I was in the Canadian Army and had the great fortune to have met and had beers with several Canadian members of the Devil's Brigade in our mess. Great lads, every one of them. I got some real history lessons directly from the legends themselves.
Interservice rivalry: In 1943, my father was training with the Canadian 1st Division at Aldershot. He and a friend were the only two Canadians in a pub one night. When the landlord called "Time, gentlemen, please!", a British soldier yelled, "They're not gentlemen! They're bloody Canadians!" The fight was on. As my dad said, "We put our backs together and hit anything that came near. Then we dove out the back as the provosts came in the front." So, yeah, there was interservice (and international) rivalry.
Thebar brawl really did happen, but it wasn't the catalyst bringing the two sides together. There never was a rift between them in the first place. From the moment the canadians first arrived they were well received by the americans. The bar brawl happened to show the locals that if they wanted to take on one of them they would have to take on the whole lot That espirit de corps is ubiquitous to all military units.That espirit de corps only grew as they went through many battles together. When the regiment was disbanded the american soldiers refused to close ranks and take the place where their canadian comrades priviously stood. There is still a monument to this day in Montana commemorating the First Special Service Force. FSSF
That's Richard Dawson in the kilt. You might know him from Hogan's Heroes TV Series (1965-1971), The Running Man (1987), and Family Feud TV Series (1976-1985)
In my opinion his resemblance to William E. Fairnbairn is intentional, with the short hair, smooth cheeks and round glasses. The difference is that Fairnbairn is the real deal, a genuine hand-to-hand expert who instructed a lot of special operations people in the deadly art of killing. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_E._Fairbairn
@@Shamacanada Thank you, that proves correct and adds more context to the film. Geez, when they recruit for special forces instructors they get the most dangerous men ever.
The big American guy was played by Claud Akins, a fairly well known character actor who appeared in movies and TV shows from the 50s up until the 90s. The film starred big-time stars William Holden, Cliff Robertson and Dana Andrews. The kilted guy in the bar scene was Richard Dawson, who played in the movie Running Man and the TV series Hogan's Heroes. K I have a joke for you. What does a Scotman wear under his kilt? Your wifes lipstick! Alba go bragh! 🏴🏴🏴
I had the honour to play the pipes for a reunion that the Canadian members of the Devils Brigade had in Nanaimo back in the 90's when there were still a number of them around. Sadly, I don't think there are many left.
This clip, while fictional, demonstrates how different branches of the Military may bicker and fight but band together when outsiders interfere. That said, yes there was a Rivally between the Canadians and American troops. They were bonded together with blood
I had a relative with the first Canadian division in italy (not in this unit) and the comment from him when this movie came out was that they got along great with the Yanks.
Cpl Peacock- Jack Watson later stared in the Wild Geese '78. He was in the military as a PE instructor. He died in 1999. Although not widely known in America he has 130 films to his credit beginning in 1938.
@@bluerock4456 Ya, out of Quebec city, I thought they were left over of the french times, Volto is a french term for skirmishers so I always just assumed.
That was Gene Fullmer (The Mormon Mauler) who had been World Middleweight Champ after defeating Sugar Ray Robinson. The head townie lumberjack was the legendary former Green Bay Packer halfback Paul Hornung
There is always tension between us CDN/USA even during peace time training. Just have a night off and throw in some booze and get ready to rumble. Next day back to work, all friends again.
Speaking from personal experience there's always been a certain rivalry between allies put in a situation where they serve a common cause. This kind of rivalry even exists among the different elements within the same nation, Navy vs Army vs Air Force. May include bar fights or general ribbing during joint exercises & the like. But when the feces hits the rotating oscillator they all come together to work against a common foe. The bar fight scene here is a perfect depiction of that. The rivalry creates a common bond within the various units, helps build morale, identity & team cohesion. William Holden was a fairly well known & popular actor during his career. Several cast members featured in popular long running TV series in the US. Carroll O'Connor in All In The Family and Richard Dawson in Hogan's Heroes. Both sitcoms with Hogan's Heroes set as a Prisoner of War camp in WW2 Germany.
A little reference. The guy with the glasses is a Canadian hand to hand combat instructor. In a scene before this, he's shown beating the Americans in hand to hand combat as a demonstration of his skills. Throughout the bar fight you see Americans using the moves he had demonstrated in training. That's why he congratulated that one American on his moves, before he got socked
There are different regiments in the Canadian military, but being part of the Commonwealth, our military was always linked with the UK and there is a lot of English, Scottish and Irish heritage here. Where I'm from, it's standard to hear a pipes and drums band playing Scotland the Brave at parades and events. It's as natural to me (having a grandmother who was a Campbell and Glaswegian) to hear it.
The bartender (who throws one punch ... and then looks at his fist smiling) was Gene Fullmer, a world middleweight boxing champion. It was his only movie appearance, just an interesting fact.
5:30 - The gag here is that the Rocky used the very same moves to take out the big lumberjack, as the Canadian hand-to-hand instructor (with the glasses) used on _him_ earlier in the film.
Yes, there is a scene available in RUclips clips that shows the hand-to-hand instructor beating up the character Rocky (Claude Akins) in the unit mess hall.
I went to the FSSF museum in Helena Montana last year where they trained. Special place dedicated to special men. I was named after my uncle who KIA at Anzio Beachead. Legends.
In general, Canadians and Americans are like sibling brothers. We drive each other crazy and pick on each other, but when we have a common enemy you absolutely do not want to F with us.
For this scene to be completely appreciated you have to watch the whole movie.up until now their commanders have been playing them against each other to enhance training. This scene was the first time they melded together a s a team. The commander was so proud that their punishment was confinement to barracks until they sobered up and a fine of $1 per man per month until the damages were laid off. And yes, both the far fight and the punishment were true.
