The Cockleshell Heroes
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''The Cockleshell Heroes'' is a 1955 British Technicolor war film with Trevor Howard, Anthony Newley,
Christopher Lee Sir Christopher Frank Carandini Lee (27 May 1922 – 7 June 2015) was an English actor and singer. In a long career spanning more than 60 years, Lee often portrayed villains, and appeared as Count Dracula in seven Hammer Horror films, ultimat ...
, David Lodge and José Ferrer, who also directed. The film depicts a heavily fictionalised version of
Operation Frankton Operation Frankton was a commando raid on ships in the German occupied French port of Bordeaux in southwest France during the Second World War. The raid was carried out by a small unit of Royal Marines known as the Royal Marines Boom Patrol D ...
, the December 1942 raid on German cargo shipping by British
Royal Marines Commandos 3 Commando Brigade (3 Cdo Bde), previously called the 3rd Special Service Brigade, is a commando formation of the British Armed Forces. It is composed of the Royal Marine Commandos, alongside commando qualified sailors, soldiers and airmen from ...
, who infiltrated
Bordeaux Bordeaux ( , ; Gascon oc, Bordèu ; eu, Bordele; it, Bordò; es, Burdeos) is a port city on the river Garonne in the Gironde department, Southwestern France. It is the capital of the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, as well as the prefectur ...
Harbour using
folding kayak A folding kayak is a direct descendant of the original Inuit kayak made of animal skins stretched over frames made from wood and bones. A modern folder has a collapsible frame made of some combination of wood, aluminium and plastic, and a skin m ...
s. It was the first Warwick Film to be filmed in
CinemaScope CinemaScope is an anamorphic lens series used, from 1953 to 1967, and less often later, for shooting widescreen films that, crucially, could be screened in theatres using existing equipment, albeit with a lens adapter. Its creation in 1953 by ...
. The producer,
Cubby Broccoli Albert Romolo Broccoli ( ; April 5, 1909 – June 27, 1996), nicknamed "Cubby", was an American film producer who made more than 40 motion pictures throughout his career. Most of the films were made in the United Kingdom and often filmed at Pi ...
, went on to produce films about a famous fictional commander of the
Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against F ...
in the
James Bond The ''James Bond'' series focuses on a fictional British Secret Service agent created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short-story collections. Since Fleming's death in 1964, eight other authors have ...
franchise. It was one of the top British box office hits of 1956.


