KELLY’S HEROES + WHERE EAGLES DARE [1970 / 1968 / 2012] [2 Film Collection] [Blu-ray] [USA Release] ‘KELLY’S HERO’ is the Outrageous Adventure of a Handful of GI’s on their Own Secret Mission for God, for Country, and the All-American Buck! ‘WHERE EAGLES DARE’ is Alistair MacLean’s Epic Adventure Story of a Wartime Mission That Cannot Succeed . . . But Dare Not Fail!
‘KELLY’S HEROES’ is a 1970 war comedy film directed by Brian G. Hutton about a group of World War II American soldiers who go AWOL to rob a bank behind enemy lines. The film stars Clint Eastwood, Telly Savalas, Don Rickles, Carroll O'Connor, and Donald Sutherland, with secondary roles played by Harry Dean Stanton, Gavin MacLeod, and Stuart Margolin. The screenplay was written by British film and television writer Troy Kennedy Martin. The film was a US-Yugoslav co-production, filmed mainly in the Croat village of Vižinada on the Istria peninsula.
KELLY’S HEROES FILM FACT: The project was announced by M-G-M in November 1968 under the title of ‘The Warriors.’ George Kennedy turned down a role despite an offered fee of $300,000 because he did not like the part. The film was going to have a female role, but prior to filming, it was cut from the script. Ingrid Pitt, who was cast in the role and had been in the film ‘WHERE EAGLES DARE’ with Clint Eastwood the previous year, revealed that Ingrid Pitt was "virtually climbing on board the plane bound for Yugoslavia when word came through that my part had been cut.” ‘KELLY’S HEROES’ was shot on location in the Istriab village in Yugoslavia (now Croatia) and London. Yugoslavia was chosen mostly because earnings from previous showings of films there could not be taken out of the country, but could be used to fund the production. Another reason Yugoslavia was selected was that in 1969, Yugoslavia was one of the few nations whose army was still equipped with operating World War II mechanised German and American equipment, this simplified logistics tremendously. Approximately 20 minutes were cut from the film by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer before theatrical release. Clint Eastwood said later in interviews that he was very disappointed about the re-cut by M-G-M because he felt that many of the deleted scenes not only gave depth to the characters, but also made the film much better. John Landis was a production assistant on this film and also appears as an extra as one of the three nuns.
Cast: Clint Eastwood, Telly Savalas, Don Rickles, Carroll O'Connor, Donald Sutherland, Gavin MacLeod, Hal Buckley, Stuart Margolin, Jeff Morris, Richard Davalos, Perry Lopez, Tom Troupe, Harry Dean Stanton, Dick Balduzzi, Gene Collins, Len Lesser, David Hurst, Fred Pearlman, Michael Clark, George Fargo, Dee Pollock, George Savalas, John G. Heller, Shepherd Sanders, Karl-Otto Alberty, Ross Elliott, Phil Adams, Hugo De Vernier, Frank J. Garlotta, Harry Goines, David Gross, Sandy McPeak, James McHale, Robert MacNamara, Read Morgan, Tom Signorelli, Donald Waugh, Vincent Maracecchi, Zvonko Jovcic (uncredited), John Landis (uncredited), Joe Mantell (uncredited), Lee Miller (uncredited), Yves Montand (uncredited), Tony Wheeler (uncredited) and Jerry Whittington (uncredited)
Director: Brian G. Hutton
Producers: Gabriel Katzka, Harold Loeb (uncredited), Irving L. Leonard and Sidney Beckerman
Screenplay: Troy Kennedy-Martin
Composer: Lalo Schifrin
Cinematography: Gabriel Figueroa (Director of Photography)
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‘WHERE EAGLES DARE’ [1968] Here we find Richard Burton and Clint Eastwood on a mission to infiltrate the most inaccessible fortress in the world to rescue an important American general right from under the noses of the Germans. What they and the audience don't suspect is the number of twists and turns this highly thrilling film will take. As a straight adventure the premise of Allied agents springing a general who holds vital war secrets is an exciting one. But director Brian G Hutton sticks closely to Alistair MacLean's original script, which is laden with double-crossing and unexpected adversities. This combined with epic production values and a rousing orchestral score produces a fantastic sense of adventure.
