| Reach for Glory | |
|---|---|
 Screenshot | |
| Directed by | Philip Leacock |
| Written by | John Rae (novel) |
| Produced by |
|
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Bob Huke |
| Edited by | Frederick Wilson |
| Music by | Bob Russell |
Production company | Blazer Films |
| Distributed by | Columbia Pictures |
Release date |
|
Running time | 86 minutes |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
Reach for Glory is a 1962 British war film adaptation of John Rae's 1961 novel, The Custard Boys, directed by Philip Leacock.[1][2][3] It received a United Nations Award.[4]
Plot
A group of boys, evacuated during World War II from London to a coastal town, form a gang and play war games. Too young to fight in the war and afraid it will be over by the time they come of age, the group members, who are also in the school's Army Cadet Force, initiate a battle with the local teenagers. Curlew, a local youth, invites an Austrian Jewish refugee with whom he has formed a close relationship to take part in the shenanigans. At first the Jewish boy, Stein, is scorned because of his "Germanic" heritage but is later allowed to join. When Stein runs off during a fight, the youths decide to give him a fake court-martial and execution, but real bullets are used by a freak mistake and Stein is killed.
Cast
- Harry Andrews - Capt. Curlew
- Kay Walsh - Mrs. Curlew
- Michael Anderson Jr - Lewis Craig
- Oliver Grimm - Mark Stein
- Martin Tomlinson - John Curlew
- Freddie Eldrett - Willy Aldrich
- James Luck - Michael Freen
- John Coker - Peter Joy
- Michael Trubshawe - Maj. Burton
- Arthur Hewlett - Vicar
- Cameron Hall - Headmaster
- Allan Jeayes - Crabtree
- Richard Vernon - Dr. Aldrich
- Russell Waters - Mr. Freeman
- Patricia Hayes - Mrs. Freeman
- George Pravda - Mr. Stein
- John Rae - Lance Freeman
- Alexis Kanner - Steven
- Peter Furnell - Arthur Chettle
- John Pike - Felix
- Melvin Baker - Chettle's Lieutenant
Crew
- Director
- Producers
- Jud Kinberg
- John Kohn
- Music by
- Bob Russell
- Cinematography
- Robert Huke
- Film editing
- Frederick Wilson
- Art direction
- John Blezard
- Production Management
- Timothy Burrill (unit manager)
- Fred Gunn (production manager)
- Assistant Director
- David Tomblin
- Sound Department
- Maurice Askew (sound recordist)
- Cyril Collick (sound recordist)
- Don Sharpe (dubbing editor)
- Camera operator
- Ronnie Maasz
- Music Department
- Raymond Premru (conductor)
- Bob Russell (lyricist: special lyrics)
- Misc
- Maurice Binder (title designer)
- Eileen Head (continuity)
References
- ↑ "Reach for Glory (1961)". BFI. Archived from the original on 21 June 2017.
- ↑ "Reach for Glory (1963) - Philip Leacock - Synopsis, Characteristics, Moods, Themes and Related". AllMovie.
- ↑ Goble, Alan (8 September 2011). The Complete Index to Literary Sources in Film. Walter de Gruyter. ISBN 9783110951943 – via Google Books.
- ↑ "Reach for Glory (1963) - Philip Leacock - Awards". AllMovie.
External links