The Longest Day (film)
Encyclopedia
The Longest Day is a 1962 war film
based on the 1959
history book The Longest Day
by Cornelius Ryan
, about "D-Day
", the Normandy landings on 6 June 1944, during World War II
.
Producer Darryl F. Zanuck
paid the author of the book, Cornelius Ryan
, $175,000 for the screen rights to produce the film. The film was adapted from the book by Romain Gary
, James Jones
, David Pursall, Jack Seddon, and the author himself. It was directed by Ken Annakin
(British and French exteriors), Andrew Marton (American exteriors), Gerd Oswald
(parachute drop scene), Bernhard Wicki (German scenes), John Wayne
(uncredited) and Darryl F. Zanuck
(uncredited).
Many of the military consultants and advisors who helped with the film's production were actual participants in the action on D-Day, and are portrayed in the film. The producers drew them from both sides; Allied and Axis. Among them are Günther Blumentritt
(a former German general), James M. Gavin
(an American general), Frederick Morgan
(Deputy Chief of Staff at SHAEF
), John Howard (who led the airborne assault on the Pegasus Bridge
), Lord Lovat
(who commanded the 1st Special Service Brigade), Philippe Kieffer
(who led his men in the assault on Ouistreham
), Pierre Koenig
(who commanded the Free French Forces
in the invasion), Max Pemsel (a German general), Werner Pluskat
(the major who was the first German officer to see the invasion fleet), Josef "Pips" Priller
(the hot-headed pilot) and Lucie Rommel (widow of Erwin Rommel
).
Unique for World War II films produced at the time, all French and German characters speak in their native language with subtitles in English
. A separate version exists, shot simultaneously, in which all the actors speak their lines in English, which is why the trailer
has the Germans delivering their lines in English. This version saw limited use during the initial release, and more extensive use during a late 1960s re-release of the film. The English-only version was featured on the "flip side" of an older single disc DVD release.
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 Fröbe
, John Wayne
, Irina Demick
, Bourvil
, Curd Jürgens
, Robert Wagner
, Paul Anka
and Arletty
. Several of these actors played roles that were virtually cameo appearances.
War film
War films are a film genre concerned with warfare, usually about naval, air or land battles, sometimes focusing instead on prisoners of war, covert operations, military training or other related subjects. At times war films focus on daily military or civilian life in wartime without depicting battles...
based on the 1959
1959 in literature
The year 1959 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-Events:*April 30 - Theatrical première of Bertolt Brecht's Saint Joan of the Stockyards, originally performed on radio in 1932....
history book The Longest Day
The Longest Day (book)
The Longest Day is a book by Cornelius Ryan published in 1959, telling the story of D-Day, the first day of the World War II invasion of Normandy. It includes details of Operation Deadstick, the coup de main operation by gliderborne troops to capture both Pegasus Bridge and Horsa Bridge before the...
by Cornelius Ryan
Cornelius Ryan
Cornelius Ryan, was an Irish journalist and author mainly known for his writings on popular military history, especially his World War II books: The Longest Day: June 6, 1944 D-Day , The Last Battle , and A Bridge Too Far .-Early life:Ryan was born in Dublin and educated at Synge Street CBS,...
, about "D-Day
D-Day
D-Day is a term often used in military parlance to denote the day on which a combat attack or operation is to be initiated. "D-Day" often represents a variable, designating the day upon which some significant event will occur or has occurred; see Military designation of days and hours for similar...
", the Normandy landings on 6 June 1944, during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
Producer Darryl F. Zanuck
Darryl F. Zanuck
Darryl Francis Zanuck was an American producer, writer, actor, director and studio executive who played a major part in the Hollywood studio system as one of its longest survivors...
paid the author of the book, Cornelius Ryan
Cornelius Ryan
Cornelius Ryan, was an Irish journalist and author mainly known for his writings on popular military history, especially his World War II books: The Longest Day: June 6, 1944 D-Day , The Last Battle , and A Bridge Too Far .-Early life:Ryan was born in Dublin and educated at Synge Street CBS,...
, $175,000 for the screen rights to produce the film. The film was adapted from the book by Romain Gary
Romain Gary
Romain Gary was a French diplomat, novelist, film director, World War II aviator. He is the only author to have won the Prix Goncourt twice .- Early life :Gary was born in Vilnius under the name Roman Kacew...
, James Jones
James Jones (author)
James Jones was an American author known for his explorations of World War II and its aftermath.-Life and work:...
, David Pursall, Jack Seddon, and the author himself. It was directed by Ken Annakin
Ken Annakin
Kenneth Cooper Annakin, OBE was an English film director.- Biography :Annakin grew up in Beverley, Yorkshire where he attended the local school. He began his career in feature films following an early experience making documentaries. His first filmwork was in 1947 with the Rank Organisation...
(British and French exteriors), Andrew Marton (American exteriors), Gerd Oswald
Gerd Oswald
Gerd Oswald was a director of American films and television. The son of German film director Richard Oswald, he was born in Berlin and died in Los Angeles, California....
(parachute drop scene), Bernhard Wicki (German scenes), John Wayne
John Wayne
Marion Mitchell Morrison , better known by his stage name John Wayne, was an American film actor, director and producer. He epitomized rugged masculinity and became an enduring American icon. He is famous for his distinctive calm voice, walk, and height...
(uncredited) and Darryl F. Zanuck
Darryl F. Zanuck
Darryl Francis Zanuck was an American producer, writer, actor, director and studio executive who played a major part in the Hollywood studio system as one of its longest survivors...
(uncredited).
Many of the military consultants and advisors who helped with the film's production were actual participants in the action on D-Day, and are portrayed in the film. The producers drew them from both sides; Allied and Axis. Among them are Günther Blumentritt
Günther Blumentritt
Günther Blumentritt was a German officer in World War I, who became a Staff Officer under the Weimar Republic and went on to serve as a general for Nazi Germany during World War II...
(a former German general), James M. Gavin
James M. Gavin
James Maurice "Jumpin' Jim" Gavin was a prominent Lieutenant General in the United States Army during World War II...
(an American general), Frederick Morgan
Frederick E. Morgan
Lieutenant General Sir Frederick Edgeworth Morgan KCB was a British Army officer who fought in the First World War and the Second World War...
(Deputy Chief of Staff at SHAEF
Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force
Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force , was the headquarters of the Commander of Allied forces in north west Europe, from late 1943 until the end of World War II. U.S. General Dwight D. Eisenhower was in command of SHAEF throughout its existence...
), John Howard (who led the airborne assault on the Pegasus Bridge
Pegasus Bridge
Pegasus Bridge is a bascule bridge , built in 1934, that crossed the Caen Canal, between Caen and Ouistreham, in Normandy, France....
), Lord Lovat
Simon Fraser, 15th Lord Lovat
Brigadier Simon Christopher Joseph Fraser, 15th Lord Lovat and 4th Baron Lovat DSO, MC, TD was the 25th Chief of the Clan Fraser and a prominent British Commando during the Second World War...
(who commanded the 1st Special Service Brigade), Philippe Kieffer
Philippe Kieffer
Philippe Kieffer , capitaine de frégate in the French Navy, was a French officer and political personality, and a hero of the Free French Forces.- Life and career :...
(who led his men in the assault on Ouistreham
Ouistreham
Ouistreham is a commune in the Calvados department' in the Basse-Normandie region in northwestern France.Ouistreham is a small port with fishing boats, leisure craft and a ferry-harbour. It serves as the port of the city of Caen. The town is about the mouth of the Canal de Caen à la...
), Pierre Koenig
Marie Pierre Koenig
Marie Pierre Kœnig was a French army officer and politician. He commanded a Free French Brigade at the Battle of Bir Hakeim in North Africa in 1942....
