Patton (1970)

Director:

Franklin J. Schaffner

Writers:

Francis Ford Coppola (screen story and screenplay) and
Edmund H. North (screen story and screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

2 April 1970 (USA)

Genre:

Biography | Drama | History | War

Plot:

The World War II phase of the controversial American general's career is depicted.

Plot Keywords:

General | Tank | Allies | Military | Warrior

Awards:

Won 7 Oscars. Another 18 wins & 7 nominations

Cast

George C. Scott	...	General George S. Patton Jr.
Karl Malden	...	General Omar N. Bradley
Stephen Young	...	Captain Chester B. Hansen
Michael Strong	...	Brigadier General Hobart Carver
Carey Loftin	...	General Bradley's Driver (as Cary Loftin)
Albert Dumortier	...	Moroccan Minister
Frank Latimore	...	Lieutenant Colonel Henry Davenport
Morgan Paull	...	Captain Richard N. Jenson
Karl Michael Vogler	...	Field Marshal Erwin Rommel
Bill Hickman	...	General Patton's Driver
Pat Zurica	...	First Lieutenant Alexander Stiller (as Patrick J. Zurica)
James Edwards	...	Sergeant William George Meeks
Lawrence Dobkin	...	Colonel Gaston Bell
David Bauer	...	Lieutenant General Harry Buford
John Barrie	...	Air Vice-Marshal Sir Arthur Coningham
Richard Münch	...	Colonel General Alfred Jodl (as Richard Muench)
Siegfried Rauch	...	Captain Oskar Steiger
Michael Bates	...	Field Marshal Sir Bernard Law Montgomery
Paul Stevens	...	Lieutenant Colonel Charles R. Codman
Gerald Flood	...	Air Chief Marshal Sir Arthur Tedder
Jack Gwillim	...	General Sir Harold Alexander
Edward Binns	...	Major General Walter Bedell Smith
Peter Barkworth	...	Colonel John Welkin
Lionel Murton	...	Third Army Chaplain
David Healy	...	Clergyman
Sandy McPeak	...	Correspondent (as Sandy Kevin)
Douglas Wilmer	...	Major General Francis de Guingand
John Doucette	...	Major General Lucian K. Truscott
Tim Considine	...	Soldier Who Gets Slapped
Abraxas Aaran	...	Willy
Clint Ritchie	...	Tank Captain
Alan MacNaughton	...	British Briefing Officer
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Florencio Amarilla	...	Soldier (uncredited)
Brandon Brady	...	Lieutenant Young (uncredited)
Charles Dennis	...	Soldier (uncredited)
Paul Frees	...	Voice (uncredited) (voice)
Dolores Judson	...	Knustford Welcome Club Dignitary (uncredited)
Hellmut Lange	...	Major Dorian von Haarenwege (uncredited)
Bruce Rhodewalt	...	Cynical Wounded Soldier (uncredited)
Lowell Thomas	...	Himself - Movietone News Narrator (voice) (uncredited)
Harry Towb	...	American GI Cook (uncredited)

Directed by
Franklin J. Schaffner

Writing credits
Francis Ford Coppola		(screen story and screenplay) and
Edmund H. North		(screen story and screenplay)
Ladislas Farago		(based on factual material from "Patton: Ordeal and Triumph") and
Omar N. Bradley		(based on factual material from "Patton: Ordeal and Triumph")

Produced by
Frank Caffey	....	associate producer
Frank McCarthy	....	producer

Original Music by
Jerry Goldsmith		(music)

Cinematography by
Fred J. Koenekamp		(director of photography) (as Fred Koenekamp)

Film Editing by
Hugh S. Fowler		(film editor) (as Hugh Fowler)

Casting by
Michael McLean		(uncredited)

Art Direction by
Urie McCleary		(art direction)
Gil Parrondo		(art direction) (as Gil Parrando)

Set Decoration by
Antonio Mateos		(set decoration)
Pierre-Louis Thévenet		(as Pierre-Louis Thevenet)

Makeup Department
Del Acevedo	....	makeup artist
Daniel C. Striepeke	....	makeup supervision (as Dan Striepeke)

Production Management
Francisco Day	....	unit production manager
Eduardo García Maroto	....	unit production manager (as Eduardo G. Maroto)
Tadeo Villalba	....	unit production manager
Francisco Ariza	....	production manager (uncredited)
James Blakeley	....	post-production supervisor (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Eli Dunn	....	assistant director
José López Rodero	....	assistant director (as Jose Lopez Rodero)
Michael D. Moore	....	second unit director (as Michael Moore)

Art Department
Jose Luis Del Barco	....	storyboard artist (uncredited)
Julián Martín	....	painter (uncredited)
Dennis J. Parrish	....	property master (uncredited)
Michael Pickwoad	....	assistant art director (uncredited)
Jack Senter	....	assistant supervising art director (uncredited)

Sound Department
Don J. Bassman	....	sound producer (as Don Bassman)
James Corcoran	....	sound supervisor
Theodore Soderberg	....	sound re-recordist (as Ted Soderberg)
Murray Spivack	....	sound re-recordist
Douglas O. Williams	....	sound re-recordist (as Douglas Williams)

Special Effects by
Alex Weldon	....	mechanical effects

Visual Effects by
L.B. Abbott	....	special photographic effects
Art Cruickshank	....	special photographic effects

