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The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp

"An unforgettable story of forty gallant years."

1943-07-26 War 2hr 43m

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.

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The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp
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Storyline

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.

  • Released
    1943-07-26
  • Revenue
    n/a
  • Budget
    n/a
  • Runtime
    2hr 43m
  • Genre
    War, Drama, Romance, Comedy
  • Status
    Released
  • Language
    English, Français, Deutsch
  • imdb-logo
    8
  • Production
    The Archers, J. Arthur Rank Organisation

Crew

Michael Powell
Director
Michael Powell
Producer

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Cast

Roger Livesey

Roger Livesey

Major General Clive Wynne-Candy
Deborah Kerr

Deborah Kerr

Edith Hunter / Barbara Wynne / Angela "Johnny" Cannon
Anton Walbrook

Anton Walbrook

Theo Kretschmar-Schuldorff
Roland Culver

Roland Culver

Col. Betteridge
James McKechnie

James McKechnie

Spud Wilson
Arthur Wontner

Arthur Wontner

Embassy Counsellor
Ursula Jeans

Ursula Jeans

Frau von Kalteneck
Harry Welchman

Harry Welchman

Major Davies
Robert Harris

Robert Harris

Embassy Secretary
A.E. Matthews

A.E. Matthews

President of Tribunal
Theodore Zichy

Theodore Zichy

Colonel Borg (as Count Zichy)
Jane Millican

Jane Millican

Nurse Erna
Neville Mapp

Neville Mapp

Stuffy Graves
Vincent Holman

Vincent Holman

Club Porter (1942)
Spencer Trevor

Spencer Trevor

Period Blimp
James Knight

James Knight

Club Porter (1902)
Dennis Arundell

Dennis Arundell

Cafe Orchestra Leader
David Ward

David Ward

Kaunitz
Jan Van Loewen

Jan Van Loewen

Indignant Citizen
Valentine Dyall

Valentine Dyall

von Schonborn
Carl Jaffe

Carl Jaffe

von Reumann
Albert Lieven

Albert Lieven

von Ritter
Eric Maturin

Eric Maturin

Colonel Goodhead
Frith Banbury

Frith Banbury

Baby-Face Fitzroy
Muriel Aked

Muriel Aked

Aunt Margaret
Felix Aylmer

Felix Aylmer

The Bishop
Norman Pierce

Norman Pierce

Mr. Wynne
Edward Cooper

Edward Cooper

BBC Official
Pat McGrath

Pat McGrath

Tommy Tucker (uncredited)

Videos and Photos

The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp
The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp
The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp
The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp
The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp
The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp
The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp

Movie Reviews

Reviews for The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp
reviewer avatar

A Review by Geronimo1967 7

Written by Geronimo1967 on 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 a... read more

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.

Read Full Review (The thoughts and opinions expressed here are solely those of the reviewer.)
A Review by CinemaSerf

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 retrospecti...

reviewer avatar

A Review by Geronimo1967 7

Written by Geronimo1967 on 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 comman...

read more