The Night of the Generals (1967)

Director:

Anatole Litvak

Writers:

Joseph Kessel (adapted for the screen by) and
Paul Dehn (adapted for the screen by) ...

Release Date:

24 February 1967 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Mystery | Thriller | War

Tagline:

A unique manhunt across the capitals of Europe... across three decades up to today!

Plot:

The murder of a prostitute in Nazi occupied Warsaw draws Wehrmacht Major Grau into an investigation...

Plot Keywords:

General | Murder | Prostitute | Major | Hitler

Awards:

1 win

Cast

Peter O'Toole	...	General Tanz
Omar Sharif	...	Major Grau
Tom Courtenay	...	Corporal Hartmann
Donald Pleasence	...	General Kahlenberge
Joanna Pettet	...	Ulrike
Philippe Noiret	...	Inspector Morand
Charles Gray	...	General von Seidlitz-Gabler
Coral Browne	...	Eleanore von Seidlitz-Gabler
John Gregson	...	Colonel Sandauer
Nigel Stock	...	Otto
Christopher Plummer	...	Field Marshal Rommel
Juliette Gréco	...	Juliette (as Juliette Greco)
Yves Brainville	...	Liesowski
Sacha Pitoëff	...	Doctor (as Sacha Pitoeff)
Charles Millot	...	Wionczek

Also Known As:

La nuit des généraux (France)
Tank Force (Philippines: English title)

Runtime:

148 min

Country:

UK | France

Language:

English | Italian | Spanish | French

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

Iceland:16 | Norway:16 | Australia:PG | Finland:K-16 | Spain:18 | Sweden:15 | UK:A (original rating) (cut) | USA:PG | West Germany:16 | UK:15 | Netherlands:MG6

Filming Locations:

Hamburg, Germany

Company:

Horizon Pictures (II)

Trivia:

The film was one of the last to run into heavy censorship trouble before the abolition of the Production Code Administration and its replacement with the voluntary ratings system (G through X) by the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) in 1968. According to former PCA Director Geoffrey Shurlock, this film was troublesome due to its depictions of sexual behavior, which the producers tried to get away with by using silhouettes and shadows.

Goofs:

Factual errors: In the near beginning of the movie, Grau passes a swastika banner. The swastika is backwards.

Quotes:

Major Grau: I have a zealous nature, Sir, I can't help it.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Taxidi sta Kythira (1984)

Soundtrack:

ALTE KAMERADEN (OLD COMRADES)

Nice mix of genres

"What is admirable on the large scale is monstrous on the small."

It's Agatha Christie meets "The Battle of the Bulge" meets... oh you get the picture. Great cast lead by the always fabulous Peter O'Toole who delivers a memorable performance as General Tanz. Also nice to see French veteran actor Philippe Noiret in an ensemble that includes Omar Sharif, Tom Courtenay, Donald Pleasence and Christopher Plummer.

It is tense all the way mostly thanks to the great use of – first Warsaw (and the atrocities performed there) as a backdrop for the story and then we move to Paris where the plot to kill Hitler is nicely interwoven.

"The Night of the Generals" is at parts predictable, yes, (with the great exception of Omar Sharif's final scene) but I guess that's also what makes it kinda' enjoyable at times - at least in the very last scene - when you know what's coming (and boy does it feel good).

Some may find it a bit tedious and yes it is long, but when it was over I knew I would definitely see it again sometime in the future so in short: it works! If you think this movie is your cup of tea, based on the IMDb-information, you're probably right.

8/10