Richard Dawson(kilted) Claud Aikens (American ) were the most famous actors in this scene. The leaders of the brigade (not in scene) were William Holden (American)and Cliff Robertson(Canadian)
William Holden, a famous actor from the Golden age of Hollywood (Stalag 17, Sunset Boulevard) is in it as well as someone who later often played on TV shows, Claude Akins (BJ and the Bear). Richard Dawson, who played on Hogan’s Heroes and later was the host of the game show Family Feud was also in it. Cliff Robertson was also a well-known actor and one of his later roles was as Uncle Ben in the Toby Maguire Spiderman movie (2002). And also Caroll O’Connor was in it and he is probably most famously remembered for playing Archie Bunker. Love your accent, btw!
The Canadians and Americans got along pretty well from the start. My favorite part of the movie comes later, when the Brigade is getting ready to scale Monte la Difensa. The silence except for men checking their weapons and gear seemed like the most authentic part of this enjoyable buy factually relaxed show.
Canadians and Americans are like family that don't always agree. One is louder and more brash and the other quietly gets things done without yelling about their accomplishments. Yet, when push comes to shove, we are family. Robin Williams described the relationship as Canadians are the nice neighbours living over the meth lab in the apartment below. Is this movie accurate? It's definitely been Hollywoodized, but it's a fun watch. Grab your popcorn, suspend your sense of disbelief and just enjoy the ride.
Claud Akins, who plays one of the bigger Yanks was featured in a number of war movies in the 1950's, '60s and '70s. He also starred in the TV series BJ and the Bear, and later in the spin-off series Sheriff Lobo where he played the same character. Richard Dawson, who played Newkirk in Hogan's Heroes is the man in the kilt. Cliff Robertson ,a great movie and TV actor. And Caroll O'Conner, who would go on to play Archie Bunker in All in the family.
Mixed emotions about this film. First off, Canada's contribution usually gets ignored in almost all movies about WW2 so it's hard to knock this one too much. That said, enjoy it for what it is, a fairly typical Hollywood film riddled with errors that is still fairly entertaining. I know, no one expects it to be a documentary. It is what it is. All war movies - even the best of them, take artistic license in order to make the film more enjoyable/watchable. First complaint (and I always get a lot of flak for saying this) the FSSF was never known as the Devil's Brigade. That invented nickname popped up out of the blue as the title of the 1966 book on which this 1968 movie was based. Unfortunately, this movie has cemented that name in lore. Some are going to get their panties in a twist and start talking about German diaries at Anzio. Yes there was a German diary. The writer of it referred to the Force as being 'black devils'. This was because they did a lot of patrolling at night and blackened their faces in order to limit their visibility. 'Black devils'. Not 'Devil's Brigade'. You will not find a historical publication predating 1966 that ever mentions that name. I've looked for years. I've talked with vets from the Force. There's no mention of it. The next unfortunate bit concerns choice of actors for Canadians. There were plenty of Canadians working in movies, it would have been nice to hire some of them instead of American Cliff Robertson with his fake Irish accent. At least Battle of Britain hired Christopher Plummer to play it's one token Canadian in that film. All that said, as a former member of the PPCLI, it is great that a decision was made to make the unarmed combat instructor a PPCLI Sgt. Even though the actual instructor was completely different and the actor playing him is an American. The interactions between him and Akins are funny. The next complaint is a little unfair given the limitations of telling a huge story in a limited time. The film only covers the formation, training and action in Italy up to the seizure of Monte la Difensa. This was a significant action for the Force, but, they did so much more. They particularly distinguished themselves at Anzio. Too bad there was insufficient time to tell the story right up to the disbandment in France. I do appreciate that trying to cram too much into the film would result in it being rushed. Perhaps some time could have been saved by dispensing with the silly 'capture the town' part with its bit about lining up all the POWs, captured vehicles etc outside the CO's window. Anyway. Entertaining. Shows Canada in a positive light. Has a few stars in it. Worth a watch.
I was born in December of 1949, so I was late to the ball. I learned a lot from Parents and a Grandmother (Dad's Mom) who all lived thru' the Great Depression and the War. Americans were very different back then; I remember so clearly how Dad would describe some of his best boyhood friends -- and tell me (in a manner that said it wasn't important) that This Guy was one he'd had a Knock-down-Drag-out fight with. There were several of them. I've seen it once, since - at a Salvation Army Summer camp; boys week. In any case, this brawl rings true for me.
I had a biker bar up the road during my 20s, and me and my friends would hang out there from time to time. Almost every Monday, I'd be walking home from my friend's house and the front windows would all be smashed out from a brawl we missed lol.
As a granddaughter of a Black Watch soldier , I can assure you , I was raised in a house that was filled with pipe and drum music . Regimental of course.
My father was in the Devil's Brigade in Italian campaign where he got hit with shrapnel in his head and he told me some stories about the war time and this movie I think was made as a tribute to these brave bunch of soldiers. This movie was tame as compared to the real thing. You had Claude Adtkins, William Holden, its been awhile since I seen this movie, this fight scene was supposed to bring both U.S. and Canadians together but well... the rest is history.
The Devil's Brigade settled in together with the one purpose in mind. The movie was somewhat tongue in cheek vis. the bar brawl which was pure comedy, especially the Canadians fighting in American jackets because they were strictly barred from fighting. The Brigade was the original Special Forces/Commandos joint unit and what they accomplished together is well the research. No bubble gum and no names, just dead quiet behind them. Frickin' terrifying lot they were.
