The Last Valley (1971)

Director:

James Clavell

Writers:

James Clavell
J.B. Pick (novel)

Release Date:

28 January 1971 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | Drama | War

Tagline:

From An Age of Conflict...A Film For The Ages

Plot:

People in a small German village in the last valley to remain untouched by the devastating Thirty Years'...

Plot Keywords:

Village | Thirty Years War | Hanged Family | Hanging | Child Execution

Cast

Michael Caine	...	The Captain
Omar Sharif	...	Vogel
Florinda Bolkan	...	Erica
Nigel Davenport	...	Gruber
Per Oscarsson	...	Father Sebastian
Arthur O'Connell	...	Hoffman
Madeleine Hinde	...	Inge (as Madeline Hinde)
Yorgo Voyagis	...	Pirelli
Miguel Alejandro	...	Julio
Christian Roberts	...	Andreas
Brian Blessed	...	Korski
Ian Hogg	...	Graf
Michael Gothard	...	Hansen
George Innes	...	Vornez
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Ralph Arliss	...	Claus
Claudia Butenuth	...	Helga
Paul Challen	...	Zollner
Chris Chittell	...	Svenson
Kurt Christian	...	Tsarus
Dave Crowley	...	Pastori
Holly du Marreck	...	Little Girl
Mark Edwards	...	Sernen
John Hallam	...	Geddes
Frazer Hines	...	Corg
Leon Lissek	...	Czeraki
Andrew McCulloch	...	Shutz
Michaela	...	Peasant Girl
Seyton Pooley	...	Nansen
Irene Prador	...	Frau Hoffman
Jack Shepherd	...	Eskesen
Vladek Sheybal	...	Mathias
Larry Taylor	...	Garnak
Edward Underdown	...	Gnarled Peasant
Tony Vogel	...	Tub
Patrick Westwood	...	Rethman
Lisa De Jager	...	Rape Victim (uncredited)
Mike Douglas	...	Stoffel (uncredited)
Harry Fielder	...	Pillager (uncredited)
Richard Graydon	...	Yuri (uncredited)
Joe Powell	...	Kaas (uncredited)
Terry Richards	...	Norseman (uncredited)

Directed by
James Clavell

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
James Clavell
J.B. Pick		novel

Produced by
Martin Baum	....	executive producer
James Clavell	....	producer
Robert Porter	....	associate producer

Original Music by
John Barry

Cinematography by
Norman Warwick
John Wilcox

Film Editing by
John Bloom

Casting by
Maude Spector

Art Direction by
Peter Mullins

Costume Design by
Yvonne Blake

Makeup Department
Alberto De Rossi	....	makeup artist
Wally Schneiderman	....	makeup artist
Eileen Warwick	....	hair stylist

Production Management
Marguerite Green	....	production manager
Kent McPherron	....	unit manager: Austria

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
William P. Cartlidge	....	assistant director
Brian W. Cook	....	second assistant director (as Brian Cook)
Wolfgang Glattes	....	assistant director: Austria
Stefan Zürcher	....	second assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Ted Clements	....	assistant art director
John Paterson	....	construction manager
Roy Forge Smith	....	assistant art director

Sound Department
Chris Greenham	....	dubbing editor
Bob Jones	....	dubbing mixer
Bob Peck	....	sound mixer
Rowland Fowles	....	boom operator (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Pat Moore	....	special effects
Ian Wingrove	....	special effects technician (uncredited)

Visual Effects by
Wally Veevers	....	visual effects

Stunts
John Sullivan	....	stunt arranger
Ken Buckle	....	stunts (uncredited)
Nosher Powell	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Eric Besche	....	camera operator: second unit
Len Crowe	....	gaffer
John Jay	....	still photographer
Sergio Strizzi	....	special still photographer
Herman Warwick	....	camera operator: second unit
Paul Wilson	....	camera operator

Costume and Wardrobe Department
James Smith	....	wardrobe (as Jim Smith)

Editorial Department
Lesley Walker	....	assistant editor

Music Department
John Barry	....	conductor
Sidney Margo	....	music contractor (uncredited)

Other crew
Pamela Carlton	....	continuity
Terence Churcher	....	location manager
Wolfram Kohtz	....	location manager
Midge Warnes	....	production secretary
Maurice Zuberano	....	special assistant
Harold Mendelsohn	....	unit publicist (uncredited)

Production Companies

• ABC Pictures
• Seamaster Films
• Season

Distributors

• 20th Century Fox (1971) (Belgium) (theatrical)
• 20th Century Fox (1971) (France) (theatrical)
• Cinerama Releasing UK (1971) (UK) (theatrical)
• Fox Films (1971) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Anchor Bay Entertainment (????) (USA) (DVD)
• Buena Vista Pictures (1995) (worldwide) (all media)
• Cinerama Releasing Corporation (1971) (USA)
• Gerit (????) (Finland) (video)
• MGM Home Entertainment (????) (USA) (DVD)
• Pearson Television International (2001) (UK) (DVD)
• Prism Direct/Leisure (????) (UK) (DVD)
• Total Home Entertainment (1996) (UK) (VHS)
• Video Elit (1986) (Greece) (VHS)
• Video Gems (1986) (UK) (VHS)

Other Companies

• Lee Lighting  grip and lighting equipment

Also Known As:

Runtime:

Canada:125 min | USA:128 min

Country:

UK | USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

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

Certification:

Finland:K-16 | Norway:18 (1971) | USA:GP (original rating) | USA:PG | Singapore:PG | UK:AA (original rating) | UK:15 (video rating) | Australia:M | Iceland:16 | West Germany:18 | West Germany:16 | Finland:K-15 (new rating: 2001) | Portugal:M/12

Filming Locations:

Halliford Studios, Shepperton, Surrey, England, UK

Company:

ABC Pictures

Trivia:

Martin Miller was booked to appear in this project while filming he died from a heart attack according to Brian Blessed. Edward Underdown took over the part Martin Miller was to play.

Goofs:

Continuity: During the attack in the forest above the valley, a man with an arm injury is being comforted by a fellow soldier. The wounded man is lying against a rock but when an enemy shoots at him in the next frame he is standing as is his friend who was also leaning against the rock in the previous frame.

Quotes:

The Captain:There is no Hell. Don't you understand? Because there is no God. There never was. Don't you understand? There is no God! It's a legend!

Excellent and spectacular epic film set in the 17th-century during ¨Thirty Years War¨

The movie is set during Thirty years war -1618 to 1648- epoch , finished with ¨Westfalia treatise¨. There had too much fights , destruction, hunger, deceases , the struggles between Catholics and Protestants were bloody and cruel , being dead thousands people .

The picture deals with a peaceable, hidden valley that has remained untouched by the war , there arrives some warriors who impose the terror at a pristine village : murders, rape , rampage, etc.

The good guys are Omar Sharif , Florinda Bolkan , Arthur O'Connell, while the bad and villain guys are Michael Caine , Michael Gothard, Brian Blessed , among others , everybody give awesome performances.

Colorful and appropriate cinematography by John Wilcox, Hammer's usual and it was shown in Cinerama venues, was the last film to use the Todd-AO system for principle photography . John Barry musical score is evocative and breathtaking . Intelligent writing based on a novel by Pick and magnificent direction by James Clavell (¨To Sir , with love¨ and ¨Where's Jack¨), also producer , however being an unfortunate flop.

Rating : Above average 7'5 .Well worth watching.