IMDb >
Battle of the Bulge (1965)
Watch It
Buy it at Amazon
Rent it at Blockbuster.com
Discuss in Boards More at IMDb Pro Add to My Movies Update Data
BETA
Discuss in Boards More at IMDb Pro Add to My Movies Update Data
Quicklinks
Top Links
trailers and videosfull cast and crewtriviaofficial sitesmemorable quotesOverview
main detailscombined detailsfull cast and crewcompany creditstv scheduleAwards & Reviews
user commentsexternal reviewsnewsgroup reviewsawardsuser ratingsparents guiderecommendationsmessage boardPlot & Quotes
plot summarysynopsisplot keywordsAmazon.com summarymemorable quotesFun Stuff
triviagoofssoundtrack listingcrazy creditsalternate versionsmovie connectionsFAQOther Info
merchandising linksbox office/businessrelease datesfilming locationstechnical specslaserdisc detailsDVD detailsliterature listingsNewsDeskPromotional
taglines trailers and videos posters photo galleryExternal Links
showtimesofficial sitesmiscellaneousphotographssound clipsvideo clipsBattle of the Bulge (1965) More at IMDbPro »
Overview
User Rating:
Director:
Writers:
Release Date:
16 December 1965 (USA)
more
Tagline:
Unlike anything you've ever seen before more
Plot:
In the winter of 1944, the Allied Armies stand ready to invade Germany at the coming of a New Year. To prevent this occurrence...
more
| add synopsis
Plot Keywords:
Awards:
Nominated for 2 Golden Globes.
more
NewsDesk:
(5 articles)
Tom Hanks, others screen 'Beyond All Boundaries'
(From Filmicafe. 5 November 2009, 1:14 PM, PST)
Kevin Smith's Tweet-a-Thon: The Top 10
(From MTV Music News. 7 September 2009, 10:08 PM, PDT)
(From Filmicafe. 5 November 2009, 1:14 PM, PST)
Kevin Smith's Tweet-a-Thon: The Top 10
(From MTV Music News. 7 September 2009, 10:08 PM, PDT)
User Comments:
My Favorite WWII Epic is Admittedly a Mixed Bag
more (96 total)
Cast
(in credits order) (verified as complete)
Directed by | |||
| Ken Annakin | |||
Writing credits | ||
| Philip Yordan | (written by) & | |
| Milton Sperling | (written by) & | |
| John Melson | (written by) | |
Produced by | |||
| Sidney Harmon | .... | executive producer | |
| Milton Sperling | .... | producer | |
| Philip Yordan | .... | producer | |
| Dino De Laurentiis | .... | executive producer (uncredited) | |
Original Music by | |||
| Benjamin Frankel | |||
Cinematography by | |||
| Jack Hildyard | |||
Art Direction by | |||
| Eugène Lourié | (as Eugene Lourie) | ||
Costume Design by | |||
| Laure Lourie | (as Laure DeZarate) | ||
Makeup Department | |||
| Trevor Crole-Rees | .... | makeup artist | |
| José María Sánchez | .... | makeup artist (as Jose Maria Sanchez) | |
Production Management | |||
| Leon Chooluck | .... | unit manager | |
| Juan Estelrich | .... | unit manager | |
| Bernard Glasser | .... | production supervisor | |
| Miguel Pérez Marián | .... | unit manager (as Miguel Perez) | |
| Tíbor Reves | .... | production manager (as Tibor Reves) | |
| Gregorio Sacristán | .... | production manager (as Gregorio Sacristan) | |
Second Unit Director or Assistant Director | |||
| Luis García | .... | assistant director (as Luis Garcia) | |
| José López Rodero | .... | assistant director (as Jose Lopez Rodero) | |
| Martín Sacristán | .... | assistant director (as Martin Sacristan) | |
Sound Department | |||
| Kurt Hernfeld | .... | sound editor (as Kurt Herrnfeld) | |
| David Hildyard | .... | sound recordist | |
| Gordon K. McCallum | .... | sound recordist (as Gordon McCallum) | |
| Otto Snel | .... | sound re-recording mixer (uncredited) | |
| Alban Streeter | .... | sound (uncredited) | |
Special Effects by | |||
| Charles-Henri Assola | .... | miniature construction (as Henri Assola) | |
| Basilio Cortijo | .... | special effectsman | |
| Richard Parker | .... | special effectsman | |
| Alex Weldon | .... | chief of special effects | |
| Kit West | .... | special effectsman | |
