Play Dirty (1969)

The Dirty Dozen meet the Stiff Upper Lip. A British Petroleum executive (Michael Caine) is assigned to work with the British Army in North Africa handling port duties for incoming fuels. ... See full summary »

Director:

André De Toth

Writers:

Melvyn Bragg (screenplay), Lotte Colin (screenplay),

Stars:

Michael Caine, Nigel Davenport, Nigel Green

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Michael Caine	...	Capt. Douglas
Nigel Davenport	...	Capt. Cyril Leech
Nigel Green	...	Col. Masters
Harry Andrews	...	Brig. Blore
Patrick Jordan	...	Maj. Alan Watkins
Daniel Pilon	...	Capt. Allwood (Blore's adjutant at Special Forces HQ)
Martin Burland	...	Dead Officer
George McKeenan	...	Corporal at Quayside
Bridget Espeet	...	Ann
Bernard Archard	...	Col. Homerton
Aly Ben Ayed	...	Sadok
Enrique Ávila	...	Kalarides (as Enrique Avila)
Mohsen Ben Abdallah	...	Hassan
Mohamed Kouka	...	Assine
Takis Emmanuel	...	Kostos Manov (as Takis Emmanouel)

Storyline

The Dirty Dozen meet the Stiff Upper Lip. A British Petroleum executive (Michael Caine) is assigned to work with the British Army in North Africa handling port duties for incoming fuels. This gives him the official rank of Captain in the British Army. The Colonel (Nigel Green) in charge of the Dirty Dozen is told he must have a British officer accompany his men on a dangerous mission 400 miles behind the German lines and is saddled with the Petroleum executive, who tries to argue his way out by saying that his contract states he is to only work port duties. That argument is lost on the Brigade Commander (Harry Andrews) who simply points out that the executive is wearing a British uniform. The real leader of the Dirty Dozen (Nigel Davenport), a released prisoner himself, doesn't need or want the British officer, who's supposed to be in charge, but he's promised an extra 2,000 British Pounds if he gets him back alive. Disguised as Italians, their trek across Rommel's Africa includes ...

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Plot Keywords:

british army | africa | world war two | commando | white flag | 

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Taglines:

Forget the medals, throw away the rule book, if you want to survive.... Play Dirty

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Genres:

Adventure | Drama | War

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Certificate:

M

Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English Arabic German

Release Date:

1 January 1969 (UK)

Also Known As:

Det beskidte spil

Filming Locations:

Cabo de Gata, Almería, Andalucía, Spain

Company Credits

Production Co:

Lowndes Productions Limited

Technical Specs

Runtime:

118 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Nigel Davenport was originally cast as "Colonel Masters", but the sudden dismissal of Richard Harris led to his being promoted to the larger role of "Cyril Leech". His original role was taken over by Nigel Green.

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Goofs

The dead "young lieutenant" brought in by Leech at the beginning of the movie can be seen breathing.

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Quotes

British soldier: Sorry, sir. I didn't see the white flag.
British soldier: Don't let it happen again!

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Connections

Referenced in Harry Saltzman: Showman (2000)

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Soundtracks

"Lili Marlene"
German Lyrics by Hans Leip
English Lyrics by The Personnel of the Long Range Desert Group and the Special Air Services
Music by Norbert Schultze

User Reviews

A young Michael Caine at his best.

"Play Dirty" is one of those rare films that reassures you that some filmmakers are willing to try something different with a tired genre. The World War Two epic has been done a thousand times, but this one is different. Michael Caine is his brilliant self, supported ably by Nigel Davenport and Nigel Green in this film which has drawn comparisons to the "Dirty Dozen" but, I believe, strikes ground of its own. Andre de Toth directs with a style that was well before its time, giving this film something others lack - longevity. A top flick worth seeing. *Three and a half stars*