The Longest Day (1962)

The events of D-Day, told on a grand scale from both the Allied and German points of view.

Directors:

Ken Annakin, Andrew Marton

Writers:

Cornelius Ryan (screenplay), Cornelius Ryan (book)

Stars:

John Wayne, Robert Ryan, Richard Burton

Won 2 Oscars. Another 6 wins & 6 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Eddie Albert	...	Col. Thompson
Paul Anka	...	U.S. Army Ranger
Arletty	...	Madame Barrault
Jean-Louis Barrault	...	Father Louis Roulland
Richard Beymer	...	Pvt. Dutch Schultz
Hans Christian Blech	...	Maj. Werner Pluskat
Bourvil	...	Mayor of Colleville
Richard Burton	...	Flying Officer David Campbell
Wolfgang Büttner	...	Maj. Gen. Dr. Hans Speidel
Red Buttons	...	Pvt. John Steele
Pauline Carton	...	Maid
Sean Connery	...	Pvt. Flanagan
Ray Danton	...	Capt. Frank
Irina Demick	...	Janine Boitard (as Irina Demich)
Fred Dur	...	U.S. Army Ranger Major

Storyline

Tells the story of the D-Day invasion of Normandy in WWII. There are dozens of characters, some seen only briefly, who together weave the story of five separate invasion points that made up the operation.

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Plot Keywords:

world war two | invasion | d day | normandy | allies | 

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Taglines:

42 STARS IN THE LONGEST DAY

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Genres:

Action | Drama | History | War

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Certificate:

G

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English German French

Release Date:

4 October 1962 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Longest Day

Filming Locations:

Bénouville, Calvados, France

Box Office

Budget:

$10,000,000 (estimated)

Gross USA:

$39,100,000

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$50,100,000

Company Credits

Production Co:

Darryl F. Zanuck Productions, Twentieth Century Fox

Technical Specs

Runtime:

178 min

Sound Mix:

4-Track Stereo (Westrex Recording System) 70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Only six percent of the paratroopers depicted actually achieved their goal, sixty percent of the men and equipment parachuted in on D-Day were lost.

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Goofs

When we first see Gen. Norman Cota (Robert Mitchum), he is talking to a subordinate who is holding a Mae West-type life vest, which covers the chest and goes around the neck, and a life belt. Cota recommends the life belt, making a motion around his waist, while saying it's better because it leaves the arms and shoulders unencumbered. However, it was known at that time that the way he was demonstrating how to wear a life belt was incorrect. On April 28, 1944, during a D-Day rehearsal (Exercise Tiger), German E-boats attacked a troop convoy and sank several transports, killing nearly 1000 men. Many of them men because they were wearing life belts in exactly the manner shown in the movie--around the waist. Wearing a life belt as shown caused the wearer, burdened with heavy gear, to flip on his face and drown. The proper way to wear the life belt was up high, under the armpits. The real Gen. Cota was involved in learning what went wrong in Exercise Tiger and making sure it didn't happen again during the D-Day landings. He would never have recommended that life belts be worn the way they were portrayed in the movie.

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Quotes

[a coded message to the Resistance, spoken in French]
Radio Announcer: John has a long mustache.

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Crazy Credits

There is a 20-second overture on a black screen, no 20th Century Fox logo (in spite of this being one of their most expensive productions), and a six-minute cold open before the title is displayed. Apart from the title, there are no credits at the beginning of the film. All cast and crew credits are at the end of the film.

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Alternate Versions

The version that was shown on Swedish TV in the early 90's lacked any original subtitling (e.g "Generalfedtmarshall Gerd von Rundstedt, OB West") whatsoever including the film's title!

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Connections

Featured in Cleopatra: The Film That Changed Hollywood (2001)

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Soundtracks

Lambeth Walk
(uncredited)
Music by Noel Gay
Lyrics by Douglas Furber
Sung by the British soldiers on the glider

User Reviews

Still a classic after 42 years!

Invariably compared with "Saving Private Ryan" (SPR), this scores over the more modern work because of the focus on all the major sides of the action (British, American, French and German).

All languages are used (with subtitles as appropriate - eg the Germans speak in German, etc).

While true that the battle scenes are not gory as SPR's, and that the sounds of battle are muted during the dialog (unlike SPR's), it should be borne in mind that in '62, the audience rating of the time *was* a General Release ("G" in the US, "A" in the UK (I'm guessing for the UK, but it is now PG)) - which more detail would not have allowed.

I think part of the purpose of this film is to allow *everyone* to see what happened 18 years before!