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Cast a Giant Shadow

  • 1966
  • Approved
  • 2h 26m
IMDb RATING
6.3/10
3.6K
YOUR RATING
Kirk Douglas, Frank Sinatra, John Wayne, Senta Berger, and Yul Brynner in Cast a Giant Shadow (1966)
In 1947, following the U.N. decision to split British Palestine into separate Jewish and Arab states, a former U.S. Army officer is recruited by the Jews to reorganize the Haganah.
Play trailer3:40
1 Video
57 Photos
AdventureDramaHistory

In 1947, following the U.N. decision to split British Palestine into separate Jewish and Arab states, a former U.S. Army officer is recruited by the Jews to reorganize the Haganah.In 1947, following the U.N. decision to split British Palestine into separate Jewish and Arab states, a former U.S. Army officer is recruited by the Jews to reorganize the Haganah.In 1947, following the U.N. decision to split British Palestine into separate Jewish and Arab states, a former U.S. Army officer is recruited by the Jews to reorganize the Haganah.

  • Director
    • Melville Shavelson
  • Writers
    • Ted Berkman
    • Melville Shavelson
  • Stars
    • Kirk Douglas
    • John Wayne
    • Frank Sinatra
  • See production, box office & company info
  • IMDb RATING
    6.3/10
    3.6K
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Melville Shavelson
    • Writers
      • Ted Berkman
      • Melville Shavelson
    • Stars
      • Kirk Douglas
      • John Wayne
      • Frank Sinatra
    • 44User reviews
    • 25Critic reviews
  • See more at IMDbPro
  • Videos1

    Trailer
    Trailer 3:40
    Watch Trailer

    Photos57

    Kirk Douglas, Frank Sinatra, John Wayne, and Yul Brynner in Cast a Giant Shadow (1966)
    Kirk Douglas, Frank Sinatra, and Senta Berger in Cast a Giant Shadow (1966)
    James Donald and Danny Perlman in Cast a Giant Shadow (1966)
    Yul Brynner and Danny Perlman in Cast a Giant Shadow (1966)
    Kirk Douglas, Stathis Giallelis, Joe LaBella, Danny Perlman, and Topol in Cast a Giant Shadow (1966)
    John Wayne in Cast a Giant Shadow (1966)
    Kirk Douglas in Cast a Giant Shadow (1966)
    Kirk Douglas in Cast a Giant Shadow (1966)
    Kirk Douglas in Cast a Giant Shadow (1966)
    Kirk Douglas in Cast a Giant Shadow (1966)
    Kirk Douglas and Gary Merrill in Cast a Giant Shadow (1966)
    Kirk Douglas in Cast a Giant Shadow (1966)

    Top cast

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    Kirk Douglas
    Kirk Douglas
    • Col. David 'Mickey' Marcus
    John Wayne
    John Wayne
    • Gen. Mike Randolph
    Frank Sinatra
    Frank Sinatra
    • Vince Talmadge
    Senta Berger
    Senta Berger
    • Magda Simon
    Angie Dickinson
    Angie Dickinson
    • Emma Marcus
    James Donald
    James Donald
    • Maj. Safir
    Stathis Giallelis
    Stathis Giallelis
    • Ram Oren
    Luther Adler
    Luther Adler
    • Jacob Zion
    Topol
    Topol
    • Abou Ibn Kader
    Ruth White
    Ruth White
    • Mrs. Chaison
    Gordon Jackson
    Gordon Jackson
    • James MacAfee
    Michael Hordern
    Michael Hordern
    • British Ambassador
    Allan Cuthbertson
    Allan Cuthbertson
    • Immigration Officer
    Jeremy Kemp
    Jeremy Kemp
    • Senior British Officer
    Sean Barrett
    • Junior British Officer
    Michael Shillo
    • Andre Simon
    Rina Ganor
    Rina Ganor
    • Rona
    Roland Bartrop
    • Bert Harrison
    • Director
      • Melville Shavelson
    • Writers
      • Ted Berkman
      • Melville Shavelson
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

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    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      During filming in August 1965, John Wayne enraged Writer, Producer, and Director Melville Shavelson with his views on the Watts Riots.
    • Goofs
      When first seen, Angie Dickinson and Senta Berger are shown wearing fashions from the 1960s when the film was made, not the 1940s when the film was set.
    • Quotes

      Col. David 'Mickey' Marcus: Why do you let women to go on these convoys?

