The Guns of Navarone (1961)

User Rating:

7.6/10   

Director:

J. Lee Thompson
(more)

Writers:

Alistair MacLean (novel)
Carl Foreman (written by)

Release Date:

22 June 1961 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Drama | War | Adventure

Tagline:

Still! The Greatest High Adventure Ever Filmed! [re-issue]

Plot:

A British team is sent to cross occupied Greek territory and destroy the massive German gun emplacement that commands a key sea channel.

Plot Keywords:

Island | Commando | Greek Resistance | Traitor | Mountaineer

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 4 wins & 10 nominations

Cast

Gregory Peck	...	Capt. Keith Mallory
David Niven	...	Cpl. Miller
Anthony Quinn	...	Col. Andrea Stavros
Stanley Baker	...	Pvt. 'Butcher' Brown
Anthony Quayle	...	Maj. Roy Franklin
James Darren	...	Pvt. Spyros Pappadimos
Irene Papas	...	Maria Pappadimos
Gia Scala	...	Anna
James Robertson Justice	...	Commodore Jensen / Prologue Narrator
Richard Harris	...	Squadron Leader Howard Barnsby RAAF
Bryan Forbes	...	Cohn
Allan Cuthbertson	...	Maj. Baker
Michael Trubshawe	...	Weaver
Percy Herbert	...	Sgt. Grogan
George Mikell	...	Sessler
Walter Gotell	...	Muesel
Tutte Lemkow	...	Nikolai, the laundry boy
Albert Lieven	...	The Commandant
Norman Wooland	...	Group Captain
Cleo Scouloudi	...	Bride
Nicholas Papakonstantinou	...	Patrol Boat Captain
Christopher Rhodes	...	German Master Gunner
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Victor Beaumont	...	German officer in gun cave (uncredited)
Victor Buono	...	Greek cleric at wedding plaza (uncredited)
Jack Cooper	...	German Soldier on Patrol Boat (uncredited)
Carl Duering	...	German radar operator (uncredited)
Wolf Frees	...	Radio operator (uncredited)
Peter Grant	...	British commando (uncredited)
Rosemary Nicols	...	(uncredited)
Michael Sarne	...	Extra (uncredited)
Bob Simmons	...	German Soldier on Navarone (uncredited)

Directed by
J. Lee Thompson
Alexander Mackendrick		(uncredited)

Writing credits
Alistair MacLean		(novel) (as Alistair Maclean)
Carl Foreman		(written by)

Produced by
Leon Becker	....	associate producer
Cecil F. Ford	....	associate producer
Carl Foreman	....	producer

Original Music by
Dimitri Tiomkin

Cinematography by
Oswald Morris		(photographed by)

Film Editing by
Alan Osbiston

Production Design by
Geoffrey Drake

Makeup Department
George Frost	....	makeup artist
Wally Schneiderman	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Harold Buck	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Peter Yates	....	assistant director
Roy Millichip	....	second assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Robert Cartwright	....	draughtsman (uncredited)
Maurice Fowler	....	set dresser (uncredited)
Frank Willson	....	assistant art director (uncredited)

Sound Department
John Cox	....	sound recordist
Chris Greenham	....	sound editor
George Stephenson	....	sound recordist
Jack Davies	....	boom operator (uncredited)
Chris Greenham	....	sound effects (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Wally Veevers	....	special effects
Bill Warrington	....	special effects
Brian Gamby	....	special effects (uncredited)
Jimmy Harris	....	special effects (uncredited)
Fred Heather	....	special effects (uncredited)
Garth Inns	....	special effects (uncredited)
Jimmy Ward	....	special effects (uncredited)

Visual Effects by
Bob Cuff	....	visual effects (uncredited)

