The Guns of Navarone (1961)

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

Director:

J. Lee Thompson

Writers:

Alistair MacLean (novel) (as Alistair Maclean), Carl Foreman (written for the screen by)

Stars:

David Niven, Gregory Peck, Anthony Quinn

Won 1 Oscar. Another 3 wins & 12 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Gregory Peck	...	Mallory
David Niven	...	Miller
Anthony Quinn	...	Andrea
Stanley Baker	...	Brown
Anthony Quayle	...	Franklin
James Darren	...	Pappadimos
Irene Papas	...	Maria
Gia Scala	...	Anna
James Robertson Justice	...	Prologue Narrated by / Jensen (voice)
Richard Harris	...	Barnsby
Bryan Forbes	...	Cohn
Allan Cuthbertson	...	Baker
Michael Trubshawe	...	Weaver
Percy Herbert	...	Sergeant Grogan
George Mikell	...	Sessler

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?.

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Plot Keywords:

island | greek | resistance | traitor | mountaineer | 

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Taglines:

The Greatest High Adventure Ever Filmed!

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Genres:

Action | Adventure | Drama | War

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Certificate:

16

Details

Official Sites:

Sony Movie Channel [United States]

Country:

UK USA

Language:

English Greek German

Release Date:

22 June 1961 (USA)

Also Known As:

Carl Foreman's Production The Guns of Navarone

Filming Locations:

Ile de Gorée, Dakar, Senegal

Box Office

Budget:

$6,000,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Columbia Pictures Corporation, Highroad Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

158 min

Sound Mix:

4-Track Stereo (Westrex Recording System) (35 mm magnetic prints) 70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints) (Japan theatrical release) Mono (35 mm optical prints) Dolby (Restored version)

Color:

Black and White (archive footage) Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Gregory Peck was a decade older than his character.

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Goofs

At the start of the film, we see a plane coming in for a crash-landing on an air strip. As the plane heads in, we see another plane, which looks like a bomber, defying gravity and quite clearly suspending itself in mid air. A few moments later, as the plane lands, a second bomber is seen clearly suspended in mid-air.

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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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Crazy Credits

Opening credits prologue: The first day 02.00 Hours An Allied Airfield somewhere in the Middle East

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Connections

Referenced in Hot Shots! Part Deux (1993)

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Soundtracks

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

User Reviews

Outstanding war drama

Being a big Gregory Peck fan, I was expecting great things from The Guns of Navarone, and in one of those rare instances, I was not disappointed. Mr. Peck, David Niven, Anthony Quinn et al. are in top form, each of them bringing their respective characters to life and the story likewise. The action scenes are impressive even by today's standards but in my opinion they are only a secondary pleasure. The main pleasure is watching the divergent and forceful personalities cooperate, conflict, confound and finally triumph. Suspense is maintained throughout. I also liked the way complex moral issues were addressed. Another bonus is the portrayal of the Germans. Here they are not all depicted as impersonal inhuman cruel monsters. The full mosaic of human personalities is shown on their side too. But don't get me wrong, they are still a formidable enemy who keep the outcome in doubt. Strongly recommended, 8/10.