Tobruk (film)
Encyclopedia
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
.
Set in North Africa
during the North African Campaign
of the Second World War
it is a fictionalized story of members of the British Army’s
Long Range Desert Group
(LRDG) and the Special Identification Group
(SIG) who endeavour to destroy the fuel bunkers of Erwin Rommel’s
Panzer Army Africa
in Tobruk
.
Erwin Rommel
90 miles (144 km) from the Suez Canal
, the staff of the British Eighth Army
approve a plan to destroy the German fuel bunkers at Tobruk.
The original author of the plan, Major
Donald Craig (Rock Hudson) has been captured by Vichy French
forces and is interned
at the port of Algiers
. Craig is a Canadian
expert on desert topography
, desert exploration
, and has extensive practical knowledge of the Sahara
, so he is considered essential to the success of the planned raid on Tobruk.
Craig is liberated by Captain
Kurt Bergman (George Peppard) of the SIG and some of his men, who are Palestinian Jews. They then join up with the LRDG, under the command of Lieutenant Colonel
John Harker (Nigel Green
), at Kufra
.
Colonel Harker explains that they have eight days to get to Tobruk and destroy the fuel depot and German field guns protecting the harbor, before a scheduled amphibious landing. The plan calls for the LRDG to pose as POWs
being escorted by the SIG posing as German soldiers. Harker is antisemitic, which he makes known to Craig at several points (he warns Craig to not trust the SIG - "A little trust is alright, but there's no point in overdoing it. Six years in Palestine taught me that," Harker says to Craig), hardening Craig to sympathy for Bergman; Craig is noticeably frustrated at Bergman when the Captain seems to simply accept Harker's bigotry and also his seeming disregard for the lives being risked - when Craig asks Bergman why he does not speak up in his own defense, Bergman's reply ("'Begin thinking of death and you're no longer sure of your life.' It's a Hebrew proverb") is rejected by Craig ("A dead martyr is just another corpse").
On the way to Tobruk, they encounter a patrol of Italians and Germans and trick them into attacking each other, then they navigate a German minefield before being mistakenly attacked by a British fighter, which destroys both of their radios. When they shoot it down, they are spotted by Tuareg, who request guns.
It is from the Tuareg that group is saddled with two British prisoners, Henry Portman and his daughter Cheryl, who are traveling from Benghazi to Cairo on behalf of Germany. They have papers signed by the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem
(Mohammad Amin al-Husayni
) and German Field Marshal
Albert Kesselring
, on behalf of the Führer
, which is an agreement between the Reich
and a group of “important” Egyptian army officers, that the Egyptians will rise up against the British in Jihad
, a “Holy War”. The movie implies that the Egyptian revolt, similar to the 1936-1939 Arab revolt in Palestine, could be enough to mobilize the entire Muslim world
to fight for Germany. “The Turks alone could put four million men into the war against Russia,” Cheryl Portman pointedly notes to Bergman.
But the Portmans are forced at gunpoint by a mysterious member of the SIG to trek to an underground communication cable in the desert, where they are spotted and shot by Italian soldiers. Bergman and his men retrieve the injured Cheryl and it becomes clear that one of Bergman's men is a traitor. Harker humiliates Bergman by disarming him and having his own men do the same to the SIG (a pointed bit of dialogue ensues between the film's comedic relief characters, Alfie (Norman Rossington
) and Dolan (Percy Herbert
) when Alfie sneers, "Once a jerry, always a jerry," and Dolan defends the SIG by pointing to Alfie's past as a thief) and giving them two hours to find the traitor. It is believed that the traitor is found when one of Bergman's closest friends, Bruckner, is found stabbed to death in an underground sewer and his suicide tablet is gone, though Bergman is not convinced.
The group finally reaches Tobruk, but discover to their horror that Rommel has amassed reserves of two divisions of tanks undetected by British intelligence. This makes the mission even more important, as Rommel's reserves are enough to conquer Egypt, but the British commandos "have the key" of going after Rommel's underground fuel tanks. In the ensuing battle two of the German harbor guns are blown up and the landing force is turned back, but the commando unit comes under attack from German tanks led by Rommel himself. Bergman and several men use flame throwers to help Harker evacuate some of his men, while Craig, Sergeant Krug, and two others escape and jump a German tank well inland, with which they charge into the distant underground fuel depot.
and Howard A. Anderson were nominated for the Academy Award for Visual Effects
.
using the Techniscope
format, and shot in Almería
, Spain
and the United States
.
