Cast A Giant Shadow (1966)

INFORMATION FROM IMDb

Plot Summary
An American Army officer is recruited by the yet to exist Israel to help them form an army.
He is disturbed by this sudden appeal to his jewish roots.
Each of Israel's Arab neighbors has vowed to invade the poorly prepared country as soon as partition is granted.
He is made commander of the Israeli forces just before the war begins.
Summary written by John Vogel

Full Cast
Kirk Douglas .... Col. David 'Mickey' Marcus
Senta Berger .... Magda Simon
Angie Dickinson .... Emma Marcus
James Donald .... Maj. Safir
Stathis Giallelis .... Ram Oren
Luther Adler .... Jacob Zion
Topol .... Abou Ibn Kader
Ruth White .... Mrs. Chaison
Gordon Jackson .... James MacAfee
Michael Hordern .... British ambassador
Allan Cuthbertson .... Immigration officer
Jeremy Kemp .... British Immigration senior
Sean Barrett .... British Immigration junior
Michael Shillo .... Andre Simon
Rina Ganor .... Rona
Roland Bartrop .... Bert Harrison
Robert Gardett .... Gen. Walsh
Michael Balston .... Sentry #1
Claude Aliotti .... Sentry #2
Samra Dedes .... Belly dancer
Michael Shagrir .... Truck driver
Frank Latimore .... UN officer
Ken Buckle .... UN officer
Rod Dana .... Aide to Gen. Randolph (as Rodd Dana)
Robert Ross .... Aide to Chief of Staff
Arthur Hansel .... Officer
Dan Sturkie .... Parachute sergeant (as Don Sturkie)
Hillel Rave .... Yaakov
Shlomo Hermon .... Yussuf
Frank Sinatra .... Vince Talmadge
Yul Brynner .... Asher Gonen
John Wayne .... Gen. Mike Randolph
Vera Dolen .... Mrs. Martinson (scenes deleted)
Gary Merrill .... Pentagon Chief of Staff (scenes deleted)
Winston Churchill .... Himself (archive footage) (uncredited)
Michael Douglas .... Jeep driver (uncredited)
Rudolf Hess .... Himself at Nuremberg (archive footage) (uncredited)
Fiorello LaGuardia .... Himself (archive footage) (uncredited)
Danny Perlman .... Jeep driver (uncredited)
Franklin Delano Roosevelt .... Himself (archive footage) (uncredited)
Joseph Stalin .... Himself (archive footage) (uncredited)

Original Music
Elmer Bernstein

Cinematography
Aldo Tonti

Stunts
Ken Buckle .... stunts (uncredited)
Jack Cooper .... stunts (uncredited)
Joe Powell .... stunts (uncredited)

Tivia
Director Melville Shavelson and Kirk Douglas fought throughout the shoot. At one point, Shavelson even walked off the set, leaving his assistant to take over for the day.

Michael Douglas' movie debut.

During filming in August 1965 John Wayne enraged director Melville Shavelson with his views on the Watts Riots.

During filming in August 1965 John Wayne enraged director Melville Shavelson with his views on the Watts Riots.

This film marked the English-language film debut of Topol.

The poem that Emma quotes whilst dancing with Mickey is "I Have a Rendezvous with Death" by Alan Seeger (1888-1916).

The scene where Frank Sinatra's spotter plane is attacked by an Arab fighter uses a brief clip from '633 Squadron' showing a Nord 2002 (French -built Messerschmitt Bf108).

Though not really trivia, it is there for all who view it to see, this film's opening prologue states: "The major events in this film actually happened. Some of them are still happening. The major characters actually lived. Many of them are still living. Although it was not easy." At the time of release, this statement was probably the case.

John Wayne was on board as producer and star before Kirk Dougla

Goofs
Anachronisms
When first seen, Angie Dickinson and Senta Berger are shown wearing fashions from the 1960s when the film was made, not the 1940s when the film was set.

Although the film takes place between 1947 and 1948, Magda's car is a 1954 Pontiac Star Chief Convertible.

Colonel Marcus and Magda are riding in an American convertible near the middle of the film. It is not a car prior to 1948; it is a 1954 Pontiac Star Chief convertible.

Colonel Marcus arrives in Palestine in early 1948 on a civilian Boeing Stratocruiser.
The first Stratocruisers were delivered to the airlines in February 1949, nearly a year later.

When returning home to his ailing wife, Col. Marcus arrives from the airport in a "Checker" cab that was built in the mid to late fifties. The movie takes place in 1947 and 48.

In the beginning of the film, Kirk Douglas is in Macy's playing with some toys. One is the "Tiger Joe Tank", another is Mattel's "Tommy Burst" machine gun, both of which were introduced in the 1960's. The scene is dated 1947.