(who commanded the Free French Forces
Free French Forces
The Free French Forces were French partisans in World War II who decided to continue fighting against the forces of the Axis powers after the surrender of France and subsequent German occupation and, in the case of Vichy France, collaboration with the Germans.-Definition:In many sources, Free...
in the invasion), Max Pemsel (a German general), Werner Pluskat
Werner Pluskat
Werner Pluskat was a German Major, commander of the 352nd Artillery of the German 352nd Infantry Division during Allied invasion in Normandy 1944....
(the major who was the first German officer to see the invasion fleet), Josef "Pips" Priller
Josef Priller
Josef "Pips" Priller was a German World War II fighter ace. He has become famous because of the publicity regarding his Focke-Wulf's Fw 190A-8's single strafing pass attack on Sword Beach on June 6, 1944 , accompanied by his wingman Herbert Huppertz...
(the hot-headed pilot) and Lucie Rommel (widow of 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....
).
Unique for World War II films produced at the time, all French and German characters speak in their native language with subtitles in English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
. A separate version exists, shot simultaneously, in which all the actors speak their lines in English, which is why the trailer
Trailer (film)
A trailer or preview is an advertisement or a commercial for a feature film that will be exhibited in the future at a cinema. The term "trailer" comes from their having originally been shown at the end of a feature film screening. That practice did not last long, because patrons tended to leave the...
has the Germans delivering their lines in English. This version saw limited use during the initial release, and more extensive use during a late 1960s re-release of the film. The English-only version was featured on the "flip side" of an older single disc DVD release.
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
Kenneth More
Kenneth Gilbert More CBE was a highly successful English film actor during the post-World War II era and starred in many feature films, often in the role of an archetypal carefree and happy-go-lucky middle-class gentleman.-Early life:Kenneth More was born in Gerrards Cross, Buckinghamshire, the...
, Richard Todd
Richard Todd
Richard Todd OBE was an Irish-born British stage and film actor and soldier.-Early life:Richard Todd was born as Richard Andrew Palethorpe-Todd in Dublin, Ireland. His father, Andrew William Palethorpe Todd, was an Irish physician and an international Irish rugby player who gained three caps for...
(who took part in the actual invasion), 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...
, Robert Mitchum
Robert Mitchum
Robert Charles Durman Mitchum was an American film actor, author, composer and singer and is #23 on the American Film Institute's list of the greatest male American screen legends of all time...
, Sean Connery
Sean Connery
Sir Thomas Sean Connery , better known as Sean Connery, is a Scottish actor and producer who has won an Academy Award, two BAFTA Awards and three Golden Globes Sir Thomas Sean Connery (born 25 August 1930), better known as Sean Connery, is a Scottish actor and producer who has won an Academy...
, Henry Fonda
Henry Fonda
Henry Jaynes Fonda was an American film and stage actor.Fonda made his mark early as a Broadway actor. He also appeared in 1938 in plays performed in White Plains, New York, with Joan Tompkins...
, Red Buttons, Leo Genn
Leo Genn
- Early life :He was born at 144 Kyverdale Road, Stamford Hill, Hackney, London, England to a Jewish family. His father, Woolfe Genn, was a jewellery salesman and the maiden name of his mother, Rachel, was Asserson....
, Peter Lawford
Peter Lawford
Peter Sydney Ernest Aylen , better known as Peter Lawford, was an English-American actor.He was a member of the "Rat Pack", and brother-in-law to US President John F. Kennedy, perhaps more noted in later years for his off-screen activities as a celebrity than for his acting...
, Gert Fröbe
Gert Fröbe
Karl Gerhart Fröbe, better known as Gert Fröbe was a German actor who starred in many films, including the James Bond film Goldfinger as Auric Goldfinger, The Threepenny Opera as Peachum, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang as Baron Bomburst, and in Der Räuber Hotzenplotz as Hotzenplotz.-Life:Born in...
, John Wayne
John Wayne
Marion Mitchell Morrison , better known by his stage name John Wayne, was an American film actor, director and producer. He epitomized rugged masculinity and became an enduring American icon. He is famous for his distinctive calm voice, walk, and height...
, Irina Demick
Irina Demick
Irina Demick , sometimes credited as Irina Demich was a French actress with a brief career in American films....
, Bourvil
Bourvil
André Bourvil, born André Robert Raimbourg was a French actor and singer best known for his roles in comedy, most notably in his collaboration with Louis de Funès in La Grande Vadrouille .-Biography:His father was killed in the First World War before Bourvil was born...
, Curd Jürgens
Curd Jürgens
Curd Gustav Andreas Gottlieb Franz Jürgens was a German-Austrian stage and film actor. He was usually billed in English-speaking films as Curt Jurgens.-Early life:...
, Robert Wagner
Robert Wagner
Robert John Wagner is an American actor of stage, screen, and television.A veteran of many films in the 1950s and 1960s, Wagner gained prominence in three American television series that spanned three decades: It Takes a Thief , Switch , and Hart to Hart...
, Paul Anka
Paul Anka
Paul Albert Anka, is a Canadian singer, songwriter, and actor.Anka first became famous as a teen idol in the late 1950s and 1960s with hit songs like "Diana'", "Lonely Boy", and "Put Your Head on My Shoulder"...
and Arletty
Arletty
Arletty was a French actress, singer, and fashion model.-Life and career:Arletty was born Léonie Marie Julie Bathiat in Courbevoie , to a working-class family. Her early career was dominated by the music hall, and she later appeared in plays and cabaret. Arletty was a stage performer for ten years...
. Several of these actors played roles that were virtually cameo appearances.