WHERE EAGLES DARE FILM FACT: Awards and Nominations: 1970 Laurel Awards: Nominated: Best Action Drama [4th place] and Nominated: Best Action Performance for Clint Eastwood [4th place]. 1985 Huabiao Film Awards: Win: Outstanding Translated Foreign Film. The film ‘WHERE EAGLES DARE’ involved some of the top moviemaking professionals of the time and is considered a classic. Major contributors included Hollywood stuntman Yakima Canutt, who as second-unit director shot most of the action scenes; British stuntman Alf Joint who doubled for Burton in such sequences as the fight on top of the cable car; award-winning conductor and composer Ron Goodwin, who wrote the film score; and future Oscar-nominee Arthur Ibbetson, who worked on its Cinematography. The film is noted for the phrase "Broadsword calling Danny Boy," that was used by Richard Burton several times throughout the film. ‘WHERE EAGLES DARE’ includes many historical errors, plot holes and anachronisms. For example, a helicopter, that was actually an American Bell 47 that entered U.S. military service in 1946, is seen at the start of the film. The Luftwaffe did not have an abundance of helicopters able to fly the high-ranking general from Berlin to Bavaria, as is evidenced by the dialogue in the film. Other scenes in ‘WHERE EAGLES DARE’ were filmed at the M-G-M-British Studios, Borehamwood, England; filmed in spring 1968.
Cast: Richard Burton, Clint Eastwood, Mary Ure, Patrick Wymark, Michael Hordern, Donald Houston, Peter Barkworth, William Squire, Robert Beatty, Brook Williams, Neil McCarthy, Vincent Ball, Anton Diffring, Ferdy Mayne, Derren Nesbitt, Victor Beaumont, Ingrid Pitt, Chris Adcock (uncredited), Del Baker (uncredited), Richard Beale (uncredited), Roy Beck (uncredited), Pauline Chamberlain (uncredited), Terence Conoley (uncredited), Ivor Dean (uncredited), Guy Deghy (uncredited), Jim Dowdall (uncredited), Max Faulkner (uncredited), Harry Fielder (uncredited), John G. Heller (uncredited), Lyn Kennington (uncredited), Nigel Lambert (uncredited), Olga Lowe (uncredited), Ian McCulloch (uncredited), Terence Mountain (uncredited), Derek Newark (uncredited), Jim O'Brady (uncredited), Edward Michael Perry (uncredited), Anton Rodgers (uncredited), Peter Roy (uncredited), Bill Sawyer (uncredited), Jack Silk (uncredited), Philip Stone (uncredited), Jim Tyson (uncredited), Ernst Walder (uncredited), Del Watson (uncredited) and Terry Yorke (uncredited)
Director: Brian G. Hutton
Producers: Denis Holt, Elliott Kastner and Jerry Gershwin (uncredited)
Screenplay: Alistair MacLean (story/screenplay)
Composer: Ron Goodwin
Cinematography: Arthur Ibbetson, B.S.C. (Director of Photography)
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Image Resolution: 1080p (Metrocolor)
Aspect Ratio: 2.40:1 (Panavision)
Audio: English: 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio
French: 2.0 Dolby Digital Stereo Audio
German: 2.0 Dolby Digital Stereo Audio
Italian: 2.0 Dolby Digital Stereo Audio
Spanish [Castilian]: 2.0 Dolby Digital Stereo Audio
Subtitles: English SDH, French, German, Italian, Spanish [Castilian], Spanish [Latin], Danish, Finnish, Greek, Norwegian, Português and Swedish
Running Time: 143 minutes and 155 minutes
Region: All Regions
Number of discs: 2
Studio: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer / Warner Home Video
Andrew’s Blu-ray Review: ‘KELLY’S HEROES’ [1970] is a very funny and hilarious tongue in cheek film. From the very beginning, when we meet our bombarded, desperate and dishevelled platoon of soldiers, we get comedy moments that had me laughing straight away and effectively set the tone for the film. This wasn’t going to be a film where it made light of the war. Instead it would be a film where it highlighted the chaotic and farcical side of the war and it picked incredible actors to do it.
