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The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp (1943)

Not Rated | | Drama, Romance, War | 4 May 1945 (USA)
The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp Poster
From the Boer War through World War II, a soldier rises through the ranks in the British military.

Directors:

,

Writers:

,

Stars:

, , | See full cast & crew »
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1 win & 2 nominations. See more awards »

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Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
... Theo Kretschmar-Schuldorff
... Edith Hunter / Barbara Wynne / Johnny Cannon
... Clive Candy
... Colonel Betteridge
Harry Welchman ... Major Davies
... Embassy Counsellor
... von Ritter
... Murdoch
... Frau von Kalteneck
James McKechnie ... Spud Wilson
Reginald Tate ... van Zijl
David Hutcheson ... Hoppy
A.E. Matthews ... President of Tribunal
Neville Mapp ... Stuffy Graves
Vincent Holman ... Club Porter (1942)
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Storyline

Portrays in warm-hearted detail the life and loves of one extraordinary man. We meet the imposingly rotund General Clive Wynne-Candy, a blustering old duffer who seems the epitome of stuffy, outmoded values. Traveling backwards 40 years we see a different man altogether: the young and dashing officer "Sugar" Candy. Through a series of relationships with three women and his lifelong friendship with a German officer, we see Candy's life unfold and come to understand how difficult it is for him to adapt his sense of military honor to modern notions of "total war." Written by Anonymous

Plot Summary | Plot Synopsis

Plot Keywords:

friendship | boer war | german officer | red cross | military officer | See All (65) »

Taglines:

An unforgettable story of forty gallant years. See more »

Genres:

Drama | Romance | War

Certificate:

Not Rated | See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

 »
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Details

Country:

Language:

| |

Release Date:

4 May 1945 (USA)  »

Also Known As:

Colonel Blimp  »

Filming Locations:

 »
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Box Office

Budget:

£200,000 (estimated)
See more on IMDbPro »

Company Credits

Production Co:

,  »
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Technical Specs

Runtime:

Sound Mix:

(Western Electric Microphonic Recording)

Color:

(Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1
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Did You Know?

Trivia

Included among the "1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die", edited by Steven Schneider. See more »

Goofs

Several times Candy says that during the Boer War he had had to hide out in a house in South Africa for seven months. But at the restaurant in Berlin he tells Edith he had hidden for seven weeks. See more »

Quotes

Clive Candy: I often thought, a fellow like me dies - special knowledge, all to waste. Well, am I dead? Does my knowledge count for nothing, eh? Experience? Skill? You tell me!
Theo Kretschmar-Schuldorff: It is a different knowledge they need now, Clive. The enemy is different, so you have to be different, too.
Clive Candy: Are you mad? I know what war is!
Theo Kretschmar-Schuldorff: I don't agree.
Clive Candy: You...!
Theo Kretschmar-Schuldorff: I read your broadcast up to the point where you describe the collapse of France. You commented on Nazi methods--foul fighting, bombing refugees, machine-gunning hospitals,...
[...]
See more »

Crazy Credits

The lead actors' names are sewn onto a tapestry-like picture, written on scrolls. This opening credits "needlework tapestry" was completed by the Royal College of Needlework. See more »

Connections

Referenced in The 100 Greatest War Films (2005) See more »

Soundtracks

Can Can
(Infernal Galop) (uncredited)
from "Orpheus in the Underworld"
Music by Jacques Offenbach
See more »

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User Reviews

 
Life, the War and Everything
25 May 2001 | by – See all my reviews

I love this film because it asks more questions than it answers. It takes a character that I would not be naturally sympathetic to and explores his life in the context of the war and politics of his time. The films bright colour constantly reinforces the message that the world can not be represented in the black and white of right and wrong. It is more modernist but less self-concious than a host of films that appeared in the 50's and 60's. James Joyce would have loved this film had he seen it. I know that no two people ever come away with the same memories of the film. Remember that this film was made in Britain during a war that the Nazis might have won. It still engages the viewer in a two-way experience that I believe has never been matched. It is true "open cinema" despite the criticisms that others may have. I still do not know what a lot of the film is trying to say, and I hope I never get all the answers. Ciaran Cregan 23.05.01
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