Here's one created and scripted by the great Eric Ambler, author of Tokapi, Epitaph for a Spy, Journey Into Danger, and Coffin for Dimitrios, and scripter of A Night to Remember, The Wreck of the Mary Deare, and The Cruel Sea, as well as the creator of the television show Checkmate.
Even better, the script for this one was co-written with the multi-talented Peter Ustinov.
Even more better, the film was directed by Carol Reed, who helmed such greats as The Third Man, Trapeze, Our Man in Havana, and The Agony and the Ecstacy.
Want more? How about David Niven, Stanley Holloway, James Donald, John Laurie, Ustinov himself, a super-young Dr. Who (William Hartnell), and (playing themselves) Tessie O'Shea and Quentin Reynolds. This one also has an uncredited Trevor Howard as a ship's officer.
The story? It's about England preparing for the war at a time when many believed the country would never enter into it. When the war comes the untried platoon find themselves being shipped for the invasion of French North Africa. Before they could fight the enemy, their ship is nearly sunk. Will they be able to pull together their training when they meet the Germans?
Throw your stereotypes out the door. This is a realistic look of England's army training at the time. So realistic, in fact, that for the the next 39 years this film would be used in Austalia for officer training.
From 1944, The Way Ahead.
http://www.archive.org/details/The_Way_Ahead_1944
For more of today's Overlooked Stuff go to Sweet Freedom.
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