Stunts | |||
| Ken Buckle | .... | stunts (uncredited) | |
| Jack Cooper | .... | stunt double (uncredited) | |
| Nosher Powell | .... | stunts (uncredited) | |
Camera and Electrical Department | |||
| Ronald Anscombe | .... | assistant camera | |
| John Cabrera | .... | camera operator: second unit | |
| Dudley Lovell | .... | camera operator | |
| Jack Willoughby | .... | aerial photographer | |
Costume and Wardrobe Department | |||
| Charles Simminger | .... | wardrobe | |
Editorial Department | |||
| Derek Parsons | .... | supervising editor | |
| Lester A. Sansom | .... | post-production executive | |
Music Department | |||
| Benjamin Frankel | .... | conductor | |
Other crew | |||
| Janet Brandt | .... | dialogue coach | |
| Louis Brandt | .... | production coordinator (as Lou Brandt) | |
| Colonel Sherman Joffe | .... | military advisor (as Lt. Col. Sherman Joffe) | |
| Joy Mercer | .... | script supervisor | |
| Luis Martín Pozuelo | .... | military advisor (as Lt. Col. Luis Martin DePozuelo) | |
| Meinrad von Lauchert | .... | military advisor (as Maj. Gen. 'a.D.' Meinrad Von Lauchert) | |
| Marie Wachsman | .... | script supervisor | |
| Wayne Fitzgerald | .... | title designer (uncredited) | |
| Major Edward King | .... | technical advisor (uncredited) | |
Production CompaniesDistributors
- Warner Bros. Pictures (1965) (USA) (theatrical)
- Warner-Pathé Distributors (1965) (UK) (theatrical)
- Warner Bros. (1966) (France) (theatrical)
- Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) (1971) (USA) (TV) (original airing)
- Warner Home Video (1986) (UK) (VHS)
- Warner Home Video (1991) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
- Warner Home Video (1992) (USA) (VHS)
- Warner Bros. (1966) (West Germany) (theatrical)
- Warner Home Video (2005) (USA) (DVD)
- New Philharmonia Orchestra of London orchestra
Additional Details
Parents Guide:
Runtime:
167 min
Country:
Color:
Color (Technicolor)
Aspect Ratio:
2.20 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
70 mm 6-Track (Westrex Recording System)
Certification:
West Germany:16 (f) |
USA:Approved (Certificate #20947) |
USA:Not Rated (DVD) |
New Zealand:PG |
Canada:PG (video rating) |
Finland:K-16 |
Norway:15 |
Sweden:15 |
UK:A (original rating) |
UK:PG (video rating) (1986) |
Australia:PG
Filming Locations:
Company:
Fun Stuff
Trivia:
The version of the film released on DVD contains approximately 1196 shots in 9397 seconds of action. This equates to an average shot length of about 7.9 seconds.
more
Goofs:
Revealing mistakes: Guffy's tank takes a direct hit in the final tank battle, blowing away most of the turret. Not only is Guffy unhurt or even affected by the hit, the radio still works.
more
Quotes:
Col. Martin Hessler:
Release the boy... Shoot the father!
more
Movie Connections:
Referenced in "The Charlie Rose Show: Quentin Tarantino 2003" (2003)
more
Soundtrack:
Panzerlied
more
FAQ
This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.more (96 total)
Message Boards
Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for Battle of the Bulge (1965) moreRecommendations
If you enjoyed this title, our database also recommends:
Show more recommendations
|
|
|
|
|
| A Bridge Too Far | The Longest Day | All Quiet on the Western Front | Battleground | Valkyrie |
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
Related Links
| Full cast and crew | Company credits | External reviews |
| News articles | IMDb War section | IMDb USA section |
| Add this title to MyMovies |
Home
| Search
| Site Index
| Now Playing
| Top Movies
| My Movies
| Top 250 |
TV
| News
| Video |
Message Boards
Register
| 
RSS
| Advertising
| Content Licensing
| Help
| Jobs
| IMDbPro
| IMDb Resume
| Box Office Mojo
| Withoutabox
| Follow us on Twitter
International Sites: IMDb Germany
| IMDb Italy
| IMDb Spain
Copyright © 1990-2009
IMDb.com, Inc.
