D-Day the Sixth of June (1956)

Director:

Henry Koster

Writers:

Lionel Shapiro (novel)
Ivan Moffat (writer) ...
(more)

Release Date:

29 May 1956 (USA)

Genre:

Romance | War | Drama | Action

Tagline:

The Greatest Love Story of the War !

Plot:

En route to Normandy, an American and a British officer reminisce in flashback about their romances with the same woman.

Plot Keywords:

Adultery | WWII | Heroism | Nazi | British American Cooperation

Cast

Robert Taylor	...	Capt. Brad Parker
Richard Todd	...	Lt. Col. John Wynter
Dana Wynter	...	Valerie Russell
Edmond O'Brien	...	Lt. Col. Alexander Timmer
John Williams	...	Brig. Russell
Jerry Paris	...	Raymond Boyce
Robert Gist	...	Dan Stenick
Richard Wyler	...	David Archer (as Richard Stapley)
Ross Elliott	...	Maj. Mills
Alex Finlayson	...	Col. Harkens
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Richard Aherne	...	Grainger, Associated Press Correspondent (uncredited)
Parley Baer	...	Sgt. Gerbert (uncredited)
Rama Bai	...	Mala, Russell's Servant (uncredited)
Marie Brown	...	Georgina, Red Cross Worker (uncredited)
Virginia Carroll	...	American Nurse (uncredited)
Fred Coby	...	Medic (uncredited)
Barry Coe	...	Helmsman (uncredited)
Ashley Cowan	...	LCpl. Bailey (uncredited)
John Damler	...	Lt. Col. Ed Cantrell (uncredited)
Cyril Delevanti	...	Coat room attendant (uncredited)
Reggie Dvorak	...	Taxi driver (uncredited)
Douglas Evans	...	Ship Captain (uncredited)
Conrad Feia	...	Lieutenant at party (uncredited)
Joe J. Garcia	...	Puchani (uncredited)
Paul Glass	...	Randall (uncredited)
Dabbs Greer	...	Cpl. Atkinson (uncredited)
Sam Harris	...	Man on Train (uncredited)
Thomas Browne Henry	...	Gen. Bolthouse (uncredited)
Lillian Kemble-Cooper	...	British Nurse (uncredited)
Queenie Leonard	...	Corporal on Train (uncredited)
Chester Marshall	...	Lt. Clayford Binns (uncredited)
Patricia McMahon	...	Suzette (uncredited)
June Mitchell	...	Waitress (uncredited)
Boyd 'Red' Morgan	...	Sgt. Tom Brooks (uncredited)
Gavin Muir	...	Voice of Radio Broadcaster (uncredited)
Damian O'Flynn	...	Gen. Pike (uncredited)
Robert Patten	...	Petty Officer (uncredited)
George Pelling	...	Capt. Waller (uncredited)
Tom Pittman	...	Air Force Officer (uncredited)
Joe Ploski	...	Man on Train (uncredited)
Howard Price	...	American war correspondent (uncredited)
Jack Raine	...	Officer (uncredited)
Otto Reichow	...	German Captain (uncredited)
Grant Scott	...	Palmer (uncredited)
Mickey Scott	...	Paducci (uncredited)
Reginald Sheffield	...	Hotel Proprietor (uncredited)
Geoffrey Steele	...	Maj. McEwen (uncredited)
Victoria Ward	...	Mrs. Hamilton (uncredited)
Ben Wright	...	Gen. Millensbeck (uncredited)

Directed by
Henry Koster

Writing credits
Lionel Shapiro		(novel "The Sixth of June")
Ivan Moffat		(writer) and
Harry Brown		(writer)

Produced by
Charles Brackett	....	producer

Original Music by
Lyn Murray

Cinematography by
Lee Garmes

Film Editing by
William Mace

Art Direction by
Lewis H. Creber
Lyle R. Wheeler

Set Decoration by
Walter M. Scott
Charles Vassar

Costume Design by
Charles Le Maire		(executive wardrobe designer) (as Charles LeMaire)

Makeup Department
Ben Nye	....	makeup artist
Helen Turpin	....	hair stylist

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
David Silver	....	assistant director

Sound Department
Eugene Grossman	....	sound
Harry M. Leonard	....	sound

Special Effects by
Ray Kellogg	....	special photographic effects

Stunts
Boyd 'Red' Morgan	....	stunts (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Sam Benson	....	wardrobe supervisor (uncredited)

Editorial Department
Leonard Doss	....	color consultant

Music Department
Maurice De Packh	....	orchestrator (as Maurice de Packh)
Lionel Newman	....	conductor

Other crew
Dan Gilmer	....	technical advisor (as Colonel Dan Gilmer.)

Production Companies

• Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation

Distributors

• Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation (1956) (USA) (theatrical)
• 20th Century Fox (1956) (France) (theatrical)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (2006) (USA) (DVD)
• Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment (2008) (Netherlands) (DVD)

Also Known As:

D-Day the 6th of June (International: English title) (alternative spelling)
The Sixth of June (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

106 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

4-Track Stereo (magnetic prints) | Mono (optical prints)

Certification:

Netherlands:12 | Australia:PG | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15 | UK:PG | West Germany:12

Company:

Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation

Trivia:

This movie is based on the fictional 1955 romantic war novel, The Sixth of June by Lionel Shapiro. Shapiro had been a World War II Canadian war correspondent for The Montreal Gazette. He actually landed with the Canadian armed forces on D-Day for the the Allied invasion of Sicily, Salerno and Juno Beach. The Sixth of June novel won the Governor General's Award for English Language Fiction.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: On the landing craft assaulting Angel Point, an LCI officer asks Captain Parker how long he has been overseas, to which he replies "Three years and three months". If this is 6 June 1944, then Parker has been overseas since April 1941 - eight months before America entered the war.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Teenage Rebel (1956)

Soundtrack:

I Had the Craziest Dream

the war of the words

Okay, we'll keep this one short: lots of big stars (Robert Taylor, Dana Wynter, Edmund O'Brien, et al), lots of extras, lots and lots of talking, but absolutely no sense of urgency or feeling of impending action is present in this hour and 46 minute blabfest. In fact, for the first 80 minutes, nothing much happens. Yes, Taylor is quite handsome in his military uniform and, yes, Ms. Wynter is very fetching in her military uniform and, yes, a predictable romance develops with an equally predictable ending, but THAT'S IT!! That's the whole plodding film in a nutshell. Believe us, if movies about the greatest invasion in history are the sort of thing that floats your boat, you would be much better advised to stick with "The Longest Day". This over-processed turkey spread shoulda stayed in the can.