The Wind Cannot Read (1958)
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- 1h 55min
- Drama, Romance
- 14 Jul 1958 (Denmark)
- Movie
Photos and Videos
Cast
| Dirk Bogarde | ... |
Flight Lieutenant Michael Quinn
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| Yôko Tani | ... |
'Sabby' [Suzuki San]
(as Yoko Tani)
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| Ronald Lewis | ... |
Squadron Leader Fenwick
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| John Fraser | ... |
Flying Officer Peter Munroe
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| Anthony Bushell | ... |
The Brigadier
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| Marne Maitland | ... |
Bahadur
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| Michael Medwin | ... |
Flying Officer Lamb
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| Richard Leech | ... |
Hobson
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| Tony Wager | ... |
Moss
(as Anthony Wager)
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Tadashi Ikeda | ... |
Itsumi San
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Heihachirô Ôkawa | ... |
Lieutenant Nakamura
(as Henry Okawa)
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Yoichi Matsue | ... |
Corporal Mori
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| Donald Pleasence | ... |
The Doctor
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Joy Michael | ... |
First Nurse
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| Avice Landone | ... |
Second Nurse
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| Rest of cast listed alphabetically: | |||
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Shivendra Sinha | ... |
Indian servant (uncredited)
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Directed by
| Ralph Thomas | ||
Written by
| Richard Mason | ... | (novel) |
| Richard Mason | ... | (screenplay) |
Produced by
| Betty E. Box | ... | producer |
| Earl St. John | ... | executive producer (uncredited) |
Music by
| Angelo Francesco Lavagnino | ... | (as Angelo Lavagnino) |
Cinematography by
| Ernest Steward | ... | director of photography |
Editing by
| Frederick Wilson | ||
Art Direction by
| Maurice Carter | ||
Costume Design by
| Beatrice Dawson | ||
Makeup Department
| A.L. Lawrance | ... | makeup artist (as A.L. Lawrence) |
| Geoffrey Rodway | ... | makeup artist |
| Iris Tilley | ... | hairdresser |
Production Management
| Denis Holt | ... | production manager (as R. Denis Holt) |
| Charles Orme | ... | production manager |
Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
| Geoffrey Haine | ... | assistant director |
| Michael Klaw | ... | third assistant director (uncredited) |
| Eric Rattray | ... | second assistant director (uncredited) |
Art Department
| Peter Murton | ... | set dresser |
Sound Department
| Bill Daniels | ... | sound recordist |
| Archie Ludski | ... | sound editor |
| John W. Mitchell | ... | sound recordist |
| Winston Ryder | ... | sound editor |
| Ron Butcher | ... | sound camera operator (uncredited) |
| Danny Daniel | ... | boom operator (uncredited) |
| Harry Fairbairn | ... | sound assistant (uncredited) |
| Charles Van der Goor | ... | maintenance (uncredited) |
Camera and Electrical Department
| James Bawden | ... | camera operator |
Location Management
| James H. Ware | ... | location manager |
Music Department
| Muir Mathieson | ... | conductor |
Script and Continuity Department
| Joan Davis | ... | continuity |
Additional Crew
| Arthur Alcott | ... | production controller for Pinewood Studios |
| Paul Hitchcock | ... | assistant production controller (uncredited) |
Production Companies
- The Rank Organisation (presents)
Distributors
- Rank Film Distributors (1958) (United Kingdom) (theatrical) (as Rank Film Distributors Limited) (released by)
- Kommunenes Filmcentral (KF) (1958) (Norway) (theatrical)
- Rank Film Distributors of Sweden (1958) (Sweden) (theatrical)
- Rank Film Distributors Holland (1959) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
- Twentieth Century Fox (1960) (United States) (theatrical)
- J. Arthur Rank Film (1959) (West Germany) (theatrical)
- Elephant Films (2005) (France)
- Pickwick Video (1996) (United Kingdom) (VHS)
- Polyband (1997) (Germany) (VHS)
Special Effects
Other Companies
- Indian Government (the producers gratefully acknowledge the help and co-operation of)
Storyline
| Plot Summary |
During World War II, the Japanese forces push their way into Burma and threaten to invade British India at the end of 1942. Caught in a flood of war refugees fleeing Burma, R.A.F. Flight Lieutenant Michael Quinn (Sir Dirk Bogarde) and a fellow Officer are retreating toward the Burma-India border. The disorganized column marching under the intense scorching sun runs into a Japanese ambush. Under a hail of fire, they all scatter in all directions. Quinn and his comrade head for the desert. After a few gruelling hours of walking in the infernal desert, they finally reach a British Army outpost. In 1943, Quinn is sent for a bit of rest and relaxation. He's spending his time skiing in the Indian mountains and relaxing at the New Everest Hotel where his Indian orderly, Bahadur (Marne Maitland), constantly spoils him. Fellow R.A.F. Flying Officer Peter Munroe (John Fraser) shows up at the hotel and informs Quinn that no one is leaving for Britain yet. Munroe also tells Quinn that the two of them have been selected to join a group of British officers who will learn the Japanese language in order to work for Army Intelligence and interrogate Japanese P.O.W.s. Upon their arrival at the Mayfair Hotel in New Delhi, the R.A.F. officers meet other British officers assigned to their language school. Amongst them is the pompous and arrogant R.A.F. Squadron Leader Fenwick (Ronald Lewis), who claims to forego all of the formalities for the sake of friendship, since he's just a fellow student, despite his higher military rank. For their language classes, the officers must travel to the military barracks known as the Red Fort. The man in charge of the language school is a Brigadier General (Anthony Bushell). Their language instructor, Itsumi San (Tadashi Ikeda), is a Japanese man who speaks English and who was released from a British internment camp for enemy aliens to lend a hand. Another Japanese instructor is set to arrive in a few weeks time. When she arrives, young and beautiful Japanese girl "Sabby" (Suzuki San) (Yôko Tani) captures everyone's heart and imagination. Many British officers fantasize about dating her, but the lucky one is Flight Lieutenant Michael Quinn. A strong relationship starts developing between Suzuki San and Quinn. Unfortunately, many British still view her as a Japanese enemy. Can her relationship with Michael Quinn blossom, thrive, and survive? Written by nufs68 |
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| Taglines | LOVE THAT WAS FORBIDDEN . . . but could not be denied! See more » |
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| Parents Guide | Add content advisory for parents » |
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Additional Details
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Did You Know?
| Trivia | The last movie to play the Roxy Theatre in New York City, New York. See more » |
| Goofs | Toward the film's end, Dirk Bogarde and two others are captured by the Japanese. The Japanese officer questions them in the first scene with Bogarde standing on the viewer's right. After their Indian driver runs away and is shot, the next scene moves back to the two British officers, and Bogarde is now seen standing on the left. See more » |
| Movie Connections | Referenced in Absolute Beginners (1986). See more » |
| Soundtracks | The Wind Cannot Read See more » |
| Crazy Credits | Opening credits prologue: BURMA 1942 "Though on the sign it is written: 'Don't pluck these blossoms'- it is useless against the wind, which cannot read." * JAPANESE POEM INDIA 1943 See more » |
| Quotes |
Brigadier:
I was 17 years in Tokyo and I got so used to squatting Japanese fashion on the floor that an ordinary chair would give me pins and needles. See more » |