Technical advice and assistance was provided by the 40th Armored Division ("Grizzly") of the California Army National Guard
.
Producer Gene Corman would again use Tobruk's Nazi occupation as the background in his 1990 parody film A Man Called Sarge
, although this time set during the Second Battle of El Alamein
, in late 1942.
Laurence Harvey
was originally slated to play the role of Major Craig.
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...
starring Rock Hudson
Rock Hudson
Roy Harold Scherer, Jr., later Roy Harold Fitzgerald , known professionally as Rock Hudson, was an American film and television actor, recognized as a romantic leading man during the 1950s and 1960s, most notably in several romantic comedies with Doris Day.Hudson was voted "Star of the Year",...
and George Peppard
George Peppard
George Peppard, Jr. was an American film and television actor.Peppard secured a major role when he starred alongside Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany's , portrayed a character based on Howard Hughes in The Carpetbaggers , and played the title role of the millionaire sleuth Thomas Banacek in...
and directed by Arthur Hiller
Arthur Hiller
Arthur Hiller, OC is a Canadian film director. His filmography includes 33 major studio releases, including the 1970 film Love Story...
. The film was written by Leo Gordon
Leo Gordon
Leo Vincent Gordon was an American movie and television character actor as well as a screenplay writer and novelist. He specialized in playing brutish bad guys during more than forty years in film and television....
and released through Universal Pictures
Universal Studios
Universal Pictures , a subsidiary of NBCUniversal, is one of the six major movie studios....
.
Set in North Africa
North Africa
North Africa or Northern Africa is the northernmost region of the African continent, linked by the Sahara to Sub-Saharan Africa. Geopolitically, the United Nations definition of Northern Africa includes eight countries or territories; Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, South Sudan, Sudan, Tunisia, and...
during the North African Campaign
North African campaign
During the Second World War, the North African Campaign took place in North Africa from 10 June 1940 to 13 May 1943. It included campaigns fought in the Libyan and Egyptian deserts and in Morocco and Algeria and Tunisia .The campaign was fought between the Allies and Axis powers, many of whom had...
of the Second World War
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...
it is a fictionalized story of members of the British Army’s
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
Long Range Desert Group
Long Range Desert Group
The Long Range Desert Group was a reconnaissance and raiding unit of the British Army during the Second World War. The commander of the German Afrika Corps, Field Marshal Erwin Rommel, admitted that the LRDG "caused us more damage than any other British unit of equal strength".Originally called...
(LRDG) and the Special Identification Group
Special Interrogation Group
The Special Interrogation Group was a unit of the British Army during World War II. It was organized from German-speaking Jewish volunteers from the British Mandate of Palestine...
(SIG) who endeavour to destroy the fuel bunkers of Erwin Rommel’s
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....
Panzer Army Africa
Panzer Army Africa
As the number of German armed forces committed to the North Africa Campaign of World War II grew from the initial commitment of a small corps the Germans developed a more elaborate command structure and placed the now larger Afrika Korps, with Italian units under this new German command structure,...
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 ....
.
Plot
In September 1942, with the troops of German Field MarshalGeneralfeldmarschall
Field Marshal or Generalfeldmarschall in German, was a rank in the armies of several German states and the Holy Roman Empire; in the Austrian Empire, the rank Feldmarschall was used...
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....
90 miles (144 km) from the Suez Canal
Suez Canal
The Suez Canal , also known by the nickname "The Highway to India", is an artificial sea-level waterway in Egypt, connecting the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea. Opened in November 1869 after 10 years of construction work, it allows water transportation between Europe and Asia without navigation...
, the staff of the British Eighth Army
Eighth Army (United Kingdom)
The Eighth Army was one of the best-known formations of the British Army during World War II, fighting in the North African and Italian campaigns....
approve a plan to destroy the German fuel bunkers at Tobruk.
The original author of the plan, Major
Major (UK)
In the British military, major is a military rank which is used by both the British Army and Royal Marines. The rank insignia for a major is a crown...
