Ike: Count Down to D-Day | King George VI & The Invasion Plans

[@itinerantpatriot1196]

When I heard Tom Selleck was going to play Ike, that was a bit of a head scratcher. But he did a fine job. It's a good movie.

[@DonMeaker]

He did have to remove the mustache....

[@MarcosElMalo2]

@@DonMeaker”Leave the mustache at home.”

[@khankrum1]

@@MarcosElMalo2 Along with his glasses he left on his desk at 1PP !

[@Oldag75]

Tom needed to be at least 50 pounds lighter to accurately portray Ike, but otherwise he did just great.

[@jeffjob6995]

He did a wonderful job..

[@immortallvulture]

Fun fact Montgomery did indeed not smoke, largely because of wounds he’d received In Ww1. He’d been shot in the lung and knee while leading a counterattack.

[@stevenwiederholt7000]

Learn something new everyday.

[@mikhailiagacesa3406]

He'd also been gassed, like many in the Great War, including AH(who wasn't a fan of smoking either).

[@egosumhomovespertilionem]

"Smoke 'em if you got 'em." Funny, when HRH George VI and PM Churchill light up, Monty had precious little to say. In fairness to Monty, however, the King died of lung cancer, and Ike would have probably lived substantially longer if he had not been a multi-pack-per-day smoker.

[@anthonybanchero3072]

Supposedly Ike quit when this doctor told him to cut back.

[@iwasglad122]

HM

[@la_old_salt2241]

By the same token, it was very common at the time. We know better now.

[@DanielsPolitics1]

Monty had serious lung problems from being repeatedly shot in the chest. That’s why he didn’t allow smoking in his presence.

[@michaelmartin9022]

Churchill just stared the cigars and scotch down, so they knew their place.

[@johnharris6655]

Even thought we laugh at Monty when the King lights up, both the King and Eisenhower had long term health issues do their smoking.

[@charlesdavis1080]

Fun fact: Churchill wanted to land with the troops a few days after D-Day. The King was able to convince him otherwise, by telling him he wanted to land in Normandy. When the Prime Minister protested against the idea, the King told them that all the reasons he stated against the King doing that also applied to the Prime Minister. Geoge the VI was the only person who could do that.

[@MrBond249]

He actually wanted to go on D-Day itself, much to the horror of Eisenhower and Montgomery

[@MarcosElMalo2]

That might be a fact, but I fail to see how it is fun. Do you mean funny, like D-Day is some sort of joke? Is Churchill a clown to amuse you? What do you mean by fun? Fun how?

[@Grubnar]

@@MarcosElMalo2 Fun, as in Entertaining. Interesting.

[@Gothic7876]

@@MrBond249 apparently because he felt guilt over gallopi. So he wanted to go with the men.

[@andrewmckenzie292]

Interestingly constitutionally the King had a better argument as he held a formal military position (indeed the highest) while the PM only has an informal command, but just as well both failed to convince the other.

[@slicksalmon6948]

An under-appreciated film.

[@ImaCOTV]

The King smoked wherever the King wanted to smoke. And if the King could smoke everyone could smoke.

[@itinerantpatriot1196]

It's good to be the King. 😎

[@alltat]

Briefly so, as the king got lung cancer and died a few years later.

[@morbius109]

Montgomery wouldn’t dare tell The King what to do, but you could tell it rankled him when George pulled out his cigarette case, lol.

[@edmundgonzalez8731]

3:43 I have to make Falaise, 32 miles inland, within 40 hours. Two months later... Even though this is in my list of favorite movies I have to say at first I wasn't sure I could handle Tom Selleck as Eisenhower. Glad I was wrong. The last line makes me a little misty, "Too many of them are now with God. We may never see their like again. We may never see their like again." The Wife and I took the Ambrose Band of Brothers tour in 2019 and had our picture taken standing in front of the D-Day invasion map in Southwick House. What a blast.

[@anthonywayne2754]

Almost perfect scene, great attention to details, except the Canadian Red Ensign on the wall has the 1957-1965 red maple leaves, not the pre-1957 green maple leaves...

[@anthonybanchero3072]

Not too many of my fellow Americans heard of any of the pre-1965 flags.

[@MarcosElMalo2]

@@anthonybanchero3072 What the hell is this, an Anthony party?

[@michaelmartin9022]

To be fair most movies would just use the modern flag, so at least they tried.

[@darbyheavey406]

Good eye…

[@ThumperE23]

It could be what they had available, and this was a TV Movie, so they didn't have a big budget, so making one might have been too expensive.

