Crossing to Freedom

I wrote a very similar screenplay in 1978 based on either a true story, or a story that was circulating amongst the 8th U. S. Army Air Corps in England, about an American officer that rescued a group of orphan children after his B-17 was shot down over Belgium. He stole a Nazi plane on the coast of either France, or Belgium, the story, or rumor went, after being assisted by the Belgian underground, and flew it to England.

I wrote the screenplay after hearing the story, and it went the rounds of Hollywood production companies in 1978-84 - then, THIS film came out in 1990 - with some very, very strong similarities - and my agent confessed that the company that produced the film for CBS and Proctor and Gamble, was indeed one of the companies that had my script. I could have filed a law suit making a claim for infringement, but you seldom win those and you are 'black-balled' by ALL the production companies then. So, I passed. My screenplay, 'CHILDREN OF THE FIRE' is STILL making the rounds and I hope one day it will be picked up.

A man brings children into safety; Along the way the group of children grows. At the end he brings a lot of children into safety. Some children are suffering severe from the war. One boy is accused of being a spy, but he talks Dutch. Even a German officer asks to bring his child in safety. And a Jewish boy was added to the group They cross France from the inland to the coast in Western France. They encounter difficulties and are most of the time in a hurry.

What started with 2 children ended with several children They must be careful almost the complete time. They must not speak English; otherwise they may be noticed as British.