Donald Craig (Rock Hudson) has been captured by Vichy French
Vichy France
Vichy France, Vichy Regime, or Vichy Government, are common terms used to describe the government of France that collaborated with the Axis powers from July 1940 to August 1944. This government succeeded the Third Republic and preceded the Provisional Government of the French Republic...
forces and is interned
Internment
Internment is the imprisonment or confinement of people, commonly in large groups, without trial. The Oxford English Dictionary gives the meaning as: "The action of 'interning'; confinement within the limits of a country or place." Most modern usage is about individuals, and there is a distinction...
at the port of Algiers
Algiers
' is the capital and largest city of Algeria. According to the 1998 census, the population of the city proper was 1,519,570 and that of the urban agglomeration was 2,135,630. In 2009, the population was about 3,500,000...
. Craig is a Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
expert on desert topography
Topography
Topography is the study of Earth's surface shape and features or those ofplanets, moons, and asteroids...
, desert exploration
Desert exploration
Desert exploration is the deliberate and scientific exploration of deserts, the arid regions of the earth. It is only incidentally concerned with the culture and livelihood of native desert dwellers....
, and has extensive practical knowledge of the Sahara
Sahara
The Sahara is the world's second largest desert, after Antarctica. At over , it covers most of Northern Africa, making it almost as large as Europe or the United States. The Sahara stretches from the Red Sea, including parts of the Mediterranean coasts, to the outskirts of the Atlantic Ocean...
, so he is considered essential to the success of the planned raid on Tobruk.
Craig is liberated by Captain
Captain (British Army and Royal Marines)
Captain is a junior officer rank of the British Army and Royal Marines. It ranks above Lieutenant and below Major and has a NATO ranking code of OF-2. The rank is equivalent to a Lieutenant in the Royal Navy and to a Flight Lieutenant in the Royal Air Force...
Kurt Bergman (George Peppard) of the SIG and some of his men, who are Palestinian Jews. They then join up with the LRDG, under the command of Lieutenant Colonel
Lieutenant-Colonel (UK)
Lieutenant colonel is a rank in the British Army and Royal Marines which is also used in many Commonwealth countries. The rank is superior to major, and subordinate to colonel...
John Harker (Nigel Green
Nigel Green
Nigel Green was a South African-born English character actor. Because of his strapping build and commanding demeanour he would often be found playing military types and men of action in such classic sixties films as Jason and the Argonauts, Zulu, Tobruk and The Ipcress File.-Early life and...
), at Kufra
Kufra
Kufra is a basin and oasis group in Al Kufrah District, southeastern Cyrenaica in Libya. Kufra is historically important above all because at the end of nineteenth century it became the center and holy place of the Senussi order...
.
Colonel Harker explains that they have eight days to get to Tobruk and destroy the fuel depot and German field guns protecting the harbor, before a scheduled amphibious landing. The plan calls for the LRDG to pose as POWs
Prisoner of war
A prisoner of war or enemy prisoner of war is a person, whether civilian or combatant, who is held in custody by an enemy power during or immediately after an armed conflict...
being escorted by the SIG posing as German soldiers. Harker is antisemitic, which he makes known to Craig at several points (he warns Craig to not trust the SIG - "A little trust is alright, but there's no point in overdoing it. Six years in Palestine taught me that," Harker says to Craig), hardening Craig to sympathy for Bergman; Craig is noticeably frustrated at Bergman when the Captain seems to simply accept Harker's bigotry and also his seeming disregard for the lives being risked - when Craig asks Bergman why he does not speak up in his own defense, Bergman's reply ("'Begin thinking of death and you're no longer sure of your life.' It's a Hebrew proverb") is rejected by Craig ("A dead martyr is just another corpse").
On the way to Tobruk, they encounter a patrol of Italians and Germans and trick them into attacking each other, then they navigate a German minefield before being mistakenly attacked by a British fighter, which destroys both of their radios. When they shoot it down, they are spotted by Tuareg, who request guns.
It is from the Tuareg that group is saddled with two British prisoners, Henry Portman and his daughter Cheryl, who are traveling from Benghazi to Cairo on behalf of Germany. They have papers signed by the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem
Grand Mufti of Jerusalem
The Grand Mufti of Jerusalem is the Sunni Muslim cleric in charge of Jerusalem's Islamic holy places, including the Al-Aqsa Mosque.-Ottoman era:...
