Carve Her Name with Pride
Encyclopedia
Carve Her Name with Pride is a 1958
British
drama film
based on the book of the same name by R.J. Minney. Set during World War II
, the film is based on the true story of the heroism of Special Operations Executive
agent Violette Szabo
, with Virginia McKenna
in the lead role.
The film includes the reading of the poem The Life That I Have
, written by Leo Marks
and given to Szabo as she left for a mission in Nazi
-occupied France.
The uncredited part played by Michael Caine
(a prisoner on a German prison train bombed by the RAF
who leans forward and calls to Violette Szabo for water) in real life was the war hero F. F. E. Yeo-Thomas
(as recorded by Leo Marks
in Chapter 76 of his book Between Silk and Cyanide
).
and mother is French
, living in London
during World War II
. She meets a French Army
officer, Etienne Szabo stationed in the city, and within three days they become engaged to be married. They have a daughter together; a young girl named Tania, but Etienne never sees her as he is killed fighting in North Africa
.
Because of her linguistic skills, the widowed Violette is employed as a spy by the British government. On her first mission, she travels to Rouen
to discover how many of the French Resistance
movement have survived, but is forced to flee back to England when a Nazi officer discovers her identity.
Violette later returns to France on a second mission, but is captured and taken to Ravensbrück concentration camp
in Germany
, where she is executed.
1958 in film
The year 1958 in film involved some significant events.-Events:* February 16- "In the Money" by William Beaudine is released on this date. It would be the last installment of The Bowery Boys series which began back in 1946....
British
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
drama film
Drama film
A drama film is a film genre that depends mostly on in-depth development of realistic characters dealing with emotional themes. Dramatic themes such as alcoholism, drug addiction, infidelity, moral dilemmas, racial prejudice, religious intolerance, poverty, class divisions, violence against women...
based on the book of the same name by R.J. Minney. Set during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, the film is based on the true story of the heroism of Special Operations Executive
Special Operations Executive
The Special Operations Executive was a World War II organisation of the United Kingdom. It was officially formed by Prime Minister Winston Churchill and Minister of Economic Warfare Hugh Dalton on 22 July 1940, to conduct guerrilla warfare against the Axis powers and to instruct and aid local...
agent Violette Szabo
Violette Szabo
Violette Reine Elizabeth Bushell Szabo, GC, was a Second World War French-British secret agent.-Early life and marriage:...
, with Virginia McKenna
Virginia McKenna
Virginia A. McKenna OBE is a British stage and screen actress, author and wildlife campaigner.-Early career:McKenna trained as an actress at the Central School of Speech and Drama then worked on stage in London's West End theatres before making her motion picture debut in 1952...
in the lead role.
The film includes the reading of the poem The Life That I Have
The Life That I Have
The Life That I Have is a short poem written by Leo Marks and used as a poem code in the Second World War....
, written by Leo Marks
Leo Marks
Leopold Samuel Marks was an English cryptographer, screenwriter and playwright.-Early life:Born the son of an antiquarian bookseller in London, he was first introduced to cryptography when his father showed him a copy of Edgar Allan Poe's story, "The Gold-Bug"...
and given to Szabo as she left for a mission in Nazi
Nazism
Nazism, the common short form name of National Socialism was the ideology and practice of the Nazi Party and of Nazi Germany...
-occupied France.
The uncredited part played by Michael Caine
Michael Caine
Sir Michael Caine, CBE is an English actor. He won Academy Awards for best supporting actor in both Hannah and Her Sisters and The Cider House Rules ....
(a prisoner on a German prison train bombed by the RAF
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
who leans forward and calls to Violette Szabo for water) in real life was the war hero F. F. E. Yeo-Thomas
F. F. E. Yeo-Thomas
Wing Commander Forest Frederick Edward "Tommy" Yeo-Thomas, GC, MC & Bar, Croix de guerre , Commandeur of the Légion d'honneur, was the British Special Operations Executive agent codenamed "The White Rabbit" during World War II...
(as recorded by Leo Marks
Leo Marks
Leopold Samuel Marks was an English cryptographer, screenwriter and playwright.-Early life:Born the son of an antiquarian bookseller in London, he was first introduced to cryptography when his father showed him a copy of Edgar Allan Poe's story, "The Gold-Bug"...
in Chapter 76 of his book Between Silk and Cyanide
Between Silk and Cyanide: A Codemaker's Story 1941-1945
Between Silk and Cyanide is the title of a book by former Special Operations Executive cryptographer Leo Marks, describing his work during the Second World War. More fully, its title is Between Silk and Cyanide, The Story of SOE's Code War...
).
Plot
Violette Szabo is a young woman whose father is EnglishEngland
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
and mother is French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, living in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. She meets a French Army
French Army
The French Army, officially the Armée de Terre , is the land-based and largest component of the French Armed Forces.As of 2010, the army employs 123,100 regulars, 18,350 part-time reservists and 7,700 Legionnaires. All soldiers are professionals, following the suspension of conscription, voted in...
officer, Etienne Szabo stationed in the city, and within three days they become engaged to be married. They have a daughter together; a young girl named Tania, but Etienne never sees her as he is killed fighting in North Africa
North Africa
North Africa or Northern Africa is the northernmost region of the African continent, linked by the Sahara to Sub-Saharan Africa. Geopolitically, the United Nations definition of Northern Africa includes eight countries or territories; Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, South Sudan, Sudan, Tunisia, and...
.