Sir, I was the CO of Fort William Henry Harrison in Montana in 2010. I also helped write the history of the post and the First Special Service Force. Yes, this did happen. If you want more info, let me know, I can probably answer a lot of your questions.
Back in 1980 i attended a dinner reunion of the unit in Ottawa. To a man the members of the unit said the movie was nonsense. Funny how Hollywood can’t do a Canadian accent of find a Canadian actor.
It should be pointed out that the two Big soldiers, Rocky the American is Claude Atkins and Peacock the Canadian (with the ginger moustache) is Jack Watson, both famous for playing hard men. Watson was also in The Wild Geese, his war service was as a Physical Training instructor for the Royal Navy, leasing to many years playing military men in film and TV.
Shame you didn’t watch until they made it back to camp. The unit commander is very happy to see the unit “fighting as a unit” and his punishment for the infraction of company rules is priceless.
I think the movie is more about fancy than reality but it’s a patriotic tumble through history that’s enjoyable. As for the Scot on the bar in a kilt during a fight as the saying goes they had “balls so big no pants could contain them” lol
I loved the film and saw it when it came out but it was only decades later that I discovered that the most decorated Canadian soldier of WWII was a native Canadian, Thomas George Prince who served in the Devil's Brigade. Making a film about the unit without featuring its most decorated soldier is quite a sad reflection of the attitude of the film makers. There isn't a single non- White soldier in the entire film. Very 1960's.
There was a considerable amount of animosity amongst the Canadian and the American service personnel prior to the official formation of the first special service force, also known as the devil‘s brigade. The personnel that you questioned about one with the glasses that was Sergeant O’Neill, and he was actually a member of the first special service force in the Canadian division. He was the hand combat instructor. I don’t know if Corporal Peacock, or any of the other names mentioned in the movie , or actual people other than the American commanding officer, the American second command and the Canadian commanding officer, major chromm. Now going back to your previous video there is a very significant contribution to the Canadian military or the Canadian army, as well as influence from the Scottish Highland soldiers, majority of the soldiers that were a part of the first special service force were from the 48 Highlander of Canada as well as from the Vandos and black watch of Canada, there were other units that contributed personnel, including the Royal Winnipeg rifles, the gray and Simcoe foresters The Lake superior Scottish regiment, governor, general horse, guard, and members of the royal Canadian artillery. After the war, the first special service force was disbanded and set the foundation for the formation of not just the various special forces units within the United States military (i.e. army, rangers, Delta force, AF special forces, navy seals) as well as what started as Canadian forces special service force eventually changing into joint task force two.
My dad was in the FSSF and he and his comrades, had the pleasure of viewing the movie and without a doubt it was not well received. The movie is entertaining but nothing like what really occurred. The Canadians never marched in to Fort Harrison as was depicted in the movie. They arrived on a troop train like all the other soldiers.
Yes, this is a pivotal scene in the movie. I’m sure the Canadian/American rivalry was overdramatized, but this the scene when they came together as one unit.
That was a great movie, story goes there was great tension between the Americans and Canadian units. The units came from across various volunteers of Canada. Some West Nova Scotia Highlanders volunteered. Canada had some fearsome fighting units, Vandoos along with West Novies and so many more…. If you ever get a chance check out Rick Mercer talking to Americans, Rick had to apologize to a sitting US president.
There always been a rivalery with canada and the US but that mostly for fun, they fight together in a heart beat and many canadian and US soldiers spend time on the battlefield.
If you want to see a darker version of this, where nominally allied forces actually turned against one another, lookup the Battle of Brisbane; Battle of Manners Street; Battle of Bamber Bridge; and the Townsville mutiny.
The commonwealth forces had served in Asia. Fairborne and Sykes had been police officers in Hong Kong. They were able to learn from BJJ and Karate, Kung Fu and Muay Ti. They are the grandfathers of MMA. I highly recommend the book Natural Born Heroes.
when the highland clearances were happening a lot of scots were shipped to canada. the first canadian prime minister was scottish, Sir John Macdonald. the first european to traverse north america was scottish, Sir Alexander Mackenzie, the mackenzie river is named after him. nova scotia (new scotland), cape breton island in particular, has a lot of scottish ancestry - Colaisde na Gàidhlig / The Gaelic College is located there. Anne Murray, Rita MacNeil, The Rankin Family, Ashley MacIsaac, Natalie MacMaster, etc. are well known musicians that hail from that part of the world. hockey had it's beginnings in nova scotia too, before it was formalized in montreal. i have tulloch (black watch) as part of my ancestry.
There's a lot of Scottish heritage in Cape Breton & it's celebrated every year with different events. Gaelic road signs are a bit much for some traveling here, but it's no problem seeing them on their way.
I don't know about the actual historical events but have heard that American soldiers have a reputation of more cowboy behavior. I doubt there would have been much tension on a general basis. We are brothers after all. Perhaps the odd dust up as brothers do.
Ok the way it used to work when I was in The Forces was, Regiments, Branches then International. The best way to explain it, is that there was rivalry between the different Regiments and Branches of the Forces. So if it was my Regiment vs another Regiment, then there was rivalry, however if it was interrupted by members of another Branch, say Navy or Airforce, then the Regimental rivalry was forgotten and we joined against the other Branch. Now if we saw members from another countries military going after say, our Navy or Airforce, then our guys would join the Navy or Airforce guys against the "foreigners."
My Uncle was in the FSSF ( FIRST SPECIAL SERVICES FORCE ) aka The Devil's Brigade. He said that this movie was a good watch, but totally untrue when it came to animosity between the Canadians and Americans. THERE WAS NONE !!
