633 Squadron

633 Squadron
1964 theatrical poster
Directed by	Walter Grauman
Produced by	Cecil F. Ford Lewis J. Rachmil
Written by	Frederick E. Smith (novel) James Clavell Howard Koch
Starring	Cliff Robertson George Chakiris
Music by	Ron Goodwin
Cinematography	Edward Scaife
Editing by	Bert Bates
Studio	Mirisch Films
Distributed by	United Artists
Release date(s)	April 1964 (1964-04)
Running time	102 minutes
Country	United Kingdom
Language	English

Home video DVD cover

633 Squadron is a 1964 British film which depicts the exploits of a fictional Second World War British fighter-bomber squadron. It was based on a novel of the same name by Frederick E. Smith, published in 1956, which itself drew on several real Royal Air Force missions. The film was directed by Walter Grauman, produced by Cecil F. Ford for the second film of Mirisch Productions UK subsidiary Mirisch Films for United Artists. It stars Cliff Robertson, George Chakiris and Maria Perschy. 633 Squadron was the first aviation film to be shot in colour and Panavision wide screen.^[1]

Plot

When Norwegian resistance leader Lieutenant Erik Bergman reports the location of a German V-2 rocket fuel plant, the Royal Air Force's No 633 Squadron is assigned the mission to destroy it. No 633 Squadron is under the command of Wing Commander Roy Grant, an ex-Eagle Squadron pilot (Americans serving in the RAF before America entered the war).

The plant is in a seemingly impregnable location beneath an overhanging cliff at the end of a long, narrow fjord lined with anti-aircraft guns. The only way to destroy the plant is by collapsing the cliff on top of it, a job for No 633 Squadron's fast and manoeuvrable de Havilland Mosquitos. The squadron trains in Scotland, where there are narrow valleys similar to the fjord. There, Grant is introduced to Bergman's sister, Hilde. They are attracted to each other, despite Grant's aversion to wartime relationships.

The Norwegian resistance is supposed to destroy the anti-aircraft defences guarding the facility. When unexpected German reinforcements arrive, Bergman returns to Norway to try to gather more forces for the upcoming attack. However, he is captured while transporting desperately needed weapons. He is taken to Gestapo headquarters and tortured for information. Since Bergman knows too much, he must be silenced before he breaks. Grant and newly married Flying Officer Bissell are sent in with a single Mosquito to bomb the place. Though they are successful, their shot-up airplane crashes on its return, and Bissell is wounded and becomes blind. A tearful Hilde thanks Grant for ending her brother's suffering.

Still worried, Air Vice-Marshal Davis decides to move up the attack to the next day. However, all of the Norwegian resistance fighters are ambushed and killed, leaving the defences intact. Though Grant is given the option of aborting, he decides to press on. The factory is destroyed at the cost of the entire squadron, though a few crews are able to ditch in the fjord. Grant crash-lands. A local man helps Grant's navigator, Flying Officer Hoppy Hopkinson, pull the wounded wing commander from the burning wreckage. Back in England, AVM Davis tells a fellow officer, "You can't kill a squadron."

Cast

^[2]

Production

Authentic period aircraft were used instead of models or special effects to recreate the aerial sequences. In part, this was because 633 Squadron (No 633 Sqn) was the first film shot in colour in Panavision widescreen format, a choice that made the use of archival footage problematic.

In the novel on which the film was based, Roy Grant was British. Robertson, a US actor, was cast because he was popular internationally at the time and because an American central character improved the production's access to finance and worldwide audiences. Additionally, Robertson was an experienced pilot, owned a Supermarine Spitfire and was personally interested in making the film as an accurate portrayal of wartime flying. Although he was refused permission to fly for the purposes of the film, his scenes stand out as a realistic depiction of operational flying.^[3] When Robertson expressed reservations about the script, director Walter Mirisch engaged US scriptwriter Howard Koch, resident in London, to rewrite the film to placate him.^[4]

Locations

The scenes were shot in the Scottish Highlands near Glencoe, with most of the attack sequences filmed above Loch Morar and Loch Nevis. The distinctive outline of the island of Eigg can be seen behind some of the cockpit shots. While the spectacular aerial scenes used real aircraft, more dangerous sequences were created with models.

RAF Bovingdon substituted for the fictional RAF Sutton Craddock bomber airfield. The riverbank where Robertson's character romances Maria Perschy's was also used in a similar early scene in the Bond film From Russia with Love.

