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Hornets' Nest (1970)

R | | Action , Drama , War | 9 September 1970 (USA)
Hornets' Nest Poster
In 1944, during a sabotage mission, the sole surviving U.S. paratrooper is saved by a group of Italian orphans who later aid him in blowing-up a vital enemy dam.

Directors:

Phil Karlson, Franco Cirino

Writers:

S.S. Schweitzer (story), Stanley Colbert (story) | 1 more credit »

Stars:

Rock Hudson, Sylva Koscina, Sergio Fantoni | See full cast & crew »
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Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Rock Hudson ... Turner
Sylva Koscina ... Bianca
Sergio Fantoni ... Von Hecht
Giacomo Rossi Stuart ... Schwalberg (as Giacomo Rossi-Stuart)
Jacques Sernas ... Maj. Taussig
Mark Colleano ... Aldo
Mauro Gravina Mauro Gravina ... Carlo
John Fordyce John Fordyce ... Dino
Giuseppe Cassuto Giuseppe Cassuto ... Franco
Amedeo Castracane Amedeo Castracane ... Tonio
Giancarlo Colombaioni Giancarlo Colombaioni ... Romeo
Ronald Colombaioni Ronald Colombaioni ... Mikko
Valerio Colombaioni Valerio Colombaioni ... Arturo
Giuseppe Coppola Giuseppe Coppola ... Rico
Luigi Criscuolo Luigi Criscuolo ... Paolo
See full cast »
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Storyline

A commando unit is dropped behind the German lines in Italy and its mission is to blow up a strategic dam. However, the unit is ambushed and only its leader survives. He is picked up by a ragtag group of local youths, who strike a bargain with him--they will help him blow the dam if he will help them get revenge on the Germans, who have taken over their village and killed their parents. Written by frankfob2@yahoo.com

Plot Summary | Add Synopsis

Plot Keywords:

year 1944 | death of parents | saboteur | child fights an adult | child uses a gun | See All (56) »

Taglines:

Meet Captain Turner's Baby Brigade! When they get hurt they cry! When they get mad they kill! Give them a ball, they'll make up a game! Give them a grenade, they'll blow up the world! See more »

Genres:

Action | Drama | War

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for some war violence | See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

View content advisory »
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Details

Country:

Italy | USA

Language:

English | German | Italian

Release Date:

9 September 1970 (USA) See more »

Also Known As:

Il vespaio See more »

Filming Locations:

Gazzola, Provincia di Piacenza, Emilia-Romagna, Italy See more »

Company Credits

Production Co:

Produzioni Associate Delphos,Triangle Productions See more »
Show more on IMDbPro »

Technical Specs

Runtime:

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1
See full technical specs »
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Did You Know?

Trivia

One of two World War II movies both released in 1970 that were based on a story by S.S. Schweitzer. The other was Hell Boats (1970). See more »

Goofs

After the German Captain kills the German Major, the Major is laying on the floor dead but his abdomen is clearly moving as he breathes. See more »

Quotes

Bianca the Italian Surgeon: I'm a doctor, not a soldier.
Captain Turner: You're tied in with us now, until it's over.
See more »

Connections

Referenced in Django Unchained (2012) See more »

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User Reviews

 
Rock And His Gang of Juveniles
23 June 2007 | by bkoganbing – See all my reviews

The Hornet's Nest of the title refers to the gang of Italian urchins who find Rock Hudson and a fascist female doctor played by Sylva Koscina to patch him up.

Hudson has parachuted ahead of the advancing Fifth Army during the Italian campaign. His mission was to blow up a dam, presumably to trap retreating Nazis. But these kids have a mission of their own in mind. Their village was massacred by the S.S. looking for partisans and they want some payback.

Rock has to recover first so the kids kidnap a female doctor to treat him for concussion and bruised ribs. She's also quite an eyeful and in one scene, the older kids kind of forget the purpose of their mission.

It's a routine action adventure story that probably Burt Lancaster or Kirk Douglas would have been better suited for than Rock Hudson. Still Hudson turns in a decent performance, given what he has to work with.

The sad thing about Hornet's Nest is that with the revelation of Rock's homosexuality the film became something of a joke, what with Rock and a gang of teenage boys. Had any other actor done it, no one would have thought anything of it.

Or maybe Burt and Kirk had insights.
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