[@charlessmith5177]

I had my doubts about Tom Selleck playing Ike. No doubt about his acting abilities, it’s that he is so much bigger and looks nothing like Ike. But this was a great movie and it definitely shows the weight on Ike’s shoulders to make such a decision knowing he was sending thousands of men to their deaths. Tom Selleck handled it perfectly.

[@andrewmckenzie292]

Michael Byrne (who played an important part in the 'Sum of all Fears' Tom Clancy film in addition to other roles) is almost a dead ringer for Ike but he must have been unavailable or not considered.

[@ChenAnPin]

The planning for Overlord is still the finest coming together of almost every single armed service of the Western Allied forces. No politics, no glory hounding, rivalries mostly set aside as everyone understood the mission. Compare this to how Sealion might have come together, with how the German Army and Luftwaffe and Kreigsmarine could barely agree to coordinate and work together.

[@ddviper8813]

When the King lights up lol 😂 Eat it Monty lol

[@andrewmckenzie292]

Just as well Monty wasn't PM then as he could have "advised" the King not to light up.

[@canuck_gamer3359]

Very underrated film. If you're a history buff of any kind, you should definitely watch this as well as "Nuremburg", the TV mini series.

[@jamesmasztalerz5930]

"So if some must die, it is in a worthy cause"

[@StephenWorthington-ty8qm]

Is what it is

[@thelastjohnwayne]

I guess that depends on who you are.

[@preshlock]

Rommel did not command the panzer divisions in the West that was von Schweppenburg. Rommel commended Army Group B.

[@jameskavanagh4315]

I think Rommel was in charge of all defenses on the Atlantic and channel sides.

[@BarryH1701]

This was Tom Sellek's finest moment!

[@anthonyprose4965]

Tom Selleck without a mustache is like a squirrel without a tale. It just ain't right

[@MarcosElMalo2]

Dead squirrels tell no tales.

[@countanimeavenger6536]

Everybody smoking like chimeys.

[@anthonywayne2754]

Monty, "no smoking". King George VI, "got a light"?

[@mrb.5610]

In the 1950s, it was reckoned 80% of Brits smoked !

[@nickdanger3802]

nicotine is an antidepressant effective deodorants came about in the 1960's when I lived in England in the late 70's Brits bathed once or twice a week

[@DMS-pq8]

When I went to high school in the 80s there was a designated smoking area for students, Shows how much the world has changed

[@jamesbutler8821]

It always irritates me how these movies go out of their way to humiliate the memory of Montgomery. Monty was a great leader, an impressive general who cared for his men. He fought for us, just like everyone else and he deserves respect.

[@chrismoller4272]

Monty was not a hard fighter yet had many admirable qualities as a General. Drove Patton nuts. Prickly egos

[@jameskavanagh4315]

A great general, but a bit irritating apparently. Especially to the yanks😄. Montgomery was old school .

[@executivedirector7467]

@@jameskavanagh4315 Yes indeed. He *was* a great general. His troops loved him. He was a professional who had little patience for amateurs. Although he was difficult personally, I think a lot of that reputation is simply class prejudice. British officers, especially at the higher levels, were largely drawn from the aristocracy. Monty wasn't in that club, and I think a lot of them looked down their noses at him for that.

[@IrishCarney]

I was wondering why Monty was only called a general here til I looked it up and saw he wasn't promoted Field Marshal til 1 September 1944, nearly 3 months later

[@DMS-pq8]

And Ike was promoted to General of the Army soon after largely because he needed a rank equivalent to Field Marshal

[@andrewmckenzie292]

@@DMS-pq8 and they didn't want Marshall to be Field Marshal Marshall.

[@Arms872]

Monty is so uncomfy, love it.

[@flatoutt1]

for me tom Selleck's best and most important performance .i could feel the pressure these leaders were under.especially ike and the weatherman.[hope he got a gong .he more than deserved it ] it certainly gave me a new appreciation for the burden of command .

[@timheavrin2253]

As a life long nonsmoker with a hypersensitivity to smoke because of previous respiratory problems from it I can feel for Monty in this case. Don't blame him at all for it.

[@bobnunn6507]

Great movie. Kids today should be required to watch it in history class.

[@johnsumner6593]

loved when the king lit up and monty could not say a word

[@vicentedelima4396]

"This Crusade..." Love it.

[@stuartwald2395]

We need Ike back as President. Tom Selleck would also do.

[@phillipboone2005]

Tom Selleck did a great job. Must have studied Ikes speech pattern. The actor who played Ike in the film LongestDay was so convincing, many thought Ike played himself.

[@RickW-HGWT]

One of my favorite scenes in this film, maybe fictional but seems like it could be true.

[@tbeller80]

Not fictional. This briefing happened on 15 May 1944 in a very similar location.