Plot

During the
Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
, newly promoted
Major Major (commandant in certain jurisdictions) is a military rank of commissioned officer status, with corresponding ranks existing in many military forces throughout the world. When used unhyphenated and in conjunction with no other indicators ...
Stringer of the
Royal Marines The Corps of Royal Marines (RM), also known as the Royal Marines Commandos, are the UK's special operations capable commando force, amphibious light infantry and also one of the five fighting arms of the Royal Navy. The Corps of Royal Marine ...
devises a novel idea for a raid. By using collapsible canoes, he believes it is possible for
commandos Royal Marines from 40 Commando on patrol in the Sangin">40_Commando.html" ;"title="Royal Marines from 40 Commando">Royal Marines from 40 Commando on patrol in the Sangin area of Afghanistan are pictured A commando is a combatant, or operativ ...
to reach an enemy-held harbour undetected and blow up ships with
limpet mine A limpet mine is a type of naval mine attached to a target by magnets. It is so named because of its superficial similarity to the shape of the limpet, a type of sea snail that clings tightly to rocks or other hard surfaces. A swimmer or diver m ...
s. He is given command of a small group of volunteers. However, he clashes with his veteran second-in-command, the cynical, by-the-book
Captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...
Hugh Thompson. The two officers represent the clash of cultures in the Royal Marines in the Second World War and postwar. Stringer is the enthusiastic promoter of commando operations requiring daring and initiative, but has no experience leading men or operations. Thompson represents the old guard of traditional ship's detachments.
Sergeant Sergeant (abbreviated to Sgt. and capitalized when used as a named person's title) is a rank in many uniformed organizations, principally military and policing forces. The alternative spelling, ''serjeant'', is used in The Rifles and other uni ...
Craig trains the men following Stringer's directions, but Thompson strongly disapproves of his commander's lax methods. When a test mission ends disastrously, Stringer admits his mistake and turns to Thompson, who soon whips the marines into shape. Ruddock, one of the men, goes AWOL due to marital problems. Thompson gets to Ruddock's wife first and finds her with her civilian lover, but leaves when they both insult him. He goes to the local pub for a drink and finds the missing Marine. Thompson gives Ruddock enough time to beat up his wife's paramour, then drives him back to camp. The raid is launched soon afterwards by submarine in under the command of Lieutenant-Commander Greaves. The
commandos Royal Marines from 40 Commando on patrol in the Sangin">40_Commando.html" ;"title="Royal Marines from 40 Commando">Royal Marines from 40 Commando on patrol in the Sangin area of Afghanistan are pictured A commando is a combatant, or operativ ...
are inserted into the sea close to the mouth of the
Gironde Gironde ( US usually, , ; oc, Gironda, ) is the largest department in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region of Southwestern France. Named after the Gironde estuary, a major waterway, its prefecture is Bordeaux. In 2019, it had a population of 1,62 ...
river in their Cockle Mk II collapsible canoes as Greaves resubmerges and HMS ''Tuna'' disappears. As the submarine carrying the canoeists arrive off the
Gironde estuary The Gironde estuary ( , US usually ; french: estuaire de la Gironde, ; oc, estuari de aGironda, ) is a navigable estuary (though often referred to as a river) in southwest France and is formed from the meeting of the rivers Dordogne and Gar ...
, a
depth charge A depth charge is an anti-submarine warfare (ASW) weapon. It is intended to destroy a submarine by being dropped into the water nearby and detonating, subjecting the target to a powerful and destructive Shock factor, hydraulic shock. Most depth ...
attack by a passing German patrol boat knocks out Ruddock's partner. Thompson, who was not supposed to go on the raid, volunteers to take his place. The raiders then disembark and begin their attack. Following hard routine they now face seventy miles of arduous paddling upriver. After moving by night and hiding by day, only four crews reach the target, where they plant
limpet mine A limpet mine is a type of naval mine attached to a target by magnets. It is so named because of its superficial similarity to the shape of the limpet, a type of sea snail that clings tightly to rocks or other hard surfaces. A swimmer or diver m ...
s on a number of German cargo ships. All this during harsh December weather. The raid is successful, but only Stringer and Clarke manage to escape. Four, including Thompson and Ruddock, are captured while the other four are killed on the way to the docks. When Thompson and the other prisoners refuse to divulge what their mission was, they are shot by firing squad, just as the mines explode.


Main cast

* José Ferrer as Major Stringer RM * Trevor Howard as Captain Hugh Thompson RM *
Christopher Lee Sir Christopher Frank Carandini Lee (27 May 1922 – 7 June 2015) was an English actor and singer. In a long career spanning more than 60 years, Lee often portrayed villains, and appeared as Count Dracula in seven Hammer Horror films, ultimat ...
as Lieutenant-Commander Greaves, the submarine commander, based on
Dick Raikes Lieutenant Commander Richard Prendergast Raikes (21 January 1912 – 24 May 2005) was an officer in the Royal Navy notable for being the commanding officer of the submarine HMS ''Tuna'' that launched the canoes during Operation Frankton in 194 ...
* Dora Bryan as Myrtie * Victor Maddern as Sergeant Craig RM * Anthony Newley as Marine Clarke * David Lodge as Marine George Ruddock * Peter Arne as Corporal Stevens RM * Percy Herbert as Marine Ted Lomas * Graham Stewart as Marine Inness * John Fabian as Marine Cooney * John Van Eyssen as Marine Bradley *
Robert Desmond Robert Desmond (16 December 1922 – 2002) was a British film and television actor of the 1950s and 1960s. He started out in juvenile roles, making his film debut in 1948's '' The Guinea Pig'' opposite Richard Attenborough. He appeared in a num ...
as Marine Paddy Todd *
Walter Fitzgerald Walter Fitzgerald Bond (18 May 1896 – 20 December 1976) was an English character actor. Early life Born in Stoke, Plymouth, Fitzgerald was a former stockbroker before he began his theatrical training at RADA. He joined the British Army dur ...
as the Gestapo Commandant * Karel Stepanek as Assistant Gestapo Officer *
Beatrice Campbell Beatrice Campbell (31 July 1922 – 10 May 1979) was an Irish stage and film actress, born in County Down, Northern Ireland, Biography Career After a distinguished London stage career, Campbell entered film in the mid-1940s. She received ...
as Mrs. Ruddock * Sydney Tafler as Policeman * Gladys Henson as Barmaid *
Jacques B. Brunius __NOTOC__ Jacques B. Brunius (born Jacques Henri Cottance, 16 September 1906 – 24 April 1967) was a French actor, director and writer, who was born in Paris and died in Exeter, UK. He was cremated in Sidmouth, with a tribute by Mesens. Assistan ...
as French Fisherman *
Andreas Malandrinos Andreas Malandrinos ( el, Ανδρέας Μαλανδρίνος; 14 November 1888, in Greece – 11 July 1970, in Surrey) was a Greek-born actor who started appearing in British films from 1930, until his death 40 years later in Surrey, England ...
as French Fisherman * Judith Furse as WVS driver * Patric Doonan as Sailor Claridge * Sam Kydd as fish lorry driver (uncredited) *
Yana Yana may refer to: Locations *Yana, Burma, a village in Hkamti Township in Hkamti District in the Sagaing Region of northwestern Burma *Yana, India, a village in the Uttara Kannada district of Karnataka, India * Yana, Nigeria, an administrative ca ...
as Pub Singer (uncredited) * John Blythe as Lodger (uncredited)


