Hilly Does...

Well, fuck it. I largely have done stream of consciousness commentaries as personally, I get into a film and want to get the thoughts across sharpish. However, sceptics of this forum might think differently.

I figure some folk might like this. Will it be a constant thing? Maybe. I've had a few shandies which seems to help but blow it.

Tonight we, or I, hit The Towering Inferno

It's 1974, two years after the Poseidon Adventure. Disaster films are becoming the norm. Nixon is resigning. Vietnam is raging...
...we start with an uplifting Williams score. This is just before Jaws and the era where Williams is still doing a few films unrelated to Spielberg.

As a kid, the San Francisco flybys worked. Ever since I was 9 I wanted and still want to visit, ask me later.

Unlike Poseidon, the music does not hint at great drama (Williams' TPA opening gave the ship gravitas). The uplift is driven by Newman's expression as he sees the Tower.

Now, let's get this out of the way. I read once that in the day buildings in SF couldn't get above something like 48 floors. So here we have a building 148 or so storeys high (which makes the much missed WTC, at 110, a dwarf in comparison). On territory seismically active, this is asking for trouble but Hilly, some might say, buildings lately have gone over that limit. Yes, well, blow it.

Let's also get this out of the way, it's unashamedly 70s.

Right. Here's William Holden. Now, I'm sure I read that one, his specs were plain glass and also, once he grabbed Dunaway (who was bitchin a lot) and told her to sort her shit out.

Furthermore, Newman and McQueen had egos. They got equal amount of lines, they got their names at certain angles...and yet, McQueen got off better. By the time he appears, Newman had done most of his lines!

As with Poseidon you get to see the building in its 'normal' life.

Also, as with Poseidon, Williams does a job. I love his pre-Star Wars stuff (particularly Paper Chase) and TTI has that unique feel.

Now, as with most disaster movies in this decade, as with Poseidon, we have certain names who are, you might say, are winding down career wise. In this case, Astaire. By 1974, he's been going about forty years. Yet, it's Fred Astaire. Like some singers or dancers (eg, Sinatra), he can act. It's hard to dislike him here. Four years later he plays Starbuck's dad in BSG78 and even then he's still captivating.
We have all the classic ingredients of a disaster movie that Poseidon established. Astaire's ageing con man, the vexed architect, the heroic fireman etc.

We also have John Crawford who I initially knew for the Waltons then the Mayor in Magnum Force. Far as Allen's films goes, he was doomed. In Poseidon he plays the Poseidon's chief engineer and here he's part of Newman's team.

Oh look...OJ Simpson.

Cor, Dunaway in her...nightie? Well, as a kid, I got bashful. I think of that 70s Show when Eric goes to see Annie Hall with his mom and he gets nervous.

And there's our Felix. Hilly? Well, Fat Felix from DAF is in this film. I always like this guy. Besides DAF, I saw him in the likes of Quincy. Plus, my Amazon Prime copy seems to have the audio out of sync...Bloody Bezos!

Now, initially, one might think of Holden as being a dick. He's built this stupid building no matter what, seems initially dismissive of Newman's initial report (when he says about the wiring) but as the film goes, I feel sympathetic to him...

...because you have the likes of Wagner who romps up all smiles and oblivious.

I like Wagner. I know, I know but growing up I saw Hart to Hart and other stuff. Plus, he's married to Jill St. John.

I've seen too many Norm MacDonald (RIP) vids to think positively of Simpson. Sue me.

I swear I want to sue Amazon for this. I've seen this film so many times that when you see the lips flapping and the words done...

Chamberlain's house is bitching. I mean he has his own bar.

Now, as a kid (as I always seem to think), Chamberlain was a hero as such. My mum sat me down to watch the Musketeer films to keep me occupied, I saw the Man in the Iron Mask, Swarm etc over the years. Here, he does smug, smarmy better than anyone. He doesn't give a shit when Newman goes to his house and it's brilliant.

So few are left and Chamberlain is one

If they did this film now, they'd be loads of CGI but in 1974 they relied largely on models and it works.

Poor Norman Burton is in his shirtsleeves when Newman returns to the tower.

