Pedantic I know, but it is extraordinary how often this very well known film is referred to as “The Bridge over the River Kwai”. Does this happen a lot? I used to get this wrong hence I notice it now.

Can’t say that I’ve ever seen it as other than ‘On’, and I’ve always known it as ‘… On The River Kwai’. My late dad took me to see it in the cinema, and he died when I was 13, so that was over 43 years ago!
He was a Japanese PoW, see…

I just noticed it in a Daily Telegraph article today (here) and I think someone got it wrong on this website recently so I just wondered if it is only this film that this seems to happen to.

I’ve always thought of it as “over”.

Top film.

Interesting point – if you say it correctly, it will actually fit into “Like a Bridge over Troubled Waters”.

Why was the onion sad?

It made the bridge on the River Kwai.

Wikipedia tells me that the book was called “The Bridge over the River Kwai” but the film was called “The Bridge on the River Kwai”.

It was in Sri Lanka though in real life. Been there.

Presumably the film’s name, as opposed to the book’s title, refers to the ending. Although for obvious reasons it’s a bit of a spoiler.

I’ve all ways said over 😳

No ‘s’ at the end.
It’s The Book of Revelation.
Very annoying, that one.

And they renamed the River in Thailand to fit the film apparently. Awful tourist trap, although the war graves are very moving.

Ernie – I think you will find the book was originally written in French, although the author of the book was initially attributed to be the writer of the screenplay, it was written by others.

I suspect they had an english addition which used the title “The Bridge over the River Kwai”.

BTW The Bridge on the River Kwai was the first english language film I ever saw. Sadly I didn’t speak any english when I saw it ! Although at six years old I guess that didn’t matter too much 🙂

Probably, the author of it didn’t speak english.

EDIT: EL – You would have a lot of time for the guys who actually wrote the screenplay.

What the Croydon boy David Lean ? Well I’ve spent a bit of time in the David Lean Cinema if that’s what you mean.

No actually, I was referring to Carl Foreman and Michael Wilson who were banned from working in Hollywood following the McCarthy hearings.

Ah right, I only knew of David Lean’s connection with the film – due to him being a croydonian.

It was in Sri Lanka though in real life. Been there.

Bit unfortunate for the Japanese, as it clearly went nowhere near where they wanted to go.

Think the bridge itself is at Kanchanaburi, Thailand. Nice bit of engineering actually, I need to get some POWs to fix up my back yard.

I associate you with a far wider world than merely Croydon, which I do not intend to demean.

Well I’m not hot on the arts mefty. Despite claiming that “I’ve spent a bit of time in the David Lean Cinema” I think I’ve only been twice ! And once was to see “Comandante” !

[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k4D612fPjp8[/video]

A friend of mine, Erica Is Philip Tooseys daughter.

Think the bridge itself is at Kanchanaburi,

But the real bridge – the one made for the film, that is – was built near Kitulgala (Ceylon, as was).

I suspect they had an english addition which used the title “The Bridge over the River Kwai”.

On a thread about pedantry, of all places. 🙄
Too late to go back and addit it now.

On a thread about pedantry, of all places

That’s me……the incurable rebel who tramples on rules and convention with gay abandon. I just don’t care…. 8)

Has the railway line moved too, or is it a different Burma railway?