Development

In 1953, it was reported that the Australian author Hugh Hastings was working on a script called "Cockleshell Heroes" for the star
Gregory Peck Eldred Gregory Peck (April 5, 1916 – June 12, 2003) was an American actor and one of the most popular film stars from the 1940s to the 1970s. In 1999, the American Film Institute named Peck the 12th-greatest male star of Classic Hollywood ...
and the director Lewis Milestone. The script was based on a '' Reader's Digest'' account of the mission by George Kent. Film rights to the story eventually went to
Warwick Films Warwick Films was a film company founded by film producers Irving Allen and Albert R. Broccoli in London in 1951. The name was taken from the Warwick Hotel in London.Broccoli, Albert R., Zec Donald. ''When the Snow Melts''. Boxtree. 1998 Their fi ...
, a new production company based in Britain run by the American producers Albert Broccoli, who would later produce many James Bond films, and Irving Allen. Warwick's first film had been ''
The Red Beret ''The Red Beret'' (aka ''The Red Devils'', ''The Big Jump'' and retitled ''Paratrooper'' for the US release) is a 1953 British-American war film directed by Terence Young and starring Alan Ladd, Leo Genn and Susan Stephen. ''The Red Beret'' is ...
'', based on a real-life British commando raid in the Second World War, with an American star in the lead role. It was very popular; ''The Cockleshell Heroes'' followed the same formula. It was the company's fourth movie. It was the first independent film shot in Britain to use
CinemaScope CinemaScope is an anamorphic lens series used, from 1953 to 1967, and less often later, for shooting widescreen films that, crucially, could be screened in theatres using existing equipment, albeit with a lens adapter. Its creation in 1953 by ...
. (Warwick had secured the use of the process for ''Cockleshell'' and ''
A Prize of Arms ''A Prize of Arms'' is a 1962 British crime film directed by Cliff Owen and starring Stanley Baker, Helmut Schmid, Patrick Magee and Tom Bell with early appearances by several actors including Fulton Mackay, Michael Ripper, Stephen Lewis, Geof ...
''.)


Casting

Alan Ladd had appeared in Warwick's first three films, and was discussed as a possible star. So too was Richard Widmark who ended up making ''
A Prize of Gold ''A Prize of Gold'' is a 1955 Technicolor film noir crime film directed by Mark Robson partly filmed in West Berlin. The film stars Richard Widmark as a United States Air Force Air Police Master Sergeant motivated by love and compassion to ...
'' for the company instead. When the British Admiralty was approached to co-operate it requested that
Spencer Tracy Spencer Bonaventure Tracy (April 5, 1900 – June 10, 1967) was an American actor. He was known for his natural performing style and versatility. One of the major stars of Hollywood's Golden Age, Tracy was the first actor to win two cons ...
play the lead. Eventually, José Ferrer was signed to star with
Terence Young Terence or Terry Young may refer to: *Terence Young (director) (1915–1994), British film director * Terence Young (politician) (born 1952), Canadian Conservative Party politician * Terence Young (writer), Canadian writer * Terry Young (American p ...
to direct. Young arrived in Hollywood in October 1954 to discuss the film with Ferrer. At the time, Ferrer was considered a film star having appeared in the popular ''Moulin Rouge''. He was also a renowned theatre director and had just directed his first feature, '' The Shrike'' (1955). By January 1955, it was announced that Ferrer would direct as well as star in ''The Cockleshell Heroes''.