As him and Newman work, the crowds gather outside, Dunaway wears a dress that clings to her by the gentlest of touches...

...I've read one of the books the film is based on and her relationship to Holden (her father) seems far too much.

Here's Robert Vaughn who I met once. He personally signed my copy of his book. I dare say I embarrassed myself but childhood heroes do that.

One of the unsung heroes of this film is the Mayor of SF played by Jack Collins. His wife is played by Irwin Allen's wife who features briefly in Poseidon. There's something about Collins that makes his character larger than life.

So, Wagner gets the building lit.

Things now start to fall into place. Wagner going off to his bird. The guests heading to the top. The fire spreading.

"...cut the phone lines."

Oh, Robert...

...we get a, some would say cheesy, song (We May Never Like this Again) but though similar to The Morning After in Poseidon, like that song, it won a ruddy Oscar!

Astaire furthers my thoughts by clearly not wanting to con Jennifer Jones as he goes along.

So, OJ gets the SFFD going.

And so, poor Norman Burton buys it when him and Newman go to investigate.

Rapidly the firemen arrive. One includes Dirty Harry's short-term partner in Magnum Force and one is the guy that falls from a great height in Poseidon.

Now comes McQueen.

Something about him here, in this film. He inhabits this role.

"You guys keep building these as high as you can."

Some TTI gets praise for, even today, is how it depicts firefighting.

So, McQueen heads topside. Wisely he ditches helmet, cloak etc as not to raise trouble.

Holden is still in denial here but McQueen is already top dog. There's no BS here.

"When there's a fire, I outrank everyone."

So, here we go. The moment everyone realises shit is getting real.

Everyone rushes for the lift....well...

There's McQueen's pal, Don Gordon.
(I always find when actors don’t like each other or the film, that how they can get on with the job and do a job is remarkable and thus the way McQueen and Newman get on seems seamless)
The first of the massive explosions.

And we get the lift scene where they fry. That hit me as a kid. The shot of the occupants as they emerge on the floor, their screams, the camera zooming in on McQueen and then when the lift goes back up the guy, on fire, tumbling out.

Meanwhile Wagner and his squeeze enjoy life.
But watch out, the office is nearly covered in smoke and flame. Wagner realises he's cocked up royally.
I’ve said before but having seen some Hart to Hart and whatever, I was compelled to say to my parents that they can’t kill him as he’s Wagner!
Indeed, his death is, it sounds macabre, one of the highlights of this film. The look he gives his bird, the music building, dashing in slow motion and then succumbing.
Lorrie’s death is shocking in its depiction.
Plus something about how the very next clip is firefighters battling into where Ted and Lorrie were.
I was told that in the cinema when Newman drops after the gas explosion had everyone gasping and on the edge of their seats.
Gradually things quietly worsen. The system goes out. The stairs are out.
Holden’s star might have diminished by 1974 (he wanted top billing as well but was refused in favour of McQueen/Newman) but he still could do a job.
The kid is slightly less irritating than the one in Poseidon. “What type of explosive are you using?”
Kid, do you mind?
Astaire is a class act. Worst con man going maybe.
I’ve not read about what McQueen did behind the scenes for his role but he’s always struck me as being quite believable in his role. The way he deals with things, interacts with his men and so on.
The helicopter bit goes a bit abruptly. We get the lottery, the word and then it’s over in seconds as the idiot women rush the thing and it blows up.
For the time, it’s an incredible effect when the explosion happens around the scenic lift though Jones’ death is shocking.
Having done his heroics, McQueen is faced with Dabney Coleman and a boffin who talks:
“What explosion?”
(they say about how everyone up there will suffocate. In The Tower, one of the books the film is based on, those who aren’t evacuated do indeed die)
“How do I get back down?” (dramatic silent stare) “ohhhh shit!”
The seeds of discontent are stirred and Chamberlain’s shit of a character goes for the buoy. Holden is a touch badass punching him in the gut.
“It’s out of control and it’s heading your way.”
Here, I’m told, the cinema audience, already tense, collectively gasped. God, to go back and see these films when they came out. Cinemagoers today don’t know they’re living.
“Oh they’ll find some dumb son of a bitch to bring it up.”
Of course Chamberlain’s inspired mutiny backfires, for he rapidly turns on his associates and it all goes pear-shaped, including taking Vaughn’s senator with him.
Here we enter the endgame with McQueen going off to land on the building and the planting of the charges. Williams’ music enters its peak.
Thence we get the zooming in on various faces. Coupled with the music it’s quite powerful in its way. Who will survive?
The best is McQueen as his face has a “I’ve had enough of this shit” expression to it.
Astaire has probably the best and probably realistic reaction to the explosions.
The Mayor goes and yet to me he doesn’t fall out of the building but rather onto a lower floor but all the same the way Holden reacts, he’s brought it.
Jones’ death earlier is made more tragic by Astaire’s calling of her name even after he is told she died.
“One of these days they’re going to kill 10,000 in one of these firetraps…”
(the death toll in this film is about 200)
When McQueen says about building higher and higher and not being able to fight fires properly, I invariably think of September 11. In a book I read recently, one factor that day was the fact the fire brigade couldn’t get ladders to where they needed to on account of the size.
However, here we are. In a way this film ends on a downer. And so it should.

