James Hyde - The Very Thought of You (2025)

-Written by Marty Coney.

2025 HOLLYSHORTS FILM FESTIVAL REVIEW!

Summer 1944. The success of D-Day has given the Allies a foothold to start pushing the Germans back and liberate Europe. Bit by bit, life by life, they would take back territory in the most brutal of battles. By September the Allied commanders thought one big push would be enough to break the German lines and win the war by Christmas. What would follow would go on to be known as the biggest Allied defeat of WW2: Operation Market Garden. 

Supreme Allied Commander Dwight Eisenhower prefers a wide front with the Allied armies pushing forward across the entire front line of the defending Germans. British Commander Sir Bernard Montgomery championed a plan to flank the heavily fortified Siegfried Line and push up through the Netherlands capturing bridges and making it possible to push through to Germany and win the war. It's a plan that couldn't afford any mistakes, but if it was successful then it made it possible for the remaining Allied forces to break the Siegfried Line and put an end to the horror of WW2. Unfortunately, things went wrong from the beginning of the mission. Delays due to weather meant scattered drops of troops behind enemy lines over the course of days instead of hours, paratroopers being dropped eight miles from their objective, allowing the Germans to determine the sites of the mission. Movement grinding to a snail's pace due to the terrain put the entire mission in jeopardy and ultimately cost the lives of thousands of brave servicemen. 

SPOILER ALERT 

James Hyde - The Very Thought of You, a beautiful and tragic short film directed by Benjamin Uttley, starts on September 25th, the last day of Operation Market Garden. A squadron of RAF Spitfires are ambushed by the Luftwaffe in the Dutch skies. A crackle of gunfire is heard hitting the plane; “I'm hit,” then fade to black. James Hyde, played here by the brilliant David Johnson, was a native of Trinidad and volunteered for the British Air Force and flew 71 missions before September 25th.

The screen comes alive with the song “The Very Thought of You” written by Ray Noble and performed by Thilda Bo, as James is in a dance hall draped with union flags and bunting, and a sense of peace. A tender dance with his wife Mary, played by Margaret Clunnie, and then we are sucked out of the dream and brought back to reality. James is in a fight for his life with a German plane on his tail, his plane peppered by bullets. On the coms, we hear the voice of pilot John Caulton, voiced by Patrick Kennedy, tell James to keep the German busy so he can take a shot. The inside of the cockpit is chaotic as the plane dips and spins to try and keep ahead of the tailing plane. 

The cinematography on show in James Hyde - The Very Thought of You is stunning. The dance hall will make you feel like you have been transported back to 1944. The costumes are stunning and the song “The Very Thought of You” is the perfect choice for what emotions are going through James’ head at that very moment. It's only a ten-minute film, but it manages to pack so much emotion and feeling into it. It's a beautiful, poignant, and tragic story that could encompass the lives of millions of other brave people with a story to tell. But I'm glad I got to hear this one. 

Captain John Caulton would save James, who would then go on to return the favour. However, sadly, James was hit during the mission and wouldn't make it back home to Mary. But, in service his bravery will always be remembered. James' remains were recovered and he was laid to rest in Jankerboss Cemetery in Holland. 

Directed by Benjamin Uttley. 

Written by Benjamin Uttley & Simon Uttley.

Starring David Johnson, Margaret Clunnie, Patrick Kennedy, etc. 

9/10 = DROP EVERYTHING AND WATCH IT NOW