Americans
| Actor | Role |
|---|---|
| Eddie Albert Eddie Albert Edward Albert Heimberger , known professionally as Eddie Albert, was an American actor and activist. He was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor in 1954 for his performance in Roman Holiday, and in 1973 for The Heartbreak Kid.Other well-known screen roles of his include Bing... |
Colonel Colonel Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures... Thompson, 29th Infantry Division |
| Paul Anka Paul Anka Paul Albert Anka, is a Canadian singer, songwriter, and actor.Anka first became famous as a teen idol in the late 1950s and 1960s with hit songs like "Diana'", "Lonely Boy", and "Put Your Head on My Shoulder"... |
U.S. Army Ranger United States Army Rangers United States Army Rangers are elite members of the United States Army. Rangers have served in recognized U.S. Army Ranger units or have graduated from the U.S. Army's Ranger School... |
| Richard Beymer Richard Beymer George Richard Beymer, Jr. is an American actor known for playing Tony in the 1961 film version of West Side Story and Ben Horne on the 1990 television series Twin Peaks.-Life and career:... |
Private Private (rank) A Private is a soldier of the lowest military rank .In modern military parlance, 'Private' is shortened to 'Pte' in the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth countries and to 'Pvt.' in the United States.Notably both Sir Fitzroy MacLean and Enoch Powell are examples of, rare, rapid career... Arthur 'Dutch' Schultz, 82nd Airborne Division |
| Red Buttons | Private Private (rank) A Private is a soldier of the lowest military rank .In modern military parlance, 'Private' is shortened to 'Pte' in the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth countries and to 'Pvt.' in the United States.Notably both Sir Fitzroy MacLean and Enoch Powell are examples of, rare, rapid career... John Steele John Steele (paratrooper) Private John M. Steele was the American paratrooper made famous in the movie, The Longest Day who landed in Sainte-Mère-Église, the first village in Normandy liberated by the Americans on D-Day, June 6, 1944.... , 82nd Airborne Division |
| Ray Danton Ray Danton Ray Danton , also known as Raymond Danton, was a radio, film, stage, and television actor, director, and producer whose most famous role was The Rise and Fall of Legs Diamond... |
Captain Captain (OF-2) The army rank of captain is a commissioned officer rank historically corresponding to command of a company of soldiers. The rank is also used by some air forces and marine forces. Today a captain is typically either the commander or second-in-command of a company or artillery battery... Frank |
| Fred Dur | U.S. Army Ranger Major Major Major is a rank of commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every military in the world.When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicator of rank, the term refers to the rank just senior to that of an Army captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. ... |
| Fabian Forte Fabian (entertainer) Fabiano Anthony Forte , known as Fabian, is an American teen idol of the late 1950s and early 1960s. He rose to national prominence after performing several times on American Bandstand. Eleven of his songs reached the Billboard Hot 100 listing.-Early life:Fabian was the son of Josephine and Domenic... |
U.S. Army Ranger |
| Mel Ferrer Mel Ferrer Mel Ferrer was an American actor, film director and film producer.-Early life:Ferrer was born Melchor Gastón Ferrer in Elberon, New Jersey, of Catalan and Irish descent. His father, Dr. José María Ferrer , was born in Cuba, was an authority on pneumonia and served as chief of staff of St.... |
Major General Major General Major general or major-general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. A major general is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of lieutenant general and senior to the ranks of brigadier and brigadier general... Robert Haines |
| Henry Fonda Henry Fonda Henry Jaynes Fonda was an American film and stage actor.Fonda made his mark early as a Broadway actor. He also appeared in 1938 in plays performed in White Plains, New York, with Joan Tompkins... |
Brigadier General Theodore Roosevelt Jr., Deputy Commander 4th Infantry Div. U.S. 4th Infantry Division The 4th Infantry Division is a modular division of the United States Army based at Fort Carson, Colorado, with four brigade combat teams. It is a very technically advanced combat division in the U.S. Army.... |
| Steve Forrest | Captain Harding, 82nd Airborne Division |
| Henry Grace Henry Grace Henry Grace was an American set decorator. He won an Academy Award and was nominated for twelve more in the category Best Art Direction.As an actor he had a role as Dwight D... |
General Dwight D. Eisenhower Dwight D. Eisenhower Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower was the 34th President of the United States, from 1953 until 1961. He was a five-star general in the United States Army... , Supreme Allied Commander |
| Peter Helm Peter Helm Peter J. Helm is an actor originally from Toronto, Canada, who appeared on American television from 1960-1971.-Early years:... |
Young GI |
| Jeffrey Hunter Jeffrey Hunter Jeffrey Hunter was an American film and television actor. His most famous roles are as Jesus in the film King of Kings, as Martin Pawley in The Searchers, and as Capt... |
Sergeant Sergeant Sergeant is a rank used in some form by most militaries, police forces, and other uniformed organizations around the world. Its origins are the Latin serviens, "one who serves", through the French term Sergent.... (later Lt. Lieutenant A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank... ) John H. Fuller |
| Alexander Knox Alexander Knox Alexander Knox was a Canadian actor and author of adventure novels set in the Great Lakes area during the 19th century.-Biography:... |
Lieutenant General Walter Bedell Smith Walter Bedell Smith Walter Bedell "Beetle" Smith was a senior United States Army general who served as General Dwight D. Eisenhower's chief of staff at Allied Forces Headquarters during the Tunisia Campaign and the Allied invasion of Italy... , SHAEF Chief of Staff |
| Dewey Martin Dewey Martin (actor) -Career:Martin was born December 8, 1923 in Katemcy, Texas. His film debut was an uncredited part in Knock on Any Door . He also appeared in The Thing from Another World , co-starred with Kirk Douglas in The Big Sky , played younger brother of Humphrey Bogart in The Desperate Hours , and was... |
Private Private (rank) A Private is a soldier of the lowest military rank .In modern military parlance, 'Private' is shortened to 'Pte' in the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth countries and to 'Pvt.' in the United States.Notably both Sir Fitzroy MacLean and Enoch Powell are examples of, rare, rapid career... Wilder (role cut from released version) |
| Roddy McDowall Roddy McDowall Roderick Andrew Anthony Jude "Roddy" McDowall was an English actor and photographer. His film roles included Cornelius and Caesar in the Planet of the Apes film series... |
Private Private (rank) A Private is a soldier of the lowest military rank .In modern military parlance, 'Private' is shortened to 'Pte' in the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth countries and to 'Pvt.' in the United States.Notably both Sir Fitzroy MacLean and Enoch Powell are examples of, rare, rapid career... Morris, 4th Infantry Division |
| John Meillon John Meillon John Meillon was an Australian actor, most widely known outside Australia for his role as Walter Reilly in the films "Crocodile" Dundee and "Crocodile" Dundee II. He also voiced Victoria Bitter beer commercials until his death.-Biography:Meillon was born in Mosman, Sydney... |
Admiral Alan G. Kirk Alan Goodrich Kirk Alan Goodrich Kirk was an admiral in the United States Navy and an American diplomat.-Biography:... , Senior U.S. Naval Commander |
| Sal Mineo Sal Mineo Salvatore "Sal" Mineo, Jr. , was an American film and theatre actor, best known for his performance as John "Plato" Crawford opposite James Dean in the film Rebel Without a Cause... |
Private Private (rank) A Private is a soldier of the lowest military rank .In modern military parlance, 'Private' is shortened to 'Pte' in the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth countries and to 'Pvt.' in the United States.Notably both Sir Fitzroy MacLean and Enoch Powell are examples of, rare, rapid career... Martini |
| Robert Mitchum Robert Mitchum Robert Charles Durman Mitchum was an American film actor, author, composer and singer and is #23 on the American Film Institute's list of the greatest male American screen legends of all time... |
Brigadier General Norman Cota Norman Cota Norman Daniel "Dutch" Cota, Sr. was a United States Army general during World War II. Cota was heavily involved in the planning and execution of the invasion of France, codenamed Operation Neptune, and the subsequent Battle of Normandy.-Early life:Cota was born in Chelsea, Massachusetts, the son... , Asst. Commander 29th Infantry Div. |
