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The Guns of Navarone (1961)

 -  Action | Adventure | Drama  -  22 June 1961 (USA)
7.6
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Ratings: 7.6/10 from 25,020 users  
Reviews: 117 user | 52 critic

A British team is sent to cross occupied Greek territory and destroy the massive German gun emplacement that commands a key sea channel.

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Title: The Guns of Navarone (1961)

The Guns of Navarone (1961) on IMDb 7.6/10

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Won 1 Oscar. Another 4 wins & 10 nominations. See more awards »

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Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
...
...
...
...
Brown
...
Franklin
...
Pappadimos
...
Maria
Gia Scala ...
...
Jensen
...
Bryan Forbes ...
Allan Cuthbertson ...
Baker
Michael Trubshawe ...
...
Grogan
George Mikell ...
Sessler
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Storyline

Two powerful German guns control the seas past the Greek island of Navarone making the evacuation of endangered British troops on a neighboring island impossible. Air attack is useless so a team of six Allied and Greek soldiers is put ashore to meet up with partisans to try and dynamite the guns. The mission is perilous enough anyway but are the Germans on the island getting further help too?. Written by Jeremy Perkins <jwp@aber.ac.uk>

Plot Summary | Plot Synopsis

Plot Keywords:

island | gun | soldier | commando | explosive | See more »

Taglines:

The Greatest High Adventure Ever Filmed! See more »

Genres:

Action | Adventure | Drama | War

Parents Guide:

 »
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Details

Country:

|

Language:

| |

Release Date:

22 June 1961 (USA)  »

Also Known As:

Carl Foreman's Production The Guns of Navarone  »

Filming Locations:

 »

Box Office

Budget:

$6,000,000 (estimated)
 »

Company Credits

Show detailed on  »

Technical Specs

Runtime:

Sound Mix:

(35 mm magnetic prints)| (70 mm prints) (Japan theatrical release)| (35 mm optical prints)| (Restored version)

Color:

(archive footage)| (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1
See  »
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Did You Know?

Trivia

James Darren was cast as Private Spyros Pappadimos in hopes it would get him out of the "teen idol" stage. However, the sequel to 'Gidget' came out later in the year, starring James Darren as Moondoggie. See more »

Goofs

After the team has scaled the cliff the Germans respond to an alarm jumping on trucks and driving towards the mountain. When driving off the you can clearly see printed Dodge on the back latch of one truck. Germans did not drive Dodge trucks in the second world war. See more »

Quotes

[first lines]
Prologue Narrator: Greece and the islands of the Aegean Sea have given birth to many myths and legends of war and adventure. And these once-proud stones, these ruined and shattered temples bear witness to the civilization that flourished and then died here and to the demigods and heroes who inspired those legends on this sea and these islands. But, though the stage is the same, ours is a legend of our own times, and its heroes are not demigods, but ordinary people. In 1943, so the story goes, 2000 ...
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Connections

Referenced in Family Guy: Stew-Roids (2009) See more »

Soundtracks

"Treu Sein"
(uncredited)
Music by Dimitri Tiomkin
Lyrics by Alfred Perry
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User Reviews

 
This has everything that I'm looking for in a classic war movie...
11 August 2005 | by (Tessenderlo, Belgium) – See all my reviews

Ever since I was a little boy, I've watched several classic war movies with my father. He was an absolute fan of this kind of movies and I guess I've inherited that passion from him, because since then I try to watch and buy as many (classic) war movies as I can find. So far I already have several of them in my private DVD collection, but until now, "The Guns of Navarone" wasn't a part of it. The main reason for that is because I hadn't seen it before and therefor didn't know what to expect of it. But now that it was finally shown on television, I was able to tape it and to watch it.

When in 1943 the Germans are attempting to bully neutral Turkey into joining the Axis, 2,000 British troops are trapped on the small and strategically unimportant Greek island Kiros. Something has to be done to save them and there is only one way to get there: by boat. But it's impossible to come near to the island because the only sea route is defended by two gigantic German anti-ship batteries, deployed in a massive cliff side bunker on the island of Navarone. An air attack has been attempted before and proved to be useless and the only option that is left is sending a team of six Greek and English mountaineers to meet up with partisans to try and dynamite the guns. The team does not only face the almost impossible task to conquer the difficult terrain, they also have to try to get past a German garrison and to make things worse, there also appears to be a traitor among them...

About one thing I'm already certain: I'll buy this movie on DVD as soon as I can find it. This is one of the better classic war movies that I've seen lately and I really had a good time watching it. Not only does it give a more realistic view on the war, the characters are also a lot more realistic. They aren't as invincible as you sometimes see in other classic war movies (think for instance of "Where Eagles Dare (1968)"), in which the Americans or other allies seem to carry some kind of magic shield around them that can't be penetrated by German bullets, while they can kill hundreds of the enemy with only one bullet. In this movie they have to deal with all kinds of difficulties like difficult terrain, a traitor,... and yes, even the good guys can get killed or wounded.

What I also liked was the fact that this movie was shot in Greece and therefor gave a realistic feeling to the setting, without feeling like a brochure for a romantic holiday (like Captain Corelli's Mandolin). I know, we all expect that and believe that it is normal when we see it, but I've already seen otherwise and it's something you didn't always get at the time. Think for instance of the movie "The Battle of the Bulge" (1965), which was supposed to be situated in the Belgian Ardennes, but which was shot with olive trees in the background and in a desert-like terrain. And trust me, I'm Belgian myself and I know the region all too well, so I know that there really isn't such a type of terrain to be found there.

Next to the good story and the correct decor, this movie also offers some fine acting from a great classical cast. With Gregory Peck, David Niven, Anthony Quinn, Anthony Quayle,... you get some of the most famous actors at the time and they all did a very nice job in this movie. Add to this the fact that story was very good, that the action still looked nice, that everything was shot in the right country and that everybody spoke the correct language. Then you know that there is absolutely nothing more I could ask for in this movie. I give this movie a well deserved 7.5/10.


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Did German gunners really wear those cowls? Why? vaneyck
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For those who have read the book... R_J_Plissken
Problem with David Niven/Gregory Peck confrontation crheath2001
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