Lo sbarco di Anzio (1968)

Directors:

Duilio Coletti
Edward Dmytryk

Writers:

Duilio Coletti (adaptation)
H.A.L. Craig (screenplay)

Release Date:

24 July 1968 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | History | War

Tagline:

Where the end of World War II began.

Plot:

One of WWIIs bloodiest battles as the Allies smash through the German lines which have enclosed the Anzio beachhead. Four months and 30,000 casualties before the Allies finally march to Rome.

Plot Keywords:

WWII | Land Mine | Helmet | Gunfire | Fire

Cast

Robert Mitchum	...	Dick Ennis (war correspondent, International Press)
Peter Falk	...	Cpl. Jack Rabinoff
Robert Ryan	...	Gen. Carson
Earl Holliman	...	Platoon Sgt. Abe Stimmler
Mark Damon	...	Wally Richardson
Arthur Kennedy	...	Maj. Gen. Jack Lesley
Reni Santoni	...	Pvt. Movie
Joseph Walsh	...	Doyle
Thomas Hunter	...	Pvt. Andy
Giancarlo Giannini	...	Pvt. Cellini
Anthony Steel	...	Gen. Marsh
Patrick Magee	...	Gen. Starkey
Arthur Franz	...	Maj. Gen. Luke Howard
Tonio Selwart	...	Gen. Van MacKensen
Elsa Albani	...	Emilia

Also Known As:

Anzio (USA)
The Battle for Anzio (UK)

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for war violence. (2006 re-rating)

Runtime:

117 min

Country:

Italy | USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

UK:PG | USA:PG-13 | West Germany:16 (f) | Australia:PG | Argentina:13 | Finland:K-16 | Norway:16 | Spain:18 | Sweden:15 | USA:PG | Singapore:PG | Iceland:16

Filming Locations:

Naples, Campania, Italy

Company:

Columbia Pictures Corporation

Goofs:

Factual errors: A shortage of German machine guns must have blighted filming as clearly seen in the ambush scene with the German troops in hollow haystacks - rather than using MG 38 or MG 42 machine guns they use British Army Mk1 Bren Guns & American M1918 Browning Automatic Rifles (although it could be very loosely argued the Bren guns were captured British munitions from earlier in the war, however there would be ammunition compatibility problems as German 7.92x57 ammunition won't work in .303 weapons).

Unconvincing war movie

The Allied invasion of Anzio,which took the Germans totally by surprise,is the background for this war movie.Because of extreme caution on the part of the Allied commander (Arthur Kennedy)the invasion became a big military failure. The plot concentrates on a small group of men trying to survive behind enemy lines after their platoon had been almost totally wiped out by the Germans.

A totally unconvincing war movie,which is surprising considering the people involved in it. The acting is bad.Robert Mitchum seems to utter his lines as if he was reading a boring book.The dialogue is childish and typical macho-stuff,but there are a few action scenes that are well staged.