WarDramaRomanceComedy

The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp

- An unforgettable story of forty gallant years.

General Candy, who's overseeing an English squad in 1943, is a veteran leader who doesn't have the respect of the men he's training and is considered out-of-touch with what's needed to win the war. But it wasn't always this way. Flashing back to his early career in the Boer War and World War I, we see a dashing young officer whose life has been shaped by three different women, and by a lasting friendship with a German soldier.

Release Date : 1943-07-26

Language :EnglishFrenchGerman

Adult : false

Status : Released

Production Company : The ArchersJ. Arthur Rank Organisation

Production Country : United Kingdom

Alternative Titles : The Adventures of Colonel Blimp

Cast

Character Name : Major General Clive Wynne-Candy

Original Name : Roger Livesey

Gender : Male

Character Name : Edith Hunter / Barbara Wynne / Angela "Johnny" Cannon

Original Name : Deborah Kerr

Gender : Female

Character Name : Theo Kretschmar-Schuldorff

Original Name : Adolf Wohlbrück

Gender : Male

Character Name : Col. Betteridge

Original Name : Roland Culver

Gender : Male

Character Name : Spud Wilson

Original Name : James McKechnie

Gender : Male

Character Name : Embassy Counsellor

Original Name : Arthur Wontner

Gender : Male

Character Name : Hoppy

Original Name : David Hutcheson

Gender : Male

Character Name : Frau von Kalteneck

Original Name : Ursula Jeans

Gender : Female

Character Name : Murdoch

Original Name : John Laurie

Gender : Male

Character Name : Major Davies

Original Name : Harry Welchman

Gender : Male

Character Name : Embassy Secretary

Original Name : Robert Harris

Gender : Male

Character Name : President of Tribunal

Original Name : A.E. Matthews

Gender : Male

Character Name : Colonel Borg (as Count Zichy)

Original Name : Theodore Zichy

Gender : Male

Character Name : Nurse Erna

Original Name : Jane Millican

Gender : Male

Character Name : Stuffy Graves

Original Name : Neville Mapp

Gender : Male

Character Name : Club Porter (1942)

Original Name : Vincent Holman

Gender : Male

Character Name : Period Blimp

Original Name : Spencer Trevor

Gender : Male

Character Name : Club Porter (1902)

Original Name : James Knight

Gender : Male

Character Name : Cafe Orchestra Leader

Original Name : Dennis Arundell

Gender : Male

Character Name : Kaunitz

Original Name : David Ward

Gender : Male

Character Name : Indignant Citizen

Original Name : Jan Van Loewen

Gender : Male

Character Name : von Schonborn

Original Name : Valentine Dyall

Gender : Male

Character Name : von Reumann

Original Name : Carl Jaffe

Gender : Male

Character Name : von Ritter

Original Name : Albert Lieven

Gender : Male

Character Name : Colonel Goodhead

Original Name : Eric Maturin

Gender : Male

Character Name : Baby-Face Fitzroy

Original Name : Frith Banbury

Gender : Male

Character Name : Pebble

Original Name : Phyllis Morris

Gender : Female

Character Name : Aunt Margaret

Original Name : Muriel Aked

Gender : Female

Character Name : van Zijl

Original Name : Reginald Tate

Gender : Male

Character Name : The Nun

Original Name : Yvonne Andre

Gender : Male

Character Name : The Matron

Original Name : Marjorie Gresley

Gender : Male

Character Name : The Bishop

Original Name : Felix Aylmer

Gender : Male

Character Name : Mr. Wynne

Original Name : Norman Pierce

Gender : Male

Character Name : BBC Official

Original Name : Edward Cooper

Gender : Male

Character Name : Secretary

Original Name : Joan Swinstead

Gender : Female

Character Name : Tommy Tucker (uncredited)

Original Name : Pat McGrath

Gender : Female

Reviews

CinemaSerf

@Geronimo1967

2023-11-01

Roger Livesey is superb in this wonderfully colourful depiction of the life of "Clive Candy". We start with his rather undignified seizure at the steam baths by the home guard he is supposed to command and by way of a continuous retrospective, discover just how this man arrived at this embarrassing predicament. First there was the South African campaign, then the Great War saw him gain some prominence and also, after quite a few scrapes, sees him befriend his opposite number, as it were, in the form of the dashing German "Theo" (a beautifully understated contribution from Anton Walbrook). Becoming firm friends, they share the same social circles and it's here that "Candy" meets his future wife - Deborah Kerr. Trials and tribulations and then WWII all affect this man as he is promoted through the ranks and faces tragedy very close to home before the realisation that, at an elderly age, perhaps he is no longer of any value! What Powell and Pressburger have encapsulated into just over 2½ hours here, is a delightfully evocative story that deals with friendship and honour, with love, despair and the human desire to feel needed and wanted - but never without losing sight of the humanity of the situations and, quite often, with some degree of dark and stoic humour. There is a lovely chemistry between Livesey and Walbrook, and Deborah Kerr positively glows as she remains the woman in his life - in various guises - throughout. The contrast between the evolving behaviours is subtly but potently drawn here: we see a society that no longer considered any "niceties" of war - symptomatic of a sea of changing attitudes with which both men struggle to adapt. Sure, there's nostalgia - but it's of a palpable and immersive nature. IT's not at all sentimental. We take sides initially - jingoism isn't far away, but certainly as it progresses and the decency of these individuals is laid bare, I found myself rather admiring the integrity on display here from two different but remarkably similar perspectives. As to that display, the aesthetic of this film is glorious. The wartime sets, the bucolic and peaceful scenes, the romance, the disaster - all delivered here with great skill by Georges Périnal's artistic touch and Allan Gray's charmingly complementary score. I can't really pick a favourite P&P film, but the three leads and the accomplished supporting cast assembled here make this one of their very best, complex and thought-provoking efforts that looks fantastic on a big screen.