Script

The script was written by Bryan Forbes who was better known at the time as an actor. Forbes had been writing a lot of short stories and journalistic pieces, and had done some uncredited work on the screenplay for Warwick's ''The Black Knight''. Forbes later said, "I got the reputation as a fast man with a pen, and as a result of that I got my first real screenplay assignment for ''Cockleshell Heroes''." Ferrer had Forbes's script rewritten by Richard Maibaum, who had worked on several Warwick movies, which Forbes admitted "I didn't appreciate".


Shooting

Filming started in March 1955. Filming was done in Portugal and at several Royal Marine establishments, with the
Commandant-General Royal Marines The Commandant General Royal Marines is the professional head of the Royal Marines. The title has existed since 1943. The role is held by a General who is assisted by a Deputy Commandant General, with the rank of brigadier. This position is not t ...
training the actors for drill and canoe handling. The training camp scenes in the film were shot at
Eastney Barracks Eastney Barracks was a military installation occupied by the Royal Marines and located at Eastney near Portsmouth. History Eastney Barracks, designed by William Scamp (assistant director, Admiralty Works Department), was built as headquarters for ...
in Southsea,
Hampshire Hampshire (, ; abbreviated to Hants) is a ceremonial county, ceremonial and non-metropolitan county, non-metropolitan counties of England, county in western South East England on the coast of the English Channel. Home to two major English citi ...
. Many of the barrack buildings seen in the film still exist including the military buildings further up the beach where the scene to dispose of the live explosive device before its fuse time expired was filmed. The
Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against F ...
ships, and , were used to portray a German anti-submarine vessel dropping
depth charge A depth charge is an anti-submarine warfare (ASW) weapon. It is intended to destroy a submarine by being dropped into the water nearby and detonating, subjecting the target to a powerful and destructive Shock factor, hydraulic shock. Most depth ...
s. This resulted in the ship dropping the first depth charges being seen with F383 on its side but in the next shot it has F384 on the side. The two corvettes were both scrapped shortly after filming (in 1956 and 1958 respectively). Studio scenes were shot at Shepperton."These Are the Facts", ''Kinematograph Weekly'', 31 May 1956, p 14 The limpet mine scenes were filmed in the King George V Docks in North Woolwich and many of the other scenes were filmed on the adjacent bomb sites and at derelict houses in the area.
Lieutenant Colonel Lieutenant colonel ( , ) is a rank of commissioned officers in the armies, most marine forces and some air forces of the world, above a major and below a colonel. Several police forces in the United States use the rank of lieutenant colone ...
Herbert ''"Blondie"'' Hasler, RM, the leader of the real-life raid, was seconded to Warwick Films as a
technical advisor In film production, a technical advisor is someone who advises the director on the convincing portrayal of a subject. The advisor's expertise adds realism both to the acting and to the setting of a movie. Nipo T. Strongheart Nipo T. Stronghear ...
. Ex-Corporal
Bill Sparks William Edward Sparks (5 September 1922 – 1 December 2002) was a British Royal Marine Commando in World War II. He was the last survivor of the "Cockleshell Heroes" of Operation Frankton in 1942; a team of commandos who paddled 85 miles from ...
, the other survivor of the raid, was also an advisor. "It was not a happy picture at all," said Forbes. "Ferrer was a megalomaniac." The film briefly uses several railway locations including the level crossing (Military Road) adjacent to Fort Brockhurst railway station on the (by then "goods only") Gosport branch in Hampshire. The station buildings and former platforms survive today as a private residence. As he cycles south, Ferrer has to wait for a passing northbound train (a van hauled by
LSWR T9 class The London and South Western Railway T9 class was a class of 66 4-4-0 steam locomotive designed for express passenger work by Dugald Drummond and introduced to services on the LSWR in 1899. One example has been preserved after British Railways ...
locomotive 30729) so he takes the opportunity to abandon his bicycle in favour of a ride in the rear of a fish lorry. Later, Ferrer steals the fish lorry only to abandon it at Shepperton Station (Surrey) in order to catch a just-departing Up train allegedly to Portsmouth, steam train noises being provided on this otherwise electric branch. In another sequence, David Lodge ducks out of sight into a brick bus shelter alongside the North Woolwich Branch. This was possibly at the footbridge opposite Fernhill Street on Albert Road, west of North Woolwich station. David Lodge is also filmed running over the road bridge adjacent to
Chertsey railway station Chertsey railway station serves the town of Chertsey in the Runnymede District of Surrey, England. It is on the Chertsey Loop Line and is operated by South Western Railway. The first station was opened by the London and South Western Railway ...
where a Southern electric train can be seen drawing into the Up platform. The film location where Marine Cooney leaps off a road bridge into a coal wagon (within a Southampton-bound goods train hauled by an LSWR S15 class locomotive) is Chertsey Road, Addlestone, with Egham Hill and Chertsey in the background as well as Addlestone Cemetery beyond the two fields to the left of the railway line. Now numbered the A318, Chertsey Road and this location are almost unrecognisable following road realignments for the building of the A317 St Peter's Way along with subsequent property developments. Trevor Howard and David Lodge nearly drowned while filming a sequence in a canoe when the canoe overturned. During production the film was sometimes known as ''Survivors Two''. The then-famous British singer, Yana (Pamela Guard), is shown in a cameo role as a sweetly-singing blonde Wren (
Women's Royal Naval Service The Women's Royal Naval Service (WRNS; popularly and officially known as the Wrens) was the women's branch of the United Kingdom's Royal Navy. First formed in 1917 for the First World War, it was disbanded in 1919, then revived in 1939 at the ...
member) in a pub scene, shortly before a brawl erupts. In order to get permission to film in Portugal, Warwick Films had to make a documentary about the country, ''April in Portugal''. This was directed by Euan Lloyd, who worked for Warwick, and featured Howard.


