Making a Bridge Too Far

A Bridge Too Far, released in 1977, was the last epic WWII movie made in the Hollywood studio system. Its ambitious goal: to recreate the Allied plan Operation Market-Garden in September 1944. The plan was a disaster for the Allies, with the battle for the Arnhem bridge vicious as the British First Airborne held out against overwhelming odds. Producer Joseph E. Levine packed his cast with top stars Anthony Hopkins, Robert Redford, Sean Connery, James Caan, Michael Caine, Elliott Gould, Dirk Bogarde, and Laurence Olivier and shot on location in and around Arnhem. Making ’ A Bridge Too Far’ answers WWII buffs’ questions about the production. Author Simon Lewis interviewed many in the cast and crew and uncovered a story about bringing WWII to life in 1976 Holland with vintage tanks and aircraft, legions of stunt men and paratroopers, all led by director Sir Richard Attenborough. Making ’ A Bridge Too Far’ will prove a delight for armchair generals and lovers of old Hollywood. Fun facts: Dutch survivors of the war had no patience for actors dressed as German soldiers; Dirk Bogarde was a British war veteran who had participated in Market-Garden and bore the mental scars to prove it.

Simon Lewis is a TV editor, writer, and filmmaker. A self-confessed movie nerd, in 2012 he achieved his lifelong ambition of making a feature film, Jackals. His twin passions-- a deep love of twentieth century cinema and an avid consumption of history-- have drawn him to writing about epic historical movies. Lewis published his first book, Waterloo: Making an Epic, in 2021, and followed its release by producing a documentary for the film’s UK Blu-ray release. A regular contributor to Cinema Retro magazine, he is currently writing a novel based around David Lean’s wilderness years.