Reach for Glory

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Reach for Glory
Screenshot
Directed by	Philip Leacock
Produced by	Jud Kinberg John Kohn
Written by	John Rae (novel)
Starring	Harry Andrews Kay Walsh
Music by	Bob Russell
Cinematography	Bob Huke
Editing by	Frederick Wilson
Release date(s)	1962
Running time	86 min.
Country	U.K.
Language	English
IMDb profile

Reach for Glory was a 1962 British film adaptation of John Rae's 1961 novel, The Custard Boys, directed by Philip Leacock. It received a United Nations Award.

1 Plot
2 Significance
3 Cast
4 Crew
5 External links

[edit] Plot

Warning: spoiler

A group of boys, evacuated during WW II from London to a coastal town, form a gang and play war games. Too young to fight in the war and afraid it will be over by the time they come of age, the group members initiate a battle with the local teenagers. Tomlinson, a local youth, invites an Austrian Jewish refugee with whom he has formed a close relationship to take part in the shenanigans. At first the Jewish boy, Grimm, is scorned because of his "Germanic" heritage but is later allowed to join. When Grimm runs off during a fight, the youths decide to give him a fake court-martial and execution, but real bullets are used by a freak mistake and Grimm is killed.

[edit] Significance

The film deals with a range of serious issues.

The obtuse nastiness with which adults view the "unfortunate" (but completely innocent) relationship between the two boys is based on the same regressive ignorance which prompts them to make war or to persecute the Austrian boy for being "German", even though he is a Jewish refugee from German war-mongering.

They condemn each boy's search for love as they push him to play war games in an atmosphere of cruelty and mistrust. War and jingoism are thus portrayed as the denial of man's natural inclination to love: "you've got to be taught to hate". As society embraces hate, the result means personal disaster for the individual who innocently chooses otherwise.

This is a moving film drama from a time when such questions were considered suitable material for the screen. Leacock, known mainly for his documentary work, seems at ease with the young actors and brings out many subtleties in their portrayals. This is a forgotten classic.