The Blue Max (1966)

Director:

John Guillermin

Writers:

Jack Hunter (novel)
Ben Barzman (adaptation) ...
(more)

Release Date:

21 June 1966 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | Drama | War | Action

Tagline:

MIRACLES IN THE AIR!

Plot:

A young pilot in the German air force of 1918, disliked as lower-class and unchivalrous, tries ambitiously to earn the medal offered for 20 kills.

Plot Keywords:

Ambition | Aerial Combat | Acrobatic Flight | Biplane | Airplane Crash

Awards:

Won BAFTA Film Award. Another 4 nominations

Cast

George Peppard	...	Lt. Bruno Stachel
James Mason	...	General Count von Klugermann
Ursula Andress	...	Countess Kaeti von Klugermann
Jeremy Kemp	...	Willi von Klugermann
Karl Michael Vogler	...	Colonel Otto Heidemann
Anton Diffring	...	Holbach
Harry Towb	...	Kettering
Peter Woodthorpe	...	Corporal Rupp
Derek Newark	...	Ziegel
Derren Nesbitt	...	Fabian
Loni von Friedl	...	Elfi Heidemann (as Loni Von Friedl)
Friedrich von Ledebur	...	Feldmarschall von Lenndorf (as Friedrich Ledebur)
Carl Schell	...	Von Richthofen aka The Red Baron
Hugo Schuster	...	Hans. Elderly Servant
Alex Scott	...	The Orator
Roger Ostime	...	The Crown Prince
Ray Browne	...	Pilot
Timothy Parkes	...	Pilot
Ian Kingsley	...	Pilot
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Warren Crosby	...	(uncredited)
Nikki Van der Zyl	...	Countess Kaeti von Klugermann (voice) (uncredited)

Directed by
John Guillermin

Writing credits
Jack Hunter		(novel)
Ben Barzman		(adaptation) and
Basilio Franchina		(adaptation)
David Pursall		(screenplay) &
Jack Seddon		(screenplay) and
Gerald Hanley		(screenplay)

Produced by
Christian Ferry	....	producer
Elmo Williams	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Jerry Goldsmith

Cinematography by
Douglas Slocombe

Film Editing by
Max Benedict

Casting by
Stuart Lyons

Production Design by
Wilfred Shingleton		(as Wilfrid Shingleton)

Art Direction by
Fred Carter

Makeup Department
Patricia McDermott	....	hairdresser (as Pat McDermott)
John O'Gorman	....	makeup artist: Ursula Andress
Charles E. Parker	....	head makeup artist (as Charles Parker)
Tony Sforzini	....	makeup artist: George Peppard (as Tony Sfortzini)
Jay Sebring	....	hair designer: George Peppard (uncredited)

Production Management
René Dupont	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Jack Causey	....	assistant director
Derek Cracknell	....	assistant director
Anthony Squire	....	director: aerial unit

Art Department
Brian Doyle	....	plasterer
Joseph Musso	....	production illustrator (uncredited)

Sound Department
Richard Best Jr.	....	assistant sound editor
John Cox	....	sound
Chris Greenham	....	sound editor
Claude Hitchcock	....	sound
Bob Jones	....	sound

Special Effects by
Maurice Ayers	....	special effects
Ron Ballanger	....	special effects
Karl Baumgartner	....	special effects

Stunts
Ken Byrne	....	aerial stunts
Tim Clutterbuck	....	aerial stunts
Pat Cranfield	....	aerial stunts
Tim Healey	....	aerial stunts
Peter Hillwood	....	aerial stunts
Joan Hughes	....	aerial stunts
Darby Kennedy	....	aerial stunts
Darby Kennedy	....	stunt coordinator
Roger Kennedy	....	aerial stunts
Liam Mulligan	....	aerial stunts
Derek Piggott	....	aerial stunts
Taffy Rich	....	aerial stunts

