There was a battle on Leros that involved the elite on both sides: German fallshirmjäger and Brandenburger, British commandoes, SAS, SBS.
Ooooo, nice! I have a book that includes the accounts of that battle, which I have not read yet!
"...the purposeful slant of his striding figure looked dangerous, as if he was making quickly for something bad that was happening further down the street." -SMERSH on 007 dossier photo, Ch. 6 FRWL.....
The animosity between Quinn & Peck was created for the film- in the book they're best buds from the off.
Their first tense scene in the hotel room (with Quinn waiting, lounging with a gun) is a bit like the Bond/Dent scene in DN, though obviously not as hostile.
Critics and material I don't need. I haven't changed my act in 53 years.
Antony Quayle was SOE agent, running guns to Tito in Yogoslavia. I think he even used civilian fishing boats like later in the movie. (another obvious paralell was the Shetland Gang).
David Niven was commando officer and Phantom Unit sqadron commander. It's funny how the two members of the group who looks the least tough were the ones who were closest to the real thing...
Hey, this is actually good timing on another front. On another website I'm on (a movie related one), we occasionally have fun doing drafts for movies using specific time periods. Next week, we're doing a re-draft of the the LORD OF THE RINGS movies set in the 1960s. The rule is that you have to cast the roles using actors/actresses who were active in the 1960s (had to have at least one movie credit in the 60s). It's ok if they died in the 60s.
Why concept: WHERE HOBBITS DARE.
My tentative list:
Gandalf: Richard Burton, Patrick McGoohan, Lee Marvin
Aragorn/Strider: Clint Eastwood, Steve McQueen, Robert Shaw
Frodo: David Bowie
Samwise: Davy Jones
Merry: Peter Noone
Pippin: Ringo Starr
Boromir: James Coburn, Charles Bronson, Lee Marvin
Gimli: Oliver Reed, Don Rickles, Telly Savalas, Ernest Borgnine
Legolas: Donald Sutherland
Gollum: John Casavetes
Arwen: Katherine Ross, Charlotte Rampling
Galadriel: Claudia Cardinale
Eowyn: Julie Christie
Faramir: Richard Jaeckel, Clint Walker, Montgomery Clift
Grima Wormtongue: Edward G. Robinson
I'd appreciate any input that anyone has! I have additional actors from the period lined up as backups if my first, second, or third choices get yanked, but I'm curious if there are any better ones that I can put in there.
My tentative list:
Gandalf: Richard Burton, Patrick McGoohan, Lee Marvin
Aragorn/Strider: Clint Eastwood, Steve McQueen, Robert Shaw
Frodo: David Bowie
...
Great cast! Patrick McGoohan might have been a bit too young for Gandalf; maybe Boris Karloff or Vincent Price, both of whom were still imposing but a little more grey-haired?
The officer with the reddish moustache is Michael Trubshawe, a pal of Niven's and Niven usually got him a small part in his movies. (This is from "The Moon's A Balloon", Niven's highly recommended autobiography- though don't go looking for accuracy).
The officer with the reddish moustache is Michael Trubshawe, a pal of Niven's and Niven usually got him a small part in his movies. (This is from "The Moon's A Balloon", Niven's highly recommended autobiography- though don't go looking for accuracy).
Trubshawe was perfect as this 'Captain Sender' type of foil (to use a Fleming reference).
Edit - Sorry, I meant Allan Cuthbertson here, not Trubshawe!
Critics and material I don't need. I haven't changed my act in 53 years.
Also, I was going to try and get Burton, Reed, Peter Finch, Richard Harris, and Peter O'Toole in there. However, if I got all of them, the films would simply never get made as the actors would be perpetually hammered.
Great mix of water tank work and model work.
Niven gives us just the right amount of humor.
All the diologue scenes were practiced for at least a day, not common in this kind of movies. I think it shows in this scene.
Also, I was going to try and get Burton, Reed, Peter Finch, Richard Harris, and Peter O'Toole in there. However, if I got all of them, the films would simply never get made as the actors would be perpetually hammered.
What we learn here about the Quinn/ Peck antagonism is distantly echoed by Barbara Bach deciding she's going to kill Bond "when the mission's over" in TSWLM... though obviously here it's heavier-duty stuff. And "He's from Crete... those people don't make idle threats" is echoed, vaguely, by Melina in FYEO being "half-Greek" and vengeful...
Critics and material I don't need. I haven't changed my act in 53 years.
Also, I was going to try and get Burton, Reed, Peter Finch, Richard Harris, and Peter O'Toole in there. However, if I got all of them, the films would simply never get made as the actors would be perpetually hammered.
) ) )
+1 ) ) )
On this subject- a film called "The Klansman" starring Burton + Lee Marvin. Ex-Bond director Terence Young had his work cut out trying to have one, other, or both of them sober long enough to do their scenes.
Especially Peck wanted to ned down and natural acting in the movie. BTW the director worked with many of the cast before and after Navarone. I guess they got along well.
Comments
Ooooo, nice! I have a book that includes the accounts of that battle, which I have not read yet!
Their first tense scene in the hotel room (with Quinn waiting, lounging with a gun) is a bit like the Bond/Dent scene in DN, though obviously not as hostile.
David Niven was commando officer and Phantom Unit sqadron commander. It's funny how the two members of the group who looks the least tough were the ones who were closest to the real thing...
Lovely stuff- might come back to that later.
Great cast! Patrick McGoohan might have been a bit too young for Gandalf; maybe Boris Karloff or Vincent Price, both of whom were still imposing but a little more grey-haired?
The Force 10 film does imply that, but Nero doesn't seem like the same character.
Trubshawe was perfect as this 'Captain Sender' type of foil (to use a Fleming reference).
Edit - Sorry, I meant Allan Cuthbertson here, not Trubshawe!
It beats the FRWL and TB boat explosions, and that's saying something.
Some good light comic acting as well by Niven. Especially when he is hit by the wave and spits out a stream of water.
Niven gives us just the right amount of humor.
All the diologue scenes were practiced for at least a day, not common in this kind of movies. I think it shows in this scene.
+1
On this subject- a film called "The Klansman" starring Burton + Lee Marvin. Ex-Bond director Terence Young had his work cut out trying to have one, other, or both of them sober long enough to do their scenes.
Very true. The dialogue-free storm and shipwreck action does go on for a bit too long, though, at least by today's standards.