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RUNTIME
Did you know
Tight 43-minute runtime — shorter than most television pilots.
MoodPlayr · trivia#01
Cast
John Laurie
Harry Fyfe
Bernard Miles
Ted Loman
Peter Ustinov
Keith
Raymond Huntley
Barrington
Philip Godfrey
Art Wallace
Geoffrey Keen
Corporal
Robert Donat
Actor
Eric Ambler
Bren Gun Instructor
Credits
Behind the camera
- Director
- Carol Reed
- Writers
- Eric Ambler, Peter Ustinov
- Languages
- English
- Countries
- United Kingdom
Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.
Did you know?
Fun facts 🍿
Cinephile deep dive
The take
Carol Reed directs. John Wilcox behind the camera. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in United Kingdom. Dialogue in English.
Trivia
Things worth knowing
- 1Tight 43-minute runtime — shorter than most television pilots.
- 283 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
- 3Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.
- 4Directed by Carol Reed, shot by John Wilcox. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
- 5John Laurie and Bernard Miles and Peter Ustinov carry the top of the cast.
- 6IMDB entry: tt0438926 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
- 7Only 1 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.
The technical file
- Cinematography
- John Wilcox
- Runtime
- 43 min · 0h 43m
- Status
- Released
- Original language
- EN
Also by
Carol Reed
Production companies
Who made it
- AR
Army Kinematograph Service
Key crew
- MusicRichard Addinsell
- Camera OperatorFreddie Francis
- Camera OperatorNorman Warwick
- Second Unit Director of PhotographyPeter Newbrook
Themes & keywords
What it's about, really
- british army
- new recruit
Release history · US
When it landed
- Theatrical1943-01-01