[@andrewmckenzie292]

The King was head of the British Armed Forces. He doesn't personally command or administer the armed forces but outside of that he can basically do as he pleases with them, although in practise they do not.

[@ericsantana1184]

Freedom isn't free without sacrifice or victory. The losses we've had during world war II both soldier and civilian was too great but it didn't prevent us from our crusade to liberation. In the end Europe was finally liberated of Axis Powers and within a few years West Germany became a full fledged democracy. By the time the Berlin Wall fell, all of Germany became a full fledged democracy. For 80 years we have done so much to prevent a third world war and we hope that by 2045 we will live forever in peace knowing that from the 1930s to 1940s all the way to 2045 we will continue to Honor our Fallen. Such a sacrifice we paid dearly in blood will be forever marked as the historical text of the 20th century. Such losses we have endured will live forever in Infamy. God bless our Country and God rest our Fallen Heroes.

[@RobertPentangelo]

I thought you might have omitted some cliche or falsehood that forms part of the neo-con mythos but I think you covered it all.

[@andrewmckenzie292]

Indeed. However, such vast power to impose fatalities is easily corrupted in the wrong hands. Worse still sometimes this corruption is seamlessly intertwined with good intentions. For instance, duly honouring those who have fallen but not risk "glorifying" war by using it as an excuse to start another one.

[@DinoNut88]

Yes the British government is destroying that. Starmer is a traitor and criminal dictator. We are being invaded

[@robertfarr9186]

Remember first watching this and having to keep reminding myself that it was Tom who was playing Ike. The hairline kept throwing me off.

[@teto85]

They went to a lot of trouble to make this authentic. Down to Ike's Parker Fountain Pen in other scenes.

[@MilitaryJokes]

Churchill even held a bigger cigar than the king

[@MrBond249]

Could they not find a uniform for the actor playing the King that fits?

[@mrb.5610]

Thought Firth and Bonham Carter would have been better .... but probably a lot more money !

[@iwasglad122]

Exactly my thoughts. His Majesty was always dressed to naval perfection. His uniforms were not 'off the peg.' It looks like he's a teenager who will grow into his 'hand-me-downs.' Costume dept. could and should have done better.

[@odysseusrex5908]

@@mrb.5610 Well, this was made six years before they became iconically associated with those roles.

[@rogerw3818]

I realize that Eisenhower was a chain smoker, but it would have been hilarious if he was the only one who didn't light up after the King.

[@tomcooper6108]

Tom Selleck's greatest role.

[@chrismoller4272]

Thry all smoked like hell in those days unless as in Montgomery's case they couldn't. Helped with the stress.

[@StudSupreme]

Did they really have these kinds of meetings? Their confidence in operational security must have been galactic in scale...

[@immortallvulture]

@@StudSupreme it would be quite rare to have a meeting like this with all the British senior commanders, Churchill, the king and Eisenhower present but this meeting did actually take place. In order for overlord to be approved Churchill, Roosevelt’s and the king were needed to give it their approval.

[@andrewmckenzie292]

Underneath they were probably terrified to the bone. Eisenhower especially as the buck stopped with him, but Eisenhower probably willingly bore the whole responsibility thus giving confidence to his subordinate commanders in addition to Churchill/The King etc.

[@jamesbutler8821]

Churchill was 5'6" and Ike was 5'10", hardly the giant/dwarf difference here

[@MuzixMaker]

Totally unrealistic, Ike was only 5’10”.

[@adrianjordan6291]

Eisenhower was above average height for a man born in 1890.

[@chrisdarling3617]

Great drama but this never happened. "Overlord" was a "need-to-know" operation. Most people up to the very top only knew their compartmentalized orders. There is no way they would ever have amalgamated the entire brass and the King and Churchill in one place at one time and if they did, it would have been underground. This looks like one of those briefing scenes in a James Bond film. All thayt was missing is a shaved cat!

[@executivedirector7467]

The briefing was held April 7, 1944 with almost the entire command present.

[@RommelsAsparagus]

I thought Monty was a Field Marshal.

[@thodan467]

Not yet

[@rupertsmith5815]

not until august 44

[@RommelsAsparagus]

@@rupertsmith5815 Many thanks for that.

[@mickythefish4535]

Didn't think Ike was 6 foot 4?

[@charlesyork14]

Ehh as much as I admire the general and officer known as Ike I just can’t get over the fact that that Tom Selleck Bears very little resemblance. He’s a good actor, but I’m just not completely sold on the imagery. The miniseries movie featuring Robert Duvall as Ike was better.

[@Arms872]

Ike >> Mac

[@IrishCarney]

Why did the King continue to wear his cover indoors?