Lairig Ghru was used for training flight sequences and scenes with the Norwegian resistance.

The aircraft

Walter Grauman, the director, collected flying period aircraft, creating the "Mirisch Air Force" or M.A.F. as it was dubbed.^[1] Grauman's wartime experience as a B-25 Mitchell bomber pilot helped create an authentic aviation epic.^[5]

The film features eight De Havilland Mosquitos, an aircraft nicknamed the "Wooden Wonder" because of its primary construction material. As the Royal Air Force had recently retired the type in 1963, civilian operators leased mostly former converted bomber examples (TT Mk 35) to the RAF for target-towing.^[6] Scouring RAF airfields at Exeter, South Devon, Henlow, Shawbury and the Central Flying School at Little Rissington provided not only 10 authentic aircraft, but also vehicles and equipment from the war.^[7]

Eight Mosquitos were primarily used, five airworthy and others that could be taxied on runways or used as set dressing. The airworthy TT 35 Mosquitos were converted to resemble a fighter-bomber variant (FB Mk VI). The TT 35 models had their clear nosecones and side windows painted over and dummy machine gun barrels fitted. One airworthy Mosquito was a T3 with a solid nose which only required the fitting of dummy gun barrels. It lacked the two-stage Merlin engines, V-shaped windscreen and bulged bomb bay of the TT 35s. At least one surplus Mosquito was destroyed in a simulated crash scene.^[8]

The Mosquitos used in the film were:

• RS709 - flown in the film
• RS712 - flown
• RS715 - cockpit section only
• TA639 - flown (now on show at the RAF Museum Cosford, Shropshire)
• TA719 - flown
• TJ118 - cockpit section only
• TV959 - at RAF Bovington Airfield, but not flown
• TW117 - flown

No original German aircraft were available; consequently Messerschmitt Bf 108 aircraft were used to represent the Messerschmitt Bf 109.^[9]

The camera aircraft, a North American B-25 Mitchell, appears in the film, dropping Bergman back into Norway. Former Mitchell bomber pilot and director Grauman was delighted to fly the B-25 himself. Bergman's original escape from Norway is in a Miles Messenger.^[9] Actually, the B-25 was set up as a camera ship by Greg Board (of The War Lover fame) and flown by him. Grauman flew in the right hand seat.

A technical advisor, former RAF Group Captain Thomas Gilbert "Hamish" Mahaddie,^[10] told Walter Mirisch that, considering the number of aircraft used in the film, Mirisch "commanded the 14th largest air force in the world" at the time.^[11]

Historical events

The Royal Air Force (RAF) did not form a unit called "633 Squadron" (No 633 Sqn) during the Second World War.

A multinational Allied war effort is depicted: in addition to an American central character, the film features members of the Norwegian resistance, airmen from India, New Zealand and Australia. This reflects three historical facts: first, airmen of many nationalities joined the RAF proper; second, under the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan, airmen from Commonwealth air forces were frequently assigned to RAF units and; third, many squadrons belonging to Commonwealth air forces, or European governments-in-exile were under the operational control of the RAF during the war.^[12]

The film draws from many of the real operations of 617 Squadron, in particular their attack on the German battleship Tirpitz in a Norwegian fjord, although the Mosquito was not large enough to carry "earthquake bombs".

Reception

While critics derided the wooden acting and hackneyed plot, especially the miscast Mirisch Pictures contract star George Chakiris, the aerial scenes were spectacular and with Ron Goodwin's music remained the main attraction. 633 Squadron appears on the list of "The 100 Greatest War Films" voted by the public of the UK and is featured in the 2005 documentary of the same name.

Influence

The film's climax shows the squadron flying through a deep fjord while being fired on by anti-aircraft guns. George Lucas stated that this sequence inspired the "trench run" sequence in Star Wars.

633 Squadron is well known in the UK for its regular appearances on television, and became almost a part of the Christmas schedule. Although erroneously considered a sequel, the film Mosquito Squadron is similar to 633 Squadron and influenced by it, even using footage from the original.

The musical score served as the basis for the background music in the Commodore 64 port of the arcade game 1942.

Soundtrack

The film's musical score was written by British composer Ron Goodwin and became well known to the public after the film's initial release.

See also

• British films of 1964

References

Notes

Bibliography

External links

• 633 Squadron at the Internet Movie Database
• 633 Squadron at the TCM Movie Database
• 633 Squadron at AllRovi

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