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 the fictional story about Steve MacKendrick, an American who enlists in the British Parachute Regiment in 1940, claiming to be a Canadian. It was the first film made by Irving Allen and Albert R. Broccoli's Warwick Films, with many of the crew later working on various films for Warwick Films and Broccoli's Eon Productions.[2] It is partly based on the 1950 non-fiction book with the same title written by Hilary St George Saunders, about the Parachute Regiment and its second operation, Operation Biting, in February 1942.
Plot
Steve MacKendrick, nicknamed "Canada" because he claims he is from the country, volunteers in 1940 for the British military's parachute training facility. He has much more experience and leadership skills than he admits. Canada tries to become better acquainted with a pretty parachute rigger named Penny Gardner. She is initially put off by his attitude, but they eventually start dating. Both Penny and his new commander, Lieutenant Colonel John Snow, see potential (and a mystery that does not add up) in him, despite his strong efforts to avoid assuming any responsibility. Canada turns down Snow's offer to send him to officer school.
After completing parachute school, Canada's unit goes on a raid on the German radar station at Bruneval. An RAF radar expert, Flight Sergeant Box, accompanies the raiders to retrieve a key component to take back to Britain. The mission is a success, but Corporal Dawes, one of the men in Canada's outfit, hurts both his legs in the drop.
Back in Britain, after visiting Dawes, Canada is recognised by an American airman. He tells Penny that he resigned his commission from the USAAF after ordering his best friend and co-pilot to parachute out of their bomber when an experimental rocket got stuck. His friend was killed when his parachute did not open properly. Canada blamed himself and refuses any responsibility that might endanger anyone's life. When Snow confronts Canada with what he has learned (from a security investigation that he has ordered), Canada wrongly assumes that Penny told what she learned, and he breaks up with her. However just before he boards his plane on his next mission, they exchange a smile suggesting they have made up.
The unit's next operation involves attacking and destroying an airfield at Bône during the invasion of North Africa. With Snow wounded and the men trapped in a minefield, Canada must risk others to extricate the unit. One of his friends, Poleski, who is Polish, finds a bazooka, so he decides to use it to blow a path though the minefield. Canada, Poleski and Taffy Evans use it to extricate their unit, while Snow and the rest of the men cover them. Although Snow and most of the men get out, the regimental sergeant major Cameron dies from the wounds he received when he entered the minefield. Afterward, Canada promises to think about the commission Snow offered him.
The Red Beret was based on a non-fiction book by Hilary St George Saunders published in 1950.[3] Film rights were bought by Irving Allen, who had a company with Albert R. Broccoli, Warwick Films. He was told he could get finance if they could get a star to play the lead role.[4] In 1951, Allen originally announced Trevor Howard and Leo Genn for the leading roles.[5] Saunders, who wrote the book, was to work on the screenplay, but he died during pre-production. Terence Young was signed to direct and write a script. The working title was The Red Devils.[6]The Red Beret was originally intended to be a co-production between Warwick and RKO Pictures, but the two companies were unable to come to terms, so Warwick made a deal with Columbia instead.[7]
Terence Young's original choice for the lead role of Steve "Canada" MacKendrick was former Second World WarParaRichard Todd who turned the part down, saying "I did not like this script, probably because I was still rather serious-minded about anything to do with the Airborne Forces and thought it an over-fictionalised treatment."[8]Ray Milland was also originally announced as landing the leading role.[9] Former agent Broccoli knew that Alan Ladd was unhappy with Paramount, where he had worked for most of his career.[10] Broccoli met Ladd and his wife and agent Sue Carol who agreed to a two-picture contract with Warwick. (This eventually covered three pictures.)[11] Ladd was paid US$200,000, first class travel and accommodations for himself, his wife, their four children and their nurse, and 10 per cent of the gross receipts over US$2,000,000 for his 11 weeks work filming The Red Beret.[12]