(Mohammad Amin al-Husayni
Mohammad Amin al-Husayni
Haj Mohammed Effendi Amin el-Husseini was a Palestinian Arab nationalist and Muslim leader in the British Mandate of Palestine. From as early as 1920, in order to secure the independence of Palestine as an Arab state he actively opposed Zionism, and was implicated as a leader of a violent riot...
) and German Field Marshal
Generalfeldmarschall
Field Marshal or Generalfeldmarschall in German, was a rank in the armies of several German states and the Holy Roman Empire; in the Austrian Empire, the rank Feldmarschall was used...
Albert Kesselring
Albert Kesselring
Albert Kesselring was a German Luftwaffe Generalfeldmarschall during World War II. In a military career that spanned both World Wars, Kesselring became one of Nazi Germany's most skilful commanders, being one of 27 soldiers awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves, Swords...
, on behalf of the Führer
Führer
Führer , alternatively spelled Fuehrer in both English and German when the umlaut is not available, is a German title meaning leader or guide now most associated with Adolf Hitler, who modelled it on Benito Mussolini's title il Duce, as well as with Georg von Schönerer, whose followers also...
, which is an agreement between the Reich
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
and a group of “important” Egyptian army officers, that the Egyptians will rise up against the British in Jihad
Jihad
Jihad , an Islamic term, is a religious duty of Muslims. In Arabic, the word jihād translates as a noun meaning "struggle". Jihad appears 41 times in the Quran and frequently in the idiomatic expression "striving in the way of God ". A person engaged in jihad is called a mujahid; the plural is...
, a “Holy War”. The movie implies that the Egyptian revolt, similar to the 1936-1939 Arab revolt in Palestine, could be enough to mobilize the entire Muslim world
Muslim world
The term Muslim world has several meanings. In a religious sense, it refers to those who adhere to the teachings of Islam, referred to as Muslims. In a cultural sense, it refers to Islamic civilization, inclusive of non-Muslims living in that civilization...
to fight for Germany. “The Turks alone could put four million men into the war against Russia,” Cheryl Portman pointedly notes to Bergman.
But the Portmans are forced at gunpoint by a mysterious member of the SIG to trek to an underground communication cable in the desert, where they are spotted and shot by Italian soldiers. Bergman and his men retrieve the injured Cheryl and it becomes clear that one of Bergman's men is a traitor. Harker humiliates Bergman by disarming him and having his own men do the same to the SIG (a pointed bit of dialogue ensues between the film's comedic relief characters, Alfie (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:...
) and Dolan (Percy Herbert
Percy Herbert (actor)
Percy Herbert was an English character actor who often played soldiers, most notably in The Bridge on the River Kwai, The Wild Geese and Tunes of Glory. However, he was equally at home in comedies and science fiction...
) when Alfie sneers, "Once a jerry, always a jerry," and Dolan defends the SIG by pointing to Alfie's past as a thief) and giving them two hours to find the traitor. It is believed that the traitor is found when one of Bergman's closest friends, Bruckner, is found stabbed to death in an underground sewer and his suicide tablet is gone, though Bergman is not convinced.
The group finally reaches Tobruk, but discover to their horror that Rommel has amassed reserves of two divisions of tanks undetected by British intelligence. This makes the mission even more important, as Rommel's reserves are enough to conquer Egypt, but the British commandos "have the key" of going after Rommel's underground fuel tanks. In the ensuing battle two of the German harbor guns are blown up and the landing force is turned back, but the commando unit comes under attack from German tanks led by Rommel himself. Bergman and several men use flame throwers to help Harker evacuate some of his men, while Craig, Sergeant Krug, and two others escape and jump a German tank well inland, with which they charge into the distant underground fuel depot.
Cast
- Rock HudsonRock HudsonRoy Harold Scherer, Jr., later Roy Harold Fitzgerald , known professionally as Rock Hudson, was an American film and television actor, recognized as a romantic leading man during the 1950s and 1960s, most notably in several romantic comedies with Doris Day.Hudson was voted "Star of the Year",...
as Major Donald Craig - George PeppardGeorge PeppardGeorge Peppard, Jr. was an American film and television actor.Peppard secured a major role when he starred alongside Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany's , portrayed a character based on Howard Hughes in The Carpetbaggers , and played the title role of the millionaire sleuth Thomas Banacek in...
