14 Feb The Bridge at Remagen
The Bridge at Remagen, WWII Movie starring George Segal and Robert Vaughn
If orders won wars we wouldn't now be fighting with our backs against the Rhine ... we'd be dancing at the London Savoy (German General.)
(1969) In March 1945, the Germans and the Allies wage a fierce battle over Remagen bridge … the last bridge over the Rhine, “the highway for the American army into the heart of Germany.”
The film is based on the 1957 book The Bridge at Remagen: The Amazing Story of March 7, 1945, by Ken Hechler. Hechler was not there that day but was with the 9th Armored Division and interviewed U.S. and German soldiers who were.
As the story unfolds we see alternating scenes with the Americans and the Germans, both with their opposing agendas. George Segal is the American Lieutenant who leads the team. Robert Vaughn is the German Major who is ordered to blow up the bridge but decides to delay in order to save the German soldiers who would be trapped once the bridge was gone.
Both actors did an excellent job, I thought. At times I wasn’t sure who was shooting whom … it was as chaotic as it was on that day in 1945. The film was shot primarily in Czechoslovakia because of shipping traffic on the Rhine. When the Soviet army invaded Czechoslovakia, the entire crew had to flee in 28 taxis. The filming was completed in Austria and Italy.
Ludendorf Bridge between 8 and 11 March 1945, from Wikipedia
The actual name of the bridge at Remagen was the Ludendorff Bridge. Ten days after the “capture,” weakened by bombing attacks, it collapsed into the river.
The Bridge at Remagen is part of the Military Channel’s An Officer and a Movie series. Host Lou Diamond Phillips interviews military officers who help him review each movie.
Related post: GI Joe Comes Home
The Bridge at Remagen at amazon.com
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