When Trumpets Fade (1998) (TV)

Director:

John Irvin

Writer (WGA):

W.W. Vought (written by)

Release Date:

27 June 1998 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | War

Tagline:

In the heat of battle not all soldiers can be heroes

Plot:

A private in the latter days of WWII on the German front struggles between his will to survive and what his superiors perceive as a battlefield instinct.

Plot Keywords:

WWII | Sequel | Prequel

Awards:

2 wins & 3 nominations

Cast

Ron Eldard	...	Pvt. David Manning
Zak Orth	...	Warren Sanderson
Frank Whaley	...	Medic Chamberlain
Dylan Bruno	...	Sgt. Talbot
Devon Gummersall	...	Lonnie
Dan Futterman	...	Despin
Steven Petrarca	...	Baxter
Dwight Yoakam	...	Lieutenant Colonel
Martin Donovan	...	Capt. Roy Pritchett
Timothy Olyphant	...	Lt. Lukas
Jeffrey Donovan	...	Bobby
Bobby Cannavale	...	Capt. Zernek
Frank-Michael Köbe	...	German sergeant (as Frank Köbe)
András Stohl	...	Wounded soldier
Matthew Rutson Cooney	...	Driver corporal
Brian Hicks	...	First Sergeant (as Gy. Sgt. Brian Hicks USMC)
John Miller	...	Radioman (as Cpl. John Miller USMC)
Peter Thomas	...	Narrator, news footage
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Omar N. Bradley	...	Himself (on reviewing stand) (archive footage) (uncredited)
Pierre Koenig	...	Himself (on reviewing stand) (archive footage) (uncredited) (unconfirmed)
Bernard L. Montgomery	...	Himself (on reviewing stand) (archive footage) (uncredited)
Christopher Senger	...	Voiceover (uncredited)

Directed by
John Irvin

Writing credits (WGA)
W.W. Vought		(written by)

Produced by
David R. Ginsburg	....	executive producer
Judy Hofflund	....	executive producer
John Kemeny	....	producer
Gavin Polone	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Geoffrey Burgon

Cinematography by
Thomas Burstyn

Film Editing by
Ian Crafford

Casting by
Mindy Marin

Production Design by
László Rajk

Art Direction by
Zsuzsanna Borvendég

Set Decoration by
István Balogh
Laura Cuthill		(uncredited)

Costume Design by
György Homonnay

Makeup Department
Stephan Dupuis	....	special makeup effects artist
Judit Jánosi	....	makeup artist
Kajtar 'Bogyo' Janosne	....	key hair stylist (as Bogyo Kajtár)
Róbert Kuhar	....	special makeup effects assistant
Balázs Novák	....	makeup artist
Dennis Pawlik	....	makeup artist (as Dennis Pawlic)
Iván Pohárnok	....	special makeup effects assistant
Katalin Tomola	....	makeup supervisor (as Kati Tomola)
Tünde Tyukász	....	makeup artist

Production Management
József Cirkó	....	production manager
László Lakatos	....	unit manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Michelangelo Csaba Bolla	....	first assistant director
Gábor Gajdos	....	first assistant director: second unit
Attila Herceg	....	second assistant director: second unit
Marc Reichel	....	third assistant director
Dénes Sajgál	....	second second assistant director
Mariann Ungi	....	second assistant director

Art Department
Olivér Kerekes	....	propman: second unit
József Kiss	....	assistant construction manager
Mihaly Marton	....	property master
János P. Nagy	....	leadman

Sound Department
Peter Austin	....	supervising sound editor
Bradford Cox	....	sound effects editor
Jim Fitzpatrick	....	sound re-recording mixer
David E. Fluhr	....	sound re-recording mixer
Patrick Giraudi	....	additional sound re-recording mixer
Adam Jenkins	....	sound re-recording mixer
Martin Maryska	....	supervising sound editor
Brian Simmons	....	location sound mixer
Brian Simmons	....	sound
Pál Szûrös	....	boom operator