[@mitchellnewell8078]

Because he’s the King if he wanted to keep his cap on indoors he could, they are his regulations he can bend them if he feels like it

[@odysseusrex5908]

Precisely because he is the King. I don't know what the real King did at the historical briefing but the director is trying to set him apart and show that he is more important than everybody else. The uniform hat is a symbolic crown.

[@andrewmckenzie292]

Because the King is always on duty? While for other military members its considered a courtesy to "let their hair down"/submit to their superior or as close as they can in a military setting by removing their cover once the appropriate pleasantries have been exchanged.

[@PhilipCunningham1788]

Muh democracy

[@johngallagher8775]

Selleck is way too old for this role.

[@maestromecanico597]

Shouldn’t Monty have been introduced as Field Marshal Montgomery?

[@TheKogafan]

He wasn’t promoted to Field Marshal until after D day (Sept 44 I think)

[@maestromecanico597]

@@TheKogafan Correct, 1 September 1944. I had thought it would have happened after Africa.

[@RollTide1987]

They should have let Selleck keep his mustache for this movie, historical accuracy be damned.

[@timsparks1858]

Casting was a problem this movie. Selleck, MC Raney in particular were awful. Selleck was too tall and MCRaney too comical not imposing at all. The Best Ike and Patton actors were Duvall and George C. Scott. The others Playing Churchill and Montgomery are decent.

[@tomb7942]

Monty did not beat Rommel. Lack of supply on the German side defeated Rommel as did Monty's vast influx of supply compared to those before him allow Monty to "win". Same thing that allowed Grant to "defeat" Lee.

[@kenle2]

There are dozens or hundreds of factors outside the immediate control of any on-the-ground commander which affect almost every battle. It's kind of petty to try to argue the man who was in command of the forces that accomplished their strategic aim didn't "win", because they had some advantage. A good commander makes good use of his advantages. A bad one can lose even WITH those advantages.

[@tomb7942]

@@kenle2 When one side has overwhelming supply and reinforcement advantages, it just doesn't matter. Grant had huge losses but they could be replaced, Lee had nothing to work with. Same with Monty and Rommel. Rommel ran out of water and fuel. It doesn't matter how good someone is, no water in the desert and you lose.

[@keptinkrunchactual]

"Amateurs discuss tactics, professionals discuss logistics." Logistics is part and parcel to a battlefield and does not lessen its victor.

[@arddel]

Both the Nazis and the Confederacy were outnumbered and out-resourced and they knew it. This was the war they chose to fight. Both needed to win quick victories and hope their opponent gave up. They both failed. They lost. Their opponents won.

[@tomb7942]

@@arddel Exactly. I have argued for years that neither the Confederacy or the NAZI's ever really had a chance. Didn't matter how great their generals were. Not enough raw materials and not enough men.

[@mathbrown9099]

Too bad Gen. Montgomery couldn’t join the party. He was their better, in his heart. He was a blackard in my view. Too many halts for tea in his cause, too hesitant in his actions. Many left dead for all that.

[@thodan467]

oh god will this biased fairytales never end? he had not so many men to spend

[@richie9814]

Actually if you read his book he could have ended the war 12 months earlier. War is a vote winner and there was no way the Roosevelt was going to see the war end in 1944. Look what happened to Churchill immediately after the war. So if you want to cast stones about delays and indecisiveness, it's the Americans who you might want to research.

[@odysseusrex5908]

@@richie9814 Oh, don't be absurd. I haven't read Monty's memoirs, but I can't imagine that even he fantasized that he could have won the war two months before the Normandy invasion even happened.

[@richie9814]

@@odysseusrex5908 Yes it was evident you haven't read much at all about the overall topic. Let me guess you throw soup at statues to demonstrate your view of things without ever having researched the topic you make baseless claims about! Please know your subject matter before trying to engage with me on it.

[@odysseusrex5908]

@@richie9814 You claim Monty said he could have ended the war 12 full months earlier. A mere glance at a calendar will show you that that would be *before* the Normandy invasion. Now, as I say, I have not read Monty's memoirs. If he said that, quote him, in context. I will be very interested.

[@erhenry20011]

Turns out, we were the bad guys.

[@brianpendergast2894]

Monty wasn't much of a general but very big on self promotion alot like McArthur

[@thodan467]

the men serving him in the battle of france likely had a different opinion

[@odysseusrex5908]

They were both very excellent field commanders.

[@Bullet-Tooth-Tony-]

@brianpendergast2894 He won in North Africa and planned Overlord and then led his Army Group to final victory. He also salvaged the situation in the Ardennes too while the Americans panicked.

[@odysseusrex5908]

@@Bullet-Tooth-Tony- Well, you're first sentence is correct.

[@andrewmckenzie292]

Or was he just not overly willing to bend over for the politicians?