In WW2 in England for WEEKEND LEAVE thay could not have Yanks with anybody else in the Alies but it only worked for the Yanks All other alies could interact easily the Canadian in the kilt is Richard Dawson he went on to host a American Game show
The actor who played the bartender was actually the only one who could really throw a punch. He was world champion heavy weight: pretty much washed up trying to eat. I leave it to you to check it out
This is why Hollywood should not be allowed near war movies. I’m not going to waste my time researching this scene of the movie. But when Pearl Harbour was attacked, Canada declared war on Japan before the US did. Iranian hostages, Canada snuck them out, 9/11, Canada stepped in. Given the fact that the brigade was formed with a common enemy, it seems unlikely that they would have hated each other. Added to that, the brigade was supposedly formed by focussing on recruiting outdoorsmen. People with common interests and backgrounds - who also tend to come from similar geographical regions also tend to feel a common bond. You will often hear both Canadians and Americans say that the border should have been drawn vertically not horizontally. Way of life and philosophy can often be closer across the Canadian/US border than it is between the East and West. Whether you are fishing on the west coast, felling wood in BC or Washington State, farming beef in Alberta or Montana, or growing grain in Saskatchewan or North Dakota, people will often feel more kinship with their neighbours than they will with their federal governments based out east. On top of this, military training makes it very clear from the outset, that training officers are the enemy, not your fellow recruits. - that bar scene is also taken straight from a Hollywood western.
You really should sit down and watch this movie. So many big stars for their days. Some will say that never happened or that is not correct. Its a movie made to tell a story of an elite fighting unit in WWII. Where is Tom Hanks when you need him?!
there were many regiments with the Canadian Army back in WWll with Scottish names. The Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) The Royal Highland Fusiliers The Lorne Scots (Peel, Dufferin and Halton Regiment) Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry Highlanders The Nova Scotia Highlanders The Cameron Highlanders of Ottawa (Duke of Edinburgh's Own) The Lanark and Renfrew Scottish Regiment The Prince Edward Island Highlanders The Argyll Light Infantry The Essex Scottish Regiment The Highland Light Infantry of Canada The New Brunswick Scottish
I was in the Canadian Army and had the great fortune to have met and had beers with several Canadian members of the Devil's Brigade in our mess. Great lads, every one of them. I got some real history lessons directly from the legends themselves.
Thanks for your service. My friend who he's great uncle was one of the many in the devils brigade. UBIQUIE
Was this in Pet during the reunion.
This scene is where they finally lose their animosity and become a unified brotherhood.
Interservice rivalry: In 1943, my father was training with the Canadian 1st Division at Aldershot. He and a friend were the only two Canadians in a pub one night. When the landlord called "Time, gentlemen, please!", a British soldier yelled, "They're not gentlemen! They're bloody Canadians!" The fight was on. As my dad said, "We put our backs together and hit anything that came near. Then we dove out the back as the provosts came in the front." So, yeah, there was interservice (and international) rivalry.
Thebar brawl really did happen, but it wasn't the catalyst bringing the two sides together. There never was a rift between them in the first place. From the moment the canadians first arrived they were well received by the americans. The bar brawl happened to show the locals that if they wanted to take on one of them they would have to take on the whole lot That espirit de corps is ubiquitous to all military units.That espirit de corps only grew as they went through many battles together. When the regiment was disbanded the american soldiers refused to close ranks and take the place where their canadian comrades priviously stood. There is still a monument to this day in Montana commemorating the First Special Service Force. FSSF
That monument is in Helena.
Well received ?
The museum and FSSF association is in Helena as well
Love the subtle dry sense of humour of the Canadians and their way of dealing with things much like us Kiwis, subtle as a ton of bricks
That’s how we Canucks are. At least in the older or more rural areas.
It's a leftover of colonialism that we've subtly tweaked for our own 😅❤
That's Richard Dawson in the kilt. You might know him from Hogan's Heroes TV Series (1965-1971), The Running Man (1987), and Family Feud TV Series (1976-1985)
He was also an Englishman.
He was very adept with accents
...wearing underpants...
They couldn't really show regimental now could they
@@TheTraktergirl No. So don't make a point of filming a man in a kilt jumping off the bar so that we see his underpants. That easy.
Lol the guy with the glasses is the hand-to-hand combat trainer. Hence why he's so proud of them and shaking their hands.
In my opinion his resemblance to William E. Fairnbairn is intentional, with the short hair, smooth cheeks and round glasses. The difference is that Fairnbairn is the real deal, a genuine hand-to-hand expert who instructed a lot of special operations people in the deadly art of killing. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_E._Fairbairn
@@davidkillens8143 they did a really good job. Like a younger version of him from the picture.
He's actually Based on Irishman Dermot "pat" O'Neill
Who was the actual instructor. Also in Shaghai police with Fairbairn
@@Shamacanada Thank you, that proves correct and adds more context to the film.
Geez, when they recruit for special forces instructors they get the most dangerous men ever.
@@davidkillens8143Special forces don't screw around.
The big American guy was played by Claud Akins, a fairly well known character actor who appeared in movies and TV shows from the 50s up until the 90s. The film starred big-time stars William Holden, Cliff Robertson and Dana Andrews. The kilted guy in the bar scene was Richard Dawson, who played in the movie Running Man and the TV series Hogan's Heroes. K I have a joke for you. What does a Scotman wear under his kilt? Your wifes lipstick! Alba go bragh! 🏴🏴🏴
That, or : Q. "what's worn beneath the kilt?" A. "Nothing, it's all in pairfect condition!" For 'pairfect', think in a Scots accent ...
@@bluerock4456 Aye, lots of mileage and still runnin' fain!
