Ike: Countdown to D-Day (2004) (TV)

Director:

Robert Harmon

Writer (WGA):

Lionel Chetwynd (written by)

Release Date:

31 May 2004 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Adventure | Drama | War

Plot:

IKE: COUNTDOWN TO D-DAY depicts the tense 90 days leading up to the D-Day invasion and how Dwight Eisenhower, against all odds, brilliantly orchestrated the most important military maneuver in modern history.

Plot Keywords:

Air Marshal | Corporal | Sergeant | Major | Lieutenant General

Awards:

Nominated for 6 Primetime Emmys. Another 3 nominations

Cast

Tom Selleck	...	Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower
James Remar	...	Gen. Omar Bradley
Timothy Bottoms	...	Walter Bedell "Beetle" Smith
Gerald McRaney	...	Lt. Gen. George S. Patton
Ian Mune	...	Prime Minister Winston Churchill
Bruce Phillips	...	Gen. Bernard Law Montgomery
John Bach	...	Air Marshal Sir Trafford Leigh-Mallory
Nick Blake	...	Air Marshal Arthur W. Tedder
Kevin J. Wilson	...	RAdm. Bert Ramsay
Christopher Baker	...	Group Capt. Maj. James Stagg
George Shevtsov	...	Gen. Charles DeGaulle
Gregor McLennan	...	Capt. Chapman
Paul Gittins	...	Maj. Gen. Henry Miller
Craig Hall	...	Cpl. William Hayes
Stephen Brunton	...	Cpl. William Younger
Paul Barrett	...	Maj. Wiatt
Robert Pollock	...	101st Airborne sergeant
Michael Saccente
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Millen Baird	...	101st Airborne private
Catherine Boniface	...	Woman at Savoy
Brian Gidley	...	Chief Whip
Bruce Hopkins	...	U.S. colonel at Savoy
David Mackie	...	Projector sergeant
Andrew Robertt	...	101st Airbourne Lieutenant
Mick Rose	...	King George VI
Ian Ruskin	...	Voice Actor
Carole Seay	...	Queen Elizabeth (as Carol Seay)
Clint Sharplin	...	101st Airborne paratrooper
Rachel Wallis	...	WAC sergeant

Directed by
Robert Harmon

Writing credits (WGA)
Lionel Chetwynd		(written by)

Produced by
Dennis A. Brown	....	producer
Paul Carran	....	service producer
Lionel Chetwynd	....	executive producer
Tim Christenson	....	associate producer
David Craig	....	supervising producer
Delia Fine	....	executive producer
Stephanie Germain	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Jeff Beal

Cinematography by
David Gribble

Film Editing by
Chris Peppe

Casting by
Terri De'ath
Susie Maizels

Production Design by
Ralph Davies		(as Ralph Davis)

Art Direction by
Nick Bassett
Andy McLaren

Set Decoration by
Jill Cormack

Costume Design by
Lesley Burkes-Harding

Makeup Department
Lon Bentley	....	makeup creator: Tom Selleck
Susan Glass	....	key makeup artist
Paul Pattison	....	hair stylist supervisor
Claire Rutledge	....	hair stylist: New Zealand
Kimberley Spiteri	....	hair stylist supervisor (as Kimberly Spiteri)

Production Management
Liz DiFiore	....	unit production manager
Ronnie Hape	....	unit manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Katie Flannigan	....	second second assistant director
George Lyle	....	first assistant director
Katie Tate	....	second assistant director

Art Department
Milton Candish	....	set dresser
Matt Cornelius	....	stand-by props
Troy Hannett	....	head scenic
Wade Hannett	....	lead scenic artist
Viv Kernick	....	property master
Clara Lill	....	art department assistant
Roger Murray	....	props designer
Murray Sweetman	....	construction manager
Megan Vertelle	....	lead man

