Star-studded World War Two action-drama. A big, long, loud spectacular from the days when ‘epic’ really meant something.
The makers boasted of 42 international stars (including half asleep hero Robert Mitchum, Richard Burton and Sean Connery) when this mammoth war film was released. It took two years to make, it lasts three hours, it needed five directors (if you count the uncredited Darryl F Zanuck), and five script writers… they didn’t even count the extras.
This mammoth depiction of the D-Day landings is certainly impressive in its scope, juggling events at each of the five major landing sites, as well as material from the German perspective, even if the actual battle scenes might seem somewhat prosaic to anyone who has seen the same events depicted in Saving Private Ryan.
Be warned: an unforgivable colourised version of the film is available and should be avoided at all costs. The film won awards for its black and white cinematography for a reason.
CLASSIC QUOTE
You can’t give the enemy a break. Send him to hell! – Lieutenant Colonel Benjamin Vandervoort (John Wayne).
AWARDS
Best Cinematography, Black-and-White (1963)
Academy Awards, USA – Jean Bourgoin
Best Effects, Special Effects (1963)
Academy Awards, USA –
Best Cinematography- Black and White (1963)
Golden Globes, USA – Jean Bourgoin
cast
John Wayne as Col. Benjamin Vandervoort
Henry Fonda as Brig. Gen. Theodore Roosevelt jr.
Robert Mitchum as Brig. Gen. Norman Cota
Richard Burton as Flying Officer David Campbell
Curd Jürgens as Maj. Gen. Gunther Blumentritt
Eddie Albert as Col. Thompson
Paul Anka as U.S. Army Ranger
Arletty as Madame Barrault
Jean-Louis Barrault as Father Louis Roulland
Richard Beymer as Pvt. Dutch Schultz
Hans Christian Blech as Maj. Werner Pluskat
Bourvil as Le maire de Colleville
Wolfgang Büttner as Maj. Gen. Dr. Hans Speidel
Red Buttons as Pvt. John Steele
Pauline Carton as Maid
Sean Connery as Pvt. Flanagan
Ray Danton as Capt. Frank
Irina Demick as Janine Boitard
Fred Dur as U.S. Army Ranger major
Fabian as U.S. Army Ranger
Mel Ferrer as Maj. Gen. Robert Haines
Steve Forrest as Capt. Harding
Gert Fröbe as Sgt. Kaffekanne
Leo Genn as Brig. Gen. Edwin P. Parker Jr.
John Gregson as British Padre
Paul Hartmann as Field Marshal Gerd von Rundstedt
Peter Helm as Young GI
Werner Hinz as Field Marshal Erwin Rommel
Donald Houston as RAF Pilot
Jeffrey Hunter as Sgt. (later Lt.) John H. Fuller
Karl John as Gen. Wolfgang Hager
Alexander Knox as Maj. Gen. Walter Bedell Smith
Peter Lawford as Lord Lovat
Fernand Ledoux as Louis
Christian Marquand as Cmdr. Philippe Kieffer (commando leader)
Roddy McDowall as Pvt. Morris
Michael Medwin as Pvt. Watney
Sal Mineo as Pvt. Martini
Kenneth More as Capt. Colin Maud
Richard Münch as Gen. Erich Marcks
Edmond O’Brien as Gen. Raymond D. Barton
Leslie Phillips as RAF Officer Mac
Wolfgang Preiss as Maj. Gen. Max Pemsel
Ron Randell as Joe Williams
Madeleine Renaud as Mother Superior
Georges Rivière as Sgt. Guy de Montlaur
Norman Rossington as Pvt. Clough
Robert Ryan as Brig. Gen. James M. Gavin
Tommy Sands as U.S. Army Ranger
George Segal as U.S. Army Ranger
Jean Servais as RAdm. Janjard
Rod Steiger as Destroyer Commander
Richard Todd as Maj. John Howard
Tom Tryon as Lt. Wilson
Peter van Eyck as Lt. Col. Ocker
Robert Wagner as U.S. Army Ranger
Richard Wattis as British Paratrooper
Stuart Whitman as Lt. Sheen
Georges Wilson as Alexandre Renaud
Patrick Barr as Group Capt. J.N. Stagg (uncredited)
Lyndon Brook as Lt. Walsh (uncredited)
John Crawford as Col. Caffey (uncredited)
Armin Dahlen as Blumentritt’s Adjutant (uncredited)
Mark Damon as Pvt. Harris (uncredited)
Richard Dawson as British Soldier (uncredited)
Eugene Deckers as German Soldier (uncredited)
Gil Delamare as French Commando (uncredited)
Frank Finlay as Pvt. Coke (uncredited)
Harry Fowler as British Paratrooper (uncredited)
Bernard Fox as Pvt. Hutchinson (uncredited)
Robert Freitag as Meyer’s Aide (uncredited)
Bernard Fresson as French Commando (uncredited)
Lutz Gabor as Bit Part (uncredited)
Arnold Gelderman as German Guard on Traintreck (uncredited)
Harold Goodwin as British Soldier (uncredited)
Walter Gotell as German soldier (uncredited)
Henry Grace as Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower (uncredited)
Clément Harari as
Ruth Hausmeister as Frau Maria Rommel (uncredited)
Jack Hedley as RAF Briefing Officer (uncredited)
Michael Hinz as Manfred Rommel (uncredited)
Walter Horsbrugh as Adm. Creasey (uncredited)
Til Kiwe as Capt. Helmuth Lang (uncredited)
Harry Landis as British Soldier (uncredited)
Wolfgang Lukschy as Col. Gen. Alfred Jodl (uncredited)
Victor Maddern as Camp Cook (uncredited)
Howard Marion-Crawford as Glider Doctor (uncredited)
Neil McCallum as Canadian Doctor (uncredited)
John Meillon as RAdm. Alan G. Kirk (uncredited)
Kurt Meisel as Capt. Ernst During (uncredited)
Gérard Moisan as Paratrooper (uncredited)
Tony Mordente as Cook (uncredited)
Bill Nagy as Major in Ste. Mère-Eglise (uncredited)
Rainer Penkert as Lt. Fritz Theen (uncredited)
Malte Petzel as German Officer with Rupert (uncredited)
John Phillips as Roosevelt’s Aide (uncredited)
Siân Phillips as WRNS Officer (uncredited)
Maurice Poli as Jean (uncredited)
Hartmut Reck as Sgt. Bernhard Bergsdorf (uncredited)
Trevor Reid as Gen. Sir Bernard L. Montgomery (uncredited)
Heinz Reincke as Col. Josef ‘Pips’ Priller (uncredited)
Paul Edwin Roth as Col. Schiller (uncredited)
Dietmar Schönherr as Luftwaffe Major (uncredited)
Ernst Schröder as Gen. Hans von Salmuth (uncredited)
Hans Söhnker as Deutscher Offizier (uncredited)
Heinz Spitzner as Lt. Col. Helmuth Meyer (uncredited)
Nicholas Stuart as Lt. Gen. Omar N. Bradley (uncredited)
Alice Tissot as Housekeeper (uncredited)
Michel Tureau as French Commando (uncredited)
Roland Urban as Paratrooper (uncredited)
Vicco von Bülow as Pemsel’s adjutant (uncredited)
Joe Warfield as US Army Medic (uncredited)
Dominique Zardi as French Spitfire Pilot (uncredited)
crew
Directors: Bernhard Wicki, Ken Annakin, Andrew Marton
US | 178 minutes | 1962