I had the honour to play the pipes for a reunion that the Canadian members of the Devils Brigade had in Nanaimo back in the 90's when there were still a number of them around. Sadly, I don't think there are many left.
Tommy Prince "the Prince of the Devil's Brigade" a Canadian Indigenous Super Soldier.
Tommy Prince VC
@@unkyduck not a winner of the Victoria Cross.
@@bluerock4456 I stand corrected, it was the Military Medal and the US Silver Star with Ribbon
@@unkyduck should be. Should be.
This clip, while fictional, demonstrates how different branches of the Military may bicker and fight but band together when outsiders interfere.
That said, yes there was a Rivally between the Canadians and American troops. They were bonded together with blood
"That guy" was the self-defence instructor. There's an excellent scene where he's introduced.
Should be the next one. If this was the most requested, the Mess Hall scene shouldn't have been too far behind lol
Jeremy Slate
@@bobcohoon9615No, not Jeremy Irons.
@@bobcohoon9615 Jeremy Slate
@@bluerock4456 Jeremy Slate
I had a relative with the first Canadian division in italy (not in this unit) and the comment from him when this movie came out was that they got along great with the Yanks.
Cpl Peacock- Jack Watson later stared in the Wild Geese '78. He was in the military as a PE instructor. He died in 1999. Although not widely known in America he has 130 films to his credit beginning in 1938.
I'm American, if anyone ever has Canadians backs....it's us. Any barfight, anywhere, anytime. We're with you guys!
The Canadian Armed Forces was formed with irish, scotish and british descent, so naturally we have scotish and irish regiments in Canada.
The Voltigeurs were also incorporated into the Canadian forces in the 19-century.
@@bluerock4456 Ya, out of Quebec city, I thought they were left over of the french times, Volto is a french term for skirmishers so I always just assumed.
And Indigenous..
Thanks for this... makes me wonder how many times my grandfather faced the same challenges during WW2....
Love that, "Don't disgrace the uniforms lads!"
You def need to watch this whole movie.
I am proud to say my father was one of them red devils
You mean Black Devils or Devils Brigade Forcemen..who was was your father.
The barman was former boxer gene fuller one of the toughest fighters in history.
That was Gene Fullmer (The Mormon Mauler) who had been World Middleweight Champ after defeating Sugar Ray Robinson. The head townie lumberjack was the legendary former Green Bay Packer halfback Paul Hornung
There is always tension between us CDN/USA even during peace time training. Just have a night off and throw in some booze and get ready to rumble. Next day back to work, all friends again.
Speaking from personal experience there's always been a certain rivalry between allies put in a situation where they serve a common cause. This kind of rivalry even exists among the different elements within the same nation, Navy vs Army vs Air Force. May include bar fights or general ribbing during joint exercises & the like. But when the feces hits the rotating oscillator they all come together to work against a common foe. The bar fight scene here is a perfect depiction of that. The rivalry creates a common bond within the various units, helps build morale, identity & team cohesion.
William Holden was a fairly well known & popular actor during his career. Several cast members featured in popular long running TV series in the US. Carroll O'Connor in All In The Family and Richard Dawson in Hogan's Heroes. Both sitcoms with Hogan's Heroes set as a Prisoner of War camp in WW2 Germany.
Canucks and Yanks have always been friendly rivals, love teasing each other but always have each others’ backs.
A little reference. The guy with the glasses is a Canadian hand to hand combat instructor. In a scene before this, he's shown beating the Americans in hand to hand combat as a demonstration of his skills. Throughout the bar fight you see Americans using the moves he had demonstrated in training. That's why he congratulated that one American on his moves, before he got socked
This is one of my favourite parts of this movie.
There are different regiments in the Canadian military, but being part of the Commonwealth, our military was always linked with the UK and there is a lot of English, Scottish and Irish heritage here. Where I'm from, it's standard to hear a pipes and drums band playing Scotland the Brave at parades and events. It's as natural to me (having a grandmother who was a Campbell and Glaswegian) to hear it.
The bartender (who throws one punch ... and then looks at his fist smiling) was Gene Fullmer, a world middleweight boxing champion. It was his only movie appearance, just an interesting fact.
It was less about tension between US and Canada, more like a testament to American style attitudes among their menfolk at the time.
5:30 - The gag here is that the Rocky used the very same moves to take out the big lumberjack, as the Canadian hand-to-hand instructor (with the glasses) used on _him_ earlier in the film.
Loved that mess hall scene where they were introduced to the hand to hand instructor
In the West, we call them loggers.
Yes, there is a scene available in RUclips clips that shows the hand-to-hand instructor beating up the character Rocky (Claude Akins) in the unit mess hall.
@@bluerock4456 (Credited as "Lumberjack" in the film.)
@@Great_Sandwich we're both right, GS.
I went to the FSSF museum in Helena Montana last year where they trained. Special place dedicated to special men. I was named after my uncle who KIA at Anzio Beachead. Legends.
In general, Canadians and Americans are like sibling brothers. We drive each other crazy and pick on each other, but when we have a common enemy you absolutely do not want to F with us.
For this scene to be completely appreciated you have to watch the whole movie.up until now their commanders have been playing them against each other to enhance training. This scene was the first time they melded together a s a team. The commander was so proud that their punishment was confinement to barracks until they sobered up and a fine of $1 per man per month until the damages were laid off. And yes, both the far fight and the punishment were true.
Richard Dawson(kilted) Claud Aikens (American ) were the most famous actors in this scene. The leaders of the brigade (not in scene) were William Holden (American)and Cliff Robertson(Canadian)
Richard Dawson was the one on the bar in the fight
There were many character actors in the scene, including the MP Sergeant.
