In a Japanese POW camp during WWII, British Colonel Nicholson engages in a fierce battle of wills with the camp's commandant, Colonel Saito, over the construction of a railway bridge. Nicholson's rigid adherence to principle evolves into a dangerous obsession. He becomes determined to build a perfect bridge, not for his captors, but as a monument to British ingenuity and morale.

As the bridge nears completion, a symbol of his proud collaboration, an Allied commando team, including an escaped American POW, arrives to destroy it. The climax is a tragic, explosive collision of duty, pride, and the profound madness of war.

"We can teach these barbarians a lesson in Western methods and efficiency that will put them to shame. We'll show them what the British soldier is capable of doing."

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Scott and Steven

"The Killing of Sister George" (1968) doesn't just explore the gap between public image and private life—it shatters it. On the air, June "George" Buckridge is Sister George, a beloved BBC radio nurse. Off the air, she's a gin-soaked, cigar-chewing tyrant, trapping her younger, childlike partner, Alice "Childie" McNaught, in a toxic, abusive relationship.

When June's off-screen antics and declining ratings become a liability, rumors fly that the BBC plans to kill off her character. The seemingly prim executive, Mrs. Mercy Croft, is dispatched to handle the "situation," but her motives seem ambiguous. As the professional axe hangs over her head, June's paranoia and rage explode, tightening her cruel grip on the vulnerable Alice.

Mrs. Croft begins to insert herself into their chaotic home life under the guise of offering support, but her interest, particularly in Alice, seems to go beyond professional concern. As June fights to save her career, a more insidious power struggle emerges within her own four walls. The film builds towards a tense confrontation between the three women, where careers, relationships, and identities hang precariously in the balance.

"Appearing to be drunk happens to be one of the easier ways of getting out of some of life's most embarrassing situations."

This and previous episodes can be found everywhere you download your podcasts

Bonus content available at:

patreon.com/ReelBritanniaPodcast

Follow us on Twitter @rbritanniapod

Thanks for listening

Scott and Steven

Reel Britannia - a very British podcast about very British movies...with just a hint of professionalism

Episode 173 - The Old Dark House (1963)

In the 1963 horror-comedy "The Old Dark House," American car salesman Tom Penderel seeks shelter from a storm in a remote, dilapidated mansion. He finds himself an unwelcome guest among the eccentric Femm family, who are gathered for the reading of a will. The family members soon become victims of a mysterious killer, who murders them one by one in bizarre fashion.

Trapped by the storm with the strange household, Tom must navigate the growing paranoia and uncover the identity of the murderer before he also falls victim. The film combines traditional haunted house suspense with elements of black comedy and slapstick, as Tom attempts to survive the increasingly chaotic and dangerous night.

"No, I'm not strange. I'm American."

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email: reelbritannia@gmail.com

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Thanks for listening

Scott, Steven and Mark