Raid on Entebbe (1976) (TV)

Director:

Irvin Kershner

Writer:

Barry Beckerman (written by)

Release Date:

9 January 1977 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Drama | History

Plot:

Second of a series of dramas about a daring Israeli commando assult on the Entebbe Airport in Uganda.

Plot Keywords:

Uganda | Jewish | Hijack | Airplane | Idi Amin

Awards:

Won Golden Globe. Another 2 wins & 8 nominations

Cast

Peter Finch	...	Yitzhak Rabin
Martin Balsam	...	Daniel Cooper
Horst Buchholz	...	Wilfred Boese (as Horst Bucholz)
John Saxon	...	Maj. Gen. Benny Peled
Sylvia Sidney	...	Dora Bloch
Jack Warden	...	Lt. Gen. Mordechai Gur
Yaphet Kotto	...	President Idi Amin - Jr.
Charles Bronson	...	Brig. Gen. Dan Shomron
Tige Andrews	...	Shimon Peres
Eddie Constantine	...	Capt. Michel Becaud
Warren J. Kemmerling	...	Gad Yaakobi (as Warren Kemmerling)
Robert Loggia	...	Yigal Allon
David Opatoshu	...	Menachem Begin
Allan Arbus	...	Eli Melnick
Mariclare Costello	...	Gabrielle Krieger

Runtime:

150 min | 121 min (video version)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

UK:PG | Australia:PG | Iceland:16 | West Germany:12 (f) | Finland:K-16 | Norway:16 | USA:Not Rated

Filming Locations:

Stockton Metropolitan Airport, Stockton, California, USA

Company:

20th Century Fox Television

Trivia:

Horst Buchholz and Charles Bronson had previously starred in The Magnificent Seven (1960) together.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: Although the special effects show that two of the terrorists have shot several rounds through the door (just before they are both killed), there are no holes in the door where the bullets have just "passed."

Quotes:

Shimon Peres: Intelligence informs us they will begin killing hostages on Sunday.
Yitzhak Rabin: The string has run out, Hmm?
Shimon Peres: Then why are we debating the military plan? Let them go!
Yitzhak Rabin: Because it is not perfect.
Shimon Peres: Yitzhak, that's a joke! Here you are concerned with perfection, and... And we don't have a choice!
Yitzhak Rabin: There will be two hundred of our best people on those planes... I damned well do have a choice!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "House M.D.: Alone (#4.1)" (2007)

Story of Isreali raid to release hostages taken on Air France.

This is an excellent made for TV movie which will cause even non-Jewish viewers to feel pride. The Isreali government assisted in the production of a similar movie, "Operation Thunderbolt" which is very accurate historically and should also be seen for comparison. That movie used actual Isreali soldiers and several survivors of the incident. "Raid on Entebbe" is a much smoother and more enjoyable production. The cast worked very well together. This was Peter Finch's last movie. Charles Bronson is at his best. An interesting blooper is that Yoni Netanyahu was a Lt. Colonel, but is shown in the uniform of a full Colonel. Don't let that ruin the movie for you, though, it should be in every historical and military collection.