Childhood films Part 1 - Where Eagles Dare

Where Eagles Dare - 1968

This was, and still is, one of the greatest films ever made. As a young boy, Sunday afternoons would roll round and, stuffed with roast, the whole family would heave themselves to the T.V room to watch a film. Most of time it was classic, boys-own war stuff, the sort of jingoistic,Bosch-bashing, British-bulldog fodder that dominated 50's and 60's cinema and never really went out of fashion in our household. This film, based on Alastair McLean's book of the same name, stands head and shoulders above the rest. The opening sequence, a snow-camo'd Junkers Ju-52 emerging from the snow-capped Alps of southern Bavaria, carrying our boys to their do-or-die mission behind enemy lines to rescue a captured officer, vital to the success of D-Day, is enough to send shivers pulsating up the spine of any self-respecting British boy. The music is unforgettable. Clint Eastwood cuts a dash as the American officer seconded to the British team (presumably to secure funding for the thing, lets face it) but Richard Burton truly steals the show as the masterful Major Smith. The intrigue, suspense, utter massacre of Nazi automatons (of course) and unforgettable script make this a classic.

And that twist!

"Broadsword calling Danny Boy....Broadsword calling Danny Boy"