Operation Crossbow (1965)

Allied agents attempt to infiltrate the Nazis' rocket research site.

Director:

Michael Anderson

Writers:

Duilio Coletti (original story), Vittoriano Petrilli (original story),

Stars:

Sophia Loren, George Peppard, Trevor Howard

1 win.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Sophia Loren	...	Nora Van Ostamgen
George Peppard	...	Lt. John Curtis
Trevor Howard	...	Prof. Lindemann
John Mills	...	Gen. Boyd
Richard Johnson	...	Duncan Sandys
Tom Courtenay	...	Robert Henshaw
Jeremy Kemp	...	Phil Bradley
Anthony Quayle	...	Bamford
Lilli Palmer	...	Frieda
Paul Henreid	...	Gen. Ziemann
Helmut Dantine	...	Gen. Linz
Barbara Rütting	...	Hannah Reitsch (as Barbara Rueting)
Richard Todd	...	Wing Cmdr. Kendall
Sylvia Syms	...	Constance Babington Smith
John Fraser	...	Flight Lt. Kenny

Storyline

This is the story of the methods used to defeat Hitler's V1 (doodlebug) and V2 (rocket) "revenge weapons" towards the end of the second world war. Even though the Nazis were in retreat these weapons could have turned their defeat into victory. The film includes references to Hannah Reich, who in real life was a German test pilot.

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Plot Keywords:

nazi | german | rocket | v2 | v1 | 

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Taglines:

Once a top-secret...now it's the top screen adventure of the year!

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Genres:

Action | Drama | War

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for some war violence

Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English German

Release Date:

1 April 1965 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Great Spy Mission

Filming Locations:

Holkham Beach and Estate, Norfolk, England, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer British Studios

Technical Specs

Runtime:

115 min

Sound Mix:

70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints) (Westrex Recording System) Mono (35 mm prints) (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Black and White (archive footage) Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Despite receiving top billing, Sophia Loren only appears in a extended cameo role. Producer Carlo Ponti, Loren's husband, believed his wife's popularity in the United States would boost the film's chances at the box office and had her billed accordingly.

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Goofs

The same victims appear after both V-1 and V-2 attacks - the footage showing the rescue from a collapsed building has a shaggy headed (for 1944) man being helped from the wreckage (on the right side of the frame), shown as a distance shot through a hole in a wall, then first appearing, and finally stumbling out. Note there is one rescuer with a white helmet in all these scenes.

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Connections

Edited into Mosquito Squadron (1969)

User Reviews

George Peppard's Star Turn

George Peppard had been under exclusive contract to MGM and after making "Subterreans", and "Home From The Hill" Peppard made other than his great hit in "How The West Was Won" movies on loan out to other studios " The Victors" at Columbia and two movies that made him a worldwide superstar "Breakfast at Tiffany's" and "The Carpetbaggers" at Paramount. MGM wanted to cash in on the worldwide Peppard super stardom for a movie at his home studio and before his contract elapsed MGM and Peppard agreed to "Operation Crossbow" produced by Carlo Ponti and filmed at MGM's London Studio. MGM gave this film the highest of production values and the presence of Mrs. Ponti aka Sophia Loren first billed as box office insurance as Mr Peppard's co star in a small cameo. Operation Crossbow is a rousing story of the allied commandos set out to destroy the Nazi rockets and the Action is non stop at a high pulse. Director Michael Anderson provides first rate Direction. Lilli Palmer, Richard Johnson, are fine actors and do well here.George Peppard was always professional in his acting and one wonders why he was not ever nominated for his work in any of his Movies.

I recommend this movie