| Edmond O'Brien Edmond O'Brien Edmond O'Brien was an American actor who is perhaps best remembered for his role in D.O.A. and his Oscar winning role in The Barefoot Contessa... |
Major General Raymond O. Barton Raymond O. Barton Major General Raymond O. "Tubby" Barton was a graduate of the United States Military Academy as well as a career U.S. Army officer and combat commander in World War I and World War II... , Commander 4th Infantry Div. |
| Ron Randell Ron Randell Ronald Egan "Ron" Randell was an Australian-born American film and stage actor.-Biography:Randell was born in Sydney. He started his career as a stage and radio performer in his teens. He soon established himself as a leading male juvenile for radio, acting for 2KY Players, George Edwards, BAP... |
Joe Williams |
| Robert Ryan Robert Ryan Robert Bushnell Ryan was an American actor who often played hardened cops and ruthless villains.-Early life and career:... |
Brigadier General James M. Gavin James M. Gavin James Maurice "Jumpin' Jim" Gavin was a prominent Lieutenant General in the United States Army during World War II... , Asst. Commander 82nd Airborne Div. |
| Tommy Sands Tommy Sands Tommy Adrian Sands is an American pop music singer and actor.-Early life:Born into a musical family in Chicago, Illinois, Sands' father was a pianist and his mother a big-band singer. While still young, he moved with his family to Shreveport, Louisiana... |
U.S. Army Ranger |
| George Segal George Segal George Segal is an American film, stage and television actor.-Early life:George Segal, Jr. was born in 1934 Great Neck, Long Island, New York, the son of Fannie Blanche and George Segal, Sr. He was educated at George School, a private Quaker preparatory boarding school near Newtown, Bucks County,... |
U.S. Army Ranger |
| Rod Steiger Rod Steiger Rodney Stephen "Rod" Steiger was an Academy Award-winning American actor known for his performances in such films as On the Waterfront, The Big Knife, Oklahoma!, The Harder They Fall, Across the Bridge, The Pawnbroker, Doctor Zhivago, In the Heat of the Night, and Waterloo as well as the... |
Destroyer Destroyer In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast and maneuverable yet long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy or battle group and defend them against smaller, powerful, short-range attackers. Destroyers, originally called torpedo-boat destroyers in 1892, evolved from... Commander Commander Commander is a naval rank which is also sometimes used as a military title depending on the individual customs of a given military service. Commander is also used as a rank or title in some organizations outside of the armed forces, particularly in police and law enforcement.-Commander as a naval... |
| Nicholas Stuart | Lieutenant General Omar N. Bradley Omar Bradley Omar Nelson Bradley was a senior U.S. Army field commander in North Africa and Europe during World War II, and a General of the Army in the United States Army... , Commander US First Army |
| Tom Tryon Tom Tryon Tom Tryon was an American film and television actor, best known for playing the title role in the film The Cardinal and the Walt Disney television character Texas John Slaughter... |
Lieutenant Lieutenant A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank... Wilson, 82nd Airborne Division |
| Robert Wagner Robert Wagner Robert John Wagner is an American actor of stage, screen, and television.A veteran of many films in the 1950s and 1960s, Wagner gained prominence in three American television series that spanned three decades: It Takes a Thief , Switch , and Hart to Hart... |
U.S. Army Ranger |
| John Wayne John Wayne Marion Mitchell Morrison , better known by his stage name John Wayne, was an American film actor, director and producer. He epitomized rugged masculinity and became an enduring American icon. He is famous for his distinctive calm voice, walk, and height... |
Lt. Col. Benjamin Vandervoort Benjamin H. Vandervoort Benjamin Hayes "Vandy" Vandervoort was a Colonel in the United States Army, who fought in World War II. He was twice awarded the Distinguished Service Cross... , Commander 2nd Battalion, 505th Parachute Infantry Reg. |
| Stuart Whitman Stuart Whitman Stuart Maxwell Whitman is an American actor.Stuart Whitman is arguably best-known for playing Marshal Jim Crown in the western television series Cimarron Strip in 1967... |
Lieutenant Lieutenant A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank... Sheen, 82nd Airborne Division |
British
| Actor | Role |
|---|---|
| Patrick Barr Patrick Barr Patrick David Barr was a British film and television actor.Born in Akola, India, Patrick Barr went from stage to screen with The Merry Men of Sherwood . He spent the 1930s playing various beneficent authority figures and "reliable friend" types... |
Group Captain Group Captain Group captain is a senior commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many other Commonwealth countries. It ranks above wing commander and immediately below air commodore... J.M. Stagg James Martin Stagg Group Captain Sir James Martin Stagg, CB, OBE, FRSE was a British Royal Air Force meteorologist who notably persuaded General Dwight D. Eisenhower to change the date of the Allied invasion of Europe in World War II, from June 5 to June 6, 1944.Stagg was born in Dalkeith, Scotland... |
| 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... |
Flying Officer Flying Officer Flying officer is a junior commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many countries which have historical British influence... David Campbell |
| Bryan Coleman Bryan Coleman Bryan Coleman was a British film actor and television actor.-Selected filmography:* A Window in London * Jassy * Landfall * The Lost Hours * The Planter's Wife... |
Ronald Callen |
| Sean Connery Sean Connery Sir Thomas Sean Connery , better known as Sean Connery, is a Scottish actor and producer who has won an Academy Award, two BAFTA Awards and three Golden Globes Sir Thomas Sean Connery (born 25 August 1930), better known as Sean Connery, is a Scottish actor and producer who has won an Academy... |
Private Flanagan |
| Leslie de Laspee | Private Bill Millin Bill Millin William "Bill" Millin , commonly known as Piper Bill, was personal piper to Simon Fraser, 15th Lord Lovat, commander of 1 Special Service Brigade at D-Day.- Early life :... , No. 4 Commando No. 4 Commando No. 4 Commando was a battalion-sized British Army commando unit, formed in 1940 early in the Second World War. Although it was raised to conduct small-scale raids and harass garrisons along the coast of German-occupied France, it was mainly employed as a highly-trained infantry assault unit.The... (Piper on Beach) |
| Frank Finlay Frank Finlay Francis Finlay, CBE is an English stage, film and television actor.-Personal life:Finlay was born in Farnworth, Lancashire, the son of Margaret and Josiah Finlay, a butcher. A devout Catholic, he belongs to the British Catholic Stage Guild. He was educated at St... |
Private Coke, 2nd Oxford & Bucks L.I. Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry The Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry was an infantry regiment of the British Army.The regiment was formed as a consequence of Childers reforms, a continuation of the Cardwell reforms, by the amalgamation of the 43rd Regiment of Foot and the 52nd Regiment of Foot , forming the 1st... |
| Leo Genn Leo Genn - Early life :He was born at 144 Kyverdale Road, Stamford Hill, Hackney, London, England to a Jewish family. His father, Woolfe Genn, was a jewellery salesman and the maiden name of his mother, Rachel, was Asserson.... |
Brigadier Brigadier Brigadier is a senior military rank, the meaning of which is somewhat different in different military services. The brigadier rank is generally superior to the rank of colonel, and subordinate to major general.... Edwin P. Parker Jr. |
| Harold Goodwin Harold Goodwin (English actor) Harold Goodwin was an English actor born in Wombwell, Yorkshire, England.Goodwin trained at RADA and was a stage actor at Liverpool repertory theatre for 3 years... |
Private, 2nd Oxford & Bucks L.I. |
| John Gregson John Gregson John Gregson was an English actor.He was born Harold Thomas Gregson, of Irish descent, and grew up in Wavertree, Liverpool, where he was educated at Greenbank Road primary school, later St Francis Xavier School... |
British military chaplain Military chaplain A military chaplain is a chaplain who ministers to soldiers, sailors, airmen, marines and other members of the military. In many countries, chaplains also minister to the family members of military personnel, to civilian noncombatants working for military organizations and to civilians within the... 6th Airborne Division |
| Donald Houston Donald Houston Donald Daniel Houston was a Welsh actor whose first two films – The Blue Lagoon with Jean Simmons, and A Run for Your Money with Sir Alec Guinness – were highly successful... |
RAF pilot Royal Air Force The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world... at flight base |