The story isn’t exactly original; but it is one that has been done loads of times before, as a small group of soldiers decide to go in search of “Nazi Gold.” Clint Eastwood’s Lieutenant Kelly leads these soldiers but soon realises it won’t be as discreet as easy as he’d hoped as the gold is behind enemy lines and the amount of soldiers finding out about the heist keeps growing. It becomes a film of two parts. The first part being the planning and getting to the small village where the gold is being kept, which is where we get the great introduction to each character and we slowly see Lieutenant Kelly’s well-thought out plan falling apart around him. The second part is the execution of the plan and the taking of the gold in a Nazi occupied village. It gives the film the perfect blend of tension, humour and most importantly for a war film, action. In fact I was really impressed with the action moments, not really suffering considering the age of the film.
The film ‘KELLY’S HEROES’ is humorous, lively, and entertaining picture could be described as a caper film set against a WWII backdrop. Lieutenant Kelly [Clint Eastwood] is an atypical Army man who, while boozing with a captured German general, learns of $16 million worth of gold bars behind enemy lines and sets the heist in motion, blazing a trail of destruction on route, backed by a wonderfully colourful cast of characters that includes Donald Sutherland as the appropriately named Oddball, a hippie tank driver; Don Rickles as Crapgame, a hustler and arms supplier; Telly Savalas as the sceptical Sergeant Big Joe who goes along for the ride; and Carroll O'Connor as the egotistical General Colt, who is glad to be mistaken for General Eisenhower. The film's most memorable moments are the destruction of railroad station, to the tune of "I've Been Working on the Railroad," and the spoof of the spaghetti western musical scores of Ennio Morricone as Lieutenant Kelly and cohorts prepare for a showdown with a Panzer tank which is totally brilliant. But the only slight negative stance I have is with the actor Donald Sutherland, who has the most irritating, and horrible accent I have ever encountered and the way he speaks you sometimes could not understand what he was saying and how ever did the director allow this ghastly and very horrible situation to arise. Also deserving mention is the Director of Photography Gabriel Figueroa Mateos, who is the veteran Mexican Cinematographer who worked extensively with Luis Bunuel and Emilio Fernandez did a brilliant job.
KELLY’S HEROES MUSIC TRACK LIST
SUNSHINE (Written by Mike Curb, Harley Hatcher and Lalo Schifrin) (uncredited) [Sung by Hank Williams Jr.]
BURNING BRIDGES (Lyrics by Mike Curb) (Music by Lalo Schifrin) [Sung by The Mike Curb Congregation]
SI TU ME DIS ("Living For You") (Lyrics by Gene Lees) (Music by Lalo Schifrin) [Sung by Monique Aldebert]
THE BATTLE HYMN OF THE REPUBLIC (uncredited) (Lyrics by Julia Ward Howe) (Music by William Steffe) [Heard when the Sherman tanks catch up to the platoon]
LA MARSEILLAISE (uncredited) (Written by Claude Joseph Rouget de Lisle) [Heard in the village when the villagers celebrate their liberation]
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‘WHERE EAGLES DARE’ is a British 1968 World War II action film starring Richard Burton, Clint Eastwood, Mary Ure, and Ingrid Pitt. It was again directed by Brian G. Hutton and shot on location in Austria and Bavaria. Alistair MacLean wrote the novel and the screenplay at the same time and it was his first screenplay; especially for both film and book and became a massive commercial success.
