In 'The Longest Day', Major Howard was played by actor Richard Todd.
In WW2 itself, Todd had fought alongside the real Howard to hold the bridge.
He was originally asked to play himself, but refused.
"I think after 15 years I'm due a promotion." He joked. So they cast him as Howard instead.
As a result, there's a scene where the character of Richard Todd (played by Patrick Jordan) appears alongside the actual Richard Todd (playing Major Howard).
Meanwhile, the REAL Major Howard was on set as the film's technical advisor.
Apparently the experience was somewhat daunting for the young actor Patrick Jordan. He had not realised that the 'Lieutenant Todd' he was playing was RIchard, until he asked Howard a question about character motivation.
Howard laughed, pointed at Todd and said:
"Why don't you ask him yourself?"
It’s a strange feeling watching films or TV from the 50s and 60s, knowing these guys saw the terrible effect of war
Everyone knows about Christopher Lee and Jimmy Stewart, but Carry On actor Peter Butterworth being one of the vaulters during The Great Escape.
Eric Sykes at the liberation of Belsen?
David Niven
(from Wikipedia:) About to lead his men into action, Niven eased their nervousness by telling them, "Look, you chaps only have to do this once. But I'll have to do it all over again in Hollywood with Errol Flynn!"
Ha was at Belsen too, and Dennis Norden.
Bogarde was apparently so furious with what he saw that he basically couldn’t stand to be in the same room as a German for years after the war.
Another film which had the real people on set advising the actors, I think? A veteran said that running between cover was unrealistic, in the real thing he walked. This was rejected as uncinematic.