as Captain Kurt Bergman - Nigel GreenNigel GreenNigel Green was a South African-born English character actor. Because of his strapping build and commanding demeanour he would often be found playing military types and men of action in such classic sixties films as Jason and the Argonauts, Zulu, Tobruk and The Ipcress File.-Early life and...
as Colonel John Harker - Guy StockwellGuy StockwellGuy Harry Stockwell was an American actor who appeared in nearly 30 movies and 250 television series episodes....
as Lieutenant Max Mohnfeld - Jack WatsonJack Watson (actor)Jack Watson , was an English actor who appeared in many British films and television dramas from the 1950s onwards....
as Sergeant Major Jack Tyne - Norman RossingtonNorman RossingtonNorman 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:...
as Alfie - Percy HerbertPercy Herbert (actor)Percy Herbert was an English character actor who often played soldiers, most notably in The Bridge on the River Kwai, The Wild Geese and Tunes of Glory. However, he was equally at home in comedies and science fiction...
as Dolan - Liam RedmondLiam RedmondLiam Redmond was an Irish actor known for his stage, film and television roles.-Early life:Redmond was one of four children born to carpenter Thomas and Eileen Redmond...
as Henry Portman - Heidy Hunt as Cheryl Portman
- Leo GordonLeo GordonLeo Vincent Gordon was an American movie and television character actor as well as a screenplay writer and novelist. He specialized in playing brutish bad guys during more than forty years in film and television....
as Sergeant Krug - Robert WoldersRobert WoldersRobert Wolders is a Dutch television actor.He played the role of Erik Hunter in the second season of the TV series Laredo...
as Corporal Bruckner
Academy Awards
Albert WhitlockAlbert Whitlock
Albert J. Whitlock was a British-born motion picture matte artist best known for his work with Disney and Universal Studios.-Life and career:...
and Howard A. Anderson were nominated for the Academy Award for Visual Effects
Academy Award for Visual Effects
The Academy Award for Visual Effects is an Academy Award given for the best achievement in visual effects.-History of the award:The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences first recognized the technical contributions of special effects to movies at its inaugural dinner in 1928, presenting a...
.
Production
It was photographed in TechnicolorTechnicolor
Technicolor is a color motion picture process invented in 1916 and improved over several decades.It was the second major process, after Britain's Kinemacolor, and the most widely used color process in Hollywood from 1922 to 1952...
using the Techniscope
Techniscope
Techniscope or 2-Perf is a 35mm motion picture camera film format introduced by Technicolor Italia in 1963. The Techniscope format uses a two film-perforation negative pulldown per frame, instead of the standard four-perforation frame usually exposed in 35mm film photography...
format, and shot in Almería
Almería (province)
-History:The rich customs and Fiestas of the denizens retain links deep into the past, unto the Moors, the Romans, the Greeks, and the Phoenicians.During the taifa era, it was ruled by the Moor Banu al-Amiri from 1012 to 1038, briefly annexed by Valencia , then given by Zaragoza to the Banu Sumadih...
, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
and the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
Technical advice and assistance was provided by the 40th Armored Division ("Grizzly") of the California Army National Guard
California Army National Guard
The California Army National Guard is the land force component of the California National Guard, one of the reserve component United States Army and is part of the United States National Guard. The California Army National Guard is composed of about 20,000 soldiers...
.
Producer Gene Corman would again use Tobruk's Nazi occupation as the background in his 1990 parody film A Man Called Sarge
A Man Called Sarge
A Man Called Sarge is a 1990 American parody film, written and directed by Stuart Gillard, starring Gary Kroeger, Marc Singer, Gretchen German and introducing a young Natasha Lyonne...
, although this time set during the Second Battle of El Alamein
Second Battle of El Alamein
The Second Battle of El Alamein marked a major turning point in the Western Desert Campaign of the Second World War. The battle took place over 20 days from 23 October – 11 November 1942. The First Battle of El Alamein had stalled the Axis advance. Thereafter, Lieutenant-General Bernard Montgomery...
, in late 1942.
Laurence Harvey
Laurence Harvey
Laurence Harvey was a Lithuanian-born actor who achieved fame in British and American films.- Early life :Harvey maintained throughout his life that his birth name was Laruschka Mischa Skikne. However, his legal name was Zvi Mosheh Skikne. He was the youngest of three boys born to Ber "Boris" and...
was originally slated to play the role of Major Craig.