The Dam Busters (1955)

Director:

Michael Anderson

Writers:

Paul Brickhill (book)
Guy Gibson (book)
(more)

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
Basil Sydney	...	Air Chief Marshal Sir Arthur Harris G.C.B., O.B.E., A.F.C.
Ernest Clark	...	Air Vice-Marshal The Hon. Ralph Cochrane G.B.E., K.C.B., A.F.C.
Derek Farr	...	Group Captain J.N.H. Whitworth, D.S.O., D.F.C.
Laurence Naismith	...	Farmer
Harold Siddons	...	Group Signals Officer
Frank Phillips	...	B.B.C. Announcer
Brewster Mason	...	Flt / Lt. R.D. Trevor-Roper, D.F.C., D.F.M.
Anthony Doonan	...	Flt / Lt. R.E.G. Hutchison, D.F.C.
Nigel Stock	...	Flying / Off. F.M. Spafford, D.F.C., D.F.M.
Brian Nissen	...	Flt / Lt. A.T. Taerum, D.F.C.
Robert Shaw	...	Flt / Sgt. J. Pulford, D.F.M.
Peter Assinder	...	Plt / Off. G.A. Deering, D.F.C.
Richard Leech	...	Squadron Leader H.M. Young, D.F.C.
Richard Thorp	...	Squadron Leader H.E. Maudslay, D.F.C.
John Fraser	...	Flight Lieutenant J.V. Hopgood, D.F.C.
David Morrell	...	Flight Lieutenant W. Astell, D.F.C.
Bill Kerr	...	Flight Lieutenant H.B. Martin, D.S.O., D.F.C., A.F.C.
George Baker	...	Flight Lieutenant D.J.H. Maltby, D.S.O., D.F.C.
Ronald Wilson	...	Flight Lieutenant D.J. Shannon, D.S.O., D.F.C.
Denys Graham	...	Flying Officer L.G. Knight, D.S.O.
Basil Appleby	...	Flight Lieutenant R.C. Hay, D.F.C.
Tim Turner	...	Flight Lieutenant J.F. Leggo, D.F.C.
Ewen Solon	...	Flight Sergeant G.E. Powell
Harold Goodwin	...	Wing Comdr. Gibson's Batman
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
John Breslin	...	Crew member (uncredited)
Edward Cast	...	Crew Member (uncredited)
Richard Coleman	...	RAF Officer (uncredited)
Peter Diamond	...	Tail Gunner (uncredited)
Gerald Harper	...	RAF Officer (uncredited)
Arthur Howard	...	RAF Pay Clerk In NAAFI (uncredited)
Lloyd Lamble	...	Collins (uncredited)
Philip Latham	...	Flight Sergeant (uncredited)
Patrick McGoohan	...	Guard on Door (uncredited)
Jack McNaughton	...	Waiter (uncredited)
Nina Parry	...	Barnes Wallace's daughter (uncredited)
Edwin Richfield	...	RAF Officer (uncredited)

Directed by
Michael Anderson

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Paul Brickhill		book
Guy Gibson		book "Enemy Coast Ahead" (as Wing Comdr. Gibson)
R.C. Sherriff		screenplay

Original Music by
Leighton Lucas

Cinematography by
Erwin Hillier		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Richard Best

Casting by
Robert Lennard
G.B. Walker

Art Direction by
Robert Jones

Makeup Department
Hilda Fox	....	hairdresser (as Hilda Winifred Fox)
Stuart Freeborn	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Gordon Scott	....	production manager
W.A. Whittaker	....	production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
John Street	....	assistant director
Frederic Goode	....	assistant director: location (uncredited)
Jeremy Summers	....	second assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Bill Beavis	....	scenic artist (uncredited)
Peter Glazier	....	assistant art director (uncredited)
Wallis Smith	....	draughtsman (uncredited)

Sound Department
Leslie Hammond	....	sound recordist
Harold V. King	....	recording director (as H.V. King)
Arthur Southgate	....	dubbing editor
Eric Bayman	....	boom operator (uncredited)
Len Shilton	....	dubbing crew (uncredited)
Hugh Strain	....	assistant boom operator (uncredited)

Special Effects by
George Blackwell	....	special effects
Gilbert Taylor	....	special effects photography

Visual Effects by
Ronnie Wass	....	optical effects (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Erwin Hillier	....	aerial photographer
Norman Warwick	....	camera operator
Steve Birtles	....	electrician (uncredited)
Bob Penn	....	still photographer (uncredited)
Kelvin Pike	....	clapper loader (uncredited)
Kelvin Pike	....	focus puller (uncredited)
Ronnie Pilgrim	....	still photographer (uncredited)
Val Stewart	....	camera operator: second unit (uncredited)
Brian West	....	clapper loader (uncredited)
Tony White	....	focus puller: second unit (uncredited)