William Holden, a famous actor from the Golden age of Hollywood (Stalag 17, Sunset Boulevard) is in it as well as someone who later often played on TV shows, Claude Akins (BJ and the Bear). Richard Dawson, who played on Hogan’s Heroes and later was the host of the game show Family Feud was also in it. Cliff Robertson was also a well-known actor and one of his later roles was as Uncle Ben in the Toby Maguire Spiderman movie (2002). And also Caroll O’Connor was in it and he is probably most famously remembered for playing Archie Bunker. Love your accent, btw!
The Canadians and Americans got along pretty well from the start.
My favorite part of the movie comes later, when the Brigade is getting ready to scale Monte la Difensa.
The silence except for men checking their weapons and gear seemed like the most authentic part of this enjoyable buy factually relaxed show.
Watched this movie with my grandfather when I waa a kid. Loved it !
My Grandfather served in the Devil's Brigade during WWII. Palmer O Griffiths HQ Det 1st Rgt December 25,1924-March 29,2008
My Uncle was Sgt Eugene Pelletier 3-3. Plus I had 3 other relations in the Brigade
Canadians and Americans are like family that don't always agree. One is louder and more brash and the other quietly gets things done without yelling about their accomplishments. Yet, when push comes to shove, we are family.
Robin Williams described the relationship as Canadians are the nice neighbours living over the meth lab in the apartment below.
Is this movie accurate? It's definitely been Hollywoodized, but it's a fun watch. Grab your popcorn, suspend your sense of disbelief and just enjoy the ride.
Claud Akins, who plays one of the bigger Yanks was featured in a number of war movies in the 1950's, '60s and '70s. He also starred in the TV series BJ and the Bear, and later in the spin-off series Sheriff Lobo where he played the same character. Richard Dawson, who played Newkirk in Hogan's Heroes is the man in the kilt. Cliff Robertson ,a great movie and TV actor. And Caroll O'Conner, who would go on to play Archie Bunker in All in the family.
This scene always makes me think of Red-Haired Shanks having a drink thrown in his face 😂
Its on Tubi.. so much fun to rewatch
My grandfather was a man like this....there were many back then.
Mixed emotions about this film. First off, Canada's contribution usually gets ignored in almost all movies about WW2 so it's hard to knock this one too much. That said, enjoy it for what it is, a fairly typical Hollywood film riddled with errors that is still fairly entertaining. I know, no one expects it to be a documentary. It is what it is. All war movies - even the best of them, take artistic license in order to make the film more enjoyable/watchable.
First complaint (and I always get a lot of flak for saying this) the FSSF was never known as the Devil's Brigade. That invented nickname popped up out of the blue as the title of the 1966 book on which this 1968 movie was based. Unfortunately, this movie has cemented that name in lore. Some are going to get their panties in a twist and start talking about German diaries at Anzio. Yes there was a German diary. The writer of it referred to the Force as being 'black devils'. This was because they did a lot of patrolling at night and blackened their faces in order to limit their visibility. 'Black devils'. Not 'Devil's Brigade'. You will not find a historical publication predating 1966 that ever mentions that name. I've looked for years. I've talked with vets from the Force. There's no mention of it.
The next unfortunate bit concerns choice of actors for Canadians. There were plenty of Canadians working in movies, it would have been nice to hire some of them instead of American Cliff Robertson with his fake Irish accent. At least Battle of Britain hired Christopher Plummer to play it's one token Canadian in that film. All that said, as a former member of the PPCLI, it is great that a decision was made to make the unarmed combat instructor a PPCLI Sgt. Even though the actual instructor was completely different and the actor playing him is an American. The interactions between him and Akins are funny.
The next complaint is a little unfair given the limitations of telling a huge story in a limited time. The film only covers the formation, training and action in Italy up to the seizure of Monte la Difensa. This was a significant action for the Force, but, they did so much more. They particularly distinguished themselves at Anzio. Too bad there was insufficient time to tell the story right up to the disbandment in France. I do appreciate that trying to cram too much into the film would result in it being rushed. Perhaps some time could have been saved by dispensing with the silly 'capture the town' part with its bit about lining up all the POWs, captured vehicles etc outside the CO's window.
Anyway. Entertaining. Shows Canada in a positive light. Has a few stars in it. Worth a watch.
I was born in December of 1949, so I was late to the ball. I learned a lot from Parents and a Grandmother (Dad's Mom) who all lived thru' the Great Depression and the War. Americans were very different back then; I remember so clearly how Dad would describe some of his best boyhood friends -- and tell me (in a manner that said it wasn't important) that This Guy was one he'd had a Knock-down-Drag-out fight with. There were several of them. I've seen it once, since - at a Salvation Army Summer camp; boys week. In any case, this brawl rings true for me.
Yes, watch the movie, but don't come away thinking that this is the way Canadians are. The accents are tearable, and we're just not that stupid.
Now that's rich...the guy claims not to be stupid...and spells terrible as "tearable"....
I had a biker bar up the road during my 20s, and me and my friends would hang out there from time to time. Almost every Monday, I'd be walking home from my friend's house and the front windows would all be smashed out from a brawl we missed lol.
As a granddaughter of a Black Watch soldier , I can assure you , I was raised in a house that was filled with pipe and drum music . Regimental of course.
My father was in the Devil's Brigade in Italian campaign where he got hit with shrapnel in his head and he told me some stories about the war time and this movie I think was made as a tribute to these brave bunch of soldiers. This movie was tame as compared to the real thing. You had Claude Adtkins, William Holden, its been awhile since I seen this movie, this fight scene was supposed to bring both U.S. and Canadians together but well... the rest is history.
Name
My great-grandfather was gassed at the Western Front representing a regiment called the Liverpool Scottish.
