I flagged the Thomson stuff. The producer didn’t have a clue and the writers were German and based everything on what Bert told them. I kicked off about this quite a bit saying that Thomson was a bit part player in the story and should be replaced by McDowall. I was told ‘but we’ve picked the actor and he’s Scottish!’ I said ‘no problem, McDowall was Scottish too!’
They didn’t want to introduce other characters as they said audiences would struggle and so one manager was important. I lost that argument and kept moaning, going on about how you wouldn’t get Busby wrong.
In the end the bottom line to me was that I had to highlight everything to them and try and persuade them to make the changes BUT they had to make a film they believed would be popular to a wider audience. I consoled myself by saying that if the film could encourage people to find out more about Bert and City then it’s done it’s job. Ultimately, they had to satisfy their funders (hence why it was filmed in Ireland and Germany) and make something that was popular. As with all biopics much of it is not factually correct. Had I written the script it would have been but perhaps would never have been made. We‘d have had 30 minutes of McDowall telling Bert how the Revie Plan was going to work and Ken Barnes winding up Bert about his VW Beetle!
Thanks for all the comments, Gary, illuminating stuff from you (and others on here who reacted to seeing the film)
I saw 'The Keeper' at our local flea pit originally and, enjoyable as it was, I had a rant driving home when the distaff side said she'd not realised the traumas Bert had suffered throughout his war years and in trying to win over the British public.
I pointed out the various flaws in the story and depiction (based on my own recollections of growing up in the 50s/60s and things I learned from my Old Man and uncles who were nodding acquaintances with Bert being City fans who used to frequent Andy Black's pub near the airport which was one of Bert's watering holes), not least the CGI misrepresentations of Wembley stadium (the team benches etc!) and 'no Les McDowell' as you say.
To which the wife, who had enjoyed the film as a sad love story, replied witheringly but fairly, 'You really would make a great entertainer at children's parties, wouldn't you..?'
Watching it again last night on the box I got the same feeling that, for all the good intentions of the piece, there is a great film to be made about the life story of Bert Trautmann. Sadly, this isn't it, enjoyable as it is.
What I mean is that Bert Trautmann was not just a big man with a huge sporting talent. Those who weren't around at the time to see him play can probably never know just how great and important his impact on the wider British society was at the time. Barely 10 years after the most damaging conflict in world history, this man not only gained the respect of the society his own nation had been in a death struggle with, he also became a beloved member of that society. And he helped to change attitudes, in turn encouraging reconciliation between the countries that had been at war with each other.
In this modern day and age of 'celebrity' the so-called 'slebs' filling our newspapers and online feeds with their vacuous activities are but nothing compared to the positive impact that Bert had on post-war Britain.
As someone on here suggested earlier, it would be brilliant if the club were to name a stand after Bert.. he was THAT important to City and Britain.
