User Reviews

It is wartime in Britain, but life must still go on for three friends attending a boarding school where the deprivations of the rest of the country do not seem to have permeated. Our hero is a day pupil and is billeted with a local woman and her somewhat haughty teenage daughter whom he worships in silence. He is also a regular visitor to the local American army camp, making friends and being unwittingly privy to conversations where code words are bandied about. These same words find their way into crosswords blanks that the boys are made to fill out as punishment for some misdemeanor, the finished crosswords are in turn published and mighty minds at the ministry tremble.

This is a sweet tale of innocence, unrequited love, teenage buffoonery (with a kite), with a little mystery and intrigue thrown in.

Extremely enjoyable

This drama echoes the true story of Leonard Dawe, a Surrey schoolmaster who compiled cross words for the Daily Telegraph and unwittingly used codewords such as Juno and Overlord as answers in the run up to D-Day, unsurprisingly attracting the attentions of MI5. Telling the fictionalised story from the point of view of the schoolboys, the film evokes the period wonderfully and the denouement is fantastically poignant and has stayed with me for the past fifteen years - surely the mark of a good production (though admittedly I couldn't remember what it was called and only found this entry today after a concerted web search - hence I came to write the entry by way of celebration!)

I was also one of the US Air Force extras. I was from RAF Fairford and refused to shave my mustache (was getting married 2 weeks later) and I was placed in the back of the extras in both barrack scenes with the Browning .40 cal machine gun timed breakdowns.

Does anyone know how to get a copy of this movie??? I would love to show this to my children. Their Dad in the movies!!!

I know this film very well because it also featured some other important actors - 50 members of the U.S. Airforce who were stationed at RAF Greenham Common in Berkshire. I was one of them. The film makers wanted to use genuine American military personnel as extras, and the call was received at Greenham Common which was the unit housing the 501st Tactical Missile Wing, and the ground-launched cruise missile in 1988. Greenham was also a launch-point for two glider assaults during the D-Day invasion.

This film was as accurate as possible, I believe, and although I may be biased, it was a lot of fun to watch and a lot of fun to participate in. Well worth the time.

Just commenting that RAF CHICKSANDS personnel were also invited to participate as cast members. I believe there were only about 20 of us? In accordance with the times, we extras all need to shave any facial hair, including mustaches. I felt that there was a feeling of esprit-de-corps with all members of the cast. The continuity (wadrobes, placements, positioning of members) was an interesting process to watch. I was fortunate enough to be in 3 scenes.

It was a lot of fun filming, and my Cockney (East Enders) in-laws had a great time watching it when it came on the BBC TV. I was able to record it on an old VHS TAPE' However, I would like to find it on CD somewhere

I still miss the English country side..

Cheers, BKD

I am Captain Mike Razor. We left in a bus and taken to the set. We were outfitted as WWII soldiers. Given period haircuts. I had one line. "I'll bet on the kid." The main actor asked me how an Air Force Officer would act. I also have a copy of the show.

RE: Blackstarfish's review (above), I was an extra in the BBC's 1988 movie production of The Mountain and the Molehill while stationed at RAF Greenham Common as well. I do remember enjoying two days of filming in Sopley, Hamps where the production filmed the recount of D-day.

While in location in Sopley, I had the pleasure of chatting with one of the RAF troops from the D-day mission (he was on hand as a historian for the production). The two days of visiting with the historian was priceless as I learned bits that will never grace the pages of a history book...accounts of friendships and quirks that made up a huge part of the mens lives as they prepared, deployed and bravely fought to ensure the well being of the UK. My historian friend and I stayed in contact with me until he died from a stroke 18 months after we had met.

Considering the accurate account that made up the film and the friendship that I forged,

does anyone know if a DVD version is available? It would be nice to see the film once again. Sal