Where Eagles Dare

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  • ThunderpussyThunderpussy Behind you !Posts: 63,792MI6 Agent
    It's a Ripping Yarn ! {[]
    "I've been informed that there ARE a couple of QAnon supporters who are fairly regular posters in AJB."
  • Golrush007Golrush007 South AfricaPosts: 3,412Quartermasters
    Firemass wrote:
    Fans of Where Eagles Dare and Bond should certainly check out the 1963 episode of The Saint called The Sporting Chance. It features Darren Nesbitt who is most famous for playing the SS Officer in Eagles. He is seriously so great! It was such a treat to see him in another role. I am surprised he was not a bigger star because he has so much charisma and charm as a villain.


    https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0693583/?ref_=fn_al_tt_2

    Before I ever saw Where Eagles Dare I knew Derren Nesbitt from his role as Fabian in the WWI dogfighting drama The Blue Max. He plays a thoroughly likeable German fighter pilot in that film, who sadly snuffs it early on in the film. I saw Where Eagles Dare several times before realising that it was the same actor playing the SS fiend Von Hapen.
  • Sir MilesSir Miles The Wrong Side Of The WardrobePosts: 26,378Chief of Staff
    It's a Ripping Yarn ! {[]

    All of which are currently being repeated on the Yesterday channel...and bloody good they are too -{
    YNWA 97
  • Thunderbird 2Thunderbird 2 East of Cardiff, Wales.Posts: 2,761MI6 Agent
    Where Eagles Dare is a great film... but it goes on for a year and a day! They don't make them like that anymore. Pity.

    Derren Nesbit has a sad distinction, he is the last surviving No 2 from The Prisoner.
    A great performance, he played one of the more machiavellian leaders in 'The Village!'
    This is Thunderbird 2, how can I be of assistance?
  • BarbelBarbel ScotlandPosts: 35,980Chief of Staff
    Sir Miles wrote:
    It's a Ripping Yarn ! {[]

    All of which are currently being repeated on the Yesterday channel...and bloody good they are too -{

    Agreed 100%, loved those.
  • BarbelBarbel ScotlandPosts: 35,980Chief of Staff
    Golrush007 wrote:
    Firemass wrote:
    Fans of Where Eagles Dare and Bond should certainly check out the 1963 episode of The Saint called The Sporting Chance. It features Darren Nesbitt who is most famous for playing the SS Officer in Eagles. He is seriously so great! It was such a treat to see him in another role. I am surprised he was not a bigger star because he has so much charisma and charm as a villain.


    https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0693583/?ref_=fn_al_tt_2

    Before I ever saw Where Eagles Dare I knew Derren Nesbitt from his role as Fabian in the WWI dogfighting drama The Blue Max. He plays a thoroughly likeable German fighter pilot in that film, who sadly snuffs it early on in the film. I saw Where Eagles Dare several times before realising that it was the same actor playing the SS fiend Von Hapen.

    Bear with me...

    If anyone has seen the Harry Palmer films Funeral In Berlin and Billion Dollar Brain (check out my thread https://www.ajb007.co.uk/topic/46150/the-60s-bond-rivals-2-harry-palmer/ for more info) then they will be familiar with the character of Colonel Stok as played by Oscar Homolka:

    aa_old_man_4.jpg

    aa_oldman_joanna.jpg

    In the 70s a film called Spy Story was released, featuring Derren Nesbitt as Colonel Stok:

    aaa_old_man.jpg
    aa_oldman_joanna.jpg

    I'm not knocking his acting, which was fine (and in a film with many problems- the budget was about £3.47- he wasn't one of them) but he was at least 30 years too young for the part: Colonel Stok is an old man- Homolka was 70'ish while Nesbitt was about 40. For anyone who's read the books (guilty as charged, and I'd ask for several similar offences to be taken into consideration) Oscar Homolka simply IS Colonel Stok- the 60s Harry Palmer movies were exceptionally well cast, from Caine downwards- and any actor would suffer in comparison.

    By the way, as far as I'm aware this film has never been released on DVD or Blu-Ray (please, please advise if I'm wrong) and can't be viewed online. I think I may be one of the very few people who watched it in the cinema back in 1976.

    PS- again as far as I know, this may be the only film that's been released without a screenwriter credit. It's possible that there wasn't a screenwriter and they simply filmed the book as written. This may be because of the low budget. I'd be happy to be corrected on this point.
  • Golrush007Golrush007 South AfricaPosts: 3,412Quartermasters
    I agree there is no replacing Oscar Homolka as Colonel Stok. I was unaware of the adaptation of Spy Story, and that Stok had been played by Derren Nesbitt. I've read a few Len Deighton novels, but Spy Story is not one of them.
  • Napoleon PluralNapoleon Plural LondonPosts: 10,218MI6 Agent
    Well here's a mad fact.. the blonde other than Ingrid Pitt - Mary Ure - played opposite Richard Burton earlier in the gritty down to earth film adaptation of the play Look Back in Anger, 1959.
    "This is where we leave you Mr Bond."

