The book I am reading, about the bombing of Dresden in 1945 by the RAF (with help from the USAAF), describes - in addition to the horrific experience of the citizens on the ground - the stresses and constant fear of a bomber crew on each mission it undertook. Being an airman was one of the most dangerous jobs in the war. In Britain, only four out of every ten crews came through their assignment of 30 sorties unscathed. Many more, tens of thousands actually, were blown out of the sky by German fighters, or died in training accidents. The book spares no details, and in the course of reading you become well acquainted with the Avro Lancaster bomber, which was the Brit equlvalent of an American B-17. You had to be tough as nails to be a crew member in either plane, not just to stuff your fear but also to maintain focus during a seven to nine hour flight on the tasks at hand. I've said numerous times that I don't know how anyone made it through World War Two (and you'd think the same thing if you read the books I have), and despite the hell on Earth that they rained down on Dresden, this thought applies also to the youthful crews who rode inside the Lancasters. I am learning so much about that plane and it's strategic use, that I wanted to see if there were any movies in which it was featured. So I Googled some search terms, and came up with a picture called "Appointment In London"(1953), starring Dirk Bogarde as the leader of a Bomb Group flying Lancasters.
The plot is straightforward, with devices that could apply to any equivalent film out of Hollywood. Bogarde is the legendary captain at his base, who has flown nearly three times the missions required of him. He's on number 87 and wants to try for 90. The RAF Commander is badgering him to quit while he's ahead, but he feels lucky, and also wants to be there for his men. There is the inevitable War Movie Romance injected into the proceedings, and conversely the plight of the sudden war widow, who's husband is there one day and gone the next. As a drama it's fairly standard, though well done, but as a record of history it does indeed deliver the goods. I sought it out to watch Lancasters in action, and to see what it was like for the crew, and this film puts you in the pilot's seat (or the navigator's, or the gunner's, etc) and straps you down until your knuckles are white. It is recommended on that basis, if you are a fan of Warbirds or of WW2 history. But you must also read Sinclair McKay's book for the other, and far worse side of the story, of what happened in Dresden to civilians who didn't deserve what was visited upon them, no matter that they were subjects of Hitler's Germany. But yes, watch "Appointment In London" and while you're at it, watch "The Dam Busters" too. That also features the Avro Lancaster. ////
Last night's movie was also Veddy Brrrrittish, and a surprise find at that : a bank job flick called "Strongroom"(1963). It came up on a Youtube list; I checked IMDB and was surprised to see it had a 7.1 rating. I'd never heard of it, but others obviously had. Confident of a Jolly Good Show, I gave it a shot and was subsequently riveted to my seat for the next 75 minutes.
As a bank is closing for the day, three young men sit in a van across the street, waiting for the last of the employees to exit so they can break in and rob the joint. I must note that it isn't made clear how they will get to the money if no one is there to open the vault. But that point is moot, because the manager and his secretary remain inside. They are staying late, because the manager has some paperwork he wants to finish up before the three day Easter weekend. The robbers have planned this job for weeks, counting the number of employees who leave every day (among other things), and as the minutes tick away they can't understand why the last two haven't come out. So their leader decides on a Plan B.
Using a uniform he brought along just for such a contingency, he dresses as a postman and walks up to ring the buzzer. The manager and secretary are in the basement. He instructs her to look through the window before answering. "It's only the postman", she yells back, but as soon as she opens the door she is subdued by the disguised bank robber. His two cohorts enter quickly behind him, wearing nylon stockings over their faces.
As all bank robbers do, they tell the manager to open the vault (known as the "strongroom" in England), assuring him, as all bank robbers do, that no one will be hurt if he does as he is told. All is going smoothly as the thieves load up the cash, but then they hear chatter from upstairs. Two cleaning ladies have entered the bank. They have their own keys, and this is something the crooks had not planned on. Now they've got an emergency on their hands.
From the start, we know that these guys aren't professionals, just first timers, young men who want to make what they think will be an easy score. But they aren't killers - they aren't that hardened - so instead of merely eliminating the cleaning ladies, they shove the manager and secretary into the strongroom, lock the door, and then sneak out of the bank. The cleaners are oblivious to what has gone down.
But as the robbers make their getaway, a realization hits "Griff", the group leader. The strongroom is airtight. The bank manager and his secretary will surely suffocate in there, especially since this is a holiday weekend and the bank will not re-open til Tuesday. His right hand man, a more cynical bloke, thinks they should just leave 'em in there, but Griff knows this will lead to a murder charge if they are caught, which in 1963 England means a death sentence.
"We've got to go back and get them out of there", he decides.
A plan is devised to do that, involving the keys to the strongroom, which the robbers now have in their possession. As Griff thinks it through, one of them will plant the keys in a phone booth after calling police anonymously, so that the cops can free the captives from the bank vault. It will all work out to a "T". The trio will keep the cash, leave no trail, and the coppers will find the keys and get the bankers out of the vault before they suffocate.
This is one of those "race against time" plots, where a lot of contingencies crop up to get in the way of solutions. I can't reveal what happens after the robbers decide to go back to try and free the manager and his secretary, but as you can guess, it doesn't go as smoothly as they hope. And inside the air locked vault, the trapped pair are using their remaining willpower to try to find a way out.
"Strongroom" has an interesting premise. Do these guys actually have a conscience? Do they really care about the two bankers they've locked away to die? Or are their motives only self-serving? Watch and find out. Derren Nesbitt is excellent in the role of group leader "Griff". He's got a distinctive face, which you may have seen if you are a fan of English shows from the 1960s like "Secret Agent" or "The Prisoner". ////
And that is indeed all I know this evening. See you in the morn.
Don't forget to Swirl The Numbers.
Tons of love. xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo :):)
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