Eagles Over London (1969)

In World war 2, a German undercover unit infiltrates British lines during the evacuation of Dunkirk, 1939. The film revolves around their successes and failures in disrupting R.A.F. operations during the Battle of Britain.

Director:

Enzo G. Castellari

Writers:

Tito Carpi (story), Vincenzo Mannino (story) (as Vincenzo Flamini)

Stars:

Frederick Stafford, Van Johnson, Francisco Rabal

1 win.

Cast

Cast overview:
Frederick Stafford	...	Captain Paul Stevens
Van Johnson	...	Air Marshal George Taylor
Francisco Rabal	...	Martin Donovan
Evelyn Stewart	...	Meg
Luigi Pistilli	...	Maj. Krueger
Renzo Palmer	...	Sgt. Donald Mulligan
Luis Dávila	...	Jacques
Christian Hay	...	Gaston
Jacques Berthier	...	Colonel Smith
Teresa Gimpera	...	Sheila
George Rigaud	...	British general
Eduardo Fajardo	...	German officer
Ugo Adinolfi
Umberto Di Grazia
Ricardo Valle

Storyline

During the Dunkirk evacuation in 1940, a team of German saboteurs assume the identities of dead British soldiers and are transported to England. Their first objective is to cripple British air defences by destroying radar stations. Though the identities and whereabouts of the saboteurs are unknown, a team of British soldiers is set up to track them down and abort their mission. While the Battle of Britain rages overhead, the final confrontation takes place as the German team are about to blow up the RAF Fighter Command control centre.

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Plot Keywords:

saboteur | evacuation | british soldier | britain | battle of britain | 

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Taglines:

From Dunkirk to the battle of London.

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Genres:

Drama | War

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Certificate:

PG

Details

Country:

Italy France Spain

Language:

English Italian

Release Date:

January 1973 (USA)

Also Known As:

Battle Command

Filming Locations:

Holland Park, London, England, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

Fida Cinematografica, Atlántida Films, Les Productions Jacques Roitfeld

Technical Specs

Runtime:

110 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

According director Enzo G. Castellari, this is the film he is most popular for in Italy.

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Goofs

A London bus wouldn't show LONDON on the roll sign for the route's endpoint, but rather a specific place within London.

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Connections

Referenced in Train Kept A-Rollin' (2008)

User Reviews

EAGLES OVER London (Enzo G. Castellari, 1969) **1/2

This is a surprisingly elaborate war film which tackles the same events as the big-budgeted BATTLE OF Britain (1969), but from an entirely different perspective - the infiltration of German spies into London prior to the Luftwaffe's aerial attack in order to destroy the RAF's infallible radar system, and British Captain Frederick Stafford's efforts to root them out in time.

While the generally slick presentation belies the modest funds that were obviously available, the overall achievement is still hurt by too much concession to elements particular to lowbrow film-making and especially some grating comic relief (culminating in a brawl between British and French soldiers) provided by Renzo Palmer - but there's also a baffling over-emphasis on the heroics of a French air ace (who's not even a major character!), as well as obviously choreographed stuntwork...not to mention the fact that every revelation in unmasking the Nazi plot is left to the ingenuity of one man, which makes one wonder just what would have become of Great Britain if Stafford hadn't been there!! Besides, even if I was watching the film in Italian, the fact that none of the cast is British or German is inescapable - which certainly doesn't award it any marks for authenticity!

Castellari's often flashy direction doesn't work either: shooting from odd angles (through a bullet hole in a helmet, through a pair of clasped hands or through a loudspeaker!) and utilizing distracting editorial techniques, such as his playful use of the split-screen - which is partially lost anyway, given that the aspect ratio on the print I watched has been changed from the original 2.35:1 to 1.85:1! The action-packed film (with a couple of romances thrown in for good measure) is enjoyable in itself but, even if flawed, BATTLE OF Britain is clearly superior (the familiar Euro-Cult faces here are no match for the roster of Britsh stars which populate that film!) - though they did engage the services of Bunuel regular Francisco Rabal (as a conscientious German) and American Van Johnson(!) as the British RAF officer in charge of the country's defense (who, in the final decisive action, takes to the skies himself to repel the invading Nazi forces).