    Roger Moore 1927-2017
  • CoolHandBondCoolHandBond Mactan IslandPosts: 5,991MI6 Agent
    Reference the Spy Story film - did this get a national release Barbel? I do not remember it at all and I used to see most movies released at the cinema in those days and living in London virtually every movie was shown somewhere or other - I imagine it played at a fringe cinema and I missed it - I do not remember reading any reviews of it either but then again my memory is probably playing tricks on me again :))
    Yeah, well, sometimes nothin' can be a real cool hand.
  • CoolHandBondCoolHandBond Mactan IslandPosts: 5,991MI6 Agent
    WED is one of my favourite films it's a proper Boy's Own adventure and reminds me of those Commando comics I used to read as a kid.
    Yeah, well, sometimes nothin' can be a real cool hand.
  • BarbelBarbel ScotlandPosts: 35,980Chief of Staff
    Reference the Spy Story film - did this get a national release Barbel? I do not remember it at all and I used to see most movies released at the cinema in those days and living in London virtually every movie was shown somewhere or other - I imagine it played at a fringe cinema and I missed it - I do not remember reading any reviews of it either but then again my memory is probably playing tricks on me again :))

    The only help I can give is that I saw it in a local cinema which was quite far down the cinema pecking order so unlikely to have a film until the bigger cinemas had shown it first. I do remember reading about it in at least one film mag at the time, probably Film Review.
  • Golrush007Golrush007 South AfricaPosts: 3,412Quartermasters
    WED is one of my favourite films it's a proper Boy's Own adventure and reminds me of those Commando comics I used to read as a kid.

    Same here. And I still read Commando comics. ;)
  • Bond44Bond44 Vauxhall CrossPosts: 1,581MI6 Agent
    I used to love these old war films and re enacted most of them with my team of Action Men in the garden. Reality is they were mainly 60’s escapism films (something in common with Bond) and you can throw the in The Great Escape, Battle of the Bulge and Battle of Britain etc as well. They were generally shown over Christmas in the UK and I fondly remember wastching Where Eagles Dare with all that snow and we had snow in the UK as well with the log fires burning at my grandparents place (was almost like actually being there) - good times.

    All classics of their day, though had to laugh my grandad would always get this film confused with The Eagle Has Landed bless him!

    Cheers :D
    My name is Bond, Basildon Bond - I have letters after my name!
  • Danvers NettlefoldDanvers Nettlefold Posts: 20MI6 Agent
    Back in the '70s, as a reader of Dennis Wheatley's Gregory Sallust novels, I was struck by the similarity of Richard Burton's character in WED to Sallust, who spent a great deal of the wartime years infiltrating the Nazi High Command in officer's uniform - and even managed to inveigle his way into Hitler's bunker.

    WED is also a fine showcase for that doyen of screen Nazis, Anton Diffring. Particularly enjoyable is the battle-of-the-accents scene in which he argues with Derren Nesbitt's SS Major. Apparently he commended Nesbitt on sounding "more German than I do", or some such.
  • JoshuaJoshua Posts: 1,138MI6 Agent
    I recorded 'Escape From Athena' yesterday. I have not watched it all yet so do not know what happens, but from the 30 minutes I hace seen I think it will be an enjoyable comedy action romp! Roger Moore as a German officer - the man from Callan (I forget his character name) as the SS officer and David Niven (James Bond!) as a British officer.
  • Golrush007Golrush007 South AfricaPosts: 3,412Quartermasters
    I actually ordered the blu-ray of 'Escape To Athena' recently and I'm waiting for it to arrive. I look forward to watching the film.
  • ThunderpussyThunderpussy Behind you !Posts: 63,792MI6 Agent
    :)) I too have ordered the Blu-ray , and by coincidence it
    Arrives on Thursday the second anniversary of the passing
    Of the late, great Roger Moore.
    It's an easy going romp of a film. With a fantastic cast, {[]
    "I've been informed that there ARE a couple of QAnon supporters who are fairly regular posters in AJB."
  • Ens007Ens007 EnglandPosts: 863MI6 Agent
    Never realised that Mary Ure (Mary) was married to Robert Shaw ... sad story of her early death too at just 42.
  • Napoleon PluralNapoleon Plural LondonPosts: 10,218MI6 Agent
    She also starred opposite Burton in Look Back in Anger some years earlier... a very different film.

    Ii thought I saw Rebecca's Mrs Danvers as a Nazi secretary, but can't find her in the cast.

    Do you all know of this book? Broadsword Calling Danny Boy

    Or has all this been mentioned? Just dipping in to this thread.
    "This is where we leave you Mr Bond."

    Roger Moore 1927-2017
  • You'veHadYourSixYou'veHadYourSix Posts: 79MI6 Agent
    Escape to athena is currently on Iplayer just booted it up.

    Its scored by lalo schfrin who is known for the mission impossible theme, dirty harry & rush hour to name a few.

    Great composer in my opinion would have been interesting to see him score a bond film in his day.
  • ThunderpussyThunderpussy Behind you !Posts: 63,792MI6 Agent
    My blu-ray of Escape to athena arrived early. Will watch it
    Tonight with the commentary from Sir Roger etc {[]
    "I've been informed that there ARE a couple of QAnon supporters who are fairly regular posters in AJB."
  • You'veHadYourSixYou'veHadYourSix Posts: 79MI6 Agent
    My blu-ray of Escape to athena arrived early. Will watch it
    Tonight with the commentary from Sir Roger etc {[]

    Love it :))

    What do you reckon is old rogs best commentary from the bond films?
  • BIG TAMBIG TAM Wrexham, North Wales, UK.Posts: 773MI6 Agent
    I love all those '60s & '70s war adventures. WHERE EAGLES DARE is a film I watch every Christmas & never get bored of. Burton & Eastwood make a surprisingly good double-act. Originally Eastwood had more dialogue. He told them to cut it. To paraphrase: "Let Burton do the speaking, I'll handle the shooting." It works like a dream. Another Alistair MacLean war adventure I love which doesn't get much positive feedback is FORCE 10 FROM NAVARONE. A tremendous adventure, unjustly compared to its predecessor, THE GUNS OF NAVARONE. Plenty of Bond alumni in it too! Another '60s adventure to recommend: OPERATION CROSSBOW. An all-star caper with George Peppard leading a mission to scupper Germany's V2 rocket plan.
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