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The Longest Day (1962)

 -  Action | Drama | History  -  4 October 1962 (USA)
7.8
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Ratings: 7.8/10 from 29,728 users  
Reviews: 176 user | 35 critic

The events of D-Day, told on a grand scale from both the Allied and German points of view.

Writers:

(screenplay), (book), 4 more credits »
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Won 2 Oscars. Another 6 wins & 6 nominations. See more awards »

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Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
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Pvt. Dutch Schultz
Hans Christian Blech ...
Bourvil ...
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Flying Officer David Campbell
Wolfgang Büttner ...
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Pauline Carton ...
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Janine Boitard (as Irina Demich)
Fred Dur ...
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Storyline

Tells the story of the D-Day invasion of Normandy in WWII. There are dozens of characters, some seen only briefly, who together weave the story of five separate invasion points that made up the operation. Written by John Vogel <jlvogel@comcast.net>

Plot Summary | Add Synopsis

Taglines:

42 International Stars! See more »

Genres:

Action | Drama | History | War

Certificate:

G | See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

 »
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Details

Country:

Language:

| |

Release Date:

4 October 1962 (USA)  »

Also Known As:

El día más largo del siglo  »

Filming Locations:

 »

Box Office

Budget:

$10,000,000 (estimated)
 »

Company Credits

Show detailed on  »

Technical Specs

Runtime:

Sound Mix:

(Westrex Recording System)| (70 mm prints)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1
See  »
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Did You Know?

Trivia

Pundits nicknamed the film "Z-Day". See more »

Goofs

During some of the scenes they show U.S. paratroopers bailing out of British "Lancaster" bombers. They used C-47 Dakota transports exclusively. See more »

Quotes

Brig. Gen. Theodore Roosevelt Jr.: As best I can figure it, we're on the wrong beach. The control boat must have been confused by the smoke from the naval bombardment. They landed us about a mile and a quarter south of where we were supposed to land. We should be up there.
Col. Caffey: I agree with you, but what are we gonna do now? Our reinforcements and heavy equipment will be approaching in a very few minutes. What happens if they land at the right beach?
Brig. Gen. Theodore Roosevelt Jr.: The reinforcements will have to follow us wherever we are. We're starting the war ...
See more »

Crazy Credits

Although the end credits begin with the phrase "in alphabetical order", John Wayne is listed last even though he is not last alphabetically (although he was "nearly" last). See more »

Connections

Referenced in Shitamachi no taiyô (1963) See more »

Soundtracks

"Lambeth Walk"
(uncredited)
Music by Noel Gay
Lyrics by Douglas Furber
Sung by the British soldiers on the glider
See more »

Frequently Asked Questions

See more (Spoiler Alert!) »

User Reviews

 
Allow Yourself A Long Day To See This All-Star War Pic...
12 April 1999 | by (Philadelphia, PA) – See all my reviews

Darryl F. Zanuck's THE LONGEST DAY is indeed long, has over 48 international stars, 3 directors, and took about 2 years to make. 1962 was the year of the epic as far as the 1960's were concerned and this exceptional film is no exception. No cost was spared. Some good war sequences mixed with stock footage of WWII effectively present a version of D-Day, June of 1944. We see it from the German perspective (in sub-titles), the American plight, and the rest of the Allied forces. One problem: If you are seeing the film for the first time AFTER watching SAVING PRIVATE RYAN, you may come out disappointed. The war scenes are well-crafted, however, the piercing reality is missing. I tried to watch it as objectively as I could, but it is hard, considering the impression Spielberg's version of D-Day left on me.

The soldiers are led by a variety of huge name actors. John Wayne is a no-holds-barred Captain who will fight, broken foot or not. Henry Fonda plays Teddy Roosevelt, Jr. looking not to be treated as the son of an ex-president. Bob Mitchum is great as a cigar-smoking officer of the U.S. raid on Omaha Beach. The only problem is authenticity. The actors look good and realisticly war-like, however, they are kept in frame to showcase their talents and they never seem to be near death. This is by no means an anti-war film like RYAN. It can be harrowing at times, but watching Richard Burton, Sean Connery, and Rod Steiger deliver cameo-like performances (meaning they know they are only on-screen for a short time) was a bit contrived and distracting.

Overall, I did like the movie. It is greatly detailed and it lets you know exactly who each actor is playing. This is pure American propaganda, but it is still exciting. Too many fearful war experiences are handled with kid gloves. The grand spectacle of the top-notch production values as well as non-stop action make the picture watchable, if only once.

RATING: 7 of 10


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