The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957)
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- PG
- 2h 41min
- Adventure, Drama
- 14 Dec 1957 (USA)
- Movie
- Won 7 Oscars. Another 23 wins & 7 nominations.
- See more »
Photos and Videos
Cast verified as complete
William Holden | ... |
Shears
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Alec Guinness | ... |
Colonel Nicholson
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Jack Hawkins | ... |
Major Warden
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Sessue Hayakawa | ... |
Colonel Saito
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James Donald | ... |
Major Clipton
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Geoffrey Horne | ... |
Lieutenant Joyce
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André Morell | ... |
Colonel Green
(as Andre Morell)
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Peter Williams | ... |
Captain Reeves
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John Boxer | ... |
Major Hughes
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Percy Herbert | ... |
Grogan
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Harold Goodwin | ... |
Baker
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Ann Sears | ... |
Nurse
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Heihachirô Ôkawa | ... |
Captain Kanematsu
(as Henry Okawa)
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Keiichirô Katsumoto | ... |
Lieutenant Miura
(as Keiichiro Katsumoto, K. Katsumoto)
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M.R.B. Chakrabandhu | ... |
Yai
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Vilaiwan Seeboonreaung | ... |
Siamese Girl
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Ngamta Suphaphongs | ... |
Siamese Girl
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Javanart Punynchoti | ... |
Siamese Girl
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Kannikar Dowklee | ... |
Siamese Girl
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Rest of cast listed alphabetically: | |||
Tsai Chin | ... |
Tokyo Rose (uncredited) (voice)
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Christopher Greet | ... |
British Officer (uncredited)
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Herbert Nelson | ... |
Bit part (uncredited)
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Directed by
David Lean |
Written by
Pierre Boulle | ... | (novel "Le pont de la rivière Kwaï") |
Carl Foreman | ... | (screenplay) (originally uncredited) |
Michael Wilson | ... | (screenplay) (originally uncredited) |
Produced by
Sam Spiegel | ... | producer (produced by) |
Music by
Malcolm Arnold |
Cinematography by
Jack Hildyard | ... | director of photography |
Editing by
Peter Taylor | ... | chief editor |
Editorial Department
George Hively | ... | editor: restoration |
William Pine | ... | color timer (restoration) (as Bill Pine) |
Sati Tooray | ... | colorist (uncredited) |
Art Direction by
Donald M. Ashton |
Makeup Department
Stuart Freeborn | ... | makeup artist |
George Partleton | ... | makeup artist |
Production Management
Cecil F. Ford | ... | production manager |
Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Gus Agosti | ... | assistant director |
Ted Sturgis | ... | assistant director |
John Kerrison | ... | second assistant director (uncredited) |
Art Department
Geoffrey Drake | ... | assistant art director |
Peter Dukelow | ... | construction manager |
Eddie Fowlie | ... | property master (uncredited) |
Charlie Parfitt | ... | props (uncredited) |
Sound Department
Pam Bosworth | ... | additional sound editor |
Eric Boyd-Perkins | ... | additional sound editor |
Fred Burnley | ... | additional sound editor |
Rusty Coppleman | ... | additional sound editor |
John Cox | ... | sound |
Teddy Darvas | ... | additional sound editor |
Janet Davidson | ... | additional sound editor |
Norma Hawkes | ... | additional sound editor |
Peter Miller | ... | additional sound editor |
John W. Mitchell | ... | sound (as John Mitchell) |
Winston Ryder | ... | chief sound editor |