Sound Department
Marty Church	....	adr mixer
Alan Decker	....	sound re-recording mixer
Wayne Heitman	....	sound re-recording mixer
Tony Johnson	....	sound mixer
Mark Larry	....	sound supervisor
Michael O'Corrigan	....	sound supervisor
Tim Philben	....	sound re-recording mixer
Tim Philbin	....	sound re-recording mixer

Special Effects by
Gunner Ashford	....	special effects

Visual Effects by
George Port	....	visual effects supervisor

Camera and Electrical Department
Peter Cunningham	....	first assistant camera
John Enright	....	lighting technician
Scott Harman	....	lighting technician
Rob Marsh	....	camera operator
Jay Munro	....	key grip
Sean O'Neill	....	gaffer
Evan Pardington	....	grip

Casting Department
Yvonne Bennett	....	extras casting coordinator

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Anna Bosley	....	costume buyer
Anna Bosley	....	costume design assistant
Erin O'Neill	....	costume supervisor
Angela Williams	....	costume assistant

Editorial Department
Amy Flint	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Craig Pettigrew	....	music editor

Transportation Department
Ronnie Hape	....	transportation manager
Chico Morehu	....	transportation captain
Paul Rhodes	....	driver: cast
Chris Wildermoth	....	vehicle wrangler

Other crew
Gunner Ashford	....	armorer
Ryan Harrington	....	production coordinator
Helen Mackenzie	....	production accountant
Dianne Moffatt	....	script supervisor
Robin Murphy	....	location manager
Lyn Willis	....	production coordinator
Marlea Willis	....	unit publicist
Alejandro de Quesada	....	historical consultant (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Film Factory New Zealand Limited
• A&E Television Networks
• Lionel Chetwynd Productions
• Sony Pictures Television
• Stephanie Germain Productions

Distributors

• A&E Television Networks (2004) (USA) (TV) (original airing)
• Columbia TriStar Home Video
• Columbia TriStar (2004) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Columbia TriStar (2004) (Brazil) (VHS)

Other Companies

• Film Factory New Zealand Limited  production services
• Images Post  electronic laboratory
• Modern VideoFilm  electronic laboratory
• Sony Pictures Studios  post-production facilities

Also Known As:

Ike: Thunder in June (USA) (working title)

MPAA:

Rated PG for mild language.

Runtime:

120 min (including commercials) | Brazil:88 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Brazil:14 | Australia:PG | USA:PG | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

Ardmore Airport, Airfield Road, Ardmore, Auckland, New Zealand

Company:

Film Factory New Zealand Limited

Goofs:

Anachronisms: Laurence Olivier's film of _Chronicle History or King Henry the Fift with His Battell Fought at Agincourt in France, The (1944)_ is screened within this film in the spring of 1944, despite the fact that Olivier's film was not completed by that time and was not released in the UK until six months after the period depicted in this film.

Quotes:

Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower: Of course Overlord did not fail. How could it? With some many fine young men and women from all corners of the earth all determined to do their best to free a world gone half mad.

Movie Connections:

Features Cover Girl (1944)

Not a single shot fired -

- thank God. The closest we come to a battle scene in "Ike" are the quotes from Laurence Olivier's "Henry V". I do believe that's a small mistake, though: I don't think that film hit the theaters until 1945, somewhat too late for D-day. However, it's justified, artistically: we think of Henry's bombast (one of the greatest speeches at that) when Ike pays his own, humble tribute to the airborne troopers just before D-day. And there is a more subtle reference to Henry V when Ike has to sacrifice an old friend (and nearly sacrifices Patton, too, another old friend.) His thoughts on that also bring Shakespeare to mind.

I loved the film. It stayed true to its purpose, the portrayal of a general making a very tough decision. Selleck was great, and so were they all. Montgomery had a human face to him, and so did DeGaulle (although 90% of it was nose) and he was just as irritating as he is supposed to have been, power-greedy and quite oblivious to the fact that most of his France had in fact sold out to Nazi Germany. The script is great - philosophical and well-written to a fault. Now, why did I think I would be bored? I wasn't, for even one second.