Special Effects by
Gábor Balogh	....	special effects technician
Stan Blackwell	....	special effects key
Stan Blackwell	....	special effects supervisor
Attila Erczkovi	....	pyrotechnician
Attila Erczkovi	....	pyrotechnician: second unit
Zsolt Furedi	....	special effects technician
József Gácsi	....	special effects technician
István Gittinger	....	pyrotechnician
Luke Irvin	....	special effects technician
Csaba Kalotaszegi	....	pyrotechnician
Gyula Krasnyánszky	....	pyrotechnics supervisor
János Kurucz	....	pyrotechnician
Joe Lombardi	....	special effects supervisor
Gyula Polonkai	....	special effects technician
Ferenc Répássy	....	pyrotechnician: second unit
József Szegedi	....	special effects technician
Erik Szmuda	....	pyrotechnician: second unit
Zoltán Varga	....	special effects technician

Visual Effects by
Bruce Harris	....	digital artist

Stunts
Sándor Boros	....	stunts
László Imre	....	stunts
Levente Lezsák	....	stunts
Laszlo 'Sancho' Mecseki	....	stunts
Tivadar Mike	....	stunts
Ferenc Novinecz	....	stunts
János Oláh	....	stunts
Domonkos Pardanyi	....	stunts
Miklós Pardányi	....	stunts
László Szili	....	stunts
Béla Unger	....	stunt coordinator
Tamás Vavrik	....	stunts

Camera and Electrical Department
Péter Bognár	....	best boy (as Peter Bognar)
Zsolt Büti	....	generator operator
Péter Dobrányi	....	second assistant camera: second unit
Zsolt Fehér	....	second assistant camera (as Zsolt Feher)
György Garami	....	electrician
Rudolf Graczer	....	focus puller: second unit
Bob Greene	....	still photographer
Buda Gulyás	....	camera operator (as Buda Gulyas)
Tamás Heller	....	clapper loader
Nyika Jancsó	....	photographer: second unit
János Kiss	....	best boy
Tibor Kun	....	electrician
Gabor Laczkó	....	electrician: second unit
Balázs Márton	....	clapper loader
Joseph Mlinarik	....	electrician: second unit
Tibor Molnár	....	electrician
Attila Nagy	....	third assistant camera (as Attila V. Nagy)
Pal Paluch	....	key grip
Pal Perlaki	....	electrician
Balázs Révész	....	steadicam operator
Géza Riscutia	....	grip: second unit
Béla Romwalter	....	gaffer
Balint Seres	....	video assist operator
Attila Szûcs	....	grip: second unit
József Szucsik	....	gaffer: second unit (as Jozsef Szucsik)
József Takács	....	focus puller
András Tóth	....	grip: second unit
József Trombitás	....	electrician: second unit
Balázs Vákár	....	grip

Casting Department
Alyson Lockwood	....	casting: extras, Calgary
Wendy Weidman	....	casting associate

Costume and Wardrobe Department
János Papp	....	wardrobe: second unit
Gábor Simkó	....	costumer
Zoltán Trubel	....	costumer
József Varjú	....	key costumer
Csaba Zollai	....	costumer

Editorial Department
Greg Dean	....	assistant editor
Mike Milliken	....	color timer
Mary Nelson-Duerrstein	....	negative cutter
Brent Rodger	....	post-production coordinator
Carrie Shepard	....	assistant editor
Brent Simon	....	post-production assistant

Music Department
Dashiell Rae	....	music editor

Transportation Department
Csaba Bagossy	....	transportation assistant
Jozef Ovráda	....	military vehicles
Istvan Pintye	....	transportation coordinator
Péter Veres	....	driver
Csaba Annus	....	driver (uncredited)

Other crew
Krisztina Barkóczy	....	interpreter
Ilona Baróti	....	production assistant
János Bartek	....	craft service
András Budai	....	interpreter
János Bujdosó	....	armorer: second unit
Alan Grabelsky	....	vice president production
William O. Hickok	....	military consultant (as Col. William O. Hickok)
Ferenc Kardos	....	key utility
Iren Kertesz	....	production secretary
Gábor Kós	....	caterer
Brigitta Kosztandi	....	accountant
Gábor Kovács	....	extras coordinator
Nóra Molnár	....	interpreter
István Muzamel	....	camp coordinator
János Nádel	....	assistant: Mr. Kemeny
Adrienne Papp	....	assistant: Mr. Irvin
Borbála Párdányi	....	interpreter
Dana Reaves Bolla	....	accountant
Eszter Repassy	....	assistant production coordinator
Balint Seres	....	interpreter
Peter Seres	....	location manager: second unit
László Szilágyi	....	location manager
Zsuzsa Varadi	....	production coordinator
Tamás Varga	....	production assistant
Sándor Vigh	....	armorer
Adam Vitalis	....	post-production accountant
Balint Winkler	....	production assistant
Gabriella Winkler	....	script supervisor: second unit
Annie Wotton	....	military advisor
Brian Rosenberg	....	assistant: Gavin Polone (uncredited)
Katreniah L. Washington	....	executive assistant to vice president of production (uncredited)