| Simon Lack | Air Chief Marshal Trafford Leigh-Mallory Trafford Leigh-Mallory Air Chief Marshal Sir Trafford Leigh-Mallory KCB, DSO & Bar was a senior commander in the Royal Air Force. Leigh-Mallory served as a Royal Flying Corps pilot and squadron commander during World War I... , Commander Allied Air Forces |
| Peter Lawford Peter Lawford Peter Sydney Ernest Aylen , better known as Peter Lawford, was an English-American actor.He was a member of the "Rat Pack", and brother-in-law to US President John F. Kennedy, perhaps more noted in later years for his off-screen activities as a celebrity than for his acting... |
Brigadier Lord Lovat Simon Fraser, 15th Lord Lovat Brigadier Simon Christopher Joseph Fraser, 15th Lord Lovat and 4th Baron Lovat DSO, MC, TD was the 25th Chief of the Clan Fraser and a prominent British Commando during the Second World War... , Commander 1st Special Service Brigade |
| Howard Marion-Crawford Howard Marion-Crawford Howard Marion-Crawford , the grandson of writer F. Marion Crawford, was an English character actor, best known for his portrayal of Dr. Watson in the 1954 television adaptation of Sherlock Holmes... |
Dr. Vaughan, 2nd Oxford & Bucks L.I. |
| Michael Medwin | Private Watney, 3rd Infantry Division |
| Kenneth More Kenneth More Kenneth Gilbert More CBE was a highly successful English film actor during the post-World War II era and starred in many feature films, often in the role of an archetypal carefree and happy-go-lucky middle-class gentleman.-Early life:Kenneth More was born in Gerrards Cross, Buckinghamshire, the... |
Capt. Colin Maud Colin Maud Colin Douglas Maud D.S.O., D.S.C. was a Royal Navy Lieutenant Commander who captained HMS Icarus and acted as Juno beach master at the D-day landings in World War II.... Royal Navy beach master |
| Louis Mounier | Air Marshal Arthur William Tedder Arthur Tedder, 1st Baron Tedder Marshal of the Royal Air Force Arthur William Tedder, 1st Baron Tedder, GCB was a senior British air force commander. During the First World War, he was a pilot and squadron commander in the Royal Flying Corps and he went on to serve as a senior officer in the Royal Air Force during the inter-war... , Deputy Supreme Allied Commander |
| Leslie Phillips Leslie Phillips Leslie Samuel Phillips, CBE is an English actor with a highly recognisable upper class accent. Originally known for his work as a comedy actor, Phillips subsequently made the transition to character roles.-Early life:... |
Royal Air Force officer |
| Trevor Reid | General Bernard Montgomery, Commander Allied Ground Forces |
| John Robinson John Robinson (actor) John Robinson was an English actor, who was particularly active in the theatre. Mostly cast in minor and supporting roles in film and television, he is best remembered for being the second actor to play the famous television science-fiction role of Professor Bernard Quatermass, in the 1955 BBC... |
Admiral Bertram Ramsay Bertram Ramsay Admiral Sir Bertram Home Ramsay KCB, KBE, MVO was a British admiral during World War II. He was an important contributor in the field of amphibious warfare.-Early life:... , Commander Allied Naval Forces |
| Norman Rossington Norman Rossington Norman Rossington was an English actor best remembered for his roles in The Army Game, the Carry On films and the Beatles film A Hard Day's Night.-Early life:... |
Private Clough |
| Richard Todd Richard Todd Richard Todd OBE was an Irish-born British stage and film actor and soldier.-Early life:Richard Todd was born as Richard Andrew Palethorpe-Todd in Dublin, Ireland. His father, Andrew William Palethorpe Todd, was an Irish physician and an international Irish rugby player who gained three caps for... |
Major Major Major is a rank of commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every military in the world.When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicator of rank, the term refers to the rank just senior to that of an Army captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. ... John Howard, CO 2nd Oxford & Bucks L.I. |
| Richard Wattis Richard Wattis Richard Cameron Wattis , was an English character actor.He attended King Edward's School, Birmingham and Bromsgrove School, after which he worked for the family electrical engineering firm before becoming a professional actor. After his debut with Croydon Repertory Theatre he made many stage... |
British Paratrooper Paratrooper Paratroopers are soldiers trained in parachuting and generally operate as part of an airborne force.Paratroopers are used for tactical advantage as they can be inserted into the battlefield from the air, thereby allowing them to be positioned in areas not accessible by land... officer, 6th Airborne Division |
French
| Actor | Role |
|---|---|
| Arletty Arletty Arletty was a French actress, singer, and fashion model.-Life and career:Arletty was born Léonie Marie Julie Bathiat in Courbevoie , to a working-class family. Her early career was dominated by the music hall, and she later appeared in plays and cabaret. Arletty was a stage performer for ten years... |
Madame Barrault |
| Jean-Louis Barrault Jean-Louis Barrault Jean-Louis Barrault was a French actor, director and mime artist, training that served him well when he portrayed the 19th-century mime Jean-Gaspard Deburau in Marcel Carné's 1945 film Les Enfants du Paradis .Jean-Louis Barrault studied with Charles Dullin in whose troupe he acted... |
Father Priest A priest is a person authorized to perform the sacred rites of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particular, rites of sacrifice to, and propitiation of, a deity or deities... Louis Roulland |
| André Bourvil Bourvil André Bourvil, born André Robert Raimbourg was a French actor and singer best known for his roles in comedy, most notably in his collaboration with Louis de Funès in La Grande Vadrouille .-Biography:His father was killed in the First World War before Bourvil was born... |
Mayor of Colleville Colleville-sur-Mer Colleville-sur-Mer is a commune in the Calvados department in the Basse-Normandie region in northwestern France.The beach next to the coastal village was one of the principal beachheads during the Normandy landings on 6 June 1944, designated Omaha beach.... |
| Pauline Carton Pauline Carton Pauline Carton was a French film actress. She appeared in over 170 films between 1912 and 1970.-Selected filmography:* Le p'tit Parigot * The Blood of a Poet * High and Low... |
Maid |
| Irina Demick Irina Demick Irina Demick , sometimes credited as Irina Demich was a French actress with a brief career in American films.... |
Janine Boitard (French Resistance French Resistance The French Resistance is the name used to denote the collection of French resistance movements that fought against the Nazi German occupation of France and against the collaborationist Vichy régime during World War II... ) |
| Fernand Ledoux Fernand Ledoux Fernand Ledoux was a French film and theatre actor of Belgian origin. He studied with Raphaël Duflos at the CNSAD, and began his career with small roles at the Comédie-Française... |
Louis |
| Christian Marquand Christian Marquand Christian Marquand was a French director, actor and screenwriter working in French cinema. A native of Marseille, he was born to a Spanish father and an Arabic mother his sister was film director Nadine Trintignant, and he can be seen as a heartthrob in French movies of the 1950s.His first film... |
Capitaine de Frégate Philippe Kieffer Philippe Kieffer Philippe Kieffer , capitaine de frégate in the French Navy, was a French officer and political personality, and a hero of the Free French Forces.- Life and career :... Commander French Navy commandos Naval commandos (France) The Naval Commandos are the special forces of the French Navy. They are made up of ~500 members, mostly based in northwestern France , with several bases across the country for specific training needs. The Naval Commandos are nicknamed bérets verts . Their qualification training is one of the... |
| Madeleine Renaud Madeleine Renaud Madeleine Renaud was a distinguished actress and a major figure in French theater in the 20th century. She was born Lucie Madeleine Renaud in Paris and died there, aged 94, in 1994.... |
Mother Superior |
| Georges Rivière | Sergent Guy de Montlaur Guy de Montlaur Guy de Villardi de Montlaur was a French artist and soldier. His family originates from Montlaur , a 10th century castle north of Montpellier in the Languedoc country... |
| Jean Servais Jean Servais Jean Servais was a Belgian actor trained at the Brussels Conservatory of Dramatic Arts, where he won the Second Prize.... |
Contre-amiral Counter Admiral Counter admiral is a rank found in many navies of the world, but no longer used in English-speaking countries, where the equivalent rank is rear admiral... Janjard |
| Georges Wilson | Alexandre Renaud |
Germans
| Actor | Role |
|---|---|
| Hans Christian Blech Hans Christian Blech Hans Christian Blech was a German film, stage and television character actor who found success both in his native land and in Hollywood.... |
