The Way Ahead (1944)

War Movie Starring: David Niven,Peter Ustinov, Stanley Holloway, Trevor Howard, William Hartnell, John Laurie and Jimmy Hanley.


After an infantry battalion has suffered casualties at Dunkirk, the gaps in the ranks must be filled by `call-ups'. The men that arrive range from a boilerman and a rent collector to a nervous business man.

At the outset of World War II, a disparate group of civilians undergo basic training and prepare to fight - and die - for their country. The recruits include men from all classes, education and professions. At first, they object to their regimented lifestyle and resent the constant supervision of their training sergeant. Gradually, they learn their new skills and develop pride in what they are doing. Destined to be part of the invasion of French North Africa, their ship is nearly sunk. They soon find themselves fighting the Germans and putting their training to good use.

This is a good film that was intended to bolster morale during World War II. The cast is very good and headed by David Niven. This is a story primarily of 8 men of different backgrounds who survive their basic training and end up driving Rommel out of North Africa. The film is primarily about how men develop character when push comes to shove and there isn't a whole lot of action. Good story and worth seeing for the strong cast alone.
Memorable Quotes from the Film;

1. Pvt. Ted Brewer: Only one good man ever got into Parliament.
2. Pvt. Herbert Davenport: Oh really? Who?
3. Pvt. Ted Brewer: Bleedin' Guy Fawkes. 

Watch Movie; The Way Ahead

Related Trivia;

THE WAY AHEAD (1944) Directed by: Carlo Reed Cast: David Niven (Region 2 PAL Import Edition) NON-U.S. FORMAT

David Niven reports in his autobiography that the film was shown for many years for training at Sandhurst (the British Army's officer training school).

The film was still used for officer training in Australia as recently as 1983.

At the time the movie was made, David Niven, who plays a lieutenant, was actually a British Army major serving on operations in WWII.

This started life as an Army training and instructional film, "The New Lot," written by Peter Ustinov and Eric Ambler and starring some of the cast that finished up in "The Way Ahead" (Niven came in later). The training film had upset some Army top brass with its frankness and was suppressed. It has recently re-emerged thanks to a copy found in an archive.

This movie is an expanded remake of the Army Kinematograph Service film The New Lot (1943).

First cinema film of Renée Asherson.

This film's opening prologue is a quote of the definition of the word Army from Enyclopedia Brittanica. It states: "AN ARMY - A considerable body of men, armed, organised and disciplined, to act together for purposes of warfare."

This film's writers Eric Ambler and Peter Ustinov and director Carol Reed all previously worked together and made the training film, The New Lot (1943). The following actors John Laurie, Raymond Huntley and Peter Ustinov appeared in both The New Lot (1943) and this movie.

In the United States of America, this film was edited down and shortened and re-titled as "The Immortal Battalion", while an edited shorter version was also made for American television.

In the United Kingdom, this movie was released on the famous World War II date of D-Day i.e. the 6th of June, 1944.

This film stars David Niven who himself was a Major in the British Army.

Apparently, Wartime British Prime Minister Winston Churchill asked star David Niven about the possibility of making a film which would pay homage to the British Army the way In Which We Serve (1942) had paid homage to the British Navy. Niven then contacted director Carol Reed with the proposal of expanding their earlier training film, The New Lot (1943).

First film screen debut of English actor Trevor Howard in an uncredited role as an Officer on a Ship.

The book The Film Business - A history of british cinema 1896-1972 by Ernest Betts states this film " . . . was originally made as a War Office instructional film under the title The New Lot, but was later developed into a full-length commercial feature at the suggestion of Filippo Del Giudice."

According to the book A History of the Cinema from its origins to 1970 by Eric Rhode, "Eric Ambler and Peter Ustinov were commissioned to write a script that would encourage enlistment in the infantry and were obliged to show . . . skepticism give way to admiration."


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