[go: up one dir, main page]

    Release calendarTop 250 moviesMost popular moviesBrowse movies by genreTop box officeShowtimes & ticketsMovie newsIndia movie spotlight
    What's on TV & streamingTop 250 TV showsMost popular TV showsBrowse TV shows by genreTV news
    What to watchLatest trailersIMDb OriginalsIMDb PicksIMDb SpotlightFamily entertainment guideIMDb Podcasts
    EmmysSuperheroes GuideSan Diego Comic-ConSummer Watch GuideBest Of 2025 So FarDisability Pride MonthSTARmeter AwardsAwards CentralFestival CentralAll events
    Born todayMost popular celebsCelebrity news
    Help centerContributor zonePolls
For industry professionals
  • Language
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
Watchlist
Sign in
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
Use app
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
IMDbPro

Specials for United Artists: The Battle of Britain

  • TV Movie
  • 1964
  • 1h
YOUR RATING
Documentary

Add a plot in your language

  • Director
    • Marshall Flaum
  • Writer
    • Marshall Flaum
  • Star
    • Richard Basehart
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Marshall Flaum
    • Writer
      • Marshall Flaum
    • Star
      • Richard Basehart
    • 1User review
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • Photos

    Top cast1

    Edit
    Richard Basehart
    Richard Basehart
    • Narrator
    • Director
      • Marshall Flaum
    • Writer
      • Marshall Flaum
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews1

    Featured reviews

    6rmax304823

    The Blitz.

    Producer David Wolper's story of Hitler's failed attempt to subdue an isolated England before an invasion near the beginning of World War II.

    More than 400,000 British and French troops had just been evacuated from Dunkirk on the French channel coast, hectored at every moment by Hitler's Luftwaffe, their heavy equipment and much of their arms left scattered on the shores.

    Europe having fallen before the Nazi Blitzkrieg, and neither the USA nor Russia having joined her, Britain stood alone and waited for the invasion forces to cross the English channel.

    Before it could happen, the Royal Air Force needed to be defeated. Goering promised it could be done by air. It couldn't. German bombers attack but they were slow and underarmed. The range of German fighter escorts were so limited that they could spend only twenty minutes defending the bombers before needing to turn for home in France.

    "The Battle of Britain" was seen as the first victory over Hilter's Armed Forces, while the German's regarded it as a tentative jab that was abandoned when it became clear it wasn't going to work. In any case, Hitler had often shown a peculiar distaste for conquering England, for reasons unexplained.

    The film covers the main points of the air battle without getting into too much detail. Much of the footage deals with the plight of civilians who sheltered in the London underground. I had no idea they'd built tiered bunks on the station platforms, or that donuts and tea were sometimes available.

    Withall, it's a quirky documentary, given the title. Sometimes the film forgets all about the conflict and we get to watch -- for a whole minute or two -- people dancing to period tunes, and we hear the entire recording of "There'll Always Be An England." What suffering. The German bombers were shot down in droves. The inexperienced RAF pilots were thrown into the conflict and lost until the supply of pilots was nearly exhausted. This documentary gives some feel of the effort but a feature film with the same title is more explicit and exciting, although some of the characters are fictional.

    Storyline

    Edit

    Top picks

    Sign in to rate and Watchlist for personalized recommendations
    Sign in

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • September 29, 1964 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Production company
      • David L. Wolper Productions
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour
    • Color
      • Color

    Contribute to this page

    Suggest an edit or add missing content
    Top Gap
    By what name was Specials for United Artists: The Battle of Britain (1964) officially released in Canada in English?
    Answer
    • See more gaps
    • Learn more about contributing
    Edit page

    More to explore

    Recently viewed

    Please enable browser cookies to use this feature. Learn more.
    Get the IMDb App
    Sign in for more accessSign in for more access
    Follow IMDb on social
    Get the IMDb App
    For Android and iOS
    Get the IMDb App
    • Help
    • Site Index
    • IMDbPro
    • Box Office Mojo
    • License IMDb Data
    • Press Room
    • Advertising
    • Jobs
    • Conditions of Use
    • Privacy Policy
    • Your Ads Privacy Choices
    IMDb, an Amazon company

    © 1990-2025 by IMDb.com, Inc.