Major Major (Germany) Major is a rank of the German military which dates back to the Middle Ages.It equates to Major in the British and US Armies, and is rated OF-3 in NATO.During World War II, the SS equivalent was Sturmbannführer.... Werner Pluskat Werner Pluskat Werner Pluskat was a German Major, commander of the 352nd Artillery of the German 352nd Infantry Division during Allied invasion in Normandy 1944.... , 352nd Infantry Division |
| Wolfgang Büttner | Generalleutnant Dr. Hans Speidel Hans Speidel Hans Speidel: Born in Metzingen, was a German general during World War II and the first German NATO Commander during the Cold War.- 1914–1945 :... , chief of staff, Army Group B Army Group B Army Group B was the name of three different German Army Groups that saw action during World War II.-Battle for France:The first was involved in the Western Campaign in 1940 in Belgium and the Netherlands which was to be aimed to conquer the Maas bridges after the German airborne actions in Rotterdam... |
| Gert Fröbe Gert Fröbe Karl Gerhart Fröbe, better known as Gert Fröbe was a German actor who starred in many films, including the James Bond film Goldfinger as Auric Goldfinger, The Threepenny Opera as Peachum, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang as Baron Bomburst, and in Der Räuber Hotzenplotz as Hotzenplotz.-Life:Born in... |
Unteroffizier Unteroffizier Unteroffizier is both a specific military rank as well as a collective term for non-commissioned officers of the German military that has existed since the 19th century. The rank existed as a title as early as the 17th century with the first widespread usage occurring in the Bavarian Army of the... "Kaffeekanne" (coffeepot) |
| Paul Hartmann | Generalfeldmarschall Gerd von Rundstedt Gerd von Rundstedt Karl Rudolf Gerd von Rundstedt was a Generalfeldmarschall of the German Army during World War II. He held some of the highest field commands in all phases of the war.... , commander OB West |
| Werner Hinz Werner Hinz Werner Hinz was a German film actor. He appeared in 70 films between 1935 and 1984.-Selected filmography:* Die Buntkarierten * No Greater Love * The Last Witness... |
Generalfeldmarschall 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.... , commander Army Group B |
| Karl John Karl John (actor) Karl John was a German film actor. He appeared in 50 films between 1933 and 1977.He was born in Cologne, Germany and died in Gütersloh, Germany.-Selected filmography:* Neues vom Hexer... |
Generalleutnant Wolfgang Häger |
| Curd Jürgens Curd Jürgens Curd Gustav Andreas Gottlieb Franz Jürgens was a German-Austrian stage and film actor. He was usually billed in English-speaking films as Curt Jurgens.-Early life:... |
General der Infanterie Günther Blumentritt Günther Blumentritt Günther Blumentritt was a German officer in World War I, who became a Staff Officer under the Weimar Republic and went on to serve as a general for Nazi Germany during World War II... , chief of staff, OB West OB West The German Army Command in the West The German Army Command in the West The German Army Command in the West (Oberbefehlshaber West (German: initials OB West) was the overall command of the Westheer, the German Armed Forces on the Western Front during World War II. It was directly subordinate to... |
| Til Kiwe | Hauptmann Hauptmann Hauptmann 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... Helmuth Lang, Rommel's aide |
| Wolfgang Lukschy Wolfgang Lukschy Wolfgang Lukschy was a German actor and dubber. He performed in theater, film and television.He made over 75 film and TV appearances between 1940 and 1979... |
Generaloberst Alfred Jodl Alfred Jodl Alfred Josef Ferdinand Jodl was a German military commander, attaining the position of Chief of the Operations Staff of the Armed Forces High Command during World War II, acting as deputy to Wilhelm Keitel... , chief of staff, OKW |
| Kurt Meisel Kurt Meisel Kurt Meisel was an Austrian actor and film director. He appeared in 65 films between 1934 and 1994. He also directed 21 films between 1949 and 1984.Meisel was married to the actress Ursula Lingen... |
Ernst Düring |
| Richard Münch Richard Münch Richard Heinrich Ludwig Münch , better known as Richard Münch, was a German actor, best known for portraying Alfred Jodl in Patton... |
General der Artillerie Erich Marcks Erich Marcks Erich Marcks was a German general of artillery in World War II.-Biography:Born in Schöneberg, Marcks was the son of the German historian Erich Marcks. He began advanced studies in philosophy in Freiburg in 1909. He broke off his studies after only three semesters and became a career officer of... , commander LXXXIV Army Corps |
| Hartmut Reck | Bernhard Bergsdorf |
| Heinz Reincke | Oberst Oberst Oberst is a military rank in several German-speaking and Scandinavian countries, equivalent to Colonel. It is currently used by both the ground and air forces of Austria, Germany, Switzerland, Denmark and Norway. The Swedish rank överste is a direct translation, as are the Finnish rank eversti... Josef Priller Josef Priller Josef "Pips" Priller was a German World War II fighter ace. He has become famous because of the publicity regarding his Focke-Wulf's Fw 190A-8's single strafing pass attack on Sword Beach on June 6, 1944 , accompanied by his wingman Herbert Huppertz... , commander JG 26 Jagdgeschwader 26 Jagdgeschwader 26 Schlageter was a Luftwaffe fighter-wing of World War II. It operated mainly in Western Europe against Great Britain, France the United States but also saw service against Russia. It was named after Albert Leo Schlageter, a World War I veteran and Freikorps member arrested and... |
| Ernst Schröder Ernst Schröder (actor) Ernst Schröder was a popular German theatre, film and TV actor.-Life:Born in Herne, Schröder began his acting career at the nearby Bochum Theatre in 1934, under the legendary director Saladin Schmitt. He worked there until 1936, also working as Assistant Director and Stage Designer... |
Generaloberst Hans von Salmuth Hans von Salmuth Hans Eberhard Kurt von Salmuth was a German general during World War II. A lifelong professional soldier, he served his country as a junior officer in World War I, a staff officer in the inter-war period and early World War II, and an army level commander... , commander 15th Army |
| Heinz Spitzner | Helmuth Meyer |
| Wolfgang Preiss Wolfgang Preiss Wolfgang 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... |
Generalmajor Max Pemsel Max-Josef Pemsel Max-Josef Pemsel was a Generalleutnant in the German army during Second World War. After the war he became one of the very few Nazi senior officers to serve in the West German Army.-Biography:... chief of intelligence, 7th Army |
| Peter van Eyck Peter van Eyck Peter van Eyck, born Götz von Eick , was a German-American actor.-Biography:... |
Oberstleutnant Oberstleutnant Oberstleutnant is a German Army and Air Force rank equal to Lieutenant Colonel, above Major, and below Oberst.There are two paygrade associated to the rank of Oberstleutnant... Ocker, chief of Luftwaffe operations, OB West |
| Vicco "Loriot" von Bülow Vicco von Bülow Bernhard Victor Christoph Carl von Bülow , more commonly known under the pseudonym Loriot, was a German comedian, humorist, cartoonist, film director, actor and writer.He is most well known for his cartoons, the sketches from his 1976 television series... |
Luftwaffe Chief's aid. |
Casting
- The role of Lieutenant Colonel Benjamin H. VandervoortBenjamin H. VandervoortBenjamin Hayes "Vandy" Vandervoort was a Colonel in the United States Army, who fought in World War II. He was twice awarded the Distinguished Service Cross...
was actively sought by Charlton HestonCharlton HestonCharlton Heston was an American actor of film, theatre and television. Heston is known for heroic roles in films such as The Ten Commandments, Ben-Hur for which he won the Academy Award for Best Actor, El Cid, and Planet of the Apes...
, but the last-minute decision of John WayneJohn WayneMarion Mitchell Morrison , better known by his stage name John Wayne, was an American film actor, director and producer. He epitomized rugged masculinity and became an enduring American icon. He is famous for his distinctive calm voice, walk, and height...
to take a role in the film prevented Heston from participating. While everyone else accepted twenty-five thousand dollars as payment, John WayneJohn WayneMarion Mitchell Morrison , better known by his stage name John Wayne, was an American film actor, director and producer. He epitomized rugged masculinity and became an enduring American icon. He is famous for his distinctive calm voice, walk, and height...
insisted on a quarter of a million dollars to punish Zanuck for referring to him as "poor John Wayne" regarding Wayne's problems with his lavish movie The AlamoThe Alamo (1960 film)The Alamo is a 1960 American historical epic released by United Artists. The film was directed by John Wayne, who also starred as Davy Crockett. The cast also includes Richard Widmark as Jim Bowie and Laurence Harvey as William B...
