The Longest Day (1962)

Directors:

Ken Annakin
Andrew Marton

Writers:

Cornelius Ryan (screenplay)
Cornelius Ryan (book)

Release Date:

4 October 1962 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Drama | History | War

Tagline:

42 STARS IN THE LONGEST DAY

Plot:

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

Plot Keywords:

Invasion | 1944 | D Day | Normandy | Paratrooper

Awards:

Won 2 Oscars. Another 5 wins & 6 nominations

Cast

Eddie Albert	...	Col. Thompson
Paul Anka	...	U.S. Army Ranger
Arletty	...	Madame Barrault
Jean-Louis Barrault	...	Father Louis Roulland
Richard Beymer	...	Schultz
Hans Christian Blech	...	Maj. Werner Pluskat
Bourvil	...	Mayor of Colleville
Richard Burton	...	Flight Officer David Campbell
Wolfgang Büttner	...	Maj. Gen. Dr. Hans Speidel
Red Buttons	...	Pvt. John Steele
Pauline Carton	...	Maid
Sean Connery	...	Pvt. Flanagan
Ray Danton	...	Capt. Frank
Irina Demick	...	Janine Boitard (as Irina Demich)
Fred Dur	...	U.S. Army Ranger major

Runtime:

178 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | German | French

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

2.20 : 1

Sound Mix:

4-Track Stereo (Westrex Recording System) | 70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints)

Certification:

Australia:PG | South Korea:All | New Zealand:PG | Germany:12 (DVD rating) | Finland:K-16 | Norway:16 (1962) | Spain:T | Sweden:15 | UK:PG | USA:G | West Germany:12 (f) (bw)

Filming Locations:

Calvados, France

Company:

Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation

Trivia:

Four Spitfires were used in the strafing sequence. They were all ex-Belgian target tugs and all were MK9's. The serial no.s were MH415, MK297, MK923 and MH434 and all are still extant. The Spitfires were assembled and co-ordinated by former free French Spitfire pilot Pierre Laureys who flew with 340 Squadron, a free French unit in the RAF. The 4 Spitfires were of course re-painted in 340 Squadron markings. Spitfire MK923 was between 1963 and 1998 owned by film actor and Oscar winner Cliff Robertson.

Goofs:

Factual errors: Although Vandervoort and Steele are shown wearing "jump" boots, as befitted their status as paratroopers, Pvt. Schultz, also a paratrooper, wears two-buckle infantry "combat" boots. This type of boot was not worn to any degree on D-Day, even by the regular infantry (they wore ankle-high "field" boots with canvas leggings), much less the paratroopers.

Quotes:

Capt. Colin Maud: [pointing] The war's over there!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Home Improvement: The Longest Day (#5.22)" (1996)

Soundtrack:

The Longest Day

A splendid film by all counts.........

I'm old enough to have seen this epic when it was first released and, even as a nine year old, I was impressed. It was the great Daryl Zanuck's last hurrah and a fitting one (not his last film - just his last worthwhile film).

This is a great film. It's not perfect but its faults are few and minor. For me the most glaring fault is the amateurish delivery by the actor (a near ringer) portraying Ike. Also, the very beautiful actress portraying the French resistance fighter is wearing a very 1960s hairdo (a common problem with Hollywood films).

I see this film every memorial day. It helps me to remember my father, a Navy gunner's mate in the Pacific theater and my maternal grandfather, an island-hopping Sgt. in the Marine Corps. Personally, as a veteran, I find this movie as realistic as I think it was possible to be in 1961.

Is it the best American war film? No. I would place it in the top 10 alongside the following:

1. All Quiet On the Western Front (1930) 2. Platoon (1986) 3. Tora! Tora! Tora! (1970) 4. In Which We Serve (British - 1943) 5. Patton (1970) 6. They Were Expendable (1945) 7. Twelve O'Clock High (1949) 8. Paths of Glory (1957) 9. Grand Illusion (1940?) 10.The Longest Day (1962)