During World War II, a rebellious U.S. Army Major is assigned a dozen convicted murderers to train and lead them into a mass assassination mission of German officers.
Allied Agents stage a daring raid on a castle where the Nazis are holding American Brigadier General George Carnaby (Robert Beatty) prisoner, but that's not all that's really going on.
Operation Market Garden, September 1944: The Allies attempt to capture several strategically important bridges in the Netherlands in the hope of breaking the German lines.
During WW2, American General Worden orders Major Reisman to pick 12 soldiers from the military prison for the dangerous mission of killing a Nazi General.
In 1941, following months of economic embargo, Japan prepares to open its war against the United States with a surprise attack on the US naval base at Pearl Harbor.
A Major with an attitude problem and a history of getting things done is told to interview military prisoners with death sentences or long terms for a dangerous mission; To parachute behind enemy lines and cause havoc for the German Generals at a rest house on the eve of D-Day.Written by
John Vogel <jlvogel@comcast.net>
Robert Aldrich was attracted to both the story's action elements and to its core irony, that the heroes were criminals and even psychopaths. See more »
Goofs
As Maggott was obviously insane he would never have been allowed on the mission. In fact it is likely he would have been hanged before they went to France. See more »
Quotes
Capt. Stuart Kinder:
[while the dozen are cavorting with the prostitutes in the guards' barracks]
I wonder if any of them even know it's Mother's Day.
Major John Reisman:
[glances at Kinder and pauses briefly]
is it?
See more »
Crazy Credits
The opening credits don't occur until 10 minutes into the film. While it is common nowadays for films to have a pre-credits sequence, it was considered innovative in 1967. See more »
Alternate Versions
In Germany, in the German-language dubbed version, audiences saw only Jim Brown throwing hand grenades into the airshafts at the chateau. The scenes showing grenades being dumped into, and gasoline being poured into, the airshafts were cut. See more »
Heart-pounding and adrenaline-rushing action giant that still packs a punch that will knock you out. A dozen criminals (Oscar-nominee John Cassavetes, Telly Savalas, Jim Brown, Charles Bronson and Donald Sutherland being the major standouts) are trained for a suicide mission into Nazi territory in 1944 and act as assassins. If you want to catch a thief, you hire a thief and that is the same principle used throughout this impressive motion picture. Lee Marvin does some of his best work as the leader of the rag-tag bunch of miscreants. Serves its purpose to near perfection. 4.5 out of 5 stars.
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Heart-pounding and adrenaline-rushing action giant that still packs a punch that will knock you out. A dozen criminals (Oscar-nominee John Cassavetes, Telly Savalas, Jim Brown, Charles Bronson and Donald Sutherland being the major standouts) are trained for a suicide mission into Nazi territory in 1944 and act as assassins. If you want to catch a thief, you hire a thief and that is the same principle used throughout this impressive motion picture. Lee Marvin does some of his best work as the leader of the rag-tag bunch of miscreants. Serves its purpose to near perfection. 4.5 out of 5 stars.