The Last Days of Patton (1986)

Following the close of World War II, General George S. Patton is seriously injured in a car accident and not expected to survive. "The Last Days of Patton" tells the story of these last few... See full summary »

Director:

Delbert Mann

Writers:

Ladislas Farago (writer: book), William Luce

Stars:

George C. Scott, Richard Dysart, Murray Hamilton

Won 1 Primetime Emmy. Another 1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
George C. Scott	...	General George S. Patton Jr.
Richard Dysart	...	Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower
Murray Hamilton	...	Gen. Hobart 'Hap' Gay
Ed Lauter	...	Dr. Lt.Col. Paul S. Hill
Kathryn Leigh Scott	...	Jean Gordon
Horst Janson	...	Baron von Wangenheim
Daniel Benzali	...	Col. Glen Spurling
Ron Berglas	...	Young Patton
Don Fellows	...	Lt.Gen. Walter Bedell Smith
Errol John	...	Sgt. 1st Class George Meeks
Alan MacNaughton	...	Brigadier Hugh Cairns
Paul Maxwell	...	Lt.Gen. Geoffrey Keyes
Lee Patterson	...	Col. Paul Harkins
Shane Rimmer	...	Dr. Col. Lawrence Ball
Eva Marie Saint	...	Mrs. Beatrice Ayer Patton

Storyline

Following the close of World War II, General George S. Patton is seriously injured in a car accident and not expected to survive. "The Last Days of Patton" tells the story of these last few months of the General's life and the Army Medical Corps efforts to save him. Intermixed with flashbacks, the film also shows Patton's earlier career as a fledging tank commander during the First World War.

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Plot Keywords:

tank | car accident | hospital | flashback | medical traction | 

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Genres:

Biography | Drama

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

14 September 1986 (USA)

Also Known As:

Kenraali Patton - viimeinentaistelu

Filming Locations:

Harlaxton Manor, Harlaxton, Lincolnshire, England, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

Entertainment Partners

Technical Specs

Runtime:

146 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The scene where he is in the hospital shows actual outside footage of the then-130th Station Hospital in Heidelberg (actually Rohrbach then, in a former German signal base), where he was treated and died, without the more modern clinic building that would be in the way of the shot today. There is a plaque in the hospital beside the door of the room he died in.

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Connections

Follows Patton (1970)

User Reviews

It's no Patton (1970), but ...

... but it isn't as bad as the other commentators might make you think.

Based on Ladislas Farago's followup to Patton: Ordeal and Triumph (one of the source materials for the original film), Last Days shows Patton on his deathbed, and intercuts flashbacks, mostly of his early life, his courtship of Bea Ayers, his days at the Point and before the first world war. (Patton's adventures on Pershing's 1916 Punitive Expedition to Mexico, and in World War I could make another great film, in the right hands.)

Eva Marie Saint plays Bea very well, and it's always nice to see a pair of contemporaries playing an aging couple, rather than allowing the casting to be dictated by "who's hot," and then relying on makeup to age them.

Overall, a good movie, although I'm tempted to agree that is was an unnecessarily long movie.