The Steel Bayonet 1957

A Hammer production released by United Artists
MPAA Approved Certificate No. 18413
Western Electric Recording
A Hammerscope Production
Black & White 85 minutes

Storyline

The film opens with the title “Tunisia 1943” and the following narration

“In the early spring of 1943, a battalion of infantry were pulled out of the hills around Tunis. For thirteen weeks they had endured the hard, bitter fighting, the rain and the mud. The rear guard of this battalion was ‘C’ Company. They had provided the spearhead of the battle and had been in constant engagement with the enemy. Now, they were due for a rest. The battalion was going to re-form and refit.” Their rest is short-lived, however, as they receive orders to protect a vital post from the Germans…..

Crew


Function	Credited	Age at Release	Birth	Death	Age	Hammer Credits
Art Director	Ted Marshall					7
Assistant Director	Don Weeks	52	15 Nov 1904	1 Mar 1988	83	30
Associate Producer	Anthony Nelson-Keys	45	13 Nov 1911	19 Mar 1985	73	41
Camera Operator	Len Harris	40	19 May 1916	21 Feb 1995	78	52
Continuity	Renee Glynne	30	3 Aug 1926	Living	93	38
Dialogue Director	Howard Clewes	44	27 Oct 1912	29 Jan 1988	75	2
Director of Photography	Jack Asher, BSC	40	29 Mar 1916	1 Apr 1991	75	14
Editor	Bill Lenny	29	1928	2002	74	10
Make-up	Phil Leakey	48	4 May 1908	26 Nov 1992	84	48
Music Composed by	Leonard Salzedo	35	24 Sep 1921	6 May 2000	78	6
Musical Director	John Hollingsworth	40	20 Mar 1916	29 Dec 1963	47	36
Produced and Directed by	Michael Carreras	29	21 Dec 1927	19 Apr 1994	66	76
Production Manager	John Workman	36	28 May 1920	1973	52	2
Recordists	Cliff Sandall	53	24 Apr 1903	1988	84	2
Recordists	Maurice Askew	40	12 May 1916	11 Dec 1986	70	2
Sound Editor	Alfred Cox	Check	1925	2005	80	21
Special Effects	Frank George					3
Special Effects	Sid Pearson					9
Story and Screenplay by	Howard Clewes	44	27 Oct 1912	29 Jan 1988	75	2
Stunt Supervisor	Jock Easton	44	27 Apr 1912	1980	67	1
Wardrobe	Molly Arbuthnot	48	19 Dec 1908	1 Nov 2001	92	48

Cast


Character	Actor	Age at Release	Birth	Death	Age	Hammer Appearances
1st Stretcher Bearer	Michael Collins	34	21 May 1922	25 Dec 1979	57	1
2nd Stretcher Bearer	David Brown					1
Artillery N.C.O.	Guy Deghy	44	11 Oct 1912	25 Feb 1992	79	1
Artillery Officer	William Abney	35	7 Jan 1921	9 Aug 1997	76	2
C.S.M. Gill	Robert Brown	35	23 Jul 1921	11 Nov 2003	82	6
Capt. Mead,	Kieron Moore	32	5 Oct 1924	15 Jul 2007	82	2
Company Commander	Garard Green	32	31 Jul 1924	26 Dec 2004	80	1
Cpl. Ames,	Paddy Joyce	33	31 May 1923	27 Jul 2000	77	1
Cpl. Bean	John H. Watson					1
Divisional Commander	Wolf Frees	47	8 Oct 1909	1974	64	1
Lt. Col. Derry	John Paul	35	20 Apr 1921	1 Feb 1995	73	2
Lt. Vernon	Michael Medwin	33	18 Jul 1923	26 Feb 2020	96	6
Mahomet	David Ritch	28	29 Jul 1928	Living	91	1
Major Gerard	Leo Genn	51	9 Aug 1905	26 Jan 1978	72	1
Pte. Clark	Percy Herbert	36	31 Jul 1920	6 Dec 1992	72	6
Pte. Ferguson	Barry Lowe	32	1925	12 Dec 2011	86	5
Pte. Harris	Dave Crowley	46	4 May 1910	11 Dec 1974	64	1
Pte. Jarvis	Arthur Lovegrove	43	15 Jul 1913	7 Nov 1981	68	3
Pte. Livingstone	Bernard Horsfall	26	20 Nov 1930	29 Jan 2013	82	1
Pte. Middleditch	Michael Ripper	43	27 Jan 1913	28 Jun 2000	87	32
Pte. Thomas	Michael Balfour	38	11 Feb 1918	24 Oct 1997	79	3
Pte. Tweddle	Michael Dear					1
Pte. Wentworth	Jack Stewart	43	22 Mar 1913	2 Jan 1966	52	4
Pte. Wilson	Ian Whittaker	29	1928	Living	92	5
Sgt. Gates	Shay Gorman	33	18 Apr 1923	19 Apr 1999	76	1
Sgt. Nicholls	Tom Bowman	36	14 Nov 1920	8 Jan 1997	76	1
Sniper	Jeremy Longhurst	25	26 Jun 1931	18 Feb 2001	69	2
The General	Raymond Francis	45	1 Oct 1911	24 Oct 1987	76	1

Footnotes

Unusually for a film made so soon after the end of the war, this film was mildly controversial for showing the Germans as human beings and is believed to be the first such film to allow the German characters to speak in their own language, with subtitles in English.

Details were complied viewing the actual film.
Source of viewing copy – The Hammer Graveyard Collection