STARS of a film that tells the remarkable story of a North-East man's wartime heroism are to gather in Newcastle for the movie's regional premiere next month.

Two Men Went To War tells the true story of 19-year-old Newcastle soldier Private Leslie Cuthbertson, who made history when he and his friend went AWOL and launched their own invasion of Nazi-occupied France in 1942.

Cinemas on Tyneside snubbed the British-made film when it was released at the beginning of this month. But distributors Guerilla Films found an unlikely ally in the Lord Mayor of Newcastle.

On his return to the North-East, after the war, Pte Cuthbertson prospered as a businessman in Gateshead and eventually became Deputy Lord Mayor of the city during the 1960s. The present Lord Mayor, Councillor John Marshall, heard of the film's plight and stepped in to make sure the story was told in Cuthbertson's native city.

Coun Marshall is hosting a civic reception for the film's cast and crew on December 12, and the £5m movie will have its regional premiere the same night in the city's Odeon multiplex.

A spokeswoman for the Lord Mayor's Office said: "The Lord Mayor was aware of the story of his predecessor. When he heard that a film had been made, he was extremely interested and keen to be involved in making sure that it was actually shown in Newcastle."

The film shows how Cuthbertson met fellow Army dental technician, 55-year-old Sergeant Peter King, in 1942. Both were declared unfit for duty and seemed set to see out the war languishing in barracks.

The duo decided to take matters into their own hands and, armed with pistols and a dozen grenades, set off to invade France in a stolen Cornish fishing vessel. A series of comical errors followed, but the pair eventually landed in Cherbourg, cut some communication lines and blew up a railway, attracting unwanted attention from German sentries. They escaped back to England, where they were initially arrested as spies.

Downing Street intervened and they were let off with a minor punishment - King lost a stripe and Cuthbertson was given a month in an Army jail.

Cuthbertson went on to serve in the Durham Light Infantry. After leaving the Army, he set up in business in Whickham, Gateshead, and eventually became Deputy Lord Mayor of Newcastle. He died in 1996.

Other cinemas planning to show the film include the Elite in Leyburn, North Yorkshire, on December 12, the Tyneside Cinema, Newcastle, on January 13 and Helmsley Arts Centre in March.

* In a previous article about this film, we referred to its co-writer, Richard Everett, as the actor Rupert Everett.

The Northern Echo would like to apologise for any discomfort this may have caused.