Because of her linguistic skills, the widowed Violette is employed as a spy by the British government. On her first mission, she travels to Rouen
Rouen
Rouen , in northern France on the River Seine, is the capital of the Haute-Normandie region and the historic capital city of Normandy. Once one of the largest and most prosperous cities of medieval Europe , it was the seat of the Exchequer of Normandy in the Middle Ages...
to discover how many of the French Resistance
French Resistance
The French Resistance is the name used to denote the collection of French resistance movements that fought against the Nazi German occupation of France and against the collaborationist Vichy régime during World War II...
movement have survived, but is forced to flee back to England when a Nazi officer discovers her identity.
Violette later returns to France on a second mission, but is captured and taken to Ravensbrück concentration camp
Ravensbrück concentration camp
Ravensbrück was a notorious women's concentration camp during World War II, located in northern Germany, 90 km north of Berlin at a site near the village of Ravensbrück ....
in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, where she is executed.
Primary cast
- Virginia McKennaVirginia McKennaVirginia A. McKenna OBE is a British stage and screen actress, author and wildlife campaigner.-Early career:McKenna trained as an actress at the Central School of Speech and Drama then worked on stage in London's West End theatres before making her motion picture debut in 1952...
: Violette SzaboViolette SzaboViolette Reine Elizabeth Bushell Szabo, GC, was a Second World War French-British secret agent.-Early life and marriage:... - Paul ScofieldPaul ScofieldDavid Paul Scofield, CH, CBE , better known as Paul Scofield, was an English actor of stage and screen...
: Tony Fraser - Jack WarnerJack Warner (actor)Jack Warner OBE was an English film and television actor. He is closely associated with the role of PC George Dixon, which he played until the age of eighty....
: Mr. Charles Bushell - Denise GreyDenise GreyDenise Grey was a French actress.- Selected filmography :* Devil in the Flesh * The Sheep Has Five Legs * Bombs on Monte Carlo * La boum * A Fine Romance...
: Mrs. Bushell - Alain Saury : Etienne Szabo
- Maurice RonetMaurice RonetMaurice Ronet was a French film actor, director and writer.-Biography:Maurice Ronet was born Maurice Julien Marie Robinet in Nice, Alpes Maritimes, the only child of professional stage actors Émile Robinet and Gilberte Dubreuil. He made his stage debut in 1941, along side his parents, in Sacha...
: Jacques - Anne Leon : Lilian RolfeLilian RolfeLilian Vera Rolfe was an Allied secret agent in World War II.-Early life:...
- Sydney TaflerSydney TaflerSydney Tafler , was a British film and television actor, first appearing in London's West End in 1936, after two years at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, with Sir Seymour Hicks in The Man in Dress Clothes....
: Potter - Avice LandoneAvice LandoneAvice Landone was a British actress who appeared in British television and film. She was born in Quetta, British India in 1908 and made her screen debut in the 1948 film My Brother Jonathon. Between 1970 and 1972 she played the role of Margaret Brown in the television series Man at the Top...
: Vera AtkinsVera AtkinsVera Atkins, CBE was a British Intelligence Officer during World War II.-Early life:... - Nicole StéphaneNicole StéphaneNicole Stéphane was a French actress, producer and director. As an actress, she is mostly known for her role in two films by Jean-Pierre Melville, Les Enfants terribles and Le Silence de la mer.The elder of the two daughters of Baron James-Henri de Rothschild and his first wife, Claude Dupont,...
: Denise BlochDenise BlochDenise Madeleine Bloch was a French secret agent working with the British Special Operations Executive in World War II.- Early life :... - Noel WillmanNoel WillmanNoel Willman was a Irish actor and theatre director of English descent..His films included Androcles and the Lion , The Man Who Knew Too Much , Across the Bridge , Carve Her Name with Pride , The Kiss of the Vampire , Doctor Zhivago , The Reptile...
: Interrogator - Bill Owen : NCO Instructor
- Billie WhitelawBillie WhitelawBillie Honor Whitelaw, CBE is an English actress. She worked in close collaboration with Irish playwright Samuel Beckett for 25 years and is regarded as one of the foremost interpreters of his works...
: Winnie - William MervynWilliam MervynWilliam Mervyn was an English actor best known for his portrayal of the Bishop in the clerical comedy All Gas and Gaiters.-Life and career:...
: Colonel Maurice BuckmasterMaurice BuckmasterColonel Maurice James Buckmaster OBE was the leader of the French section of Special Operations Executive and was awarded the Croix de Guerre. He was a corporate manager with the French branch of the Ford Motor Company, in the postwar years serving in Dagenham... - Michael GoodliffeMichael GoodliffeLawrence Michael Andrew Goodliffe was an English actor best known for playing suave roles such as doctors, lawyers and army officers. He was also sometimes cast in working class parts....
: Coding expert - André MaranneAndré MaranneAndré Maranne is an Anglo-French actor who appeared chiefly in English-language roles from the mid 1950s.-Career:Born in Toulouse, France, Maranne's most prominent recurring role was Sergeant François Chevalier in six of The Pink Panther films, alongside Peter Sellers and Herbert Lom. Before the...
: Garage Man - Harold LangHarold LangHarold Lang was an American dancer and actor.-Biography:Lang began his professional career as a ballet dancer, making his professional debut with the San Francisco Ballet in 1938 and then going on to perform with the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo two years later and American Ballet Theatre in 1943...
: Commandant Suhren - Michael CaineMichael CaineSir Michael Caine, CBE is an English actor. He won Academy Awards for best supporting actor in both Hannah and Her Sisters and The Cider House Rules ....
: Wing Commander Forest Frederick Edward Yeo-Thomas (uncredited) - John Moulder-Brown : Bit Part (uncredited)