Force 10 from Navarone (1978)

Director:

Guy Hamilton

Writers:

Alistair MacLean (novel)
Robin Chapman (screenplay)
(more)

Release Date:

8 December 1978 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Drama | War

Tagline:

The Odds Against Them Were 10,000 to 1...But What the Hell!

Plot:

During World War II, several oddly assorted military experts are teamed in a mission to raid and destroy a bridge vital to enemy strategy.

Plot Keywords:

Colonel | Partisan | Traitor | Nazi | Major

Cast

Robert Shaw	...	Mallory
Harrison Ford	...	Barnsby
Barbara Bach	...	Maritza
Edward Fox	...	Miller
Franco Nero	...	Lescovar
Carl Weathers	...	Weaver
Richard Kiel	...	Drazak
Alan Badel	...	Petrovitch
Michael Byrne	...	Schroeder
Philip Latham	...	Jensen
Angus MacInnes	...	Reynolds (as Angus Macinnes)
Michael Sheard	...	Sgt. Bauer
Petar Buntic	...	Marko
Leslie Schofield	...	Interrogation Officer 1
Anthony Langdon	...	Interrogation Officer 2 (as Antony Langdon)
Richard Hampton	...	Interrogation Officer 3
Paul Humpoletz	...	Sgt. Bismark
Dicken Ashworth	...	Nolan
Christopher Malcolm	...	Rogers
Nick Ellsworth	...	Salvone
Jonathan Blake	...	Oberstein
Roger Owen	...	Blake
Frances Mughan	...	Force Ten Team
Mike Sirett	...	Force Ten Team
Graeme Crowther	...	Force Ten Team (as Graham Crowther)
Jim Dowdall	...	Force Ten Team
Michael Osborne	...	Naval Lieutenant
Edward Peel	...	MP Driver
Michael Josephs	...	German Storeman
Jürgen Andersen	...	Engineer 1 (as Jurgen Andersen)
David Gretton	...	Engineer 2
Paul Jerricho	...	Lieutenant (as Paul Jerrico)
Edward Kalinski	...	Young German Soldier
Robert Gillespie	...	Sergeant
Wolf Kahler	...	German Soldier
Hans Kahler	...	Pilot
Ramiz Pasic	...	Mallory's Boy
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Paul Angelis	...	Lieutenant (voice)
Patrick Allen	...	Narrator (voice) (uncredited)
Harry Fielder	...	German (uncredited)

Directed by
Guy Hamilton

Writing credits
Alistair MacLean		(novel)
Robin Chapman		(screenplay)
Carl Foreman		(screen story)

Produced by
David W. Orton	....	associate producer
John R. Sloan	....	co-producer
Anthony B. Unger	....	co-producer
Oliver A. Unger	....	producer
Carl Foreman	....	executive producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
Ron Goodwin

Cinematography by
Christopher Challis		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Raymond Poulton

Casting by
Irene Lamb

Production Design by
Geoffrey Drake

Art Direction by
Fred Carter

Costume Design by
Emma Porteus		(as Emma Porteous)

Makeup Department
Colin Jamison	....	chief hairdresser
Peter Robb-King	....	chief makeup artist

Production Management
Donko Buljan	....	production manager: Yugoslav unit
Nigel Wooll	....	production manager
Jere Henshaw	....	executive in charge of production (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Milos Antic	....	assistant director: Yugoslav unit (as Misa Autic)
Bert Batt	....	assistant director
Andy Armstrong	....	second assistant director (uncredited)
Kieron Phipps	....	third assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Terry Apsey	....	construction manager
Veljko Despotovic	....	art director: Yugoslav unit (as Velko Despotovic)
Jack Heather	....	construction manager
Tony Teiger	....	property master
Dick Budden	....	sculptor (uncredited)
Ron Burkett	....	stand-by painter (uncredited)
Bryn Siddall	....	property buyer (uncredited)

Sound Department
Dino Di Campo	....	sound editor
Robin Gregory	....	sound recordist
Derek Holding	....	sound editor
Bob Jones	....	dubbing mixer
William Trent	....	sound editor (as Bill Trent)
Doug E. Turner	....	dubbing mixer (as Doug Turner)
Terry Sharratt	....	boom operator (uncredited)

Special Effects by
René Albouze	....	special effects supervisor (as Rene Albouze)
Giuseppe Carozza	....	special effects supervisor (as Guiseppe Carozza)
Peter Hutchinson	....	special effects supervisor
Zdravko Smojver	....	special effects: Yugoslav unit (as Zdravko Smojnec)
Mario Cassar	....	special effects foreman: Malta (uncredited)
Marijan Karoglan	....	special effects assistant: Yugoslavia (uncredited)

Visual Effects by
Robin Browne	....	visual effects cameraman
Geoffrey Drake	....	visual effects designer

Stunts
Eddie Stacey	....	stunt arranger (as Eddie Stacy)
Valentino Musetti	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Freddie Cooper	....	second unit cameraman (as Fred Cooper)
John Palmer	....	main unit camera operator
Dennis Fraser	....	grip (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
John Brady	....	wardrobe supervisor
Marko Cerovac	....	wardrobe chief: Yugoslav unit (as Marko Cerovec)

Editorial Department
Phil Sanderson	....	assistant editor
Frederick Wilson	....	editorial adviser (uncredited)