. - Sergeant Kaffeekanne's name is GermanGerman languageGerman is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
for "coffee pot", which he always carries. - It is a common misconception that Bill MillinBill MillinWilliam "Bill" Millin , commonly known as Piper Bill, was personal piper to Simon Fraser, 15th Lord Lovat, commander of 1 Special Service Brigade at D-Day.- Early life :...
, the piper who accompanies Lord Lovat to Normandy with his bagpipesBagpipesBagpipes are a class of musical instrument, aerophones, using enclosed reeds fed from a constant reservoir of air in the form of a bag. Though the Scottish Great Highland Bagpipe and Irish uilleann pipes have the greatest international visibility, bagpipes of many different types come from...
, played himself in the film. He was actually portrayed by Pipe MajorPipe MajorThe Pipe Major is the director of bagpipe music in a Scottish or Irish pipe band. Like Drum Major, the position of Pipe Major is derived from British Army traditions. During the early twentieth century, the term Sergeant Piper was used for the role in place of "Pipe Major".Civillian and military...
Leslie de Laspee, the official piper to the Queen MotherQueen motherQueen Mother is a title or position reserved for a widowed queen consort whose son or daughter from that marriage is the reigning monarch. The term has been used in English since at least 1577...
in 1961. - In Sainte-Mère-ÉgliseSainte-Mère-ÉgliseSainte-Mère-Église is a commune in the Manche department in Normandy in north-western France.-History:Founded in the eleventh Century, the earliest records include the name Sancte Marie Ecclesia, Latin for "Church of St. Mary", while a later document written in Norman-French mentions Saincte...
, Private John SteeleJohn Steele (paratrooper)Private John M. Steele was the American paratrooper made famous in the movie, The Longest Day who landed in Sainte-Mère-Église, the first village in Normandy liberated by the Americans on D-Day, June 6, 1944....
from the 82nd Airborne (played by Red Buttons) has been memorialized by the local population with a dummy hanging from a parachute from the church tower on which he accidentally landed. - Richard ToddRichard ToddRichard Todd OBE was an Irish-born British stage and film actor and soldier.-Early life:Richard Todd was born as Richard Andrew Palethorpe-Todd in Dublin, Ireland. His father, Andrew William Palethorpe Todd, was an Irish physician and an international Irish rugby player who gained three caps for...
, who played Major John Howard, leader of the British Airborne assault on the Pegasus BridgePegasus BridgePegasus Bridge is a bascule bridge , built in 1934, that crossed the Caen Canal, between Caen and Ouistreham, in Normandy, France....
, took part in the real bridge assault on D-DayD-DayD-Day is a term often used in military parlance to denote the day on which a combat attack or operation is to be initiated. "D-Day" often represents a variable, designating the day upon which some significant event will occur or has occurred; see Military designation of days and hours for similar...
. Todd was offered the chance to play himself, but thought the part would be too small, so he asked to play the part of Major John Howard instead. Shortly after the British have captured the OrneOrneOrne is a department in the northwest of France, named after the river Orne.- History :Orne is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution, on March 4, 1790. It was created from parts of the former provinces of Normandy and Perche.- Geography :Orne is in the region of...
bridge (later renamed Horsa Bridge) in the film, one of the soldiers tells Todd that all they have to do now is sit tight and wait for the 7th Parachute Battalion to relieve them, to which Todd replies dismissively that the Paras are always late. This was a private joke, as Todd had been the adjutant of the 7th Parachute Battalion on D-Day and did help relieve the forces on the bridge. During the scene of Todd as Howard awaiting relief from the beachhead, an officer in a Para beret next to Todd is an actor playing the real Richard Todd. - Joseph Lowe landed on Omaha BeachOmaha BeachOmaha Beach is the code name for one of the five sectors of the Allied invasion of German-occupied France in the Normandy landings on 6 June 1944, during World War II...
and scaled the cliffs at Pointe du HocPointe du HocPointe du Hoc is a clifftop location on the coast of Normandy in northern France. It lies 4 miles west of Omaha Beach, and stands on 100 ft tall cliffs overlooking the sea...
on D-DayD-DayD-Day is a term often used in military parlance to denote the day on which a combat attack or operation is to be initiated. "D-Day" often represents a variable, designating the day upon which some significant event will occur or has occurred; see Military designation of days and hours for similar...
. He repeated the climb for the cameras 17 years later. - Actor Curd JürgensCurd JürgensCurd Gustav Andreas Gottlieb Franz Jürgens was a German-Austrian stage and film actor. He was usually billed in English-speaking films as Curt Jurgens.-Early life:...
portrayed the German General Blumentritt who muses on the incompetence of his superiors. Jürgens himself was actually imprisoned by the Nazis in his youth. - Former U.S. President Dwight D. EisenhowerDwight D. EisenhowerDwight David "Ike" Eisenhower was the 34th President of the United States, from 1953 until 1961. He was a five-star general in the United States Army...
was considered for the role of himself in the film, and he indicated his willingness. However, it was decided that makeup artists couldn't make him appear young enough to play his World War II self. The role of General Eisenhower went to Henry GraceHenry GraceHenry Grace was an American set decorator. He won an Academy Award and was nominated for twelve more in the category Best Art Direction.As an actor he had a role as Dwight D...
, a set decorator with no acting experience, but who had been in the film industry since the mid-1930s. He was a dead ringer for the younger Eisenhower, though his voice differed. His role in this film was his only acting credit. - Acclaimed British actor Christopher LeeChristopher LeeSir Christopher Frank Carandini Lee, CBE, CStJ is an English actor and musician. Lee initially portrayed villains and became famous for his role as Count Dracula in a string of Hammer Horror films...
auditioned for a role, but was turned down because he did not look like a military man, even though he had served in the Royal Air Force as an Intelligence Officer. However, some film books incorrectly credit him with a role in the film. - The film was the last one made by Sean ConnerySean ConnerySir Thomas Sean Connery , better known as Sean Connery, is a Scottish actor and producer who has won an Academy Award, two BAFTA Awards and three Golden Globes Sir Thomas Sean Connery (born 25 August 1930), better known as Sean Connery, is a Scottish actor and producer who has won an Academy...
before he was cast in the role of James BondJames BondJames Bond, code name 007, is a fictional character created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short story collections. There have been a six other authors who wrote authorised Bond novels or novelizations after Fleming's death in 1964: Kingsley Amis,...
. It is also noticeable that James Bond's later rivals, "Auric GoldfingerAuric GoldfingerAuric Goldfinger is a fictional character and the main antagonist in the James Bond film and novel Goldfinger. His first name, Auric, is an adjective meaning of gold...
" and "Karl StrombergKarl StrombergKarl Sigmund Stromberg is a fictional character and the main antagonist in the James Bond film The Spy Who Loved Me. Stromberg was portrayed by the late German-born, Austrian actor Curt Jurgens. The character Stromberg was created specifically for the film by writer Christopher Wood...