      Asher Gonen: Magda volunteered.

      Col. David 'Mickey' Marcus: She's been through enough. She just lost her husband, she's in a terrible st...

      Asher Gonen: Look, we need everyone. Especially since the British search us for weapons. Being British, they're also too polite most of the time to search a woman thoroughly.

      Col. David 'Mickey' Marcus: You're lucky you're not occupied by the French.

    • Crazy credits
      The major events in this film actually happened. Some of them are still happening. The major characters actually lived. Many of them are still living. Although it was not easy.
    • Connections
      Featured in Hollywoodism: Jews, Movies and the American Dream (1998)
    • Soundtracks
      Next Year in Jerusalem
      Music by Dov Seltzer

    User reviews44

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    6/10
    A Rather Bloated Tale On The Founding Of Israel
    This was made in an era when just about every household had a television and Hollywood doesn't tolerate competition and needed to bring out its big guns . Those howitzers would be big name stars and epic storytelling . Unfortunately by this time this type of film would be dying out and a year later BONNIE AND CLYDE arrived on the scene which changed Hollywood film making with relatively unknown actors starring in smaller scale films that had a dubious morality to them so a film like CAST A GIANT SHADOW would have become relatively dated very quickly by the end of the decade

    On its own merits it isn't a bad film though it's certainly not a very good one either . The problem is that " Epic " is often a euphemism for " bloated " , therefore we get to see the main protagonists war experience and family life . Why do we have to see all this ? one can speculate that the war sequences is an excuse to shoehorn John Wayne in to the film that'll appeal to all the manly men in the audience and the family life of the protagonist will get women flocking in to the cinema . It also has the unnecessary addition of Frank Sinatra which like Wayne seems to be included to give box office appeal

    It's not just the lack of brevity that's the flaw but the sometimes embellishment to the story that doesn't do it any favours . Some other commentators have gone in to detail so I won't dwell to much upon it but one noticeable aspect is that the Israelis in 1948 are portrayed to being total strangers to war which isn't in any way true . The British Army had a Jewish brigade which served in Italy during the war and were engaged in some very tough fighting in 1944 . Likewise Palmach and Haganah members would have had military experience fighting against Arabs in the Special Night Squads during the Arab revolts of 1938-39 and wouldn't be the inexperienced military virgins as seen here . Sadly the film doesn't make the point that the Irgun and Stern Gang were the purveyors of modern day terrorism that EOKA , the Provisional IRA and many other terrorist organisations modelled themselves upon until Al Quada took terrorism to new depths , but if you've got a Hollywood movie and it contains Brits as an occupying power then it's easy to turn a blind eye , but to be fair it points out it's better to be occupied by the British than the French

    That said the Brits aren't full blown villains and the American view of Israelis is I imagine not as black and white as it would be today regardless of your politics . In 1948 the American State Department was very suspicious about Israel since many of its inhabitants were from Eastern European countries and Eastern European equalled communist in American eyes with Zionist support for the country confined to a small American Jewish lobby . The film does touch upon the fact that the fledgling Jewish state obtained its weapons from the international black market rather than being supplied by America with America realising that the Arab lands contain an awful lot of oil so best not to annoy them . It should be remembered that the first arms supply from America to Israel didn't happen till 1965 and the often overstated influence America has over the Israeli state wouldn't have existed when this film was released

    In summary CAST A GIANT SHADOW is a relatively entertaining yarn but it's a melodramatic Hollywood movie using big names to make money for the studio . If you're interested in finding out the proper history of the creation of Israel it's a much better idea to read a book on the subject with the only problem trying to find a totally unbiased book on the subject
    helpful•13
    9
    • Theo Robertson
    • Aug 23, 2013

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    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • March 30, 1966 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Languages
      • English
      • Hebrew
    • Also known as
      • Der Schatten des Giganten
    • Filming locations
      • Israel
    • Production companies
      • Batjac Productions
      • Llenroc Productions
      • The Mirisch Corporation
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Technical specs

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    • Runtime
      2 hours 26 minutes
    • Aspect ratio
      • 2.35 : 1

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