D-Day The Sixth Of June (1956)

Just a few hours before they participate in  the Normandy landing known as D-Day, an American Captain (Robert Taylor) and a British Colonel (Richard Todd) each reflect on the woman they love back in London. But in this case, it's the same woman (Dana Wynter). Based on the novel by Lionel Shapiro and directed by Henry Koster (THE ROBE). Despite the film's title, this is a wartime romance with only about 15 minutes actually devoted to the Normandy invasion. Although second billed, Todd's participation in the film is fairly minimal. The film concentrates on the Taylor/Wynter romance and indeed, the film belongs to Wynter rather than the two males. In fact, Koster gives her the film's very last shot as if to emphasize this. Focusing on what it is (a wartime romance) rather than what it isn't (a historical account of the D-Day invasion), it's very good. Filmed on the Fox backlot with California beaches standing in for the Normandy coast, Koster still manages to give us the convincing atmosphere of wartime England. If there's any downside, it's Edmond O'Brien's overacting, he can't seem to sit still for a minute! Lyn Murray's underscore relies too much on the WWII standard You'll Never Know which permeates the score. With John Williams, Robert Gist, Jerry Paris and Cyril Delevanti.