Clint Eastwood sums it up perfectly when he turns to Richard Burton and says "Major, you got me as confused as I'll ever be." Him and the audience both, as right from the beginning the mission is thrown into doubt with the killing of an Allied agent under suspicious circumstances. Woven into this complex mesh is an abundance of exciting action sequences with parachute jumps, an escape on motorbike, the rigging of bombs and the constant threat of discovery. As if all that wasn't enough, Clint Eastwood and Richard Burton have to get up to the Schloss Adler fortress by cable car but typically not by conventional means. And waiting for them on arrival is a complex rabbit warren of German soldiers and deceit. Perhaps the most impressive aspect of it all is the facts that while this film promises so much, it delivers so much more. But Richard Burton and Clint Eastwood are there to save the day. The grizzled veteran and up-and-coming star are cool under pressure, red hot in the fire fights and indefatigable when it comes to completing their mission. One wise old eagle, one young eagle, both full of vigorous daring do.
Alistair MacLean doesn't let logic get in the way of a good action sequence, as when the heroes drag prisoners with them when attempting a narrow escape. The choice defies logic, but allows for an exciting cable car action sequence. Director Brian G. Hutton directs with a workmanlike efficiency that, to modern tastes, can be plodding at times, especially at 155 minutes, but there is a methodology at work as the slow first half lays the groundwork for a more explosive second half of the film.
What was most memorable about ‘WHERE EAGLES DARE,’ aside from its build up with the behind-enemy-lines action, it is Alistair MacLean's treatment of what initially seems like a standard-issue daring-mission adventure; almost immediately, the plot expectations set by the film-opening of the stiff-upper-lip briefing by British officers, and the challenges only become more baffling at times until it is time for the unequivocal fist-fighting and explosions near the end of the film. Since there's nothing consequential here, Richard Burton and Clint Eastwood could have played these roles in their sleep, but it is the novelty of seeing these acting-legends of Richard Burton play against the rising star at the time Clint Eastwood, fresh from his spaghetti-western fame.
So all in all I love the dramatic ending of this World War II film which is one of the great cinematic moments of all time, especially as all the spying and infamous intrigue come together and of course it is a very great entertaining film all round. On top of all that what also enhances this film is the composer Ron Goodwin who scored over 70 films during a fifty year career, and gives us arguably his most memorable one here and especially when as we get into the start of the film where the music score seems to lift us up to that high alpine village, to draw our eyes up to that mountaintop castle with its cable car and to worry our nerves like an ever-present threat of being captured or killed. It is a totally simple military-sounding theme with variations that run throughout the entire film and it’s made up of an orchestra of quivering strings, rolling drums and soaring brass. There’s no doubt it intensifies one’s enjoyment and adds mood to the scenes, especially towards the end of the film.
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Blu-ray Image Quality – Warner Home Video brings us both ‘KELLY’S HEROES’ + ‘WHERE EAGLES DARE’ brilliant Second World War films are presented in stunning 2.40:1 Panavision aspect ratio that is faithfully delivered with an equally impressive stunning 1080p encoded image. The transfer has been printed fairly dark so colours do not really have a chance to pop out of the screen, but exception comes from the Metrocolor reds of the main titles for ‘WHERE EAGLES DARE.’ Flesh tones as in the previous film have a rather ruddy appearance, but sharpness is excellent and detail is solid throughout. Black levels are good without being great, but shadow detail can be very impressive on occasion with either film. But overall the presentation for both films are well catered for the image presentation, especially for the age of both films and especially the fact that Metrocolor in my mind a slightly inferior colour process.