Stunts
Joe Canutt	....	action coordinator
Joe Canutt	....	stunt coordinator (uncredited)
Stefano Capriati	....	stunt double (uncredited)
Bill Hickman	....	stunts (uncredited)
Kim Kahana	....	stunts (uncredited)
Carey Loftin	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Cecilio Paniagua	....	cameraman: second unit
Clifford Stine	....	cameraman: second unit
Mike Benson	....	assistant camera (uncredited)
Thomas Del Ruth	....	assistant camera (uncredited)
Ramiro Sabell	....	first assistant camera (uncredited)

Editorial Department
Brent Eldridge	....	digital color correction (uncredited)

Music Department
Arthur Morton	....	orchestration

Transportation Department
Julio Sempere	....	military vehicles coordinator (uncredited)

Other crew
Omar N. Bradley	....	senior military advisor (as General of the Army Omar N. Bradley USA)
Paul D. Harkins	....	technical advisor (as General Paul D. Harkins USA Ret.)
Glover S. Johns Jr.	....	technical advisor (as Colonel Glover S. Johns Jr. USA Ret.)
Luis Martín Pozuelo	....	miltary advisor: Spanish (as Lieutenant Colonel Luis Martín Pozuelo)
Richard Vetter	....	process consultant
Carl Williams	....	process consultant
Ralph M. Leo	....	production accountant (uncredited)
Julio Sempere	....	army supervisor (uncredited)
Julio Sempere	....	military equipment supervisor (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation (presents) (as Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation)

Distributors

• Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation (1970) (USA) (theatrical) (as Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation)
• American Broadcasting Company (ABC) (1972) (USA) (TV) (original airing)
• CBS/Fox (1986) (USA) (VHS) (On double tape)
• Gativideo (1999) (Argentina) (DVD)
• Gativideo (1999) (Argentina) (VHS) (re-release)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (Brazil) (DVD)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (2008) (USA) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (USA) (DVD)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (USA) (laserdisc)
• 20th Century Fox (1970) (Canada) (all media)
• Abril Vídeo (Brazil) (VHS)
• CBS/Fox (USA) (laserdisc)
• Magnetic Video (????) (USA) (VHS)
• Svensk Filmindustri (SF) (2001) (Sweden) (DVD)
• Svensk Filmindustri (SF) (2004) (Sweden) (DVD)
• Svensk Filmindustri (SF) (2008) (Sweden) (DVD) (Blu-ray)

Other Companies

• Armies of the World  props and costumes (uncredited)
• Pacific Title  titles
• Spanish Army  acknowledgement: this film made with the collaboration of the

Also Known As:

Runtime:

172 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | German | French | Russian | Arabic | Italian

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.20 : 1

Sound Mix:

70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints) (Westrex Recording System) | Mono (35 mm prints) | DTS 70 mm (70 mm re-release)

Certification:

Australia:M | Brazil:16 | New Zealand:PG | Argentina:13 | Canada:14A | Finland:K-16 | Norway:16 (original rating) | Peru:14 | Singapore:PG | South Korea:12 | Sweden:15 | UK:PG | USA:GP (original rating) (Approved No. 22107) | USA:PG (re-rating) (1970) | West Germany:16

Filming Locations:

Almería, Andalucía, Spain

Company:

Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation

Trivia:

George C. Scott felt he hadn't really captured the full character of Patton. He would apologize to director Franklin J. Schaffner on the set for not fully realizing the complexity of the man.

Goofs:

Factual errors: When the HE-111s are attacking, George S. Patton pulls out his 1903 Colt General Officer's Model Pistol, firing nine rounds at the planes. The 1903 General Officer's Model holds 7 rounds in the magazine and 1 in the chamber.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Patton:Now I want you to remember that no bastard ever won a war by dying for his country. He won it by making the other poor dumb bastard die for his country.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Hollywood Screen Tests: Take 2 (1999) (TV)

Soundtrack:

To the Color

A great war film

And the best performance from an Actor in history. George C. Scott is General Patton, the greatest General of World War II and the most controversial. Scott gives the performance of a lifetime if Patton watched this film he couldn't tell the difference himself. Scott portrays him the way he was, not the way he should be or the way we would like him to be. Patton is Patton, tough, resilient, fearless, sarcastic, angry, witty, cultured, charming, bull-headed, uncompromising, temperamental, and more patriotic than Uncle Sam on the 4th of July. The speech at the beginning with him in front of the American flag sets the tone. It's his way or the highway. And Patton is driving. His antics tick off the high command and rankle his subordinates but they all can't argue with his success. Karl Malden is his good friend and at times adversary General Bradley who is as resourceful as Patton is eccentric and they make a great pair. Every time Patton has a victory he screws it up by way of his gargantuan mouth. But he keeps going. When disaster strikes he always manages to pull defeat out of his rear and strike a blow for the 2nd Corps or the 3rd Army or whatever army he's commanding. His soldiers love him, his soldiers hate him, but his soldiers fight for him regardless because they know he's the best. Patton's rise is like Patton's fall, momentous. His last line is the most telling of all. "They remind us that glory, like everything else, is fleeting." Glory may be fleeting but this movie won't be. Perhaps the best war movie in history.