Ladd wanted work done on the script and recommended Richard Maibaum, with whom he had worked several times while at Paramount. Warwick hired him and this began a long professional relationship between Broccoli and Maibaum which later included the James Bond films.[13] In addition to director Young and screenwriter Maibaum, camera operator Ted Moore and stuntman Bob Simmons worked extensively on future Warwick and Eon Productions films, as did actor Walter Gotell, who appeared as a German sentry. Johanna Harwood, who worked on the continuity, co-wrote the screenplays for the first two Bond films Dr. No and From Russia with Love.[citation needed]
Although there was some public criticism of an American playing the lead in a British war film, British cinema owners responded that Hollywood stars filled their cinema seats, unlike most local actors. Ladd himself explained that his character had enlisted in the Parachute Regiment to learn from them. The Parachute Regiment provided extras, facilities and locations at the RAF Abingdon Parachute School, Abingdon, Oxfordshire and at Trawsfynydd, North Wales.[14] Studio work took place at Shepperton.[15]
The female lead role of Penny Gardner was originally meant to be played by Dianne Foster but she was unable to make it due to a scheduling conflict. She was replaced by Susan Stephen.[16]
Actor Leo Genn served in the British Army in World War II, reaching the rank of Lt. Colonel. Alan Ladd was initially attached to the American Air Force Film Unit but was discharged due to stomach disorders. Subsequently, he was classified as A1 but thanks to pressure from film studios, his draft was postponed and finally in 1945 was removed from the draft along with all men over 30.[citation needed]
Variety called the film "keenly interesting and suspensive... it should be a winner in any country that is not sated with war pix."[20]
Box office
The Red Beret was a hit at the British box office. According to producer Allen, it recouped its cost from the British market alone.[21][22]
The film cost an estimated US$700,000 to make and grossed US$8 million worldwide.[1] It earned 80,000,000 francs (US$225,000) in France.[23]Variety reported it made $1,750,000 in rentals in the US and Canada by the end of 1954.[24] In February 1956, Broccoli claimed it had earned £570,000 in the US.[25]
↑ "Special to The New York Times: Studios planning 2 Alan Ladd films; Warwick and Columbia to join in offering 'The Red Beret' and 'The White South'." The New York Times, 15 July 1952, p. 17.
↑ Pryor, Thomas M. (18 October 1952). "Lubin will do film of St. Johns story; Director buys screen rights to 'Wisdom of the Serpent', Irene Dunne to star". The New York Times. p.16.
↑ Pryor, Thomas M. "Hollywood cheer: Eric Johnston predicts good year for industry; Producer's point of view." The New York Times, 10 January 1954, p. X5.
↑ ""Red Beret" lesson". The Daily Telegraph. 24 February 1956. p.24.
Bibliography
Broccoli, Albert R.; and Donald Zec. When the Snow Melts: The Autobiography of Cubby Broccoli. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: Trans-Atlantic Publications, 1999. ISBN978-0-7522-1162-6.
Chapman, James. Licence to Thrill: A Cultural History of the James Bond Films. New York: Columbia University Press, 2001. ISBN978-1-8451-1515-9.
Mackenzie, S.P. British War Films, 1939–1945: The Cinema and the Services. London: Hambledon, 2007. ISBN978-1-8528-5586-4.
Maibaum, Richard, Backstory: Interviews with Screenwriters of Hollywood's Golden Age. Berkeley, California: University of California Press, 1988, first edition 1986. ISBN978-0-5200-5689-3.
Todd, Richard. Caught in the Act: The Story of My Life. London: Hutchinson, 1986. ISBN978-0-0916-3800-9.
The use of the names 'Box' and 'Snow' for the Bruneval raid section of the film, is a deliberate tribute to Sgt 'Cox' and Col 'Frost' who took part- hence the play on names. The 'Czech' played by Jewish Refugee actor Anton Differing is a tribute to the actual German Jewish Para Pte P. Newman, real Name Peter Nagel, who went on the raid to question and bring back German prisoners. He later went on the St Nazaire raid as Pte Walker and was POW but survived the war;he was the only British Commando to take part in both raids. For his full story see chapter in book 'Fighting Back' by Martin Sugarman (Valentine Mitchell 2017)
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