John Aldred | ... | re-recording mixer (uncredited) |
Peter Davies | ... | post-synchronisation (uncredited) |
Malcolm Stewart | ... | sound (uncredited) |
Stunts
Frank Howard | ... | stunts (uncredited) |
Dennis Ison | ... | stunt driver (uncredited) |
Nosher Powell | ... | stunts (uncredited) |
Camera and Electrical Department
Archie Dansie | ... | chief electrician |
Peter Newbrook | ... | camera operator |
Ron Drinkwater | ... | clapper loader (uncredited) |
Gerry Fisher | ... | additional camera operator (uncredited) / assistant camera (uncredited) |
Robert Merry | ... | lighting technician (uncredited) |
Abdus Samad | ... | apprentice cinematographer (uncredited) |
Costume and Wardrobe Department
John Wilson-Apperson | ... | wardrobe (as John Apperson) |
Music Department
Malcolm Arnold | ... | conductor (uncredited) |
Charles Camilleri | ... | additional orchestrator (uncredited) |
Harry Pitch | ... | musician: harmonica (uncredited) |
John Scott | ... | chorus director: whistlers (uncredited) / musician: piccolo and flute (uncredited) |
Script and Continuity Department
Angela Martelli | ... | continuity |
Additional Crew
L.E.M. Perowne | ... | technical adviser (as Major-Gen. L.E.M. Perowne C.B. C.B.) |
William Harrigan Jr. | ... | technical advisor (uncredited) |
Robert Haslam | ... | consultant: explosives (uncredited) / technical advisor (uncredited) |
Grady Johnson | ... | publicist (uncredited) |
Maurice Landsberger | ... | cashier (uncredited) |
Pamela Mann | ... | production secretary (uncredited) |
Production Companies
Distributors
- Columbia Pictures (1957) (United States) (theatrical)
- Columbia Films of India (1957) (India) (theatrical)
- Columbia Pictures Corporation (1957) (United Kingdom) (theatrical)
- Sony Pictures Releasing (1957) (India) (theatrical) (as Columbia Films of India)
- Columbia C.E.I.A.D. (1958) (Italy) (theatrical)
- Columbia Film-Verleih (1958) (West Germany) (theatrical)
- Columbia International Films (1958) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
- Columbia Pictures of Canada (1958) (Canada) (theatrical)
- Filmayer (1958) (Spain) (theatrical)
- Columbia Pictures of Argentina (1959) (Argentina) (theatrical)
- Columbia Films S. A. (1963) (Mexico) (theatrical)
- Columbia Pictures (1963) (United States) (theatrical) (re-release)
- Warner-Columbia Film (1970) (France) (theatrical) (reissue)
- Columbia Pictures (1972) (United States) (theatrical) (re-release)
- Warner-Columbia Films (1972) (Finland) (theatrical)
- Videosonic (1985) (Greece) (VHS)
- R-Video (Finland) (VHS)
- VTC-Video (Finland) (VHS)
- Mainostelevisio (MTV3) (1988) (Finland) (tv)
- Columbia TriStar Home Video (Netherlands) (VHS)
- RCA (II) (United States) (video) (CED VideoDisc)
- RCA/Columbia Pictures International Video (West Germany) (VHS)
- RCA/Columbia Pictures Video (Japan) (VHS)
- RCA/Columbia-Hoyts Home Video (Australia) (VHS)
- Sony Pictures Video (Japan) (VHS)
- RCA/Columbia Pictures Home Video (1992) (United States) (video) (laserdisc)
- Columbia TriStar Home Video (1993) (United States) (VHS) (digitally restored pan and scan)
- Columbia TriStar Home Video (1993) (United States) (VHS) (digitally restored/widescreen)
- Columbia TriStar Home Video (1994) (United States) (video) (laserdisc)
- Mainostelevisio (MTV3) (1995) (Finland) (tv)
- Egmont Film (1996) (Sweden) (VHS)
- Columbia TriStar Home Video (1998) (United States) (VHS) (pan/scan)
- Yleisradio (YLE) (1998) (Finland) (tv)
- Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment (1999) (Germany) (DVD)
- LK-TEL (1999) (Argentina) (VHS)
- Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment (2000) (Netherlands) (DVD) (rental)
- Egmont Entertainment (2000) (Finland) (DVD)
- Nelonen (2000) (Finland) (tv)
- Nordisk Film (2000) (Sweden) (DVD)
- Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment (2003) (Netherlands) (DVD) (retail)
- Columbia TriStar Home Video (2003) (United States) (DVD)
- Universal Pictures Video (2004) (Sweden) (DVD)
- Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment (2005) (United Kingdom) (DVD)
- Nelonen (2005) (Finland) (tv)
- Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2010) (Germany) (Blu-ray)
- Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2010) (Sweden) (DVD)
- Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2010) (United States) (Blu-ray)
- Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2011) (Japan) (Blu-ray)
- Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2012) (Netherlands) (Blu-ray)
- Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2017) (Germany) (Ultra HD Blu-ray)
- Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2017) (Netherlands) (Ultra HD Blu-ray)
Special Effects
Other Companies
- Columbia Pictures (is the author of this film (motion picture) for the purpose of copyright and other laws)
- Equipment and Construction Co. (bridge constructed by)
- Government of Ceylon (the producers gratefully acknowledge the co-operation and help extended to them by the various departments of, during the course of the production of the film)
- Husband & Co. of Sheffield (consulting engineers for the bridge)
- MTI Film (restoration services)
- OCS/Freeze Frame/Pixel Magic (negative restoration by) (restoration)
- Polyphony Digital (thanks)
- Sony Pictures Studios (sound services at) (restoration)
- Sunset Gower Studios (sound stages)
- The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (music played by)
Storyline
Plot Summary |
During WW II, allied POWs in a Japanese internment camp are ordered to build a bridge to accommodate the Burma-Siam railway. Their instinct is to sabotage the bridge, but under the leadership of Colonel Nicholson they're persuaded the bridge should be built to help morale, spirit. At first, the prisoners admire Nicholson when he bravely endures torture rather than compromise his principles for the benefit of Japanese Commandant Colonel Saito, but soon they realise it's a monument to Nicholson, himself, as well as a form of collaboration with the enemy. Written by alfiehitchie |
Plot Keywords | |
Taglines | The towering triumph of adventure from the makers of "Lawrence of Arabia." See more » |
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Parents Guide | View content advisory » |
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Box Office
Budget | $3,000,000 (estimated) |
Cumulative Worldwide Gross | $2,760,714 |
Did You Know?
Trivia | Colonel Saito was inspired by Major Risaburo Saito, who, unlike the character portrayed in this movie, was said by some to be one of the most reasonable and humane of all of the Japanese officers, usually willing to negotiate with the P.O.W.s in return for their labor. Such was the respect between Saito and Lieutenant Colonel Toosey (upon whom Colonel Nicholson was based), that Toosey spoke up on Saito's behalf at the war crimes tribunal after the war, saving him from the gallows. Ten years after Toosey's 1975 death, Saito made a pilgrimage to England to visit his grave. See more » |
Goofs | Japan was not a signatory of the Geneva Conventions until 1953, therefore there was no expectation by Allied prisoners of being treated in accordance with them. In fact, the Japanese treatment of prisoners led to the review and update of the conventions in 1949. See more » |
Movie Connections | Edited into The Geisha Boy (1958). See more » |
Soundtracks | Colonel Bogey March See more » |
Crazy Credits | And introducing Geoffrey Horne See more » |
Quotes |
Maj. Warden:
You'll go on without me. That's an order. You're in command now, Shears. Commander Shears: You make me sick with your heroics! There's a stench of death about you. You carry it in your pack like the plague. Explosives and L-pills - they go well together, don't they? And with you it's just one thing or the other: destroy a bridge or destroy yourself. This is just a game, this war! You and Colonel Nicholson, you're two of a kind, crazy with courage. For what? How to die like a gentleman, how to die by the rules - when the only important thing is how to live like a human being!... I'm not going to leave you here to die, Warden, because I don't care about your bridge and I don't care about your rules. If we go on, we go on together. See more » |