The Dam Busters (1955)

User Rating:

7.4/10   

Director:

Michael Anderson

Writers:

Paul Brickhill (book)
Guy Gibson (book)

Release Date:

16 July 1955 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Drama | History | War

Tagline:

The dramatic true-life story of the men who broke the Nazis' back!

Plot:

True story of how the British attacked German dams in WW2 by using an ingenious technique to drop bombs where they would be most effective.

Plot Keywords:

Bomb | Scientist | Dam | Flood | Bomber

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 3 nominations

Cast

Richard Todd	...	Wing Commander Guy Gibson, V.C., D.S.O., D.F.C.
Michael Redgrave	...	Doctor B. N. Wallis, C.B.E., F.R.S.
Ursula Jeans	...	Mrs. Wallis
Charles Carson	...	Doctor
Stanley Van Beers	...	Sir David Pye, C.B., F.R.S.
Colin Tapley	...	Doctor W.H. Glanville, C.B., C.B.E.
Frederick Leister	...	Committee Member
Eric Messiter	...	Committee Member
Laidman Browne	...	Committee Member
Raymond Huntley	...	Official, National Physical Laboratory
Hugh Manning	...	Official, Ministry of Aircraft Production
Patrick Barr	...	Captain Joseph 'Mutt' Summers, C.B.E.
Edwin Styles	...	Observer at trials
Hugh Moxey	...	Observer at trials
Anthony Shaw	...	R.A.F. Officer at trials

Also Known As:

The Dambusters (USA) (alternative spelling)

Runtime:

124 min | USA:105 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Colour:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono | Mono (RCA Sound Recording)

Certification:

Canada:14A (Ontario) | Iceland:L | Australia:G (DVD rating) | Norway:12 | USA:Approved (PCA #17528) | Australia:PG | Finland:K-16 | UK:U

Filming Locations:

Associated British Elstree Studios, Shenley Road, Borehamwood, Hertfordshire, England, UK

Company:

Associated British Picture Corporation (ABPC)

Trivia:

The RAF supplied most of the aircraft, at a cost of 130 pounds per hour. This expense consumed 10% of the film's budget.

Goofs:

Continuity: During training flights shown early in the film when crews knew nothing about the target or weapon, Lancasters are shown carrying the bouncing bomb that was used on the actual mission.

Quotes:

Air Vice-Marshal Cochrane: Good morning, Gibson.
Gibson: Morning, sir.
Air Vice-Marshal Cochrane: First of all, congratulations on the bar to your DSO.
Gibson: Thank you, sir.
Air Vice-Marshal Cochrane: You finished your third tour last night?
Gibson: Yes sir.
Air Vice-Marshal Cochrane: Would you be prepared to take on one more trip?
Gibson: What kind of trip, sir?
Air Vice-Marshal Cochrane: I can't tell you much about it, for the present. But, it'll be a special one and you'll command the operation. I'm afraid it'll mean putting off your leave. How do you feel about it?
Gibson: Alright sir.
[...]

Movie Connections:

Referenced in 24 Hour Party People (2002)

Soundtrack:

The Dam Busters

Inspired Star Wars sequence, despite the dog's name.

It appears that the attack sequences in The Dam Busters were the direct inspiration for the attack on the Death Star in the first Star Wars film. Some of the dialogue is word-for-word, and it is very interesting to watch these two films back to back.

Also, in the original edit of the film, the dog's name (a black labrador) was a historically accurate but socially unacceptable "Nigger". One edit changed the spoken word to "Trigger," while another release cut all scenes with the offending word. This was unfortunate, because parts of the plot became unintelligible -- the dog's name was one of the code-words used during the attack.