MovieChat Forums > The Eagle Has Landed (1976) Discussion > Jean Marsh's Missing Speech

Jean Marsh's Missing Speech

posted 18 years ago by thorburn52
22 replies | jump to latest

I saw the movie 30 years ago when it first came out in the theatre and clearly remember Jean Marsh's character, Joanna Grey, explaining to Michael Caine (German Major Steiner) why she was a traitor helping the Germans.

Specifically, she wasn't really British, but a Boer from South Africa and her family was imprisoned in a concentration camp by the British 40 years earlier during the Boer War. And I think she said that her parents or sibling died in the camp or something to that effect to make it sound like her experience was really terrible and that, secretly, she hated the British. Which makes the later scene, when the parson is chewing her out once she's found out ("we invited you into our homes," etc., and "I never really thought I'd have to leave"), make more sense.

Anyway, I haven't seen the movie on DVD yet, but have seen it several times on TV and VHS. And except for maybe one occasion on television, that scene is always deleted.

Does anyone know why? (I can guess.) Also, does anyone know if the scene is included in the DVD version or the book?

[–] pierre-albertini3-40-634598 10 years ago

The film was on French TV tonight and there was no Jean Marsh's speech nor any reference to her family dying in a British concentration camp during the Boer War. She appeared as a mere traitor and we couldn't help calling her "the Bitch".

[–] GladtobeGrey 9 years ago

Watching the film at the moment on TV and Jean Marsh's speech is included as it has been every time I've seen it on British TV. Can't think why it would be excluded really

[–] mrgurney 9 years ago

Indeed, the version I just watched on BBC2 has all of the speech + church organ scenes.

Versions shown on ITV would most probably be different; I used to work with their acquired material and edited versions of most film/programmes were made by the compliance officers.