The Purple Plain (1954)

In WW2 Burma, a Canadian bomber pilot becomes reckless after losing his bride in a Luftwaffe air-raid.

Director:

Robert Parrish

Writers:

H.E. Bates (novel), Eric Ambler (screenplay)

Stars:

Gregory Peck, Bernard Lee, Win Min Than

Nominated for 4 BAFTA Film Awards.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Gregory Peck	...	Squadron Leader Bill Forrester
Win Min Than	...	Anna
Brenda de Banzie	...	Miss McNab (as Brenda De Banzie)
Bernard Lee	...	Dr. Harris
Maurice Denham	...	Blore
Lyndon Brook	...	Carrington
Anthony Bushell	...	Group Captain Aldridge
Josephine Griffin	...	Mrs. Bill Forrester
Ram Gopal	...	Mr. Phang

Storyline

After losing his bride in a Luftwaffe air raid, bomber pilot Forrester becomes a solitary killing machine, who doesn't care whether he dies. The reckless Canadian pilot is both admired and feared by the rest of his squadron in World War II Burma. The squadron physician is assigned to determine the embittered Bill Forrester's fitness for duty. To break through the nightmare-haunted man's wall of silence, the physician drives Forrester to visit an outpost of English-speaking refugees, which includes an alluring young Burmese woman.

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Plot Keywords:

pilot | canadian | burma | death wish | recklessness | 

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Taglines:

...The Mightiest Adventure Between Heaven and Earth!

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Genres:

Adventure | Drama | War | Action

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Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

26 November 1954 (Finland)

Also Known As:

La flamme pourpre

Filming Locations:

Elephant Pass, Sri Lanka

Box Office

Budget:

$2,000,000 (estimated)

Gross USA:

$1,300,000, 31 December 1954

Company Credits

Production Co:

J. Arthur Rank Organisation,Two Cities Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

97 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Color:

Color (Colour by) (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The first of 2 movies in a row which Gregory Peck made in Britain to avoid paying US taxes. The second one was Man with a Million (1954). He was paid $350,000 for the 2 pictures.

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Goofs

The markings on the small model aircraft used in the crash scenes are different to the markings on the larger mock-up crashed aircraft.

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Quotes

Squadron Leader Bill Forrester: After that, I didn't want to go on living. You'd think that would be easy enough in war but it didn't work. I wanted to die but I got medals instead.

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Crazy Credits

Opening credits prologue: BURMA 1945

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Soundtracks

Onward Christian Soldiers
(uncredited)
Music by Arthur Sullivan and lyrics by Sabine Baring-Gould

User Reviews

Peck at his most enigmatic

A pot-boiler of a Film that is intelligently crafted by Director Robert Parrish. To some it may seem intolerably slow & lacking pace, but to others like myself the Film does something that nearly all Films in the Fifties and indeed many now do not even attempt to achieve, and that is take the time to investigate the main characters in depth and in detail. This is done not via long tracts of dialogue, but via the un-said. In particular Peck and the astonishingly beautiful and talented Win Man Than as 'Anna' develop their relationship in the Film in the subtlest and most delicate of manners. I can find no further information on Win Man Tan, but her performance in this period piece, is one part enchanting, one part mesmerising. We understand fully how Peck's psychiatric problems eventually dissolve as hie begins to find perspective courtesy of love for 'Anna'. This Film is not staggering nor the best piece of Cinema you will ever see, but it is superbly acted, wonderfully cast, sparingly written, adroitly directed, and deserves to be watched by anyone who has a love of Cinema. Recommended, because what we see at our Cinemas today has MUCH to learn from Movie making such as this.