They Who Dare
| Company type | Film |
|---|---|
| Industry | Motion picture |
| Founded | 1954 |
| Founder | Lewis Milestone (director) |
| Headquarters | United Kingdom |
| Products | War film |
They Who Dare is a 1954 British World War II war film helmed by director Lewis Milestone, featuring performances from Dirk Bogarde, Denholm Elliott, and Akim Tamiroff. Distributed by British Lion Films in the UK and Allied Artists Pictures in the United States, the film portrays Operation Anglo, a WWII special forces operation conducted in the Dodecanese islands with the objective of neutralizing Axis airfields that posed a threat to Allied troops in Egypt. The movie's title alludes to the Special Air Service's motto: "Who Dares Wins".
Plot
Set during the Second World War, Lieutenant Graham leads a team tasked with demolishing two Italian airstrips on Rhodes that endanger Allied positions in Egypt. His group comprises six operatives from the Special Boat Service, alongside two Greek officers and a pair of local guides.
After being transported covertly by submarine, they make landfall on an isolated shore and navigate mountainous terrain en route to their targets. Once there, the team divides into two assault groups to infiltrate the airbases, successfully destroying enemy aircraft, although two members are captured during the mission.
As enemy patrols pursue them, eight operatives are taken prisoner; only Lieutenant Graham and Sergeant Corcoran evade capture and reach their extraction point, where they are retrieved by submarine despite ongoing enemy surveillance.
Cast
- Dirk Bogarde portraying Lieutenant Graham
- Denholm Elliott as Sergeant Corcoran
- Akim Tamiroff in the role of Captain George One
- Harold Siddons playing Lieutenant Stevens R.N.
- Eric Pohlmann as Captain Papadapoulos
- William Russell appearing as Lieutenant Poole (credited under Russell Enoch)
- Gérard Oury as Captain George Two
- Sam Kydd in the role of Marine Boyd
- Peter Burton as Marine Barrett
- David Peel portraying Sergeant Evans
- Michael Mellinger as Toplis
- Alec Mango playing Patroklis
- Anthea Leigh as Marika
- Eileen Way as a Greek woman
- Lisa Gastoni portraying George Two's girlfriend
- Kay Callard as nightclub singer
- Robert Rietty in the role of an Italian officer
- Christopher Rhodes as a German officer
Production
Portions of They Who Dare were filmed on-site in both Cyprus and Malta, with former Special Boat Service officer Walter Milner Barry acting as technical consultant. Survivor David Sutherland contributed his firsthand account to screenwriter Robert Westerby. Interior scenes were produced at Shepperton Studios, with set designs created by art director Donald M. Ashton.
Although Lewis Milestone revised the screenplay, producer Setton took charge of re-editing the final cut, which ultimately received unfavorable reviews. Dirk Bogarde recalled a critic deriding the title with the quip How Dare They.
For authenticity, two Savoia-Marchetti SM.79 aircraft were provided by the Lebanese Air Force for filming purposes. Milestone mandated that actors carry heavy backpacks—initially weighing 90 lbs (40 kg), subsequently reduced to 60 lbs (27 kg)—and underwent a week of physical training prior to shooting to reflect realistic conditions.
Critical reception
The Monthly Film Bulletin regarded the film as unsatisfactory both as an adventure narrative and character-driven drama, pointing out unclear plot elements and unpersuasive performances from Bogarde and Elliott. The screenplay was faulted for its lack of depth and indecisiveness, underscoring Milestone’s reliance on strong writing.
Hal Erickson described it as one of Milestone’s lesser-known sound-era films, recounting exploits of Britain's Special Boat Squadron based on survivor testimonies; however, Bogarde noted that much of the film was improvised during production.
British critic Leslie Halliwell labeled it a "grim war actioner" characterized by noise but minimal emotional effect. David Quinlan assigned it a "good" rating, describing it as an intense yet shallow wartime adventure.
The Radio Times Guide to Films awarded it 2 out of 5 stars, considering it a lackluster commando raid story despite credible action scenes; much of the dialogue was improvised and regarded as careless.