WHERE EAGLES DARE – The Early BBC Broadcasts

WHERE EAGLES DARE – The Early BBC Broadcasts

It’s strange how many memories are sparked by a simple reminder of a TV broadcast of a certain film, at a certain time and place. 

Just recently this month, a few friends of mine were chatting about the first ever showing on British Television of Where Eagles Dare. Perhaps it was in the fact that it was a Christmas season showing, the Christmas of 1979 in fact. In 1979 a great deal of us were of course still in our teenage years and anticipation for films on television back then almost seemed like an event. 

One has to of course remember that back in 1979 there were simply just three channels on UK Television, BBC 1, BBC 2 and the reginal ITV channel. Today – the choice is seemingly endless, but back in the day, we were far less spoilt for choice, factors which again made a TV showing something special.

(Left Christmas 1979 edition of Radio Times)

Personally, I was quite lucky to capture Where Eagles Dare on a big screen as a kid while still at school. We were fortunate enough to have a film club once every couple of weeks in the evening. A particular film was hired on 16mm (I think from Rank’s rental library) and the film was shown in an assembly hall by a teacher on a rather large screen which dropped down over the school stage. It was a nice treat, although the film was flat as opposed to scope it at least gave us an opportunity to experience the film in some sort of large-scale grandeur. Plus, I had a regular job of stacking all the chairs at the end of the evening – the reward being a quad poster for my efforts – so Where Eagles Dare was already gracing my bedroom wall! 

Nevertheless, for the film to turn up on BBC Television over the Christmas season was still a cause to celebrate. A great deal of us still have such vivid memories of this TV ‘premiere’, and the joy it provided. 

Back in 79 of course there were no 16:9 TV sets, no widescreen broadcasts, so instead we had to enjoy this film in a panned and scanned version, and if lucky, perhaps on a 25” or a monster 26” glass blown tube. But hey, we never knew any different and it really didn’t matter.

So, Where Eagles Dare premiered on British TV at 7.10pm on the 26th December 1979 – some 11 years after its original cinema release – and for the next 150mins we sat glued while no doubt rifling through a large tin of Quality Street. Thanks to the excellent TVARK, the original Christmas Day BBC promo still exists – and is archived for future generations to enjoy HERE. 

Video cassettes were still a little way off in 1979 and wouldn’t really enter the mainstream until a couple of years later in the early 1980’s. So fans would have to wait a little over a year to get a second viewing of their favourite World war II adventure. The Easter season of 1981 in fact, when the film was shown again on BBC 1 on Easter Monday, April 20th 1981 at 7.20pm. 

I remember this showing particularly well and for personal reasons. With VHS and Betamax recorders starting to appear on the market, I was getting close to putting down a deposit on my first Video Cassette recorder – a Ferguson 3V23 VHS recorder – which was an incredibly expensive bit of equipment at the time, and I think the first front loading machine. I remember Where Eagles Dare was this time being shown as part of a short Eastwood season being shown on BBC Television. The season consisted of 3 movies, starting with A Fistful of Dollars shown on Monday April 13th, Where Eagles Dare the following week on April 20th, and For a Few Dollars More concluding the season on Monday 27th April. April was my birthday month and birthday money was going towards the deposit on the Video cassette recorder – but I just couldn’t get it together in time – but it was with thanks to a lovely cousin of mine who stepped in and recorded all 3 movies for me on some brand new E-180 Scotch tapes. At last, I owned 3 great Eastwood movies, mine to watch, anytime I wished, it was the beginning of a new era! 

In preparing this little journey down memory lane, I pulled the old April 1981 edition of the Clint Eastwood Appreciation Society magazine – only to find full confirmation of these dates, thanks to our good friend Dave Turner who put these vital publications together for us back in the day, they truly were a lifeline. 

It’s funny how 1979 was such a significant year, it was also around this time, as a 15-year-old kid that I starting to attend film fairs – a pathway which began this crazy world of collecting memorabilia. Perhaps it was fate, but the very first 10” x 8” still I ever bought was… yes, from Where Eagles Dare, a simple shot of Clint and Burton in the snow during the shooting of the movie – what I paid for it now escape me, but if it was more than 20p I’d be a little surprised. Great years and great memories.  

Below: The first b/w glossy I ever bought