(With this story, Remember When? is celebrating its 26th anniversary as it continues to be a widely-followed column especially by readers craving for nostalgic items.)
The 1957 Hollywood movie, The Bridge on the River Kwai, was acclaimed worldwide. It was a box-office success, as well.
The Bridge on the River Kwai was set in World War II, during the construction of the Burma Railway in 1942-1943. The cast included Alec Guinness, William Holden, Jack Hawkins and Japanese actor Sessue Hayakawa.
It won awards, including Oscars: Best Picture, Director (David Lean), Actor (Guinness), Supporting Actor (Hayakawa), Screenplay (Pierre Boulle, Michael Wilson, Carl Foreman).
In 1997, the film was deemed “culturally and aesthetically significant” and selected for preservation in the National Film Registry by the United States Library of Congress.
It has been included on the American Film Institute’s list of best American films ever made. In 1999, the British Film Institute voted The Bridge on the River Kwai the 11th greatest British film of the 20th century. — RKC