Commandos (1968)

During WW2, an Italian-American commando outfit, disguised as an Italian Army unit, is parachuted behind Axis lines in North Africa.

Director:

Armando Crispino

Writers:

Menahem Golan (short story), Don Martin (story)

Stars:

Lee Van Cleef, Jack Kelly, Giampiero Albertini

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Lee Van Cleef	...	MSgt. Sullivan
Jack Kelly	...	Capt. Valli
Giampiero Albertini	...	Aldo
Marino Masé	...	Italian Lt. Tomassini
Götz George	...	Oberleutnant Rudi
Pier Paolo Capponi	...	Corbi
Ivano Staccioli	...	Rodolfo - Radio Man
Marilù Tolo	...	Adriana
Joachim Fuchsberger	...	Oberleutnant Heitzel Agen - Professor (as Akim Berg)
Heinz Reincke	...	Offizier Hans
Helmut Schmid	...	Sgt. Miller
Otto Stern	...	Sgt. Braumann
Pier Luigi Anchisi	...	Riccio
Gianni Brezza	...	Marco
Duilio Del Prete	...	Bruno

Storyline

Sgt. Sullivan puts together a group of Italian-Americans into disguise as Italian soldiers in order to infiltrate a North African camp held by the Italians. After the soldiers have knifed the Italians in their beds, they find a hooker living at the camp. Sullivan's commandos are to hold this camp and its weaponry until an American battalion arrives, all the while these Italian-Americans pretend to be Italian soldiers, often hosting the enemy. Lt. Valli is a young, "green," by-the-book officer who constantly argues with Sgt. Sullivan, who tells his superior that he has no idea what he is doing. One man on the base, probably a touch from Argento, is an entomologist who is needlessly killed. Things go terribly wrong after that.

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Plot Keywords:

reference to goethe | woman wears a bra and panties | italian | soldier | commando | 

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Taglines:

Seven men who stood between Rommel's Afrika Korps and ultimate victory.

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Genres:

Action | Drama | War

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Certificate:

PG

Did You Know?

Goofs

Hopefully, they were wearing their Italian badges of rank more properly than than as yanks. Captains bars are never worn centered on the epaulet of a dress uniform. Only a General's star is ever worn centered at this location. All others are worn out on the sewed-down part. If Italians were dropped behind American lines as a "captain" was wearing his that way, they would have been suspect immediately.

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Alternate Versions

West German theatrical version was cut by approx. 26 minutes to tighten the pacing. The VHS release from Toppic was cut even more (additional 13 minutes) to use shorter (and thus cheaper) tapes.

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Connections

Referenced in Battle of the Commandos (1969)

User Reviews

Standard low budget war movie

I too picked up Commandos in the budget bin. The movie itself was decent...acting a bit over the top from some of the players, the plot very predictable, and the ending a bit smarmy, intent on teaching us a nice lesson about the horrors of war.

The worst part of the film were the technical details. The US Army dropping paratrooper commandos behind enemy lines prior to Operation Torch (factual error... US Airborne troops were no where near ready for a raid prior to Torch). The obvious use of the 1944 M3 Grease Gun as the weapon of choice for the commandos, a weapon which didn't even see North Africa, let alone North Africa in 1942, the year before it made it to Army usage.

One can forgive the use of US Chaffee and Walker Bulldog tanks repainted in German Afrika Tan (after all, Patton did too), but too many errors upon errors crept into the movie to make it truly enjoyable. For 99 cents and a Saturday afternoon, it will serve. As a great movie, it falls far short.

Details

Country:

Italy West Germany

Language:

Italian

Release Date:

19 November 1968 (Italy)

Also Known As:

Sullivan's Marauders

Filming Locations:

Sardinia, Italy

Company Credits

Production Co:

Central Cinema Company Film (CCC), G.G.I. SpA Rome, Produzione Intercontinentale Cinematografica (PIC)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

112 min 82 min (as Sullivan's Marauders)

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1