The Bridge at Remagen
| The Bridge at Remagen | |
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DVD cover
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| Directed by | John Guillermin |
| Produced by | David L. Wolper |
| Written by |
Roger O. Hirson (story) William Roberts Richard Yates |
| Starring |
George Segal Robert Vaughn Ben Gazzara Bradford Dillman E. G. Marshall |
| Music by | Elmer Bernstein |
| Cinematography | Stanley Cortez |
| Edited by | William Cartwright |
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Production
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| Distributed by | United Artists |
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Release date
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Running time
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115 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Box office | $1.6 million (US/ Canada rentals) |
The Bridge at Remagen is a 1969 war film starring George Segal, Ben Gazzara and Robert Vaughn. The film, which was directed by John Guillermin, was shot on location in Czechoslovakia. It is based on the book The Bridge at Remagen: The Amazing Story of March 7, 1945 by writer and U. S. Representative Ken Hechler. The screenplay was adapted by Richard Yates and William Roberts.
The film is a highly fictionalized version of actual events during the last months of World War II when the 9th Armored Division approached Remagen and captured the intact Ludendorff Bridge. Instead of the real week-long battle and several artillery duels fought between the Americans and German defenders, the film focuses on the heroism and human cost in gaining a bridgehead across the Rhine before the Allies' final advance into Germany.
The film opens with the U.S. Army failing to capture the still-intact Oberkassel railway bridge. Lieutenant Hartman (George Segal) is an experienced combat team leader who is becoming weary of the war in Europe. After he is promoted to company commander following the reckless death of the previous officer, he is given orders to advance to the Rhine River at Remagen where he is promised a rest for his men. At the same time, Major Paul Kreuger (Robert Vaughn), an honorable Wehrmacht officer, is given the job of destroying the bridge there by his friend and superior, Colonel General von Brock (Peter van Eyck), who has been given a written order to do it immediately. But the staff officer appeals to Kreuger's sense of honour, giving him a verbal command to defend the bridge for as long as possible to allow the 15th Army trapped on the west bank of the river to escape.
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Wikipedia