The Longest Day (1962)

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  • Darryl Zanuck wanted Duke for the part. He wanted him so bad, Duke drove up the price for the few days he filmed the roll. It was Duke's way of paying Zanuck back for comments Zanuck made about Duke producing and acting in The Alamo.

    "I couldn't go to sleep at night if the director didn't call 'cut'. "

  • I understood your point. For historical accuracy, Duke looked way too old for the part. But Zanuck knew if he wanted this war movie to be successful, he had to have Duke in it. They seem to be more into accuracy in today's films than they did back in the day. Movies are roasted now, if they are not accurate to history. It didn't seem as important back then.

    "I couldn't go to sleep at night if the director didn't call 'cut'. "

  • I understood your point. For historical accuracy, Duke looked way too old for the part. But Zanuck knew if he wanted this war movie to be successful, he had to have Duke in it. They seem to be more into accuracy in today's films than they did back in the day. Movies are roasted now, if they are not accurate to history. It didn't seem as important back then.

    I think a lot of old films would be criticised if they were made today. "Braveheart" was probably the most historically inaccurate film I've seen.


    Now everyone can easily find out the facts on wikipedia and other sites.

  • Does anyone know why the film was made in black and white?


    The first time I saw it at Christmas 2008 it was in colour. I was very disappointed to find the film was actually in black and white when I saw it again. The TV guide did not mention the version I saw had been colourised.

  • "The Longest Day" was filmed in black & white due to cost reasons as much as any...the movie "Cleopatra" was sucking up most of the financing of the studio (and almost bankrupted it) at the time and the war film had to cut costs where it could...and even then it was the most expensive black & white film ever done until "Schindler's List" in the '90s. I've read that Darryl Zanuck had to provide his own money to keep it going and complete it as he desired...true or not I can't say. Maybe it's an urban legend.


    There was a colorized version of the film released in the early '90s on videotape but other releases have all be in black & white...even blu-ray versions.

    "It was me...I shot Liberty Valance."

  • "The Longest Day" was filmed in black & white due to cost reasons as much as any...the movie "Cleopatra" was sucking up most of the financing of the studio (and almost bankrupted it) at the time and the war film had to cut costs where it could...and even then it was the most expensive black & white film ever done until "Schindler's List" in the '90s. I've read that Darryl Zanuck had to provide his own money to keep it going and complete it as he desired...true or not I can't say. Maybe it's an urban legend.


    There was a colorized version of the film released in the early '90s on videotape but other releases have all be in black & white...even blu-ray versions.

    They should colourise the film again as it would be of a higher quality, like the recolourisation of "The Shaggy Dog".

  • I like that, although the cast credits are announced as being in alphabetical order, to add impact Duke’s name appears last (below Stuart Whitman’s, for example).

  • "It was me...I shot Liberty Valance."