1939-45

This World War II epic is likely to go down in history as one of the most expensive productions ever mounted. Shot almost entirely on location in several European countries and in Asia, the plot called for a huge cast of extras many of whom were not alive by the time the production came to an end. It is difficult to imagine a modern studio being able to finance scenes like the Normandy Landings - which on their own cost almost as much as the chariot race in Ben Hur - or to tolerate the large amount of casualties involved. Indeed, the project would probably never have got beyond the drawing board if the governments of the USA, Britain, Germany, Russia, Japan and Italy had not committed significant financial, logistic and human resources.

Relaxing in the BBC hospitality tent after the event, two of the production's four directors (the other two were unaccountably detained) said that one of their most difficult challenges had been to find a way of ending the story in a conclusive manner. "What we needed", said Harry Truman who was standing in for Franklin Roosevelt, "was a triumphant climax, a big bang".