Terms and Privacy Policy under which this service is provided to you.
An 
company.
VIEWED ON REGION 1 DVD FROM WARNER BROTHERS
This big, bloated epic re-creation of the battle which turned the tide of World War II manages to be on the most historically inaccurate and over-blown adventure pieces ever produced. It's also one of the most entertaining war movies to grace the big screen. The combination of heroics and history shouldn't work as well as it does.
Writers John Melson, Philip Yordan and Milton Sperling remain faithful to the broad outlines of the real battle, and then fill their story with several important fictional characters, and director Ken Annakin uses a combination of Hollywood heroics and historical accuracy to deliver an entertaining tale. The film relies solely on the excellently-shot action sequences and superb acting by the leads to hold it together.
Veteran director Ken Annakin knows how to make this film work. In the lead, Henry Fonda ("Midway") seems to be having plenty of fun as Colonel Kiley. He gets to argue with people, shoot at Germans, fly in a plane, and even help fend off a Panzer attack – not bad for a civilian-turned-soldier, eh? On the flip-side, Robert Shaw ("Force 10 from Navarone") is fantastic as the fanatical Colonel Hessler, a devoted Panzer officer who will stop at nothing to accomplish his mission. Hessler brings new meaning the Hollywood-Nazi-type: he's brutal, nasty and dedicated despite the fact that he knows Germany cannot win the war.
The supporting cast is filled with the familiar faces of Charles Bronson, Ty Hardin, James MacArthur and Telly Savalas – but the real star is Hans Christian Blech ("The Longest Day"). As Conrad, the war-weary, aging German Corporal, it's his best work in a war film. Conrad wants to go home and is devoted to Hessler, until he realizes that his commander's dedication sits precariously on the edge of madness. His facial expressions – bug-eyed outbursts, sad frowns, frightened glances at strafing airplanes – have never been more convincing.
This epic was shot for the big screen using Cinerama, and the only way to appreciate the action sequences is to see this movie in widescreen. Pan-and-scan prints cut it down from a 2.7:1 ratio to 1.33:1 - that's losing more than half of the image! It was shot on the vast plains of Spain, and although it looks nothing like the brutal winter in the Ardennes forest, this scenery makes from some very impressive landscapes for which to shoot colossal battle scenes. Annakin shows tanks facing off with each other on the plains and in the snow-encrusted woods and shows hand-to-hand fighting in the streets of a French city. These scenes are set to an excellent, rousing Ben Frankel score, which only adds to the excitement. There are hundreds of extras running about, as well as several dozen loud, clanking tanks. Annakin often places his camera on the front end of a tank, train or moving car to give the viewer a "you-are-there" perspective, a technique which is ruined with the pan-and-scan process.
The dramatic effect of the serious scenes is severely hampered by preposterous Hollywood heroics and some incredibly poor special effects. Quite often, the combat and destruction look incredibly real, but there are some truly laughable shots of exploding model tanks and roaring model trains, too. The battle scenes, notably a huge tank vs. tank battle and a conclusion involving an attempted German capture of an Allied fuel dump are incredibly corny and false-looking - first for their false-looking special effects, which looked bad even in 1965, and secondly for their placement in a desert rather than a snowy forest - which really destroyed the credibility Annakin had been working up to. A strong subplot involving an American tanker, Guffy (Telly Savalas, "The Dirty Dozen") and another, centering on the Malmedy Massacre, help to offset this cheesiness.
"Battle of the Bulge" is a true Hollywood epic in every sense of the word. It may not be historically accurate, but it's probably the most entertaining and engaging war film I've had the pleasure to watch. The characters are main fleshed out enough to keep the viewers interested, the scope is amazing and the direction often borders on brilliance as often as it fails miserably.