", are played by the GermanGermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
actors Gert FröbeGert FröbeKarl Gerhart Fröbe, better known as Gert Fröbe was a German actor who starred in many films, including the James Bond film Goldfinger as Auric Goldfinger, The Threepenny Opera as Peachum, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang as Baron Bomburst, and in Der Räuber Hotzenplotz as Hotzenplotz.-Life:Born in...
and Curd JürgensCurd JürgensCurd Gustav Andreas Gottlieb Franz Jürgens was a German-Austrian stage and film actor. He was usually billed in English-speaking films as Curt Jurgens.-Early life:...
respectively, who coincidentally also take "Nemesis" roles in this movie (Sergeant Kaffeekanne, and General Günther BlumentrittGünther BlumentrittGünther Blumentritt was a German officer in World War I, who became a Staff Officer under the Weimar Republic and went on to serve as a general for Nazi Germany during World War II...
). - Canadian journalist Charles LynchCharles Lynch (journalist)Charles Burchill Lynch, was a Canadian journalist and author.- Biography :Born in Cambridge, Massachusetts, to Canadian parents, he moved with his family to Saint John, New Brunswick when he was two weeks old...
played an unnamed war correspondent on Juno beach, who calls the homing pigeons "traitors" when they fly towards Germany. Lynch, then working for ReutersReutersReuters is a news agency headquartered in New York City. Until 2008 the Reuters news agency formed part of a British independent company, Reuters Group plc, which was also a provider of financial market data...
, was one of a handful of journalists to accompany the troops ashore in the actual invasion. - Sean Connery had a part in both movies made from Cornelius Ryan novels: Private Flanagan in The Longest Day; Major General Urquhart in A Bridge too Far.
- Wolfgang Preiss similarly had parts in the same two films: Maj. Gen. Max Pemsel in The Longest Day; Field Marshal Von Rundstedt in A Bridge too Far.
Filming
- During the filming of the landings at Omaha Beach, the extras appearing as American soldiers did not want to jump off the landing craft into the water because they thought it would be too cold. Robert Mitchum, who played General Norman CotaNorman CotaNorman Daniel "Dutch" Cota, Sr. was a United States Army general during World War II. Cota was heavily involved in the planning and execution of the invasion of France, codenamed Operation Neptune, and the subsequent Battle of Normandy.-Early life:Cota was born in Chelsea, Massachusetts, the son...
, became disgusted with their trepidation. He jumped in first, at which point the extras followed his example. - The Rupert paradummiesParadummyThe Paradummy is a device first used in World War II that, used with other artificial paratrooper units, is meant to cause an invasion by air to appear larger than it actually is. Paradummies can also be used to lure enemy troops into staged ambushes....
used in the film were far more elaborate and lifelike than those actually used for the decoy parachute drop (Operation TitanicOperation TitanicOperation Titanic was the codename for an operation carried out on 5-6 June 1944 by the Royal Air Force and the Special Air Service in support of the Normandy landings during the Second World War...
), which were actually just canvas or burlap sacks filled with sand. In the real operation, six Special Air ServiceSpecial Air ServiceSpecial Air Service or SAS is a corps of the British Army constituted on 31 May 1950. They are part of the United Kingdom Special Forces and have served as a model for the special forces of many other countries all over the world...
soldiers jumped with the dummies and played recordings of loud battle noises to distract the Germans. - At $10,000,000, this film was the most expensive black-and-whiteBlack-and-whiteBlack-and-white, often abbreviated B/W or B&W, is a term referring to a number of monochrome forms in visual arts.Black-and-white as a description is also something of a misnomer, for in addition to black and white, most of these media included varying shades of gray...
film made until 1993, when Schindler's ListSchindler's ListSchindler's List is a 1993 American film about Oskar Schindler, a German businessman who saved the lives of more than a thousand mostly Polish-Jewish refugees during the Holocaust by employing them in his factories. The film was directed by Steven Spielberg, and based on the novel Schindler's Ark...
was released. - In the scenes where the paratroopers land, the background noise of frogFrogFrogs are amphibians in the order Anura , formerly referred to as Salientia . Most frogs are characterized by a short body, webbed digits , protruding eyes and the absence of a tail...
s croaking "ribbit ribbit" was wrong for northern French frog species and showed that the film probably used an American recording of background night noises. - Colin MaudColin MaudColin Douglas Maud D.S.O., D.S.C. was a Royal Navy Lieutenant Commander who captained HMS Icarus and acted as Juno beach master at the D-day landings in World War II....
loaned Kenneth MoreKenneth MoreKenneth Gilbert More CBE was a highly successful English film actor during the post-World War II era and starred in many feature films, often in the role of an archetypal carefree and happy-go-lucky middle-class gentleman.-Early life:Kenneth More was born in Gerrards Cross, Buckinghamshire, the...
the shillelaghShillelagh (club)A shillelagh is a wooden walking stick and club or cudgel, typically made from a stout knotty stick with a large knob at the top, that is associated with Ireland and Irish folklore.- Construction :...
he carried ashore in the actual invasion, while Richard ToddRichard ToddRichard Todd OBE was an Irish-born British stage and film actor and soldier.-Early life:Richard Todd was born as Richard Andrew Palethorpe-Todd in Dublin, Ireland. His father, Andrew William Palethorpe Todd, was an Irish physician and an international Irish rugby player who gained three caps for...
wore the actual D-Day helmet worn by Major John Howard. - In the film, 3 Free French Special Air ServiceSpecial Air ServiceSpecial Air Service or SAS is a corps of the British Army constituted on 31 May 1950. They are part of the United Kingdom Special Forces and have served as a model for the special forces of many other countries all over the world...
paratroopers jumped into France before English and American airborne landings. This is accurate. 36 Free French SAS (4 sticks) jumped into Brittany (PlumelecPlumelecPlumelec is a commune in the Morbihan department of Brittany in north-western France.-References:* * -External links:* * *...
and DuaultDuaultDuault is a commune in the Côtes-d'Armor department in Bretagne in northwestern France.-Population:The inhabitants of Duault are known in French as duaultois.-External links:* *...
) on 5 June (11 h 30). The first Allied soldier killed in action was Free French Corporal Emile Bouetard: 6 June (0 h 40) in Plumelec, MorbihanMorbihanMorbihan is a department in Brittany, situated in the northwest of France. It is named after the Morbihan , the enclosed sea that is the principal feature of the coastline.-History:...
. - The US Navy extensively supported the filming and made available many amphibious landing ships and craft, though many of the ships were of (then) modern vintage. The USS SpringfieldUSS SpringfieldUSS Springfield may refer to:*USS Springfield , was a stern-wheel steamboat in use during the American Civil War.*USS Springfield , was a steamboat chartered during 1918 and 1919....
, and USS Little Rock, both WW2 light cruisers (though extensively reconfigured into guided missile cruisers) were used in the shore bombardment scenes, though it was easy to tell they did not resemble their wartime configuration.
Awards
- Academy Awards for Best Art Direction (1962): Ted HaworthTed HaworthTed Haworth was an American production designer and art director. He won an Academy Award and was nominated five more times in the category Best Art Direction....
, Léon BarsacqLéon BarsacqLéon Barsacq was a Russian production designer, art director and set decorator. He was nominated for an Academy Award in the category Best Art Direction for the film The Longest Day.-External links:...
, Vincent KordaVincent KordaVincent Korda was a Hungarian-born art director, later settling in Britain. Born in Túrkeve in the then Austro-Hungarian Empire, he was the younger brother of Alexander and Zoltán Korda. He was nominated for four Academy Awards, winning once.He died in London, England...
and Gabriel BéchirGabriel BéchirGabriel Béchir was a set decorator. He was nominated for an Academy Award in the category Best Art Direction for the film The Longest Day.-External links:...
(nominated) - Academy Awards for Best Cinematography (1962): Jean Bourgoin and Walter Wottitz (won)
- Academy Awards for Best Editing (1962): Samuel E. Beetley (nominated)
- Academy Awards for Best Picture (1962): (nominated)
- Academy Awards for Best Special Effects (1962): (won)