Crew or equipment visible
In a sequence portraying a night attack of an enemy position, there is a brief cutaway from the action to a shot of Mickey, Asher Gonen, and Magda intently listening to reports from the battle. At the moment the cut to this shot occurs, the slate is visible being withdrawn from the frame, from left to right. In freeze frame, one can even see the title, "Cast A Giant Shadow" printed at the top of the slate.

Factual errors
In a flashback scene, Colonel Marcus (Kirk Douglas) is shown parachuting into France on D-Day with the 101st Airborne. As he stands in the doorway of the aircraft before jumping, it is clearly daylight. However, the parachute drops on D-Day took place at night.

Colonel Marcus gives Magda his good conduct medal before he departs the first time. The good conduct medal is only awarded to enlisted soldiers. Colonel Marcus graduated from West Point and was a commissioned officer during his entire army career, and therefore would not have received this medal.

When Colonel Marcus first meets General Randolph, there is a Curtiss C-46 in the background. The blue in insignia markings is too pale and the plane lacks the black and white "Invasion Stripes" that were painted on the fuselage and wings of all aircraft involved in the Normandy Invasion. Also, the paratroop drop at Normandy occurred at night, not broad daylight as depicted in the movie.

When Col. Marcus is jumping with the paratroops, the jump light inside the aircraft is blinking red; it should be green.

Revealing mistakes
When Vince Talmadge is shown in his spotter plane throwing seltzer bottles down on the Arab positions, a high pitched whistling sound is heard almost immediately from each bottle. When the Arab fighter makes its final pass on his plane, he squirts one last seltzer bottle at it and then throws it away. This time, there is no whistling sound. Someone forgot to add the sound during the editing processs.

Memorable Quotes

Filming Locations
Cinecittà, Rome, Lazio, Italy
(studio)
Israel
Rome, Lazio, Italy

Cast a Giant Shadow is a 1966 big-budget action movie
based on the life of Colonel Mickey Marcus
starring Kirk Douglas and Senta Berger.
Yul Brynner, John Wayne, Frank Sinatra, and Angie Dickinson
also appear in supporting roles.
Melville Shavelson adapted, produced and directed.[4]

Like The Longest Day
this is a film, where, because of careful editing,
Duke seems to be in the film all the way through!!
In fact, he only appears in 6 sequences, totalling 11 minutes.
Of course this is a Kirk Douglas film, that Kirk
could not get backing for, until Duke and Batjac
came along.
It was because of this, that Kirk repaid the favour, by agreeing
to appear in The War Wagon, just after.

Once again Duke proved he could act a great commander on film,
and acquitted himself in the film.
Kirk Douglas, Frank Sinatra, Angie Dickinson,
all played well.

However the film, made less impact than Duke would have liked.
Overall, I think this is a wonderful film, and a pleasure to watch,
although it had a very sad ending.

User Review

Quote

It's a good and spectacular epic film
27 May 2004 | by ma-cortes

The movie deals upon the birth of State of Israel. It's based on real deeds.
Here Mickey Marcus (Kirk Douglas) general of the WW2 helps the Jewish to build the State of Israel.
There are various flashbacks remembering exploits of Marcus during second world War. After that, he goes to Israel and he commands the troops.
Mickey is Kirk Douglas who does a first rate acting.
John Wayne plays as an American general, as always he is excellent.
Yul Brynner is a Jewish colonel who has the command of the army that
will defeat the Arabs.
The music from Elmer Bernstein is impressive and cinematography by the Italian Aldo Tonti is magnificent.
The flick will appeal to history buffs.
The motion picture is well directed by Mellville Shavelson.
Rating : Acceptable and passable, well worth watching.

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Memorable Quotes

Thre are numerous quotes for this film, and I have included a few of them,
follow the link at the bottom, for many more:-

Maj. Safir: Colonel Marcus?
Bert Harrison: Merry Christmas.
Maj. Safir: My name is Safir, and my business is private.
Col. David 'Mickey' Marcus: Bert Harrison, my law partner. Mr. Safir, who conducts his private business in Macy's window.

Col. David 'Mickey' Marcus: Would you give up everything you love to fight an insane war for a little country that's gonna get its brains blown out in a couple of weeks?
Maj. Safir: If it were my country.
Col. David 'Mickey' Marcus: Maybe it's yours, but... it isn't mine.
Maj. Safir: But you are a Jew.
Col. David 'Mickey' Marcus: I'm an American, Major. That's my religion. The last time I was in Temple I was 13 years old. I made a speech and got 42 fountain pens. I don't have to go again. I've got enough fountain pens.

Emma Marcus: I guess I'm proud of you. But I'm so damn tired of being proud of you.

Emma Marcus: Did you ever notice we don't have any children?
Col. David 'Mickey' Marcus: Only me.

Emma Marcus: I was the only girl in Brooklyn who didn't get pregnant during the war.
Col. David 'Mickey' Marcus: Hm?
Emma Marcus: My mother kept the statistics.

INFORMATION IMDb

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0060218/quotes