Yet the cast bonded. "It was the first war movie ... cost him a knighthood (he finally received one in 1992). "A Bridge Too Far is a draining experience to watch because, after all that effort ...

A combination of poor allied intelligence and the presence of two crack German panzer divisions meant that the final part of this operation (the bridge in Arnhem over the Rhine) was doomed to failure.

An all-star cast at the peak of their powers includes Dirk Bogarde, James Caan, Michael Caine, Sean Connery, Laurence Olivier, Anthony Hopkins, Gene Hackman and Edward Fox.