Fascinating trivia (and any goofs) connected with the film
- The details of how Churchill tried (and failed) to get this
film banned are told in the book "The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp"
by Michael Powell & Emeric Pressburger (edited by Ian Christie).
Faber & Faber (paperback), June 1994. ISBN 0571143555
- The only film with Roger Livesey and his wife Ursula Jeans.
- Powell originally wanted Wendy Hiller to play
Blimp's "ideal woman" but she was unavailable, so the part
was given to Deborah Kerr and a wonderful job she made
of the part.
- The tapestry seen in the opening credits was made by
the members of The Royal College of Needlework.
- Director Michael Powell was intrigued how
2nd unit cameraman Jack Cardiff was filming
the animal heads and gave Jack his first big break
as the cinematographer on his next film
A Matter of Life and Death (1946).
- Three quarters of the Germans in the crowd at the POW
camp are "carefully painted and positioned" plaster models.
- Theo's white-face make-up (OK, not actually white, more like grey, to show
his age) is particularly visible when Clive comes back from the BBC. They
didn't apply it to his neck which is seen to be normal skin colour when he
leans over to console Clive.
- Winston Churchill met star Anton Walbrook when Anton
was appearing in the stage play "Watch on the Rhine" while the
film was still in production (he had to leave Denham studios early
on matinée days) and Churchill was trying to get it
stopped. A blustering, red faced (Blimp like?) Churchill proceeded
to berate Anton saying "What's this supposed to mean? I suppose
you regard it as good propaganda for Britain?"
Anton calmly replied "No people in the world other than the
English would have had the courage, in the midst of war, to tell
the people such unvarnished truth."
- Lieutenant-General Sir Douglas Brownrigg K.C.B
was the military advisor on the film. It is his scrap-book
that we look through to show time passing.
- At least one of the trucks that carry Spud's troop to The Bull at the beginning and end of the story appears to have been "borrowed" from the Canadians.
If that Census Number is correct (and it should be prefixed "L") then the GMC CCKW-353 is a Canadian vehicle as the Census Number is in the Canadian War Department batch, and strictly should be CL 4212377. The lorry in front seem to have the "CAUTION LEFT HAND DRIVE" stencilling on the tailgate as well as another Canadian Census Number. If that's Gerrard's Cross, then they may have "borrowed" some Canadian troops or vehicles from HAYMILL CAMP, on the Burnham Road, near the Slough Trading Estate.
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