The Longest Day

[ace00]

The film, one of the very few 1960s epics made in black and white, features a large ensemble cast including actors such as Kenneth More, Richard Todd (who took part in the actual invasion), Richard Burton, Robert Mitchum, Sean Connery, Henry Fonda, Red Buttons, Leo Genn, Peter Lawford, Gert Frobe, John Wayne, Irina Demick, Curt Jurgens and Robert Wagner.

What a cast - they don't make them like that anymore.
Red Buttons was a real gent.
More tea? Custard Cream - go on.

[deano]

There are two versions, one with the Germans and the French speaking English, and the far better one with subtitles.

Yes it is one of the best films ever made.

[OwlHoot]

Red Buttons? I don't remember him/her.

One scene that sticks in my mind is Gert Frobe as the sergeant on a mule spotting the invasion fleet.

[minestrone]

The scene where they storm the town is totally mental.

The camera must go for about 5 minutes and must cover about 200 meters about 40 meters in the air with hundreds of folk getting filmed, I still do not know how it is done.

[BlasterBates]

I've heard that "The Great Escape" is a good film, anyone seen this?

[zathras]

Red Buttons? I don't remember him/her.

One scene that sticks in my mind is Gert Frobe as the sergeant on a mule spotting the invasion fleet.

nah! best scene was when the german is in the bunker and he spots the invasion fleet. The look on his face when the boats come out of the fog is priceless.

Then he goes on to try and persuade the PTBs that this is the real thing and not a feint.

Totally useless fact. Although this starts supposedly in England (with rain) John Wayne who is in the film only made one film actually in England - and that was Brannigan.

[OwlHoot]

Another useless fact: Richard Todd, who played Major John Howard in the scene where they stormed some bridge, was in the real invasion and stormed the same bridge in 1944

AFAIK the only other actor who has filmed a war scene they had previously been involved with in real life was Aude Murphy [sp?], in some WW2 film about the Pacific.

[Flubster]

I thought all the old B&W war movies were documentaries. Are you telling me that Dickie Attenborough wasn't in the RN?

[PAH]

It's a shame they didn't have the budget to finish it in colour. Apparently they started filming it in both. Some people say it's more authentic in black and white, but not to me, I've always had colour vision.

There's a colourised version knocking about, but it looks like a 3 year old has gone mad with the crayons.

For sheer scale and depth of cast it takes some beating, but I think A Bridge Too Far has a good attempt, and I actually prefer that overall. Maybe because it's in colour.

[MrMark]

I thought all the old B&W war movies were documentaries. Are you telling me that Dickie Attenborough wasn't in the RN?

That Bridge over the river Kwai film has to be real.