Force 10 from Navarone (1978)

Director:

Guy Hamilton

Writers:

Robin Chapman (screenplay)
Carl Foreman (screen story)

Release Date:

8 December 1978 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Drama | War

Tagline:

The Odds Against Them Were 10,000 to 1...But What the Hell!

Plot:

During World War II, several oddly assorted military experts are teamed in a mission to raid and destroy a bridge vital to enemy strategy.

Plot Keywords:

Partisan | Nazi | Yugoslavia | Female Nudity | Decapitation

Cast

Robert Shaw	...	Maj. Keith Mallory
Harrison Ford	...	Lieutenant Colonel Mike Barnsby
Barbara Bach	...	Maritza Petrovich
Edward Fox	...	SSgt. Dusty Miller
Franco Nero	...	Capt. Nikolai Leskovar (as Lescovar)
Carl Weathers	...	Sgt. Weaver
Richard Kiel	...	Capt. Drazak
Alan Badel	...	Maj. Petrovitch
Michael Byrne	...	Maj. Schroeder
Philip Latham	...	Cmdr. Jensen
Angus MacInnes	...	1st Lt. Doug Reynolds
Michael Sheard	...	Sgt. Bauer
Petar Buntic	...	Marko
Leslie Schofield	...	Interrogation Officer 1
Anthony Langdon	...	Interrogation Officer 2 (as Antony Langdon)

Also Known As:

Alistair MacLean's Force 10 from Navarone (USA) (poster title)
Force Ten from Navarone (International: English title) (alternative spelling)

Runtime:

118 min | 126 min (restored version)

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

4-Track Stereo

Certification:

Argentina:Atp | Peru:PT | Iceland:12 | Australia:M | Finland:K-16 | Netherlands:12 | Norway:15 | Sweden:15 | USA:PG (Certificate #25070) | Singapore:PG | UK:A (original rating) (cut) | UK:12 (2005 re-rating) | UK:15 (1986-2005)

Filming Locations:

Jersey, Channel Islands

Company:

American International Pictures (AIP)

Trivia:

Edward Fox replaced Ian Bannen.

Goofs:

Continuity: During the film, and especially the mission to infiltrate the German supply dump, none of the commandos, including Major Mallory can understand German. This is especially clear when Leskovar insists he must accompany the team to the dump as only he speaks German and, later, when the team is discussing Leskovar's encounter with the German Sergeant in the train car. All of this ignores the fact that this film is a sequel to "The Guns of Navarone" in which Mallory is specifically chosen for the mission because he speaks "German like a German." Alistair MacLean's original stories also support this fact.

Quotes:

Mallory: [after being caught, Mallory attempts to get free by making a story] You ever hear of penicillin?
Maj. Schroeder: No.
Mallory: No, well, I'm not surprised. It's a new developement It's a drug that prevents wounds from becoming infected.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Asylum: (#1.4)" (1996)

Rainy Day Favorite

I actually saw this movie before I saw "The Guns of Navarone", and I have to say, I prefer "Force 10". It seems like it always comes on TV on a rainy Saturday afternoon, and I'll always get sucked right in. I've probably seen it about 10 times. Despite some laughable special effects, and otherwise dated production value, this war movie packs a good action punch. Not many WW2 movies are set in Yugoslavia, and that's one of the interesting elements of the film. The story itself is a classic "Against the Odds" type affair, involving a covert Allied mission with a dual purpose. The great Robert Shaw is a standout, and a young Harrison Ford shows why he eventually became the superstar he is. Rousing music, tense action sequences, shootouts, knife fights, bombings,rescues,deceit and trickery make "Force 10" a lot of fun.