Recent events made me ponder some Cold War movies and so, here we are

The Hunt for Red October

So, it's 1989/90. Sean Connery starts on a script and gives up, what's the point in a Cold War film now the USSR is going belly up? Hang on Sean, this is set in 1984. Great...

The first of adaptations of Tom Clancy is probably the better. None of Clancy's books are great for film in the sense they have very complex plots. But here we are, six years on from its publication.

Great opening, you can feel the cold of the Baltic. Full marks to Neill and Connery doing the Russian speak. Then we get hit by a tremendous theme which conveys so much coupled with a great 'set' -the Typhoon model sure looks life-size and so on.

At this point in the Ryanverse, Jack is living in good ol' Blighty...hang on that's Gates McFadden, my childhood crush (Beverly Crusher). So brief. Apparently she was asked to return for Patriot Games but couldn't owing to TNG. What might've been...

It does the job early on, recognising Ryan's fear of flying (what hero is scared of anything!?)

Poledouris' theme powers on, a great theme which sort of became the unofficial theme for Russia.

James Earl Jones feels a great fit for Greer. A man, who in the books, sort of was a surrogate father for the orphaned Ryan. Plus it helps he reprised the role for the next two films. The one constant in the Ryan films.

We get the stuff about family which again helps. Ryan is an 'ordinary' guy, at least early on before the books got crazy. Unlike Bond he has a family, he's a professor, he's a boffin really.

For years all I had was my VHS, the underwater scenes were murky as hell then I got it on DVD and I could see...

At the Sub Museum over the water, at the end of the history of submarines bit, they have posters for this, TSWLM and Crimson Tide. They point out that no film-maker has ever seen the inside of a sub so what we see in films is made up. If so, Red October is the more accurate of sub films.

In the Ryanverse, the likes of Bart Mancuso (Glenn) and Jonesy (Vance) et al carry on forever, for instance Mancuso ends up as COMSUBPAC.

Switch into Red October.

Again, the book is complicated, much of the early bit is about Ramius' background. But the film does its best. Indeed, here's Sam Neill.

Still, they're sprechning in Russian. And here's ol' Peter Firth. He is now mostly famous for Spooks though I remember him, dimly, for Double Deckers. I've also seen him thrice in the shop I used to work in but left well alone.

I'm easily impressed and so the way they switch to English is clever. Like Star Trek VI during Kirk's trial when Plummer switches from Klingon to English but of course, as here, is still speaking his native tongue.

Yes it's Connery but there's, I feel, a great presence here. Almost thirty years after Dr No he has achieved greatness.

In the book as Putin (hey, hey) reads their orders, Ramius knows Putin already knows the orders and so what follows has to happen. Ramius reappears in Cardinal of the Kremlin (helping Mancuso's Dallas and Ryan get to Russia) and briefly in Exective Orders when new President Ryan's past is revealed by the media.

When we encounter Skip Tyler there's subtle references to Ryan's past ("How's the back?")

And there's Tim Curry.

One of the great bits is Ramius' speech to his crew.

And then:

"Keptin! The singing!?"
a brief look of concern on his face, brilliant
"Let them shing!"