Stunts
Bob Anderson	....	stunts (uncredited)
Peter Brayham	....	stunts (uncredited)
Jack Cooper	....	stunts (uncredited)
Philip Crawford	....	stunts (uncredited)
Bill Cummings	....	stunts (uncredited)
Joe Dunne	....	stunts (uncredited)
Jock Easton	....	stunts (uncredited)
Peter Grant	....	stunt double: Anthony Quayle (uncredited)
Peter Grant	....	stunts (uncredited)
Arthur Howell	....	stunts (uncredited)
George Leech	....	stunts (uncredited)
Jimmy Lodge	....	stunt double: David Niven (uncredited)
Jimmy Lodge	....	stunts (uncredited)
Eddie Powell	....	stunts (uncredited)
Joe Powell	....	stunt coordinator (uncredited)
Joe Powell	....	stunt double: Anthony Quinn (uncredited)
Joe Powell	....	stunts (uncredited)
Nosher Powell	....	stunts (uncredited)
Jack Silk	....	stunts (uncredited)
Bob Simmons	....	stunt coordinator (uncredited)
Bob Simmons	....	stunt double: Gregory Peck (uncredited)
Bob Simmons	....	stunts (uncredited)
Terry Yorke	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Denys N. Coop	....	camera operator (as Denys Coop)
John Wilcox	....	additional photographer
Kenneth Danvers	....	still photographer (uncredited)
'Bumble' Lloyd	....	electrician (uncredited)
Dudley Lovell	....	camera operator: second unit (uncredited)
Ronnie Maasz	....	focus puller (uncredited)
Jack Sullivan	....	chief electrician (uncredited)
Jimmy Turrell	....	first assistant camera: second unit (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Monty M. Berman	....	wardrober (as Monty Berman)
Olga Lehmann	....	wardrobe designer (as Olga Lehman)

Editorial Department
Oswald Hafenrichter	....	associate editor (as O. Hafenrichter)
Joan Morduch	....	first assistant editor
Raymond Poulton	....	associate editor
John Victor-Smith	....	associate editor (as John Victor Smith)
Sati Tooray	....	colorist (uncredited)

Music Department
Dimitri Tiomkin	....	conductor
Benny Carter	....	music arranger: German songs (uncredited)
Michael Heindorf	....	orchestrator (uncredited)
Charles Maxwell	....	orchestrator (uncredited)
George Parrish	....	orchestrator (uncredited)
Alfred Perry	....	music arranger: German songs (uncredited)
Leonid Raab	....	orchestrator (uncredited)
Herbert Taylor	....	music arranger: German songs (uncredited)
Herbert Taylor	....	orchestrator (uncredited)
John Williams	....	music arranger: German songs (uncredited)

Other crew
Fritz Bayerlein	....	technical advisor (as Lt. General Fritz Bayerlein)
Pamela Davies	....	continuity
P.J. Hands	....	technical advisor (as Lt. Col. P.J. Hands)
P.F. Kertemilidis	....	technical advisor (as Lt. Col. P.F. Kertemilidis)
N. Lazaridis	....	technical advisor (as Major N. Lazaridis)
W.D. Mangham	....	technical advisor (as Major W.D. Mangham)
Golda Offenheim	....	production secretary
John Theologitis	....	technical advisor (as Cmdr. John Theologitis)
D.S.T. Turnbull	....	technical advisor (as Brig. Gen. D.S.T. Turnbull)
Jean Osborne	....	publicist (uncredited)
Lee Turner	....	continuity: second unit (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Columbia Pictures Corporation (presents)
• Highroad
• Open Road

Distributors

• Columbia Pictures (1961) (USA) (theatrical)
• Columbia Pictures Corporation (1961) (UK) (theatrical)
• Columbia Film-Verleih (1961) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• Columbia Films (1961) (France) (theatrical)
• Columbia Pictures (1969) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) (1969) (USA) (TV) (broadcast premiere) (pan/scan)
• Columbia TriStar Home Video (1994) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Encore Entertainment (1995) (UK) (video) (laserdisc)
• RCA/Columbia Pictures Home Video (1995) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Columbia TriStar Home Video (1998) (Netherlands) (VHS)
• Columbia TriStar Home Video (2000) (USA) (DVD)
• Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment (2001) (Netherlands) (DVD) (collector's edition)
• Sony Video (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• Sony Video (2005) (USA) (DVD)
• Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment (2006) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Columbia TriStar Home Video (2007) (USA) (DVD)
• Sony Video (2007) (USA) (DVD)
• Columbia TriStar (????) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Columbia TriStar (????) (Brazil) (VHS)

Other Companies

• Admiralty, The  thanks for their most generous advice and assistance
• Greek People, The  unstinting aid, co-operation, hospitality and friendship
• Halas and Batchelor Cartoon Films  maps
• Other Departments of the Greek Government  unstinting aid, co-operation, hospitality and friendship
• Pathé  Eastmancolor by (as Pathe)
• Royal Hellenic Air Force, The  special debt of gratitude
• Royal Hellenic Army, The  special debt of gratitude
• Royal Hellenic Navy, The  special debt of gratitude
• Sinfonia of London  music played by
• Todd-AO/Glen Glenn Studios  sound post-production (restoration as Todd-AO/Glen Glenn)
• War Office, The  thanks for their most generous advice and assistance

