Where Eagles Dare (1968)

User Rating:

7.7/10   

Director:

Brian G. Hutton

Writer:

Alistair MacLean (story)
(more)

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
Victor Beaumont	...	Col. Weissner
Ingrid Pitt	...	Heidi
John G. Heller	...	German major (at Zum Wilden Hirsch) (as John Heller)
Guy Deghy	...	Maj. Wilhelm Wilner
Olga Lowe	...	Lt. Anne-Marie Kernitser
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Richard Beale	...	Telephone orderly (uncredited)
Ivor Dean	...	German Officer #2 (uncredited)
Jim Dowdall	...	Extra (uncredited)
Max Faulkner	...	Sgt. Hartmann (uncredited)
Harry Fielder	...	German soldier (uncredited)
Lyn Kennington	...	German woman (uncredited)
Nigel Lambert	...	Young German soldier (uncredited)
Ian McCulloch	...	German Officer (uncredited)
Anton Rodgers	...	German officer at airfield (uncredited)
Jack Silk	...	German officer at ammunitions shed (uncredited)
Philip Stone	...	Sky Tram operator (uncredited)
Ernst Walder	...	Airport control officer (uncredited)

Directed by
Brian G. Hutton

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Alistair MacLean		novel (uncredited)
Alistair MacLean		story and screenplay

Produced by
Denis Holt	....	associate producer
Elliott Kastner	....	producer
Jerry Gershwin	....	executive producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
Ron Goodwin

Cinematography by
Arthur Ibbetson		(photographed by)

Film Editing by
John Jympson

Art Direction by
Peter Mullins

Costume Design by
Arthur Newman		(uncredited)

Makeup Department
Tony Sforzini	....	makeup artist (uncredited)

Production Management
Ted Lloyd	....	production supervisor
Tom Sachs	....	unit manager: second unit

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Colin M. Brewer	....	assistant director (as Colin Brewer)
Yakima Canutt	....	second unit director
Anthony Waye	....	assistant director: second unit
Chris Kenny	....	second assistant director: second unit (uncredited)

Art Department
Arthur Taksen	....	set dresser
Mickey Lennon	....	assistant property master (uncredited)

Sound Department
Jonathan Bates	....	sound editor
John Bramall	....	sound recordist
J.B. Smith	....	dubbing mixer
Peter Dobson	....	assistant foley artist (uncredited)
Michael Hickey	....	sound (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Fred Hellenburgh	....	special effects
Tom Howard	....	photographic effects
Richard Parker	....	special effects

Stunts
Gillian Aldam	....	stunt double: Mary Ure (uncredited)
Peter Brace	....	stunts (uncredited)
Tim Condren	....	stunts (uncredited)
George Lane Cooper	....	stunts (uncredited)
Jack Cooper	....	stunts (uncredited)
Tom Dittman	....	stunts (uncredited)
Max Faulkner	....	stunts (uncredited)
Tex Fuller	....	stunts (uncredited)
Romo Gorrara	....	stunts (uncredited)
Richard Graydon	....	stunts (uncredited)
Alf Joint	....	stunt arranger (uncredited)
Alf Joint	....	stunt double: Richard Burton (uncredited)
Alf Joint	....	stunts (uncredited)
Jimmy Lodge	....	stunts (uncredited)
Dave Newman	....	stunts (uncredited)
Terence Plummer	....	stunts (uncredited)
Eddie Powell	....	stunt double: Clint Eastwood (uncredited)
Eddie Powell	....	stunts (uncredited)
Joe Powell	....	stunt arranger (uncredited)
Joe Powell	....	stunts (uncredited)
Nosher Powell	....	stunts (uncredited)
Terry Richards	....	stunts (uncredited)
Doug Robinson	....	stunts (uncredited)
Bill Sawyer	....	stunt double: Clint Eastwood (uncredited)
Bill Sawyer	....	stunts (uncredited)
Paul Stader	....	stunt coordinator (uncredited)
Paul Stader	....	stunts (uncredited)
Jimmy Thong	....	stunts (uncredited)
Les White	....	stunts (uncredited)
David Wilding	....	stunts (uncredited)
Terry Yorke	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
H.A.R. Thomson	....	camera operator: second unit
Paul Wilson	....	camera operator
Bob Bremner	....	gaffer (uncredited)
Dennis Fraser	....	grip (uncredited)
Ginger Gemmel	....	camera operator: second unit (uncredited)
John Jay	....	still photographer (uncredited)
Kelvin Pike	....	camera operator: second unit (uncredited)
Graham Scaife	....	clapper loader (uncredited)
David Wynn-Jones	....	clapper loader (uncredited)

Editorial Department
Alan Strachan	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Ron Goodwin	....	conductor

Other crew
Penny Daniels	....	continuity
Al Lettieri	....	dialogue coach (as Alfredo Lettieri)
Marion Rosenberg	....	assistant to producer
Raymond Becket	....	production assistant (uncredited)
Brian L. Davis	....	military advisor (uncredited)
Steve Pickard	....	process projectionist trainee (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Winkast Film Productions

Distributors

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1968) (UK) (theatrical)
• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1969) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1969) (USA) (theatrical)
• American Broadcasting Company (ABC) (1972) (USA) (TV) (broadcast premiere)
• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1973) (USA) (theatrical) (reissue)
• MGM/UA Home Video (1988) (UK) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (1994) (UK) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (1998) (Netherlands) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (2003) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2003) (USA) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2006) (USA) (DVD)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (USA) (VHS)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (USA) (laserdisc)
• MGM/UA (19??) (West Germany) (VHS)
• Sandrews (2003) (Sweden) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (????) (Germany) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (19??) (USA) (VHS)
• Warner Home Vídeo (19??) (Brazil) (VHS)

Other Companies

• Lee Lighting  grip and lighting equipment

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:

In a recent Channel 4 (UK) survey of the top 100 war movies Steven Spielberg voted this as his favorite. Mainly down to its sheer "boys own" factor of unreality. He even went so far as to repeat the "Broadsword calling Danny Boy" line.

Goofs:

Continuity: The bullet holes in the back of the bus appear then disappear during the final chase.

Quotes:

[Smith and Schaffer are observing the Castle of Eagles fortress, and a nearby military base]
Lt. Morris Schaffer: If I'm not mistaken, that's an army barracks over there.
Major John Smith: No mistake, Lieutenant. This the headquarters of the Wiermarcht Alpine Korps.
Lt. Morris Schaffer: Oh, swell. Do you have any other surprises I should know about?
Major John Smith: I thought you knew, Lieutenant. Why do you think we were chosen for his mission as if not to make social contact?
Lt. Morris Schaffer: You mean we're gonna go down there? Mingle with the German Army?
Major John Smith: Of course. Why do you think we're not dressed as German sailors or Red Cross nurses?
Lt. Morris Schaffer: We'll be recognized as strangers.
Major John Smith: Training troops come and go all the time. What are six new faces among 600 new faces?
Lt. Morris Schaffer: Look, Major, this is primarily a British operation. I'm an American. I don't even know why the hell I'm here.
[...]

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Budd Boetticher: A Man Can Do That (2005) (TV)

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.