Well Dam
Richard Todd, RIP
Richard Todd, best known for his role in classic war film The Dam Busters, has died at the age of 90, after a battle with cancer.
Todd, a war hero in his own right, was also known for playing dashing heroes like Robin Hood and Rob Roy.
Born in Dublin in 1919, Todd was one of the first British soldiers to parachute into France on D-Day.
People | Mr. Bingley | 
December 4, 2009 9:15 am
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Not to be funny, of course not, but when I saw Richard Todd, I thought you were speaking of the former New York Jets QB.
Great yarn. Read the whole link.
My favorite Richard Todd movie was “A Bridge Too Far”,er, I think that was the name of it. “Hold until relieved”, “Hold until relieved”. I’ve seen those bridges firsthand and let me tell you that was some gutsy effort. Too bad the Brits have now surrendered to another enemy without firing a shot.
Speaking of war heroes, those three Navy SEALs will be arraigned next Tuesday in Norfolk. There is a demonstration planned just off base.
Yojimbo – that was in “The Longest Day,” a fine film starring… well, starring everybody.
I love that movie.
Don, this is the Richard Todd who actually had an effective aerial attack.
“The Longest Day”! Doh!
“A Bridge Too Far” was the…Redford movie I think.
Sorry!
There’s some cool trivia there, ‘Fly:
-Richard Todd (playing Major John Howard, Officer Commanding D Company of The 2nd Battalion The Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry, Air Landing Brigade, 6th Airborne Division) was himself in Normandy on D-Day, and participated as Capt. Todd of the 7th Parachute Battalion, 5th Parachute Brigade, British 6th Airborne Division. His battalion actually went into action as reinforcements, via a parachute jump (after the gliders had landed and completed the initial coup de main assault). Capt. Richard ‘Sweeney’ Todd was moved from the plane he was originally scheduled to jump from, to another. The original plane was shot down, killing everyone on board.
-Richard Todd, veteran of the action at the bridge at Benouville (later renamed Pegasus Bridge) (see Item 1 above), was offered the chance to play himself but joked, “I don’t think at this stage of my acting career I could accept a part ‘that’ small.” He played the commander of the actual bridge assault itself, Major John Howard, instead.
-In fact, during the scene where Todd as Howard waits for relief from the beachhead, the actor next to him is actually playing the real life Richard Todd.
-The movie’s theme song, one of the ALL-TIME cheesiest, was written by Mr. Cheese himself, Paul Anka
That is cool stuff, Bings. But what I want to know is, who played Freeman McNeil and Johnny “Lam” Jones?