schaffer

Been a big fanatic of this film for years now, just wondered how other filmgoers thought about this movie... I am after a premiere booklet also
on this movie from the Empire London 22nd Jan 1969..
Would like to hear all comments...

Freddy

A great adventure film, everything from start to finish was spot on.
Didn't see the ending coming,
One of those films you can escape into it.

Freddy

Nick Dando

If you put in a want request at abe.com it may eventually turn up what you're after.

http://www.abebooks.co.uk/servlet/Wa...&x=89&sortby=1

You'll need to tweak this basic search as it will come up with all of the 666 titles currently being offered.

Nick

djdave

Fantastic movie, with a fabulous score by the late Ron Goodwin. Everybody knows the Main Title, but the best cue is Pursued by the Enemy.

I remember reading that Richard Burton did the film because of his children...they were quite young at the time, and had complained that he only did "boring" films. So he did WED.

Incidentally, lots of people think that the film was based on Alistair Maclean's novel, but it was actually an original screenplay by Maclean who - though he lived nearby in Switzerland - thoroughly detested Burton. The feeling, apparanly, was mutual.

Quiller

I'm a big MacLean fan, and he's my favourite writer.

Some random WED stuff I remember reading:

Burton and MacLean - they were both hard drinkers. One Scottish, one Welsh. They were bound to wind each other up from time to time.

MacLean was an odyssey. No one ever figured the man out. He looked quietly intense, but he was sharp as a fox.

In the hotel during filming - he only visted once, as filmmaking didn't really grab him - he ended up punching and knocking out Burton in the lobby! Meek MacLean versus the might Welsh Burton. I would have loved to have seen Burton's expression. He wouldn't have expected it from MacLean.

The film's producer met with MacLean to see if there were any of his novels available for option. He said no, they'd all been sold already.

The producer asked him if he'd ever consider writing an original screenplay. "I canna write a script, man!" He once said the same thing when asked if he'd ever consider writing a book! (The rest is history). The producer left empty handed.

Less than two weeks later, the producer got a call. There was a scot on the line wanting to talk to him. Alistair MacLean told him he'd finished it. The producer must have been well confused. He'd written a script called The Sloss Adler (yeah, I spelt that wrong). The producer was thrilled, they made it into Where Eagles Dare.

MacLean visted the location filming in Europe. In the hotel lobby, he and Burton got into an argument. MacLean knocked out Burton cold! Burton didn't expect it. They were both drunk.

While the film was being made, MacLean wrote the novel from the screenplay. His genius shines through even more with the additional material in the novel. The best example is the heightened suspense when Burton tries to trick the Nazi's at the table - there's some astounding dialogue and movement that isn't in the script.

He'd write all his novels in 38 days flat, "just to see the bloody things through."

Burton was pretty sozzled through most of the filming. He refused to touch the prop sticks of dynamite, even though they were made of wood.

He substituted a lot of his own scenes by letting Eastwood have them. A perfect example of this is the bike with the sidecar. Burton was supposed to be riding the bike, but he took it easy in the sidecar and let Eastwood drive!

At the premiere of the film, MacLean wanted to bring his mum along, but one of the producers said it wasn't really necessary, as she had nothing to do with the film. MacLean took the piss out of the producer and brought her along to the royal performance.

While in the audience - the Queen was there - halfway through the film, MacLean could be heard every few minutes cursing out aloud: "I dinna kill this many Germans in the script!"

Whether MacLean and Burton hated each other, I don't know. I get the impression that both were difficult people, and with MacLean, he was quite an intense personality.

The ultimate irony is that Burton is buried next to none other than Alistair MacLean in Switzerland!

When Burton and MacLean met, it was Where Egos Dare.


"Stop!!! I've dropped my bloody beer!"

djdave

Fantastic stuff, Quiller.

And the picture gag at the end was perfect....just what I needed to cheer me up after having sat through the dismal Superman Returns.

If only Eastwood and Burton had appeared at the start and blown Lex Luther away, they would have saved me the agony of watching the bloody thing.....

Quiller

Thanks, djdave, for saving me the trouble of seeing Superman Returns. There's only one Superman, and there's only one Lex Luthor, in my eyes. Classics should not be remade, they only become inferior.

You know, one day, someone will remake Where Eagles Dare, with George Clooney and Brad Pitt, and I will have no choice but to go homicidal and burn down the studio.

Marky B

It's a pity there hasn't been a film version of his best book HMS Ulysses.
Ta Ta
Marky B:)

I once shot an elephant in my pyjamas - how he got in my pyjamas,I'll never know

Quiller

Marky, I've heard so much about it, but I've never read it! I'm sure I read the film rights were bought, or it wasn't the right time to make the film, because of another seafaring war film at the time.

Freddy

Excellent info on WED,
much thanks

Freddy

Johnny Rico

Enjoyed the info on the film. Its a perennial favourite - seen it many times , usually on TV!

First saw it on Release with an early " Chat Track" povided years before DVD by some smart-arse kids who let off stink Bombs ! Anyway I was caught up in the film especially the cable car sequence! ( I wasnt old enough to spot the Doubles ! )

Some points of interest
* Clint always Greets the men he kills!

* The Helicopter struck me as an anachronism . However I found out that Helicopters were around on Axis and Allied Side. ( I think the one in the film was a Korea-era Bell Helicopter ) . The Nazis had them - along with any number of advanced projects.

* Clint keeps his 1960's Haircut! See also Kelly's Heroes - where Donald Sutherland trumps him with the full Hippy Hair!

* You can't fire 2 MP40 Machine Pistols and stay on your feet! I found this out in a thread on this site! You would end up on your Back with a lot of holes in the ceiling - See also Sly with his one-handed M60 in Rambo.

* " Broadsword calling Danny Boy " passed into legend among Schoolboys of my age - along with " Flying Doctor to Wollaboola Base"!

Couldn't You just try acting , Old Boy...It's so much easier

DB7

My only memories of it afaik are that Burton took on the project to please his son and it's supposed to have a ridiculous body count considering Burton and Eastwood are for the most part lightly armed. I saw a spoof some time ago that showed the scene in the castle as an arcade game and it counted off how many rounds Eastwood fired to stop the German's advancing toward the radio room.

Certainly more successful than those British-Canadian Maclean adaptations of the 70's.

Quiller

Wow, I never noticed that Clint always greets the men he killed. That's really cool.

Great bit of trivia about the machine pistols!

schaffer

Hi all you "Eagles " fans, and thank you for the great response...
I often thought myself, about Eastwood holding two machine guns..
and wondering if this was possible in real life.but its cinematic licence !!
like everything else in the movies...it happens..might not be possible in real life, but it`s there..enjoy..
I do hope this film does not get a remake...
Look what happened to "Get Carter"

The Duke

A Superb Film, nice triv:rolleyes: