Raid on Rommel
Encyclopedia
Raid on Rommel is an American
B movie
from 1971, set in North Africa during the Second World War. It stars Richard Burton
as a British commando
attempting to destroy German gun emplacements in Tobruk
. Much of the action footage was re-used from the 1967 film Tobruk
and the storyline is also largely the same.
1943, British Army Captain Alex Forster allows himself to be captured by a German convoy transporting British prisoners. Once integrated with the prisoners, Forster plans to take over the convoy with the help of the prisoners and redirect it towards the Libyan port town of Tobruk
. In a journey that has a few twists and turns including Forster running into Field Marshal Erwin Rommel
, they finally reach Tobruk where they must destroy a coastal battery and escape to awaiting Royal Navy
battleships.
's Radio Times
wrote: "It says a lot for Richard Burton that he was able to plumb the depths in dreary Second World War action movies such as this one, about a British officer releasing prisoners to attack Tobruk, without doing any apparent damage to his career. Even the usually dependable director Henry Hathaway falters in this flawed effort that was originally meant for TV."
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
B movie
B movie
A B movie is a low-budget commercial motion picture that is not definitively an arthouse or pornographic film. In its original usage, during the Golden Age of Hollywood, the term more precisely identified a film intended for distribution as the less-publicized, bottom half of a double feature....
from 1971, set in North Africa during the Second World War. It stars Richard Burton
Richard Burton
Richard Burton, CBE was a Welsh actor. He was nominated seven times for an Academy Award, six of which were for Best Actor in a Leading Role , and was a recipient of BAFTA, Golden Globe and Tony Awards for Best Actor. Although never trained as an actor, Burton was, at one time, the highest-paid...
as a British commando
Commando
In English, the term commando means a specific kind of individual soldier or military unit. In contemporary usage, commando usually means elite light infantry and/or special operations forces units, specializing in amphibious landings, parachuting, rappelling and similar techniques, to conduct and...
attempting to destroy German gun emplacements in Tobruk
Tobruk
Tobruk or Tubruq is a city, seaport, and peninsula on Libya's eastern Mediterranean coast, near the border with Egypt. It is the capital of the Butnan District and has a population of 120,000 ....
. Much of the action footage was re-used from the 1967 film Tobruk
Tobruk (film)
Tobruk is a 1967 American war film starring Rock Hudson and George Peppard and directed by Arthur Hiller. The film was written by Leo Gordon and released through Universal Pictures....
and the storyline is also largely the same.
Plot
LibyaLibya
Libya is an African country in the Maghreb region of North Africa bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to the east, Sudan to the southeast, Chad and Niger to the south, and Algeria and Tunisia to the west....
1943, British Army Captain Alex Forster allows himself to be captured by a German convoy transporting British prisoners. Once integrated with the prisoners, Forster plans to take over the convoy with the help of the prisoners and redirect it towards the Libyan port town of Tobruk
Tobruk
Tobruk or Tubruq is a city, seaport, and peninsula on Libya's eastern Mediterranean coast, near the border with Egypt. It is the capital of the Butnan District and has a population of 120,000 ....
. In a journey that has a few twists and turns including Forster running into Field Marshal Erwin Rommel
Erwin Rommel
Erwin Johannes Eugen Rommel , popularly known as the Desert Fox , was a German Field Marshal of World War II. He won the respect of both his own troops and the enemies he fought....
, they finally reach Tobruk where they must destroy a coastal battery and escape to awaiting Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
battleships.
Cast
- Richard BurtonRichard BurtonRichard Burton, CBE was a Welsh actor. He was nominated seven times for an Academy Award, six of which were for Best Actor in a Leading Role , and was a recipient of BAFTA, Golden Globe and Tony Awards for Best Actor. Although never trained as an actor, Burton was, at one time, the highest-paid...
— Capt. Alex Forster - John ColicosJohn ColicosJohn Colicos was a Greek-Canadian actor. He was a distinguished stage actor in the United Kingdom, the United States and Canada.-Career:...
— Sgt. Maj. Allan MacKenzie - Clinton GreynClinton GreynClinton Greyn is a Welsh-born actor noted for his appearances in British television series of the 1960s and 1970s.He made his film debut in the 1961 short Wings of Death, and went onto appear in such popular British TV series as Z-Cars and Compact...
— Maj. Hugh Tarkington - Wolfgang PreissWolfgang PreissWolfgang Preiss was a German theatre, film and television actor.The son of a teacher, in the early 1930s Preiss studied philosophy, German and drama. He also took private acting classes with Hans Schlenck, making his stage début in Munich in 1932...
— Gen. Erwin RommelErwin RommelErwin Johannes Eugen Rommel , popularly known as the Desert Fox , was a German Field Marshal of World War II. He won the respect of both his own troops and the enemies he fought.... - Danielle De MetzDanielle De MetzDanielle De Metz is a French actress best known for her numerous guest appearances in television shows throughout the 1960s.De Metz guest starred in such shows as Dr...
— Vivianne Gagliardo - Karl-Otto AlbertyKarl-Otto AlbertyKarl-Otto Alberty is a German actor.He started out as an amateur boxer before discovering a talent for acting, making his début at the City Theatre in Konstanz in 1959. He then began to take supporting roles in films...
— HauptmannHauptmannHauptmann is a German word usually translated as captain when it is used as an officer's rank in the German, Austrian and Swiss armies. While "haupt" in contemporary German means "main", it also has the dated meaning of "head", i.e...
Heinz Schroeder - Christopher Cary — Cpl. Peter Merrihew
- John OrchardJohn OrchardJohn Orchard was an English actor. He is probably best remembered for playing anaesthetist "Ugly John" Black in the earlier episodes of M*A*S*H.-Career:...
— Dan Garth - Brook WilliamsBrook WilliamsBrook Richard Williams was an English stage actor who also made numerous film and television appearances in small roles....
— Sgt. Joe Reilly - Greg Mullavy — Pvt. Ed Brown
- Ben WrightBen Wright (actor)Ben Wright was an English actor in radio, film and television. He trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art.-Radio:...
— Admiral - Michael Sevareid — Cpl. Bill Wembley
- Chris Anders — Tank Sergeant
Reception
In 2006, the BBCBBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
's Radio Times
Radio Times
Radio Times is a UK weekly television and radio programme listings magazine, owned by the BBC. It has been published since 1923 by BBC Magazines, which also provides an on-line listings service under the same title...
wrote: "It says a lot for Richard Burton that he was able to plumb the depths in dreary Second World War action movies such as this one, about a British officer releasing prisoners to attack Tobruk, without doing any apparent damage to his career. Even the usually dependable director Henry Hathaway falters in this flawed effort that was originally meant for TV."