Runtime:

158 min | Sweden:156 min

Country:

UK | USA

Language:

English | Greek | German

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.20 : 1

Sound Mix:

4-Track Stereo (35 mm magnetic prints) | 70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints) (Westrex Recording System) | Mono (35 mm optical prints) | Dolby (Restored version)

Certification:

Iceland:12 | Portugal:M/12 | West Germany:16 (nf) | USA:Approved | USA:Not Rated (DVD release) | Australia:PG | Finland:K-16 | Ireland:G | Norway:15 | Sweden:15 | UK:U (original rating) (cut) | UK:PG (video rating) (1986) (uncut)

Filming Locations:

Associated British Elstree Studios, Shenley Road, Borehamwood, Hertfordshire, England, UK

Company:

Columbia Pictures Corporation

Trivia:

Original director was Alexander Mackendrick, but he was fired by Carl Foreman due to "creative differences".

Goofs:

Continuity: In the briefing about the mission, Mallory is seen examining a photograph of the cliff on Navarone. The shot looking at the photo shows him holding it in his left hand, with a magnifying glass in his right. But in the shot immediately following, of Mallory at the table, he is holding a cigarette, not the magnifying glass, in his right hand.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Prologue Narrator: Greece and the islands of the Aegean Sea have given birth to many myths and legends of war and adventure. And these once-proud stones, these ruined and shattered temples bear witness to the civilization that flourished and then died here and to the demigods and heroes who inspired those legends on this sea and these islands...

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Moonlighting: Brother, Can You Spare a Blonde? (#2.1)" (1985)

This has everything that I'm looking for in a classic war movie...

Ever since I was a little boy, I've watched several classic war movies with my father. He was an absolute fan of this kind of movies and I guess I've inherited that passion from him, because since then I try to watch and buy as many (classic) war movies as I can find. So far I already have several of them in my private DVD collection, but until now, "The Guns of Navarone" wasn't a part of it. The main reason for that is because I hadn't seen it before and therefor didn't know what to expect of it. But now that it was finally shown on television, I was able to tape it and to watch it.

When in 1943 the Germans are attempting to bully neutral Turkey into joining the Axis, 2,000 British troops are trapped on the small and strategically unimportant Greek island Kiros. Something has to be done to save them and there is only one way to get there: by boat. But it's impossible to come near to the island because the only sea route is defended by two gigantic German anti-ship batteries, deployed in a massive cliff side bunker on the island of Navarone. An air attack has been attempted before and proved to be useless and the only option that is left is sending a team of six Greek and English mountaineers to meet up with partisans to try and dynamite the guns. The team does not only face the almost impossible task to conquer the difficult terrain, they also have to try to get past a German garrison and to make things worse, there also appears to be a traitor among them...

About one thing I'm already certain: I'll buy this movie on DVD as soon as I can find it. This is one of the better classic war movies that I've seen lately and I really had a good time watching it. Not only does it give a more realistic view on the war, the characters are also a lot more realistic. They aren't as invincible as you sometimes see in other classic war movies (think for instance of "Where Eagles Dare (1968)"), in which the Americans or other allies seem to carry some kind of magic shield around them that can't be penetrated by German bullets, while they can kill hundreds of the enemy with only one bullet. In this movie they have to deal with all kinds of difficulties like difficult terrain, a traitor,... and yes, even the good guys can get killed or wounded.

What I also liked was the fact that this movie was shot in Greece and therefor gave a realistic feeling to the setting, without feeling like a brochure for a romantic holiday (like Captain Corelli's Mandolin). I know, we all expect that and believe that it is normal when we see it, but I've already seen otherwise and it's something you didn't always get at the time. Think for instance of the movie "The Battle of the Bulge" (1965), which was supposed to be situated in the Belgian Ardennes, but which was shot with olive trees in the background and in a desert-like terrain. And trust me, I'm Belgian myself and I know the region all too well, so I know that there really isn't such a type of terrain to be found there.

Next to the good story and the correct decor, this movie also offers some fine acting from a great classical cast. With Gregory Peck, David Niven, Anthony Quinn, Anthony Quayle,... you get some of the most famous actors at the time and they all did a very nice job in this movie. Add to this the fact that story was very good, that the action still looked nice, that everything was shot in the right country and that everybody spoke the correct language. Then you know that there is absolutely nothing more I could ask for in this movie. I give this movie a well deserved 7.5/10.