Edward Turner I am writing this as I saw that the film only had a 6.9 rating on IMDb and would like to input something personal. My father was one of the first at the bridge and one of the last to be captured.Many years ago we went to see A Bridge Too Far. (The night it opened, free tickets! As a young man I was impressed. After the film we driving home and my father said that had felt like walking out halfway through. "Their's is the Glory was an account of what happened at Arnhem; this is not a patch on that, and the way they portrayed Boy Browning ans was truly disgusting)From a cinematic perspective ABTF is a fantastic film, but Their's is the Glory is not only a great film but historically accurate.I hope you enjoy it and remember the sacrifice that so many made to give you the freedom to watch it.

allan-e-smith Released in 1946 on the second anniversary of the Battle of Arnhem Theirs is the Glory became the biggest grossing war film for nearly a decade. It vividly recaptures the battle of Arnhem but there are no credits before or after the film. All we see at the start of the film is a short foreword Theirs is the Glory has been produced entirely without the use of studio sets or actors. Every incident was either experienced or witnessed by the people who appear in the film.This is followed by a short statement by the narrator This film is a tribute to every man who fought at Arnhem and is an everlasting memorial to those who gave their lives.Importantly and selflessly the men selected to star on the big screen received no individual credits as they were representing the 10,000 men of the 1st Airborne. The Director, Producer and crew also declined credits in the film for the same reason. Who were these men we see on screen? Did they really deserve the accolade Theirs is the Glory? The director of Theirs is the Glory was Brian Desmond Hurst, Northern Irelands greatest film director. As Brian's relative and biographer I have long realised the significance of Theirs is the Glory as both a piece of art (with film as the canvas as Brian was previously an artist) and a piece of military history (Brian was a veteran of the First Worl War) . Therefore at a blue plaque unveiling for Brian Desmond Hurst in Belfast (April 2011) I selected Theirs is the Glory as the film to be shown to help celebrate the event. The honour being bestowed on Hurst was only the fourth cherished blue plaque to be awarded by the Directors Guild of Great Britain. Before the film began I offered the audience one simple piece of advice Look into the eyes of the men as you watch the film unfold and those eyes will take you as close as you will get to experiencing Arnhem.Interestingly A Bridge Too Far and Theirs is the Glory were compared in the battlefields magazine Against All Odds (published in October 2010) and the comparison is stark and revealing "A Bridge Too Far is a slow moving epic, well worth a viewing with some authentic scenes, but is unconvincing in its portrayal of the battle of Oosterbeek...'Theirs is the Glory' is the only feature film currently released that accurately portrays the events at Oosterbeek in atmospheric and chronological terms, despite its jerky portrayal of events. This is a film to watch.Theirs is the Glory was jointly produced by the J. Arthur Rank Organization and the British Armys Film and Photographic Unit. The film had premiered on the second anniversary of the start of the battle, 17 September 1946, and became a blockbuster of its day. Dr Leo Enticknap based his thesis, in part, on Theirs is the Glory. During his research he discovered a poster for the 1956 film The Battle of the River Plate held by the British Film Institute describing it as The biggest-grossing was film since Theirs is the Glory implying that Theirs is the Glory held this distinction for a decade.Brian, in his unpublished autobiography Travelling the Road, explains about the idea for the film. Castleton-Knight, head of Pathe News, came to me soon after the war ended and asked me if I would like to make a film about the Arnhem drop When I heard what the film company proposed to do with the story, using stock shots, and a few jokes, I said to myself: This is not on. It was also suggested to me by the producer of the Rank Organisation that we should use their most popular male star. I said No, he doesn't know one end of the rifle from another.There was nobody who appeared in the film, officer or soldier, who had not fought at Arnhem it is a true documentary reconstruction of the event. In the scenario we just followed the battle day by day.I hope you enjoy watching this film. As Brian Desmond Hurst said "it is a true documentary reconstruction of the event". Even more importantly I have had the pleasure of meeting many 1st Airborne veterans and they all agree! This is, indeed, a film to watch.Allan Esler Smith

jmshogg One of my fellow-contributors giggled at the stereotypical British calmness displayed in this film. I was born in the UK before World War 2 and I can attest that, rightly or wrongly, most British people of that time were brought up to show restraint under pressure. It was a characteristic that served this country pretty well for a long time (though largely abandoned in recent years). So I found the level-headed attitude of the Arnhem participants entirely convincing (even if the acting was not up to professional standard). I knew plenty of people of that generation for whom making a drama out of their difficulties would have been anathema. Theirs Is The Glory is far truer to life as it was than any number of Hollywood war epics.

boris891 This film was done with the real veterans reenacting the events of the battle of Arnhem. They used the real town and the real equipment. The story was sculpted by the rememberances of the soldier/actors. If you are not familiar with the story and characters this film may seem a bit confusing. The acting is often not great -- usually when they open their mouths. Yet they certainly knew how to handle the battle scenes. This film is typical of the period as there is no blood not gore. Look for the real Panther tank. It is a good contrast to A Bridge Too Far. I recommend you read a few books on the subject before watching the film.