The Lost Battalion (2001) (TV)

Director:

Russell Mulcahy

Writer (WGA):

James Carabatsos (written by)

Release Date:

2 December 2001 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Drama | War

Tagline:

Caught between two lines of fire, the Germans gave them two options: surrender or die. They chose a third.

Plot:

Fact-based war drama about an American battalion of over 500 men which gets trapped behind enemy lines in the Argonne Forest in October 1918 France during the closing weeks of World War I.

Plot Keywords:

France | Argonne | Army | Homing Pigeon | Remake

Awards:

Nominated for 3 Primetime Emmys. Another 2 wins & 3 nominations

Cast

Rick Schroder	...	Maj. Charles White Whittlesey
Phil McKee	...	Capt. George McMurtry
Jamie Harris	...	Sgt. Gaedeke
Jay Rodan	...	Lt. Leak
Adam James	...	Capt. Nelson Holderman, Co. K 307 th
Daniel Caltagirone	...	Pvt. Phillip Cepeglia
Michael Goldstrom	...	Pvt. Jacob Rosen
André Vippolis	...	Pvt. Lipasti
Rhys Miles Thomas	...	Pvt. Bob Yoder (sharpshooter)
Arthur Kremer	...	Pvt. Abraham Krotoshinsky (runner)
Adam Kotz	...	Col. Johnson
Justin Scot	...	Pvt. Omer Richards (carrier pigeons)
Anthony Azizi	...	Pvt. Nat Henchman
George Calil	...	Pvt. Lowell R. Hollingshead
Wolf Kahler	...	Gen. von Sybel
Joachim Paul Assböck	...	Maj. Henrich Prinz
Michael Brandon	...	Gen. Robert Alexander
Paul Courtenay Hyu	...	Pvt. Stanley Chinn
Josh Cohen	...	Pvt. Isidore Swersky
Tim Matthews	...	Lt. Schenck
Finbar Lynch	...	Pvt. Ferguson
Hugh Fraser	...	Gen. DeCoppet
Ben Andrews	...	Lt. Harold Goettler
Derek Kueter	...	Maj. Wanvig
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Nicolas de Pruyssenaere	...	Blind Man (uncredited)
Jamie Treacher	...	The Unknown Soldier (uncredited)

Directed by
Russell Mulcahy

Writing credits (WGA)
James Carabatsos		(written by) (as Jim Carabatsos)

Produced by
David Gerber	....	executive producer
Avi Levy	....	producer (as Avi Noam Levy)
Tom Reeve	....	producer
Romain Schroeder	....	producer
Michael Weisbarth	....	executive producer: A&E Network

Original Music by
Richard Marvin

Cinematography by
Jonathan Freeman

Film Editing by
William B. Stich

Casting by
Jonathan Strauss
Todd M. Thaler

Production Design by
Roy Forge Smith

Art Direction by
Simon Bowles
Michael Rizzo

Costume Design by
Cynthia Dumont

Makeup Department
Cesar Alonso	....	special makeup effects artist
Aurélie Elich	....	makeup artist
René Jordan	....	hair stylist
René Jordan	....	makeup artist
Dave Mundin	....	special makeup effects: Image Effects (as Dave Mundon)
Katja Reinert-Alexis	....	hair stylist (as Katja Reinert)
Katja Reinert-Alexis	....	makeup department head (as Katja Reinert)
Joël Seiller	....	additional hair stylist
Evelyne Sittig	....	hair stylist
Evelyne Sittig	....	makeup artist
Leendert Van Nimwegen	....	hair stylist
Leendert Van Nimwegen	....	makeup artist
Claudine Moureaud	....	assistant hair artist (uncredited)
Claudine Moureaud	....	assistant makeup artist (uncredited)

Production Management
Tilly Creswell	....	unit manager
Avi Levy	....	production manager
Bruce Sandzimier	....	post-production supervisor
Meinir Stoutt	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Mark Egerton	....	first assistant director
Ralph Eisenmann	....	second second assistant director
Emma Perry	....	second assistant director
Jim Probyn	....	third assistant director
Harrie Wiessenhaan	....	second unit director (as Harry Wiessenhaan)

