On Saturday, I was watching the World War 2 British Film, “ In which we serve” starring the screen greats Sir Noel Coward and Sir John Mills, the film is based on the real events of the sinking of HMS Kelly, commanded by Lord Mountbatten. In this film, a young sailor abandon’s his position under enemy fire, the Captain despite this man’s cowardice forgives him in front of the crew, later on in this film, this young sailor dies of his wounds after the ship sinks, the actor who played that young sailor was Lord Attenborough in his first credited screen role.
While
watching BBC news on Sunday Night, it was announced that Lord Attenborough had
died a few days before his 91st Birthday. I like many of you have watched films where
Richard Attenborough has either directed or starred in. Every time I watch him in the Great
Escape, I keep wishing he escapes the
trap that the German’s have set for the character he played Sqn Ldr Roger Bartlett RAF ("Big X"),
later on the film 50 of the 73 escapees are shot by the German’s, including Sqn Ldr Roger Bartlett.
In
some ways because they’re on TV on a regular basis, I feel that I’ve grown up watching Lord
Attenborough’s film’s, his stand out
role as RSM Lauderdale in the Guns of Batasi particular sticks in my mind. I remember
when I was part of the Christian Union in Secondary School we went to see Richard’s
Attenborough’s classic film Gandhi starring Sir Ben Kingsley as the Indian
Independence Leader Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi,
I remember being very moved and challenged by that film, although he retired from acting in films and
he went on to direct films, he later
returned to acting both in the two of the Jurassic Park films playing John Hammond
and in the 1994 remake of the classic “The Miracle on 34th Street” playing
Kris Kringle/Santa Claus.
Lord
Attenborough was an inspiration to many people,
and his bravery when one of his daughter’s and one of his granddaughters
died in the 2005 Tsunami was inspirational in the face of that heart wrenching loss stands tall, he is survived by his widow, two of his children
and his brother Sir David Attenborough.
Lord Attenborough we salute you and thank you for both entertaining,
informing and challenging us for 60 plus years.