Editorial Department
Philip Barnikel	....	assistant editor (uncredited)
Joan Warwick	....	assembly cutter (uncredited)

Music Department
Louis Levy	....	musical director

Transportation Department
Eddie Frewin	....	unit driver (uncredited)

Other crew
Robert Clark	....	director in charge of production
Thelma Orr	....	continuity
Group Captain J.N.H. Whitworth DSO DFC	....	technical advisor

Production Companies

• Associated British Picture Corporation (ABPC) (presents)

Distributors

• Associated British-Pathé (1954) (UK) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. Pictures (1955) (USA) (theatrical)
• Anchor Bay Entertainment (2005) (USA) (DVD)
• Anchor Bay Entertainment (2006) (USA) (DVD)
• Congress Video Group (????) (USA) (VHS)
• Universal Home Entertainment (2003) (USA) (DVD)
• Universal Pictures Benelux (2004) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (1988) (UK) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (????) (UK) (DVD)

Other Companies

• A.V. Roe Ltd.  the producers wish to acknowledge the valuable help received from
• Air Ministry, The  the producers wish to acknowledge the extensive facilities accorded by (as the Air Ministry)
• Associated British Studio Orchestra  music performed by (as The Associated British Studio Orchestra)
• Members of 617 Squadron  the producers wish to record their appreciation of the approval given by those represented and the next of kin (as members of 617 Squadron)
• Members of the Royal Air Force  the producers wish to acknowledge the extensive facilities accorded by (as members of the Royal Air Force)

Also Known As:

The Dambusters (USA) (alternative spelling)

Runtime:

124 min | USA:105 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

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:

Gibson's dog "Nigger" was dubbed into "Trigger" for the US market. See also Goofs entry.

Goofs:

Errors in geography: The Castle above the Eder-Dam is shown on the southern-side of the lake. In reality, this castle is on the northern side.

Quotes:

Barnes Wallace: Do you know how much water it takes the Germans to make a ton of steel?
Doctor: I haven't the least idea.
Barnes Wallace: One hundred tons. Now just look at this.
[gestures to a map on his desk]
Barnes Wallace: The whole of this great arsenal of war factories in the Ruhr depends for its water on three enormous dams. The Moehne. The Eder. And, the Sorpe. They control the level of the canals and supply a lot of hydroelectric power as well. When those are full they hold four hundred *million* tons of water. Just think of the chaos if we could break those walls down.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The Return of 'Allo 'Allo! (2007) (TV)

Soundtrack:

The Dam Busters

One of the great British war movies

Now that everyone has taken their shots at this magnificent movie, just a couple of comments about it to help put it into context. A) No we didn't see Russian prisoners of war trying to flee for their lives and drowning. We didn't in fact see anybody drowning. But this is war and people die in wars, it's the nature of the beast. B) Seen in its current setting, especially in North America, the use of the name Nigger for the Black Labrador may seem upsetting and racist, explaining why that section of the movie is left out sometimes. But back in Britain in those days, it would not have been regarded as so nasty and derogatory as it now seems here. It was actually a fair common name for Black Labs at the time - though not any more of course. C) Nope, the movie isn't entirely accurate in all aspects - many years after I first saw it back in the UK, a bomber pilot from those days told me that they used not a Lancaster but I think a Halifax to plough into the ground. D) Maybe it did glorify Guy Gibson, but he earned that Victoria Cross, if I recall, for all his diversionary flights to draw off the flak from the other aircraft, who must have felt like sitting ducks the way they had to drop every bomb at precisely the same spot and height, very low over the water. If the movie gives him credit for thinking up the overlapping spotlights, we can take that as artistic licence. Finally, anything which slowed down the German war machine was crucial to Britain. This movie did its best with hardly-developed special effects and produced an exciting and fine picture, made still during the days of rationing in England. I know because I was there at the time. I was just six when this movie was made in 1954 but it's still a real favorite of mine, not least because we were living on the shores of Lake Windermere, England's largest lake, in the English Lake District at the time, and they flew right in over our house for about six weeks that summer to film some parts of it. Remember the scene where after one of the practice runs, they were picking bits of tree out of the undercarriage of one of the aircraft? My father always used to remind that they clipped one of our trees in the filming one day and he used to claim that those bits of branch and foliage actually came from our tree. I guess they probably didn't really and they faked it a bit for the movie, adding that bit of dialogue into the script after the incident because it showed how low they flew. Quite why they showed it in the landing gear I'm not sure, because of course they wouldn't have been flying with their landing gear down, but it is effective in showing how low they flew both in the raid and in the filming. I've always loved this movie though - it's a beaut, as they say - not least because I grew up with Black Labradors. I wept like a baby when Nigger died. Have just watched it for about the zillionth time - have literally lost count. It's still a fine and fitting tribute to the men who gave their lives in the raid all those years ago.