Camera and Electrical Department
Skeets Kelly	....	aerial photographer
Skeets Kelly	....	camera operator
Skeets Kelly	....	photographer: second unit
Donald C. Rogers	....	photographer: second unit
Chic Waterson	....	camera operator
Mike Fox	....	focus puller: second unit (uncredited)
Ginger Gemmel	....	camera operator: second unit (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Elsa Fennell	....	wardrobe supervisor
John Furniss	....	wardrobe creator: Miss Andress

Editorial Department
Norman Cohen	....	assembly editor
Elizabeth Thoyts	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Jerry Goldsmith	....	conductor

Transportation Department
Arthur Dunne	....	transportation captain (uncredited)

Other crew
Johnny Maher	....	air engineer
William O'Kelly	....	production liaison: Ireland
Willy Roe	....	runner
Allen Wheeler	....	air supervisor
Helen Whitson	....	continuity

Production Companies

• Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation

Distributors

• Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation (1966) (USA) (theatrical)
• Centfox (1966) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• American Broadcasting Company (ABC) (1971) (USA) (TV) (original airing) (pan/scan)
• CBS/Fox (199?) (USA) (VHS) (pan/scan)
• Ascot Elite Home Entertainment (2013) (Germany) (DVD)
• Ascot Elite Home Entertainment (2013) (Germany) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• Belle & Blade Studios (video)
• CBS / Fox Video (1990) (Greece) (VHS)
• Magnetic Video (????) (USA) (VHS)
• Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment Germany (2004) (Germany) (DVD)

Other Companies

• People and the Government of the Republic of Ireland  20th Century-Fox express their gratitude to

Also Known As:

Runtime:

156 min | USA:153 min (FMC Library Print)

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.20 : 1

Sound Mix:

6-Track Stereo | 4-Track Stereo (magnetic prints) (Westrex Recording System) | Mono (optical prints) (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

Australia:PG | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15 | UK:PG | USA:Unrated | West Germany:16 (f) | Singapore:NC-16 | Iceland:12 | Canada:G (Quebec) | Ireland:12 (old rating) | Germany:12 (DVD rating) | Netherlands:14

Filming Locations:

Dublin, County Dublin, Ireland

Company:

Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation

Trivia:

Stunt pilot, Derek Piggott, flew both Stachel's and Von Klugermann's planes for the bridge storming scene. With multiple camera angles (including one from a trailing helicopter) Piggott actually flew under the bridge over twenty times. To prove that the sequence was real, sheep were placed in the field next to the bridge so that they would scatter as the plane approached. However, as can be seen in the continuity, by the 20th take the sheep had become blasé and didn't scatter any more.

Goofs:

Factual errors: The Fokker aircraft were correctly shown with replicas of the 8mm-caliber Maxim LMG08/15 air-cooled machine guns, designed to fire between the propeller blades via a cam assembly that synchronized the guns with the engine's RPMs. However, these were belt-fed weapons and neither ammo belts nor drum magazines were ever shown mounted on them; thus, the guns were not charged.

Quotes:

Bruno Stachel:Do you think I came all this way to run off to Switzerland with you?
Countess Kaeti von Klugermann:You gambled your life for me once with Willy.
Bruno Stachel:That was about flying, Kaeti, not about you!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Yellow Submarine (1968)

Soundtrack:

Deutschlandlied

A Terrific WWI Air War Movie With Real Planes & No CGI

What a refreshing movie to watch.

I saw this movie with my father in 1966. He always loved the bi-planes of World War I and they thrill me to this day.

The title, though central to the theme of the movie is really a misnomer to the enjoyment of this film. You actually get to see r-e-a-l aircraft in combat without the cartoon effects of CGI.

This is movie making in the school of the other Cinamascope greats: Somewhat weak on plot, but so absolutely cool in visual execution, that you overlook the script's lack of depth.

I'm not saying that this movie doesn't have a plot. It's a solid story with somewhat shallow character development. But in the end, the characters were secondary to a story of bravery, early air war history and tactics and the wearing away of chivalry in an era of a nation fighting for survival in the end of hours.

Acting was good, direction was fine and choreography using actual aircraft was among the last of it's kind.

I give this an 8 out of 10 for displaying concrete reality in an era of cartoon gimmicks.