Pte. Evans Kenji Takaki as Tojo Production Associated British bought the film rights in April 1959. The film was shot at Elstree Studios in 1960, where Richard Todd had starred in The Dam Busters a few years earlier. Todd loathed making this film, as he didn't get along with Laurence Harvey, In an interview many years later, he said, "I didn't enjoy working with Laurence Harvey... I took it for granted that they would cast Peter O'Toole, who was marvellous on stage, but they said they wanted a 'name'". Richard Harris later claimed Todd would stand on top of mounds of dirt to seem as tall as his co-stars. Leslie Norman was also unhappy he had to cast Laurence Harvey instead of Peter O'Toole. He felt Laurence Harvey and Richard Harris "let the film down... Harris because he resented Laurence Harvey, despised him and they didn't get on with Richard Todd". Norman says "I was very pleased with my side of the film in the end. It was all made in a studio, we never set foot outside for a month. I asked to go on location, but a jungle's pretty claustrophobic, for sure". Reception Box office According to Kine Weekly, the 12 most popular films at the British box office in 1961 were, in order, Swiss Family Robinson, The Magnificent Seven, Saturday Night and Sunday Morning, 101 Dalmatians, Polyanna, The Rebel, The Sundowners, Whistle Down the Wind, Butterfield 8, Carry On Regardless, The Parent Trap and The Long and the Short and the Tall. References External links 1961 films 1961 war films British war films British black-and-white films 1960s English-language films Pacific War films World War II prisoner of war films 1958 plays British plays British films based on plays Films set in 1942 Films set in Myanmar Films shot at Associated British Studios Films directed by Leslie Norman Films produced by Michael Balcon Films with screenplays by Wolf Mankowitz 1960s British films