Thanks
Joe Lombardi	....	dedicatee: in memory of

Production Companies

• Citadel Entertainment
• Home Box Office (HBO)

Distributors

• EuroVideo
• Home Box Office (HBO) (1998) (USA) (TV) (original airing)
• Home Box Office Home Video (HBO)

Other Companies

• ARRI Rental  camera equipment provided by
• Pacific Title/Mirage  titles and opticals
• Sparks  grip and lighting equipment
• The George Stevens Collection  war footage
• UCLA Film and Television Archive  stock footage
• WPA Film Library  stock footage

Also Known As:

Hamburger Hill 2 (Australia)
Hurtgen (USA) (original script title)

MPAA:

Rated R for graphic war carnage and strong language.

Runtime:

95 min | UK:88 min (video) | UK:92 min (DVD)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White | Color

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

Spain:18 | Iceland:16 | UK:15 | Germany:16 | Portugal:M/16 (video premiere) | Singapore:NC-16 | USA:R | Finland:K-16

Filming Locations:

Budapest, Hungary

Company:

Citadel Entertainment

Trivia:

The phrase "Nobody Dies" is a reference to the book and film "A Walk in the Sun (1945)", where "Nobody Dies" is the platoon motto. Both book and film deal with similar effects of war as "When Trumpets Fade".

Goofs:

Factual errors: The Dragons teeth of the Siegfried line are not shown as they really were (and in numerous places still are today). 1) In the movie the line is build with four rows of teeth. In reality the line is build with five rows. 2) The teeth are in reality not made in one size as shown in the movie, but in 3 different sizes, where the first and last rows contain the biggest pillars, the middle three are middle sized, and woven in the last row you can find the smallest. 3) The rows are not placed exactly behind each other. If you would see them from above, you would see an angle in the middle. 4) The rows of pillars are also not build in one line. If you would look over a row from the side, you would see a zigzag of pillars. 5) The pillars in the movie are too close too each other. In reality, the area between two pillars is so big, you can park a car between them (as is done by the author of this comment on numerous occasions).

Quotes:

[first lines]
Narrator, news footage: August 1944. The outcome of the Second World War appeared to be no longer in doubt. Paris was liberated. After four years of fighting, victory against the Germans seemed assured. Since the Normandy landings, American and Allied forces had battled their way across northern Europe, and pushed the German enemy to within its own homeland.

Movie Connections:

Follows Hamburger Hill (1987)

Soundtrack:

White Christmas

When Struggling for Survival Is More Important than Patriotism, in an Excellent Unknown Movie

In 1944, in Hurtgen Forest in the border of Belgium, Pvt. David Manning (Ron Eldard) is the only man of his company to survive a battle in the woods. He joins a new company trying to get a medical waive, and although having difficulties to respect his superiors, he is promoted to sergeant due to his leadership and instinct of survival. After a new battle, when he destroys the German cannons, he is promoted to lieutenant. This movie was a great surprise for me: very unknown in Brazil, without any publicity, it is indeed an excellent war movie. Based on a true story, the Hurtgen Forest Battle, where 24,000 soldiers died, this film shows, without any clemency or romance, how stupid a war is. The soldiers are moved by the instinct of survival, and not by patriotism like other movies usually present. The battle scenes are amazingly real, showing shattered bodies or man losing parts of their bodies. A must-see movie, recommended for audiences who look for raw and naked true story, with magnificent interpretations and direction. My vote is nine.

Title (Brazil): `Quando os Bravos se Calam' (When the Braves Silence')