featured vehicles
A large number of actual Second World War armoured vehicles are featured or make brief appearances, including scenes featuring a German Tiger tank and a disabled Panther.
Reception
Trade papers called the film a "notable box office attraction" in British cinemas in 1950.[1]