Music Department
Ron Goodwin	....	conductor

Other crew
Vicki Deason	....	production assistant
Cheryl Leigh	....	continuity
Albert Galea	....	accountant (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Columbia Pictures Corporation (presents) (as Columbia Pictures)
• Navarone Productions (as Navarone Productions Limited)
• American International Pictures (AIP) (credited on US prints)
• Mondo Film 78 (credited on US prints)
• Open Road (uncredited)
• TBC (credited on US prints)

Distributors

• Columbia Pictures (1978) (worldwide) (theatrical)
• Columbia-Warner Distributors (1978) (UK) (theatrical)
• Warner-Columbia Films (1978) (Argentina) (theatrical)
• American International Pictures (AIP) (1978) (USA) (theatrical)
• Warner-Columbia Film (1978) (Sweden) (theatrical)
• American Broadcasting Company (ABC) (1980) (USA) (TV)
• Image Entertainment (1993) (USA) (laserdisc)
• LK-TEL Vídeo (19??) (Brazil) (VHS)
• LK-TEL (19??) (Argentina) (VHS)
• LK-TEL (2005) (Argentina) (DVD)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (1998) (USA) (VHS)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (2000) (USA) (DVD)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (2009) (USA) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• Orion Home Video (19??) (USA) (VHS)
• RCA/Columbia-Hoyts Home Video (19??) (Australia) (VHS)
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2005) (UK) (DVD)
• Universal Pictures Nordic (2005) (Sweden) (DVD)
• Videosonic Arts (1986) (Greece) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (19??) (USA) (VHS)

Other Companies

• Chapman/Leonard Studio Equipment  dollies (uncredited)
• Delta Sound Services  re-recorded at (as Delta Sound Services Ltd.)
• Jadran Film  the producers of the film acknowledge with gratitude the co-operation of (as Jadran Film of Zagreb)
• Malta Film Facilities  the producers of the film acknowledge with gratitude the co-operation of (as Malta Film Facilities Ltd.)

Also Known As:

"Alistair MacLean's Force 10 from Navarone" - USA (poster title)

Runtime:

118 min | 126 min (restored version)

Country:

UK | USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

4-Track Stereo

Certification:

Finland:K-16 | Netherlands:12 | Norway:15 | Sweden:15 | USA:PG (Certificate #25070) | Singapore:PG | UK:A (original rating) (passed with cuts) | UK:12 (video re-rating) (2005) | Argentina:Atp | Peru:PT | Iceland:12 | Australia:M | UK:15 (video rating) (1986) (1991) | UK:15 (tv rating) | UK:12 (tv rating)

Filming Locations:

Jersey, Channel Islands

Company:

Columbia Pictures Corporation

Trivia:

Paul Jerricho is dubbed.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Sgt Weaver gets out of the MP truck he removes his combat jacket and is just wearing a shirt, when he boards the Lancaster he is still just wearing a shirt. He's still only wearing a shirt while on the plane. However once he's on the ground after jumping, he is wearing a roll neck woolen jumper and a Denison Smock. There isn't time for him to take the clothing from one of the dead soldiers on the plane.

Quotes:

Barnsby:Now, look. Our experts have been studying that bridge for weeks, and they say it'll blow. I don't know where you learned your job, but I'm talking about the best construction engineers in the business!
Miller:Yes. Well, they're probably experts at building things, whereas I'm an expert at blowing them up, and you can take it from me that one would need a good eight hours to make a decent job on that bridge.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Jeopardy!: Episode #26.97" (2010)

Not a classic, but a solid WWII flick

World War II has spawned so many stories, films, books, songs, TV shows, from garbage to genius, that one could easily spend an a lifetime absorbed in them. Here is a basic WWII movie that tells a very straight forward story about a small group of soldiers trying to blow up a bridge in enemy held territory. It doesn't try to be Bridge on the River Kwai, another film where a small group of special forces travel (on foot I might add) to destroy a bridge important to the enemy forces.

On the plus side is that the action takes place in Yugoslavia, not the setting of too many war movies made in Hollywood, so that gives this some interesting moments (how many movies have Croatian Chetniks in them?). Also, Robert Shaw, good in anything, and Edward Fox have a great rapport, trading lines with impeccable timing. It would be easy to believe they are lifelong friends in real life the way they portray their characters. Harrison Ford gives a solid performance as a young overachieving officer, helping the subplot of the new blood clashing with the old veterans. Barbara Bach is beautiful, but not much other reason for her to be around. Carl Weathers actually gives a nice performance as the rebellious black soldier, implausibly brought along by weirdly improbable circumstances. Facing the fact that the Armed Forces were segregated during WWII, it seems like the makers wanted to have a black included in the movie and had to make up some way to do that, coming up with a ridiculously contrived way to have him along. It's unfortunate they couldn't come up with something better because, though Weathers is likable and his character brings something to the party, they way they did it undermines the plotline.

The action is okay, though the payoff at the end, clever as it is, ultimately fails because of the special effects--they just weren't that well done; they seemed like they came from a grade b movie.

If you've seen some WWII movies like A Bridge Too Far, Kelly's Heros, Battle of the Bulge, the Devil's Brigade, or Where Eagles Dare and liked them, definitely give this one a try. Not a classic, but a decent addition to the crowd.