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 | Warrior | Tank | Destiny | Allies

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

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
Gil Parrondo		(as Gil Parrando)

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

Makeup Department
Del Acevedo	....	makeup artist
Daniel C. Striepeke	....	makeup supervisor (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	....	orchestrator

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)
• Fox Films (1970) (Argentina) (theatrical)
• 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 Video (1985) (Greece) (VHS)
• CBS/Fox (198?) (Argentina) (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:

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 | Australia:M | Brazil:16 | New Zealand:PG | Portugal:M/12 | UK:12 (re-rating) (2013)

Filming Locations:

Almería, Andalucía, Spain

Company:

Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation

Trivia:

Rod Steiger, Lee Marvin, Robert Mitchum and Burt Lancaster all turned down the lead role.

Goofs:

Factual errors: During the scene at Messina, the drum major gives the command: "Forward, March!" which is incorrect. All pipe band commands follow the British model and the correct command would be: "By the right, Quick March!"

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 The 100 Greatest War Films (2005) (TV)

Soundtrack:

The Washington Post

Viewed in Context

PATTON was truly a shock to the system when it was released. The United States was still in the thick of the Vietnam war, and the country was extremely polarized between the hawks and the doves. Then along comes Patton, with a portrayal of a rebellious General who was always being put in his place by the establishment - even though he was, of course, a major establishment figure (generals aren't usually the most liberal or progressive types). Eisenhower (unseen) and the media are portrayed as unsympathetic to the maverick Patton, who is so single-minded in his determination to defeat the Germans you have to root for him, despite his boorish behavior.

And that is why Patton works - you have an unambiguous war against and unambiguous evil - Nazi Germany. Whereas Vietnam might have been a tough conflict for even its supporters to explain, World War Two was quite simple - we were the good guys, and they WERE the bad guys. And so you COULD root for the US Army and Patton without feeling a tinge of guilt.

Also superb in the film is everyman Karl Malden as General Omar Bradley, providing the stable and workmanlike leader (and one who rises quicker in the ranks due to it) to Patton's egomaniac.

And Yes, George C. Scott delivers a career-defining performance that is one for the books. Could Brando or Telly Savalas have pulled off the role as well? I don't think so - it was just tailor made for Scott.