In the decades following World War 2, countless films have been made about the conflict from every conceivable angle. We all know the famous modern versions, but it’s easy to miss some early classics. Four British Second World War movies, all based on incredible true stories and made in the 1950s, are on BBC Two this weekend. Check out their synopses and what time they’re on below.
Odette (1950) – Saturday, 10:05am
This film follows the true story of Special Operations Executive French agent Odette Sansom. Captured by the Germans in 1943, she was condemned to death and sent to Ravensbrück concentration camp for execution. Incredibly, she survived the war and testified against her prison guards in their trials. In 1946, she became the first woman to be awarded the George Cross. Anna Neagle, Trevor Howard, Peter Ustinov and Bernard Lee star.
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The Man Who Never Was (1956) – Sunday, 1:40pm
This British espionage thriller, starring Clifton Webb and Gloria Grahame, is based on the book of the same name by Royal Navy Lieutenant Commander Ewen Montague. It tells the story of Operation Mincemeat, a 1943 British intelligence plan that involved a corpse dressed as an officer washing up on the coast of Spain with false invasion documents to deceive the Axis powers. Another film called Operation Mincemeat, starring Colin Firth, was released in 2021, and the mission has been adapted into a very successful West End and now Broadway musical.
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