Where Eagles Dare (1968)

User Rating:

7.7/10   

Director:

Brian G. Hutton

Writer:

Alistair MacLean (story)

Release Date:

12 March 1969 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Adventure | War

Tagline:

They look like Nazis but . . . The Major is British . . . The Lieutenant is American . . . The Beautiful Frauleins are Allied Agents!

Plot:

Allied agents stage a daring raid on a castle where the Nazis are holding an American General prisoner... but that's not all that's really going on.

Plot Keywords:

Mission | Nazi | SS | Parachute Drop | Castle

Awards:

2 nominations

Cast

Richard Burton	...	Maj. Jonathan Smith, MC
Clint Eastwood	...	Lt. Morris Schaffer
Mary Ure	...	Mary Elison
Patrick Wymark	...	Col. Wyatt Turner, DSO MC
Michael Hordern	...	Adm. Rolland
Donald Houston	...	Capt. James Christiansen
Peter Barkworth	...	Edward Berkeley
William Squire	...	Capt. Philip Thomas
Robert Beatty	...	Gen. George Carnaby
Brook Williams	...	Sgt. Harrod
Neil McCarthy	...	Sgt. Jock MacPherson
Vincent Ball	...	Carpenter
Anton Diffring	...	SS-Standartenführer Kramer
Ferdy Mayne	...	Gen. Rosemeyer
Derren Nesbitt	...	SS-Sturmbannführer Von Hapen

Runtime:

158 min

Country:

UK | USA

Language:

English | German

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.20 : 1

Sound Mix:

70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints) | Mono (35 mm prints)

Certification:

Spain:13 | Australia:G (TV rating) | Iceland:12 | New Zealand:PG | Australia:PG | Finland:K-16 | Norway:16 (1969) | Sweden:15 | UK:A (cut) (original rating) | UK:PG (video rating) (1988) | USA:M (original rating) | USA:PG | West Germany:16 | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

Aigen im Ennstal, Steiermark, Austria

Company:

Winkast Film Productions

Trivia:

Bodycount: 100.

Goofs:

Audio/visual unsynchronized: When Smith leaves the cabin in the raging blizzard, the sound of the wind howling contrasts with the view of large fluffy snowflakes calmly floating gently to the ground.

Quotes:

Major John Smith: You are going up to the castle tonight as, well, yes as a domestic.
Mary Ellison: How? Naked?
Major John Smith: Not a bad idea, but it's a bit obvious.

Movie Connections:

Edited into Ator l'invincibile 2 (1984)

Terrific Action Movie

I couldn't help notice one of the postings about this movie, calling it a snoozer. I hardly agree with that assessment. In fact, I would categorize the film as one of the best action films ever made, whether WWII or other. If the action isn't enough to hold one's attention, the movie has a number of twists and turns to hold your attention until the perhaps not-so-obvious ending.

Some postings have also been critical of the length of the movie, somewhat more than 2+ hours. Again, everything about the film keeps it moving very well.

Most of the postings rate this film on a 1-10 basis. I give it a 10 for sure.