Lights, Camber, action

It was 47 years ago when Sir Michael Caine and Glenda Jackson starred together in The Romantic Englishwoman and now they are reunited as screen husband and wife in his latest film The Great Escaper.

This week locals in Camber were treated to a visit by Sir Michael and his film crew as they started filming on the famous sands, a very popular location used in many films over the years. Sir Michael plays a wheelchair bound war veteran, intent on celebrating D-Day in a true-life story based on the life of war veteran Bernhard Jordan. In 2014 he “escaped” from The Pines care home in Hove, embarking on a cross channel adventure and a mission to get to Normandy to attend the 70th anniversary of the D-Day landings in France during the second world war.

Michael, now 89, was spotted in a wheelchair as he prepared to shoot his scenes on Camber Sands, sporting a green cardigan to which was attached an array of campaign medals as he embodied the real-life war veteran. Bernhard Jordan’s disappearance from The Pines sparked a large police search at the time and his whereabouts was only uncovered when he was spotted on a coach.

Bernie’s adventure, which spanned a mere 48 hours also marked the culmination of his 60-year marriage to Rene, played by Glenda Jackson. A synopsis for the new film reads: “It was a story that captured the imagination of the world – Bernie seemed to embody the defiant, ‘can do’ spirit of a generation that was fast disappearing. But of course, it wasn’t the whole story. It was the story we all tell ourselves to make war and old age bearable. The bitter-sweet script explores the reality with wit and a very big heart.”

Following Bernie Jordan’s return to East Sussex, the mayor of Brighton and Hove said the war veteran should be honoured with the freedom of his home city, a highly coveted honour previously awarded to a select few including first world war hero Henry Allingham, Olympic champion Steve Ovett and Burmese democracy campaigner, Aung San Suu Kyi.

Camber has been alive with activity of a different sort in the last few days, extra cast members have been hurriedly recruited as there was a need for men and women, over the age of 75 (or who looked that age at least) to play veterans. Bar la Normande appeared from nowhere and a poster celebrating the 70th anniversary of the D-Day Normandy landings (6 June 2014) could be seen flying from a flagpole.

The film is being directed from an original screenplay written by William Ivory, best known for his work on Made in Dagenham and Common As Muck whilst BAFTA nominated director Oliver Parker, whose film credits include An Ideal Husband, St Trinian’s and cult horror classic Hellraiser, has been drafted in to steer the project.

With a duo of A-list iconic actors leading the cast, a fascinating true-life story to get us all hooked, a stunning location using one of the UK’s most beautiful beaches and with the addition of a group of aging local extras to swell the ranks, surely this is very likely to a blockbuster in the making?

Rye News would like to register its thanks to Lynney Hurring and Amanda English for their help with this article and for allowing us to use their photographs.

Image Credits: Lynney Hurring , Amanda English .