The set was able to move and is first shown as such here. I read Connery got sort of sick from it sometimes but I could understand.

Another fine attention to the book is when Ryan, as he finds out what's going on, says "Bloody", in the book it's remarked that his time in the UK has too imprinted itself on him.

And here's the late Richard Jordan, one of the best parts of this film. He clearly relishes is role at the NatSecAdvisor. Logan's Run, Raise the Titanic, Gettysburg...great actor and taken too soon.

Love how you see it unravel at the meeting. The escalation of the debate whilst Ryan puts it all together.

"...when I'm not kissing babies, I'm stealing their lollipops," in a few words and then some, Jordan underlines politicians. Fact Pelt is a Virginian, or at least a Southerner is done as well. Jordan was a class act

At risk of echoing myself, the scene where the Red October's officers (sans Curry's doctor, Prevlov) meet and talk about the plan is great. In the book it's largely Ramius' plan if not solely his. Also, Neill's Borodin, the way he looks at Ramius not saying anything is great. Borodin's loyalty is to his captain.

Connery is able to do so much without saying a word. Something about his "more tea?" that is slightly chilling bearing in mind he used tea as an excuse for Putin's demise.

Back to Ryan and his shit scared way of flying. Not that I can blame him, the COD flight looked hellish. And there's some nut talking about crashing whilst shoving a candy bar into his mouth.

One aspect of the book that I liked was how Jack went from the John F Kennedy, this big carrier stable in a storm to our dinky, now scrapped, Invincible that felt every wave keenly. Furthermore, whereas in the film Jack landed on Enterprise in an USN uniform, he only donned uniform once aboard Invincible and thus met Ramius as one of us.

Where the Red October steers into the Thor-thingy is another great scene largely for the music and the tension. Ramius fucks it up by speeding in at 26 knots. I say f's it up, whathisface had it all outlined and Ramius comes in and goes faster.

How great is Connery? He makes buckling a seat-belt somehow huger than it is and catches a tea cup without looking.

But of course it can't go perfectly. The CATERPILLAR drive that has enabled Red October to run silent breaks. Thus they run 'normally' and that means...

Aye, aye it's dear Joss Ackland. You know thanks to this and Mighty Ducks I thought he was foreign but no, British. What an actor.

Another good bit by Jordan.

...Mother Russia strikes.

Here we go. The music kicks in, the camera fixes on Connery, the crew are freaking out.

(A quick mention for who I believe is Connery's double/stand in)

"Keptin they're really shooting at us! Why!?"

I do like the chief engineer, always with a fag in his mouth and doesn't seem to give a shit about anything. It's a job, he's there, get on with it.

Jack goes all out to reach Dallas which includes, for someone who hates flying, dropping into the Atlantic.

Great interplay between Glenn and Baldwin from the off owing to the fact Ryan's appeared.

Once the exchange of Morse is done between Dallas/Red October we get the start of a fantastic piece of music ("Nuclear Scam").

Once again a tremendous prop -the Red October itself

The music kicks into its highest gear as the theme flares up when Ramius instructs the doctor.

"You spheak Russian Dr Ryan?"

Boom, kicks into gear as Stellen Skarsgaard's Alfa appears.

Love Ramius as Ryan says he's CIA and a book-writer. Fuck it, sit down.

"Schteer three one-five..."

Nice attention to detail is the sonar boys taking their headphones off just before the torpedo strikes (the noise alone would blow their ear drums).

The troublesome, if moving, bit of the film is Borodin dying. Troublesome as he lives in the book. Moving as it's Borodin ("I would like to have seen Montana").

The Dallas coming in to deter the torp is incredible.

"Goddam cook!"

"You've lost ANOTHER submarine?"

and so we end with Red October casually making its way into its new world.

Great film still a solid 5/5

Enjoyed reading through that, Hilly. Saw Red October for the first time only a few years back and have watched it I think three times since. Still need to read the book.

Hilly wrote:

It does the job early on, recognising Ryan's fear of flying (what hero is scared of anything!?)