Reshoots

Irving Allen Irving Allen (born Irving Applebaum, November 24, 1905 – December 17, 1987) was a theatrical and cinematic producer and director. He received an Academy Award in 1948 for producing the short movie ''Climbing the Matterhorn''. In the early 19 ...
decided Maibaum's script did not have enough comedy, so he had Forbes rewrite Maibaum's revision and direct some sequences without telling Ferrer. When Ferrer found out, he left the film. Forbes later said, "I was responsible for reshooting a great deal of them, without Ferrer's knowledge, because the producers weren't happy with the way it was going." He says these scenes involved Howard and were directed by Allen. Forbes was on set during these which he said "was really valuable training which would serve me well later on" when he became a director. During filming, the two survivors of the mission told the producers they had no idea what the cargo was in the ships that were destroyed. After the film was completed, Broccoli claimed that the
Duke of Edinburgh Duke of Edinburgh, named after the city of Edinburgh in Scotland, was a substantive title that has been created three times since 1726 for members of the British royal family. It does not include any territorial landholdings and does not produc ...
and
Lord Mountbatten Louis Francis Albert Victor Nicholas Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma (25 June 1900 – 27 August 1979) was a British naval officer, colonial administrator and close relative of the British royal family. Mountbatten, who was of German ...
told him the contents of the cargo were radar equipment bound for Japan. Broccoli thought this made the story more interesting and had additional sequences shot to be added to the release print. This cost an extra $5,600.


Reception


Box office

It was one of the ten most popular films at the British box office in 1956. The film performed poorly at the US box office, like most British war movies of this era.


Book

Based on the real-life
Operation Frankton Operation Frankton was a commando raid on ships in the German occupied French port of Bordeaux in southwest France during the Second World War. The raid was carried out by a small unit of Royal Marines known as the Royal Marines Boom Patrol D ...
, the film was quickly followed by the publication of Brigadier C. E. Lucas Phillips' book of the same name. Commanding officer Herbert "Blondie" Hasler had connections with both the film and the book. He hated the title of both and left his role as technical adviser for the former to try to set the matter right in the latter.


See also

* List of British films of 1955


References


Notes

*


External links

* * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Cockleshell Heroes, The 1955 films 1955 war films World War II films based on actual events British World War II films Columbia Pictures films CinemaScope films Films set in Bordeaux Films directed by José Ferrer Films scored by John Addison Films set in 1942 Seafaring films based on actual events Royal Navy in World War II films Royal Marines Films with screenplays by Richard Maibaum Films with screenplays by Bryan Forbes 1955 directorial debut films 1950s English-language films 1950s British films