Art Department
John Allenby	....	property master
Klaus Bienen	....	on-set stand-by carpenter
Claudio Campana	....	assistant art director
Michael Fechner	....	prop buyer
Svet Hrouchoff	....	additional set dresser
François Mast	....	carpenter
Stephanie Rass	....	propmaker
Diana Stiegler	....	set dresser
Bruno Zenatello	....	construction manager

Sound Department
William C. Carruth	....	sound editor (as William Carruth)
Tim Chilton	....	foley artist
Bob Costanza	....	sound effects editor
Rick Crampton	....	sound editor
Mike Dickeson	....	sound editor
Joy Ealy	....	sound editor
David C. Eichhorn	....	supervising sound editor (as Dave Eichhorn)
Kevin Fisher	....	sound editor
Marshall Garlington	....	sound re-recording mixer
Alain Goniva	....	boom operator
Tommy Goodwin	....	foley mixer
Bob Goold	....	dialog editor
Ulf Herrmann	....	sound mixer
Michael Lyle	....	sound editor (as Mike Lyle)
Gary Macheel	....	sound editor
Adriane Marfiak	....	sound editor
Paul Menichini	....	sound editor
Jill Schachne	....	foley artist (as Jill Sanders)
Martin Schloemer	....	sound recordist
Richard S. Steele	....	sound editor (as Rick Steele)
Ken Teaney	....	sound re-recording mixer
Tim Terusa	....	sound editor
Lou Thomas	....	sound editor
Rusty Tinsley	....	sound editor

Special Effects by
Roland Goddijn	....	special effects technician
Edward Wiessenhaan	....	special effects coordinator
Harrie Wiessenhaan	....	special effects supervisor

Visual Effects by
Chris DeCristo	....	visual effects supervisor (uncredited)

Stunts
Michel Struik	....	stunts
Rick Wiessenhaan	....	stunt coordinator
Ben Wright	....	stunts
Nicolas de Pruyssenaere	....	stunts (uncredited)
Thomas Junghans	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Riccardo Besantini	....	first assistant camera
Mathilde Bouts	....	assistant camera
Mathilde Bouts	....	clapper loader
Etienne Braun	....	still photographer
Gilbert Degrand	....	best boy
Mick Durlacher	....	gaffer
Mario Matic	....	grip
James McMillan	....	key grip (as Jim McMillan)
Michael Monteiro	....	Steadicam operator
Nunes Neto Ornei	....	grip
Philippe Piron	....	first assistant camera
Mike Roberts	....	video assist operator
Théodore Theodorides	....	clapper loader
Carlo Thiel	....	camera operator
Joost van Starrenburg	....	camera operator
Wolfgang Wesemann	....	first assistant camera (as Wolfgang Weseman)
Graham Johnston	....	second assistant camera (uncredited)

Casting Department
Carol L. Dudley	....	casting: UK (as Carol Dudley)
Monique Durlacher	....	extras casting
Monique Durlacher	....	local casting
Jean-Luc Ristic	....	casting assistant
Jonathan Strauss	....	casting: USA
Todd M. Thaler	....	casting: USA (as Todd Thaler)
Katja Wolf	....	casting assistant

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Vesna Libric	....	wardrobe assistant
Uli Simon	....	costume supervisor

Editorial Department
Lynne Whitlock	....	assistant editor (as Lynne M. Whitlock)
J.R. Benson	....	colorist (uncredited)

Music Department
Bruno Roussel	....	music editor
Michael Clinco	....	composer: additional music (uncredited)

Transportation Department
Svet Hrouchoff	....	additional driver
Hrouchoff Svet	....	additional driver
Kevan Willis	....	transportation coordinator

Other crew
Cassandra Barbour	....	rights and clearances
Pascal Charlier	....	location manager
Lucy Egerton	....	set runner
Kirsten Ferwerda	....	production secretary
Ryan Harrington	....	production coordinator
Sheila McNaught	....	script supervisor
Matt Mellin	....	first assistant accountant
Gina Nocero	....	senior unit publicist
Dana Reaves Bolla	....	production accountant (as Dana Reeves Bolla)
Jennifer K. Rosner	....	assistant: David Madden
Laura Sevier	....	rights and clearances
Justin Smith	....	runner
Gilles Soeder	....	location manager
Estelle Tourscher	....	making-of crew coordinator
Estelle Tourscher	....	publicist
Sophie Treacher	....	production coordinator
Amy D'Alessandro	....	titles (uncredited)
Philip James Morgan	....	location scout (uncredited)
Stephane Wasila	....	assistant location manager (uncredited)

Production Companies

• A&E Television Networks
• Carousel Picture Company, The
• David Gerber Productions
• Fox Television Network
• Luxembourg Film Fund

Distributors

• A&E Home Video (USA) (VHS)
• A&E Television Networks
• America Video Film (2007) (Argentina) (all media)
• America Video (2007) (Argentina) (all media)
• Argentina Video Home (2007) (Argentina) (DVD)
• Argentina Video Home (2007) (Argentina) (VHS)
• Finnkino (2005) (Finland) (DVD)
• Future Film (2007) (Finland) (DVD)
• Mainostelevisio (MTV3) (2007) (Finland) (TV)
• e-m-s the DVD-Company (Germany) (DVD)

Special Effects

• CBS Animation (visual effects)
• Image Effects (special makeup effects)
• Level 3 Post (digital post-production)

Other Companies

• Bollux  film stock provided by
• Bollux  grip rental company
• Echo Sound Services  sound post-production
• Entertainment Clearances  rights and clearances
• Wilshire Stages, The  sound re-recording

Runtime:

92 min

Country:

USA | Luxembourg

Language:

English | German

Color:

Color

Certification:

Finland:K-15 | Argentina:13 | Germany:16 | Netherlands:16 | New Zealand:R13

Filming Locations:

Luxembourg

Company:

A&E Television Networks

Trivia:

The name "Mulcahy" is carved above the Major's office in the trench. The director of the film was Russell Mulcahy.

Goofs:

Factual errors: When the plane is ready to take off for reconnaissance, the engine is started electronically. At the time of the war, engines were started by spinning the propeller blades manually, rather than by an electric ignition.

Quotes:

Cepheglia: This is a French Cho-Cho
Rosen: Chauchat
Cepheglia: It's a piece of garbage, don't worry about it
Rosen: Leave it to Henchman and Hollingshead.
Cepheglia: Don't worry about mortars, tanks and artillery.
Rosen: We don't have any of that either.
Cepheglia: Basically we're mud crunchers,
Rosen: gravel agitators,
Cepheglia: infantry.

Movie Connections:

Featured in "Cinemania: I anodos kai i ptosi tou Nazismou" (2008)

A Tale of Bravery and Courage

In 1918 in World War I, in the Meuse-Argonne Sector in France, the former New York lawyer and Major Charles White Whittlesey (Rick Schroder) is assigned by Gen. Robert Alexander (Michael Brandon) to a massive suicidal attack against the German forces in the Argonne Forest with his five hundred men battalion. However, the forces supposed to be giving support through the flanks retreat and the communications with the headquarter of the 77th American Division are cut. Major Wittlesey holds his position with his men, mostly Irish, Polish, Italian and Jew gangsters from New York, surrounded by the German army. Without food, water, ammunition and medical supplies, only two hundred men survive after five days of siege.

Based on a true event, "The Lost Battalion" is a great tale of bravery and courage. I do not know how accurate the facts are displayed, but I liked this movie very much. The battle scenes are very gore and realistic, in a war of trenches and bayonets, and the actors have great performances, being impossible to highlight an individual acting. Just as a curiosity, this film does not have any actress, only men in the cast. My vote is eight.

Title (Brazil): "O Último Batalhão" ("The Last Battalion")