It is fictionalized and exaggerated, but it’s a great film.
100% Hollywood.
The Devil's Brigade settled in together with the one purpose in mind. The movie was somewhat tongue in cheek vis. the bar brawl which was pure comedy, especially the Canadians fighting in American jackets because they were strictly barred from fighting. The Brigade was the original Special Forces/Commandos joint unit and what they accomplished together is well the research. No bubble gum and no names, just dead quiet behind them. Frickin' terrifying lot they were.
Sir, I was the CO of Fort William Henry Harrison in Montana in 2010. I also helped write the history of the post and the First Special Service Force. Yes, this did happen. If you want more info, let me know, I can probably answer a lot of your questions.
If you've ever seen a Maritimes barfight, this doesn't hold a candle to it
can confirm. lol
lol
Back in 1980 i attended a dinner reunion of the unit in Ottawa. To a man the members of the unit said the movie was nonsense. Funny how Hollywood can’t do a Canadian accent of find a Canadian actor.
It should be pointed out that the two Big soldiers, Rocky the American is Claude Atkins and Peacock the Canadian (with the ginger moustache) is Jack Watson, both famous for playing hard men. Watson was also in The Wild Geese, his war service was as a Physical Training instructor for the Royal Navy, leasing to many years playing military men in film and TV.
Shame you didn’t watch until they made it back to camp. The unit commander is very happy to see the unit “fighting as a unit” and his punishment for the infraction of company rules is priceless.
I think the movie is more about fancy than reality but it’s a patriotic tumble through history that’s enjoyable. As for the Scot on the bar in a kilt during a fight as the saying goes they had “balls so big no pants could contain them” lol
The general account from the FSSF was that the members got along fine and the uptight Canadian vs. sloppy American theme was just made for the movie.
I loved the film and saw it when it came out but it was only decades later that I discovered that the most decorated Canadian soldier of WWII was a native Canadian, Thomas George Prince who served in the Devil's Brigade. Making a film about the unit without featuring its most decorated soldier is quite a sad reflection of the attitude of the film makers. There isn't a single non- White soldier in the entire film. Very 1960's.
Hollywood still does that today
There was a considerable amount of animosity amongst the Canadian and the American service personnel prior to the official formation of the first special service force, also known as the devil‘s brigade.
The personnel that you questioned about one with the glasses that was Sergeant O’Neill, and he was actually a member of the first special service force in the Canadian division. He was the hand combat instructor. I don’t know if Corporal Peacock, or any of the other names mentioned in the movie , or actual people other than the American commanding officer, the American second command and the Canadian commanding officer, major chromm.
Now going back to your previous video there is a very significant contribution to the Canadian military or the Canadian army, as well as influence from the Scottish Highland soldiers, majority of the soldiers that were a part of the first special service force were from the 48 Highlander of Canada as well as from the Vandos and black watch of Canada, there were other units that contributed personnel, including the Royal Winnipeg rifles, the gray and Simcoe foresters The Lake superior Scottish regiment, governor, general horse, guard, and members of the royal Canadian artillery. After the war, the first special service force was disbanded and set the foundation for the formation of not just the various special forces units within the United States military (i.e. army, rangers, Delta force, AF special forces, navy seals) as well as what started as Canadian forces special service force eventually changing into joint task force two.
You would never wear your cap in the bar
You would end up buying a round for everyone
@@TheTraktergirl Not true. Only if it were a Military Mess with a picture of the King or Queen hanging on the wall. Civilian bars are fair game.
Of course civvi bars thank you for reminding me,lol
In a military mess the web belt came off as well.
My dad was in the FSSF and he and his comrades, had the pleasure of viewing the movie and without a doubt it was not well received. The movie is entertaining but nothing like what really occurred. The Canadians never marched in to Fort Harrison as was depicted in the movie. They arrived on a troop train like all the other soldiers.
Yes, this is a pivotal scene in the movie. I’m sure the Canadian/American rivalry was overdramatized, but this the scene when they came together as one unit.
Devil's Brigade is an entertaining movie "based" on a true story, sort of like how Brave Heart was filmed about Scottish history,
They were a band of brothers.
There are such a thing of ghosts. They are of the past trapped into the memory of the living. We know. ♥
That was a great movie, story goes there was great tension between the Americans and Canadian units. The units came from across various volunteers of Canada. Some West Nova Scotia Highlanders volunteered. Canada had some fearsome fighting units, Vandoos along with West Novies and so many more…. If you ever get a chance check out Rick Mercer talking to Americans, Rick had to apologize to a sitting US president.
There always been a rivalery with canada and the US but that mostly for fun, they fight together in a heart beat and many canadian and US soldiers spend time on the battlefield.
William Holden was a huge western star. Cliff Robertson (I think) played Wade McCluskey in Midway 1970
Patrick O'Neil introduction scene in the mess hall is great.
The Jeremy Slate scene (introduction of the self defense instructor) with Claude Akins is priceless.
It is a PG-13 movie so the Highlander couldn’t be regimental.
If you want to see a darker version of this, where nominally allied forces actually turned against one another, lookup the Battle of Brisbane; Battle of Manners Street; Battle of Bamber Bridge; and the Townsville mutiny.
Yes, there was tension. There still is tension.
The commonwealth forces had served in Asia. Fairborne and Sykes had been police officers in Hong Kong. They were able to learn from BJJ and Karate, Kung Fu and Muay Ti. They are the grandfathers of MMA. I highly recommend the book Natural Born Heroes.
