The Blue Max (1966)

User Rating:

7.0/10   

Director:

John Guillermin

Writers:

Jack Hunter (novel)
Ben Barzman (adaptation) ...
(more)

Release Date:

21 June 1966 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | Drama | War | Action

Tagline:

MIRACLES IN THE AIR!

Plot:

A young pilot in the German air force of 1918, disliked as lower-class and unchivalrous, tries ambitiously to earn the medal offered for 20 kills.

Plot Keywords:

Ambition | WWI | German Officer | Airplane Shot Down | Uniform

Awards:

Won BAFTA Film Award. Another 4 nominations

Cast

George Peppard	...	Lt. Bruno Stachel
James Mason	...	General Count von Klugermann
Ursula Andress	...	Countess Kaeti von Klugermann
Jeremy Kemp	...	Willi von Klugermann
Karl Michael Vogler	...	Colonel Otto Heidemann
Anton Diffring	...	Holbach
Harry Towb	...	Kettering
Peter Woodthorpe	...	Corporal Rupp
Derek Newark	...	Ziegel
Derren Nesbitt	...	Fabian
Loni von Friedl	...	Elfi Heidemann (as Loni Von Friedl)
Friedrich von Ledebur	...	The Field Marshal (as Friedrich Ledebur)
Carl Schell	...	Von Richthofen aka The Red Baron
Hugo Schuster	...	Hans. Elderly Servant
Alex Scott	...	The Orator
Roger Ostime	...	The Crown Prince
Ray Browne	...	Pilot
Timothy Parkes	...	Pilot
Ian Kingsley	...	Pilot
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Warren Crosby	...	(uncredited)

Directed by
John Guillermin

Writing credits
Jack Hunter		(novel)
Ben Barzman		(adaptation) and
Basilio Franchina		(adaptation)
David Pursall		(screenplay) &
Jack Seddon		(screenplay) and
Gerald Hanley		(screenplay)

Produced by
Christian Ferry	....	producer
Elmo Williams	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Jerry Goldsmith

Cinematography by
Douglas Slocombe		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Max Benedict

Casting by
Stuart Lyons

Production Design by
Wilfred Shingleton		(as Wilfrid Shingleton)

Art Direction by
Fred Carter

Makeup Department
Patricia McDermott	....	hairdresser (as Pat McDermott)
John O'Gorman	....	makeup artist: Ursula Andress
Charles E. Parker	....	head makeup artist (as Charles Parker)
Tony Sforzini	....	makeup artist: George Peppard (as Tony Sfortzini)
Jay Sebring	....	hair designer: George Peppard (uncredited)

Production Management
René Dupont	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Jack Causey	....	assistant director
Derek Cracknell	....	assistant director
Anthony Squire	....	director: aerial unit

Art Department
Joseph Musso	....	production illustrator (uncredited)

Sound Department
John Cox	....	sound
Chris Greenham	....	sound editor
Claude Hitchcock	....	sound
Bob Jones	....	sound

Special Effects by
Maurice Ayers	....	special effects
Ron Ballanger	....	special effects
Karl Baumgartner	....	special effects

Stunts
Ken Byrne	....	aerial stunts
Tim Clutterbuck	....	aerial stunts
Pat Cranfield	....	aerial stunts
Tim Healey	....	aerial stunts
Peter Hillwood	....	aerial stunts
Joan Hughes	....	aerial stunts
Darby Kennedy	....	aerial stunts
Darby Kennedy	....	stunt coordinator
Roger Kennedy	....	aerial stunts
Liam Mulligan	....	aerial stunts
Derek Piggott	....	aerial stunts
Taffy Rich	....	aerial stunts

Camera and Electrical Department
Skeets Kelly	....	aerial photographer
Skeets Kelly	....	camera operator
Skeets Kelly	....	photographer: second unit
Donald C. Rogers	....	photographer: second unit
Chic Waterson	....	camera operator
Mike Fox	....	focus puller: second unit (uncredited)
Ginger Gemmel	....	camera operator: second unit (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Elsa Fennell	....	wardrobe supervisor
John Furniss	....	wardrobe creator: Miss Andress

Editorial Department
Norman Cohen	....	assembly editor
Elizabeth Thoyts	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Jerry Goldsmith	....	conductor

Transportation Department
Arthur Dunne	....	transportation captain (uncredited)

Other crew
Johnny Maher	....	air engineer
William O'Kelly	....	production liaison: Ireland
Allen Wheeler	....	air supervisor
Helen Whitson	....	continuity

Production Companies

• Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation

Distributors

• Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation (1966) (USA) (theatrical)
• Centfox (1966) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• American Broadcasting Company (ABC) (1971) (USA) (TV) (original airing) (pan/scan)
• CBS/Fox (199?) (USA) (VHS) (pan/scan)
• Belle & Blade Studios (video)
• Magnetic Video (video)

Other Companies

• People and the Government of the Republic of Ireland  20th Century-Fox express their gratitude to

Runtime:

156 min | USA:153 min (FMC Library Print)

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

6-Track Stereo | 4-Track Stereo (magnetic prints) (Westrex Recording System) | Mono (optical prints) (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

Canada:G (Quebec) | Ireland:12 (old rating) | Australia:PG | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15 | UK:PG | USA:Unrated | West Germany:12 | Singapore:NC-16 | Iceland:12

Filming Locations:

Dublin, County Dublin, Ireland

Company:

Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation

Trivia:

In some scenes George Peppard was actually flying his plane.

Goofs:

Factual errors: No fighter aircraft of any nation ever fired machine guns by having the pilot reach up and pull a large lever. The guns were triggered by levers mounted on the control stick which pulled wire cables up to the guns.

Quotes:

General Count von Klugermann: Stachel. I want him brought to Berlin immediately.
Aide: Yes, Herr General.
General Count von Klugermann: There is some difficulty?
Aide: Well, I don't know what you have in mind, Herr General, but, uh, with the offensive at its height, well, there'd have to be some legitimate excuse to order him to come.
General Count von Klugermann: He's wounded, isn't he?
Aide: Yes, Herr General.
General Count von Klugermann: Hmm. A mentionable wound?
Aide: Uh, in the arm.
General Count von Klugermann: Good. The people like soldiers who were shot in the right places. Order Stachel to Berlin for special hospital treatment. I want you to ensure that all our newspapers give full prominence to this gallant episode - photographs, everything.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Return to the Edge of the World (1978)

An Award Winning Film

The Blue Max is an entertaining and extremely well-acted and beautifully filmed motion picture.

Filmed in 1966, it's George Peppard in his prime. I'd rather remember him here, than as the bloated, red-faced character he played on A-Team.

Handsome, ruthless, charming, and doomed. That's Peppard's character. Driven by ambition to succeed, it's clear that his future is destined for destruction. The Blue Max rates as Peppard's third greatest performance(after the Carpet Baggers & Breakfast at Tiffany's).

The movie however is stolen by Jermey Kemp. Kemp is outstanding as the "gentleman" ace, whose time has come and gone. The film is a romantic tale of war, love, and hero worship. It ending is a major shock; reminding one of the surprise finale in The Sand Pebbles.

The Blue Max is a must-see for any George Peppard fan.