Two Men Went to War (2002)

Comedy drama based on the true story of two British Army dentists who in 1942, eager to see action, go AWOL and invade occupied France on their own.

Director:

John Henderson

Writers:

Richard Everett (screenplay), Raymond Foxall (book)

Stars:

Kenneth Cranham, Leo Bill, Derek Jacobi

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Kenneth Cranham	...	Sergeant Peter King
Leo Bill	...	Pvt. Leslie Cuthbertson
Anthony Valentine	...	Sergeant Major Dudley
James Fleet	...	Major Bates
Richard Sutton	...	Private Horrocks
Anthony O'Donnell	...	Chief armourer
Glen Davies	...	Corporal at bomb crater
Paul Bayfield	...	Dental trainee 1
Jason Round	...	Dental Trainee 2
Julian Glover	...	Colonel Hatchard
Tim 'Nobby' Clarke	...	Young sergeant
Nick Miles	...	Sergeant Mowat
Brian Bosley	...	Drill sergeant
Dickon Tolson	...	Bar Steward
Nick Hussey	...	Sentry

Storyline

Based on a true story, Sergeant Peter King of the Army Dental Corps, too old to fight, and Private Leslie Cuthbertson, a trainee dental mechanic in the Corps, are thrown together by their passionate desire to see active service. Armed with just two revolvers and a dozen grenades, King persuades Cuthbertson to join him on a mission to occupied France. In a letter to Winston Churchill, King explains their intention to invade France and fight the Germans. After a number of failed attempts, they finally arrive by boat and stumble across a German radar station. They succeed in blowing up what they believe to be the main Operations Room, but are soon forced to make their escape as the entire compound unexpectedly erupts with gunfire and explosions. After narrow escapes from the Germans and a stray mine in the Channel, the two men are picked up at sea and interrogated as spies. Identified as deserters, they are returned to their barracks to be court-martialed. At the eleventh hour King and ...

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Plot Keywords:

sergeant | dentist | british army | boat | soldier | 

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Taglines:

A true story . . . that no one believed

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Genres:

Comedy | War | Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG for language and some violence

Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

1 November 2002 (UK)

Also Known As:

2 Men Went to War

Filming Locations:

Charlestown, Cornwall, England, UK

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$10,672, 28 March 2004, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$151,133, 10 June 2018

Company Credits

Production Co:

Ira Trattner Productions, Little Wing Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

109 min

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Trivia

The real Sergeant King was not as old as portrayed in the film. He was only 26 at the time of his exploits in the film. After returning from his raid, he was demoted to corporal and transferred to the commandos. He regained his rank of sergeant prior to D-Day, and later was commissioned in the field eventually reaching the rank of Captain by the end of the war.

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Goofs

During the attack on the German Listening Post the Sergeant climbs over a container to get onto the roof. This type of container wasn't invented until 20 years later in the 1960s.

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Quotes

Sgt. Peter King: You've got a head like a toy box Cuthbertson.

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Connections

Followed by Two More Men Went to War (2003)

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Soundtracks

Maybe
Written by Frank Madden (as Madden) and Allan Flynn (as Flynn)
Performed by The Ink Spots

User Reviews

brilliant!

A Brilliant film-this is one of the rare films that you can sit down and watch with all the family. Everett and Villiers have managed to write a fantastic tale of two courageous men- not content with being army dentists, they risk their lives by going to France to fight the war themselves! What makes this film so touching is that it's based on a true story. I experienced almost every emotion whilst watching this film...fear, hope, pride, delight...i came out exhausted and can't wait to see it again!