Where Eagles Dare

I believe that was Yakima Canutt. He was also the second unit director in well known films such as Ben-Hur, Old Yeller, A Man Called Horse, El Cid, to name a few.

Roger.

One of my favorite guilty-pleasures, as well as one of some of my best friends. We even went to the location a couple of years ago, spent two days there. The castle is still the same, yet the town has changed. But there's still some old-timers telling tales about the filming. There's absolutely nothing earnest to discuss with this flic, it's just so enjoyable. Did you know that Burton and screenwriter Alistair MacLean are buried in the same cemetery in Switzerland?

Hi Viper

The film contained a fine british cast of all the old favourites and included Patrick Whymark an under valued actor. Also Robert Beatty in one of his final films.

I think in one of the scenes there is a helicopter and although I am by no means well up on aviation when did helicopters come into being as a viable means of transport.

I also remember seein a helicopter f sorts in an old 1930s pictures so I suppose they must have been about during the second world war.

Regards

Arthur

What's the name of the blonde actor who played Gestapo Major von Hapen? I thought he was great in that role.

Funny enough, the kept the original name of the town in the plot and called it "Werfen". It's Hohenwerfen. But there is not restaurant called "Zum Wilden Hirsch" - I checked!
Just for fun, what does your memory tell you: Is there a cable-car running up to the castle?

They blurred the lines between real castle and make believe really good!
Next time you watch it, look closely at the scene where they approach the castle first. Burton watches it through binoculars (I'm pretty sure I spelled that wrong).**
They show a "point of view" shot - supposing Burton sees that through the glasses: yet it's a model of the castle, with the cable-car. With that established, they didn't need to bother to show it connected to the castle in the SAME shot again. Because - there really isn't any! And the castle isn't that high up as well - it's maybe a half hour hike by foot from the town.
They shot all the other scenes some kilometers away, where there really was a cable-car.

**(in that shot, look closely at Burton's hands, holding the binoculars: they're fake rubber hands! They had to do it that way to make sure the hands were absolutely still to allow the shot with the reflection of the castle in the glasses)

Thank you for his name Viper. I always liked him. That's also good news for me, I had not known he was in Blue Max. I guess i'll need to watch it tonight to see who he played.

Also, speaking of the Schloss (Castle) in Where Eagle's Dare, I happen to have a nice wartime photo of it from below. This was a photo that shows men from the 5th Gebirgejager Division at a train station and a few walking to and from the castle. If I could ever find someone who can post pics, i'd gladly share it.

TRK.

Here is the best website I know of about Werfen Castle.

Castle used in Where Eagle's Dare.

When in it, go to the Virtueller Rundgang link and click on it on the left side of the page. Then on the right side of the page click on the link Burghof, and you will see a movie of the inside courtyard of the castler, where the Luftwaffe Helocopter was at, and where the General reviewed the troops as well as the senior officers.

If I am recollecting clearly, "Where Eagles Dare" is the only movie taken from one of his books that Alistair MacLean actually wrote the screenplay as well. Those who have read the book will recognize how closely the movie adhered to the original. Not true with other movies taken from his literary efforts - such as "Ice Station Zebra" where the book took the entire events from the perspective of the doctor and had changes made in the film that had no reference in the book.
Such are the vagaries of Hollyweird (who came up with that name? - it covers so many connotations!)
Cheers - Jay

Hi Viper, Jay.

Viper, quite welcome.

Jay, if your referring to the term "hollywierd" I think the person who came up with it is movie critic: Michael Medved. If not, I have heard him say it for years now on his radio talk show.

Jay, you're right, MacLean wrote the Screenplay because Richard Burton asked him to (they lived in the same village near the lake of Geneva), and then he published it later as a novel. I never read Eagles because I felt with a plot like that, how can he surprise you further when you know all the twists. Yet I read a dozen of his novels, like the one he got famous for, Guns of Navarone, and he never failed to thrill me.

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Originally posted by itdo@Apr 5 2005, 12:38 PM
Jay, you're right, MacLean wrote the Screenplay because Richard Burton asked him to (they lived in the same village near the lake of Geneva), and then he published it later as a novel.

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Hi Itdo - I didn't realize that MacLean's screenplay came before the book. I read the book after seeing the movie, but didn't know that was the order of their existance as well.
Cheers - Jay

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Originally posted by SXViper@Apr 2 2005, 09:37 AM
Also arthur, helicopters had been in development along time before the internal combustion engine came out but were never a viable transportation until 1936 when the germans made the Focke-Wulf Fw 61, that was actually a twin rotor design built with a plane chassis. The helicopter that was shown in the film and somebody can correct me if I am wrong, was actually like one from the 50's and that is where it would not be historically accurate.

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I read somewhere that the helicopter used for "Where Eagles Dare" was a model of one from the late 40s. Certainly, the helicopter was in its virtual infancy during that time . I am not even sure the Germans had a prototype helicopter of the style depicted that a high ranking officer would even dare to fly in.
Cheers - Jay