Blu-ray Audio Quality – Warner Home Video films ‘KELLY’S HEROES’ + ‘WHERE EAGLES DARE’ have at last an equally stunning in the 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio sound mix presentation for both films, and especially that this is not really a modern surround audio track. With both films there are the occasional sounds emanating from the rear speakers with the well-defined composed film music, especially with the vocals on the soundtrack, but most of the sound activity is generated across the front channels, and sometimes stays mostly anchored with the front channels, so all in all it varies. Occasionally the music cue and for instance some gust of wind do generate some rear channel activity, but at other times during the film, those same cues find the rears notably silent. With all of the explosions and gunfire throughout both films, one would expect more from the different channels, but again it is only has sporadic use. Otherwise, the sound elements in both films are mixed together so much better and the dynamic range is fuller, which you did not get on the inferior DVD release. Considering the age of both films, the sound has been greatly improved over the inferior DVD release and fans like me, who thoroughly enjoyed the dramatic sound experience with both of these brilliant classic World War II films.
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Blu-ray Special Features and Extras:
Theatrical Trailer [1970] [1080i] [1.78:1] [2:49] This is the Original Theatrical Trailer for the film ‘KELLY’S HEROES,’ what a shame it could not of been shown in its proper aspect ratio.
Special Feature: On Location: ‘WHERE EAGLES DARE’ [Vintage Feature] [1968] [480i] [1.37:1] [12:37] This documentary is a behind-the-scenes look at the difficulties of shooting a film on location in the Austrian Alps for the filming of ‘WHERE EAGLES DARE’ [1968] film starring Richard Burton and Clint Eastwood. Here we have the Nazi era of Austria during WWII and is recreated that evokes strong emotion among the current residents, many of whom are extras in the film. It is a difficult shoot and almost considered impossible, especially if only because of the very harsh winter weather and the rugged terrain of the Alps. Planning the scenes was very important, because often only one take was possible. To some of the filmmakers, it almost felt like they are on a war planning. The film itself has special meaning for one of its stars, German Ingrid Pitt, since she is a recent escapee from East Germany. Ingrid Pitt describes Richard Burton and Mary Ure as English, this is of course incorrect, because Richard Burton was actually born in Wales and Mary Ure was born in Scotland. Contributors include: Clint Eastwood, Richard Burton, Ingrid Pitt, Mary Ure, Brian G. Hutton and Elizabeth Taylor.
Theatrical Trailer [1968] [1080i] [2.40:1] [2:20] This is the Original Theatrical Trailer for the film ‘WHERE EAGLES DARE.’ Despite the poor quality of the image, it is still a great presentation.
Finally, ‘KELLY’S HEROES’ [1970] has great actors, a great story and is a very funny war film without being a sort of “carry on soldier” type film. Clint Eastwood is fantastic as the hard faced Private Kelly. It doesn’t stray away from the fact that it is a film about a horrific event in the history of World War II, but instead uses it to help tell a totally farcical over the top but enjoyable story. But with the film ‘WHERE EAGLES DARE’ [1968] that was written by Alistair MacLean and who also wrote the original screenplay which was treated with total respect for the writer Alistair MacLean unusual abilities as a master of action packed and full on edge of your seat suspense. The resulting film is highly entertaining, thrilling and rarely lets you down at any moment throughout the film. For me, there is much to like about this Alistair MacLean written yarn, hence that is why I have viewed it as many times as I have and it is clear that I am not the only one who is a big fan of this World War II film. There’s an unofficial website for the film on which I have just read where director Steven Spielberg admitted in a Channel 4 survey of the top 100 war films that this is one of his favourite film. Meanwhile, the original impetus for the project helped boost Richard Burton's previously sagging career. ‘WHERE EAGLES DARE’ was a bright spot for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer in 1969, at a time when the studio's very future was gravely in question. In the end, the personal risks paid off really well at the box office as ‘WHERE EAGLES DARE’ was a huge popular hit with audiences after the March 1969 national release. Highly Recommended!
Andrew C. Miller – Your Ultimate No.1 Film Aficionado
Le Cinema Paradiso
United Kingdom
