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 Productions
	Click a link for more info						Credited	Uncredited	Total
Art Director	Ted Marshall						1		1
Assistant Director	Don Weeks	52	15 Nov 1904		Mar 1988	83	30		30
Associate Producer	Anthony Nelson-Keys	45	13 Nov 1911		19 Mar 1985	73	41		41
Camera Operator	Len Harris	41	19 May 1916		21 Feb 1995	78	52	1	53
Continuity	Renee Glynne	30	3 Aug 1926		6 Apr 2022	95	38	3	41
Dialogue Director	Howard Clewes	44	27 Oct 1912		29 Jan 1988	75	2		2
Director	Michael Carreras	29	21 Dec 1927		19 Apr 1994	66	82	3	85
Director of Photography	Jack Asher BSc	41	29 Mar 1916		Apr 1991	75	14		14
Editor	Bill Lenny	29	1928		2002	74	10	2	12
Make-up	Phil Leakey	49	4 May 1908		26 Nov 1992	84	48		48
Music Composer	Leonard Salzedo	35	24 Sep 1921		6 May 2000	78	7	1	8
Musical Director	John Hollingsworth	41	20 Mar 1916		29 Dec 1963	47	36	2	38
Producer	Michael Carreras	29	21 Dec 1927		19 Apr 1994	66	82	3	85
Production Manager	John Workman	37	28 May 1920		1973	52	2		2
Recordist	Cliff Sandall	54	24 Apr 1903		1988	84	2	1	3
Recordist	Maurice Askew	41	12 May 1916		11 Dec 1986	70	2	1	3
Sound Editor	Alfred Cox	32	1925		2005	80	21	4	25
Special Effects	Frank George						3		3
Special Effects	Sid Pearson						9	1	10
Story and Screenplay	Howard Clewes	44	27 Oct 1912		29 Jan 1988	75	2		2
Stunt Supervisor	Jock Easton	45	27 Apr 1912		1980	67	1	3	4
Wardrobe	Molly Arbuthnot	48	19 Dec 1908		31 Oct 2001	92	48	4	52
Uncredited
Boom Operator	Charles Harris							1	1
Clapper Loader	John Foley							1	1
Clapper Loader	Stanley Evans							1	1
Clapper Loader	Paul Tabori	49	8 May 1908		9 Nov 1974	66	6	1	7
Draughtsman	Don Mingaye	28	1 Jan 1929		8 Nov 2017	88	26	14	40
First Assistant Editor	John Beaton	28	1 Jan 1929	1.01.1929		94	2	1	3
Focus Puller	Harry Oakes	36	16 Jan 1921		11 Dec 2012	91		53	53
Production Secretary	Faith Frisby	29	1928		1997	69		2	2
Publicity Director	Bill Batchelor	58	3 May 1899		23 Sep 1990	91		3	3
Second Assistant Director	Stanley Goulder	36	28 Feb 1921		15 May 2006	85		2	2
Second Assistant Editor	Max Wheeler							2	2
Second Camera Operator	Gerald Moss	41	1916		1999	83		1	1
Sound Camera Operator	Walter R. Day							1	1
Still Photographer	John Jay	36	14 Nov 1920		29 Apr 2005	84	13	22	35
Stunts	Joe Powell	35	21 Mar 1922		30 Jun 2016	94	1	2	3
Third Assistant Director	Hugh Harlow	18	17 Jun 1939	17.06.1939		83	3	28	31

Cast


Character	Actor	Age at Release	Birth		Death	Age	Hammer Productions
	Click a link for more info						Credited	Uncredited	Total
1st Stretcher Bearer	Michael Collins	35	21 May 1922		25 Dec 1979	57	1		1
2nd Stretcher Bearer	David Brown						1		1
Artillery N.C.O.	Guy Deghy	44	11 Oct 1912		25 Feb 1992	79	1		1
Artillery Officer	William Abney	36	7 Jan 1921		9 Aug 1997	76	2		2
C.S.M. Gill	Robert Brown	35	23 Jul 1921		11 Nov 2003	82	6	1	7
Capt. Mead	Kieron Moore	32	5 Oct 1924		15 Jul 2007	82	2		2
Company Commander	Garard Green	32	31 Jul 1924		26 Dec 2004	80	1		1
Cpl. Ames	Paddy Joyce	34	31 May 1923		27 Jul 2000	77	1		1
Cpl. Bean	John H Watson	33	17 Jul 1923		24 Dec 2000	77	1	2	3
Divisional Commander	Wolf Frees	47	8 Oct 1909		1974	64	1		1
Lt. Col. Derry	John Paul	36	20 Apr 1921		Feb 1995	73	3		3
Lt. Vernon	Michael Medwin	33	18 Jul 1923		26 Feb 2020	96	6		6
Mahomet	David Ritch	24	28 Jul 1932		3 Jun 2018	85	1	1	2
Major Gerard	Leo Genn	51	9 Aug 1905		26 Jan 1978	72	1		1
Pte. Clark	Percy Herbert	36	31 Jul 1920		6 Dec 1992	72	6		6
Pte. Ferguson	Barry Lowe	32	1 Jan 1925		12 Dec 2011	86	6	2	8
Pte. Harris	Dave Crowley	47	4 May 1910		11 Dec 1974	64	1		1
Pte. Jarvis	Arthur Lovegrove	43	15 Jul 1913		7 Nov 1981	68	3	6	9
Pte. Livingstone	Bernard Horsfall	26	20 Nov 1930		28 Jan 2013	82	1		1
Pte. Middleditch	Michael Ripper	44	27 Jan 1913		28 Jun 2000	87	34	2	36
Pte. Thomas	Michael Balfour	39	11 Feb 1918		24 Oct 1997	79	3		3
Pte. Tweddle	Michael Dear						1		1
Pte. Wentworth	Jack Stewart	44	22 Mar 1913		1 Jan 1966	52	4		4
Pte. Wilson	Ian Whittaker	29	1 Jan 1928		16 Oct 2022	94	5		5
Sgt. Gates	Shay Gorman	34	18 Apr 1923		19 Apr 1999	76	1		1
Sgt. Nicholls	Tom Bowman	36	14 Nov 1920		8 Jan 1997	76	1		1
Sniper	Jeremy Longhurst	25	26 Jun 1931		18 Feb 2001	69	4		4
The General	Raymond Francis	45	6 Oct 1911		24 Oct 1987	76	1		1
Uncredited
ADC to General	Victor Harrington	47	27 Aug 1909		23 Jul 1980	70		7	7
Arab	Abdul Noor							1	1
Captain	John Trevor							1	1
German Sergeant	Rolf Carston							1	1
German Soldier	Michael Cain	24	14 Mar 1933	14.03.1933		90		1	1
Sentry	Victor Platt	36	30 Oct 1920		30 Jan 2017	96		2	2
Warren	George Murcell	31	30 Oct 1925		3 Dec 1998	73	1	1	2
Wounded German	Tony Warren	19	8 Jul 1937		1 Mar 2016	78		1	1

Production


FILMING BEGAN	13 August 1936
UK RELEASE	3 June 1957
STUDIO	Bray Studios, Down Place, Oakley Green, Berkshire, England
LOCATION	Long Valley, Aldershot, Hampshire, England

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.

An early appearance here (uncredited) for Michael Cain as a German soldier.

Also uncredited here, an appearance for Tony Warren who went on to create ITV’s long running soap opera, Coronation Street.

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