The hardness on the American side was in a tv show in the seventies about truckers . But I don't remember the name of it . But it was fun to watch .
when the highland clearances were happening a lot of scots were shipped to canada. the first canadian prime minister was scottish, Sir John Macdonald. the first european to traverse north america was scottish, Sir Alexander Mackenzie, the mackenzie river is named after him. nova scotia (new scotland), cape breton island in particular, has a lot of scottish ancestry - Colaisde na Gàidhlig / The Gaelic College is located there. Anne Murray, Rita MacNeil, The Rankin Family, Ashley MacIsaac, Natalie MacMaster, etc. are well known musicians that hail from that part of the world. hockey had it's beginnings in nova scotia too, before it was formalized in montreal.
i have tulloch (black watch) as part of my ancestry.
you'd like a channel called Canadiana, they do history.
Canada is absolutely littered with Scottish place-names. E.g. my hometown, Calgary.
There's a lot of Scottish heritage in Cape Breton & it's celebrated every year with different events. Gaelic road signs are a bit much for some traveling here, but it's no problem seeing them on their way.
@@badgermacleod5588 Cape Breton...the "whine" capital of Canada.
@@michaelhamm6805: Troll.
Great movie. It's based on a true Brigade history. You'll recognize one of the Canadians from a game show... Family Feud and Hogan's Heroes. :)
I also believe that one of the lumberjacks was paul Hornung, a former NFL football player
there really was this level of tension. some say it's never left
Good movie, just take it with a massive grain of salt.
like all hollywood movies.
It's certainly not a documentary.
I don't know about the actual historical events but have heard that American soldiers have a reputation of more cowboy behavior. I doubt there would have been much tension on a general basis. We are brothers after all. Perhaps the odd dust up as brothers do.
Ok the way it used to work when I was in The Forces was, Regiments, Branches then International. The best way to explain it, is that there was rivalry between the different Regiments and Branches of the Forces. So if it was my Regiment vs another Regiment, then there was rivalry, however if it was interrupted by members of another Branch, say Navy or Airforce, then the Regimental rivalry was forgotten and we joined against the other Branch. Now if we saw members from another countries military going after say, our Navy or Airforce, then our guys would join the Navy or Airforce guys against the "foreigners."
Claude Akins takes out the big goon with a swift move.
The bartender in the white t-shirt who punches one of the people is George Chuvalo , Canadian heavyweight boxer at the time, I think
No, he's Gene Fuller.
Yes, that seems right@@bluerock4456
Envious of you with all these great things to see,my problem is I lived through all of this and have already seen them. Sad
Declining a drink that's meant to right a wrong IMMEDIATELY means that you intend to throw hands at some point
My Uncle was in the FSSF ( FIRST SPECIAL SERVICES FORCE ) aka The Devil's Brigade. He said that this movie was a good watch, but totally untrue when it came to animosity between the Canadians and Americans. THERE WAS NONE !!
Name..mine was Sgt Eugene Pelletier 3-3..then i had 3 other relations in the Brigade
No matter the condition of world events, the Scots will always be our brother in arms! We currently need you, and you need us! LFG!!
It's 'Scots', mon ami.
@bluerock4456 Oh my goodness, you are so correct! I didn't even notice. Dang autocorrect 😑 Thanks for pointing it out.
React to the full movie.. you’ll have a great time and I’ll be a subscriber!😂❤
In WW2 in England for WEEKEND LEAVE thay could not have Yanks with anybody else in the Alies but it only worked for the Yanks All other alies could interact easily the Canadian in the kilt is Richard Dawson he went on to host a American Game show
Initially the Americans resented needing our help, but that attitude changed for the most part, just like this scene. This is a great movie
The actor who played the bartender was actually the only one who could really throw a punch.
He was world champion heavy weight: pretty much washed up trying to eat.
I leave it to you to check it out
This is why Hollywood should not be allowed near war movies. I’m not going to waste my time researching this scene of the movie. But when Pearl Harbour was attacked, Canada declared war on Japan before the US did. Iranian hostages, Canada snuck them out, 9/11, Canada stepped in.
Given the fact that the brigade was formed with a common enemy, it seems unlikely that they would have hated each other. Added to that, the brigade was supposedly formed by focussing on recruiting outdoorsmen. People with common interests and backgrounds - who also tend to come from similar geographical regions also tend to feel a common bond.
You will often hear both Canadians and Americans say that the border should have been drawn vertically not horizontally.
Way of life and philosophy can often be closer across the Canadian/US border than it is between the East and West. Whether you are fishing on the west coast, felling wood in BC or Washington State, farming beef in Alberta or Montana, or growing grain in Saskatchewan or North Dakota, people will often feel more kinship with their neighbours than they will with their federal governments based out east.
On top of this, military training makes it very clear from the outset, that training officers are the enemy, not your fellow recruits. - that bar scene is also taken straight from a Hollywood western.
Back in the days of testosterone
On June 6 Steve Bannon gave a shout out to the Canadians . He said they always punched above their weight.
aye laddy you coooom outta the hoooose are we gonna barn it doon lol
You really should sit down and watch this movie. So many big stars for their days. Some will say that never happened or that is not correct. Its a movie made to tell a story of an elite fighting unit in WWII. Where is Tom Hanks when you need him?!
there were many regiments with the Canadian Army back in WWll with Scottish names.
The Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment)
The Royal Highland Fusiliers
The Lorne Scots (Peel, Dufferin and Halton Regiment)
Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry Highlanders
The Nova Scotia Highlanders
The Cameron Highlanders of Ottawa (Duke of Edinburgh's Own)
The Lanark and Renfrew Scottish Regiment
The Prince Edward Island Highlanders
The Argyll Light Infantry
The Essex Scottish Regiment
The Highland Light Infantry of Canada
The New Brunswick Scottish