Not exactly the same but reminds me of that scene in FRWL:

“Now he retired to this citadel, closed his mind to the hell of noise and violent movement, and focused on a single stitch in the back of the seat in front of him, waiting with slackened nerves for whatever fate had decided for BEA Flight No130.”

Nice one, Hilly. Red October is brilliant, to put it mildly. It's unabashedly masculine but in a  sophisticated way. The first few minutes constitute some of the best cinema ever put to screen. The close up of Connery's crow's feet, bordering steely eyes, is better than all the infantile Netfucks specials farted out in the last decade put together.

Could it be made today? Not sure. They'd probably have to have an in-your-face gag every few minutes to keep people awake. How many movies today are about competent men dealing with a serious situation in a serious way?

The zempolit being named Putin is a funny coincidence. It's not a particularly common surname at all.

Somebody ought to do a deepfake with real Putin's face over Peter's, so we can have a youtube video saying, 'Sean Connery kills Putin.' (or more relevant here, maybe put him over Robert Shaw in the train fight.)

It's kind of hard to think much about posting currently given the state of the world. All I keep thinking is that TIME magazine needs to make the Ukraine prez their PERSON OF THE YEAR right now, not wait till year's end, and maybe some other mag (is NEWSWEEK even still around?) should put Putin on their cover with the tag AN ENEMY OF THE PEOPLE -- all of them

My wife tells me that there are major personages in Ukraine gov't. who were world-class boxers ... why aren't they issuing challenges to Putin through the net to come over there and fight one of them man-to-man and settle things properly, instead of being a tech-nerd pussy with all the cyber and military overkill?

Sorry for rant. Back on topic. On first viewing, I was bitterly disappointed that RED OCT wasn't more like the book, and I still think some of the departures were wrongheaded, but by the time it hit laserdisc I completely reversed course on it, and it is among the most rewatched films I have, and has been bought in ever format. I still think the book's conclusion with the ramming is better than the film's, though clearly the film makes several decisions on the basis of being clear crowdpleasers.

I also think if they went with what I heard was an early choice (Brandauer), they could have played the 'is he going to launch?' question out all the way to when the Americans board the boat, but with Connery that isn't an issue, especially since they discuss all that pretty early on in the OCTOBER officer's mess.

Well, as it was Clint Eastwoods 92nd birthday this week, let’s revisit Where Eagles Dare.
I preface this by saying I did an audio commentary of this in lockdown which no one seems to have liked. I don’t pretend to make good videos but youtube is a harsh mistress…

Anyway, here we go.

Starts in one of the best ways possible. Steady drumbeat against a very polar/arctic scenery and then boom…fanfare.

Ron Goodwin seems to be THE conductor for WWII films. This, Battle of Britain, Operation Crossbow, Force 10 from Navarone etc.

The Junkers 52 here left an impression on me. As a teenage when I dabbled with model kits, I have a Me109 which was meant to be for whatever period but I chose to slap it up in white with green bits. I don’t know if the Luftwaffe had such painted craft but the film uses it well.

I became a fan of McLean as I got older. Having read a book on him, after a while he wrote books to be turned into films and one was this. Largely the book follows the plot but names are changed as is the fact that Eastwood’s character in the book is a bit more active as it were emotionally and wants to marry what is Pitt’s character by the end. It is though effectively a film ruled by a very decent if complicated plot.

There’s a good transition between the red light of the Junkers to the red light of an air raid in London.
The film is infinitely quotable in its way and one is Patrick Wymark’s “Castle of Eagles, well named as only an eagle can reach it.”

From reading about Battle of Britain, Wymark apparently was infamous at fluffing lines and so one wonders how many takes were required here.

In this scene we get a good bunch but amongst them, Burton aside, is the great Donald Houston which always surprises as he made a name in comedies -i.e alongside Kenny More and co in Doctor in the House. But we have Michael Hordern who I think would’ve made a good M.

And Eastwood.

It’s odd now but there is still a part of me who forgets he did this. It’s not his performance but Eagles came as he was becoming a name. On the cusp of superstardom and here he is doing a British film. But I am a big fan of his, so we press on.
Burton apparently made the film because his son wanted him to do such a film or at least he wanted to impress his son. Likewise, apparently, Mary Ure did this to impress her then husband the great Robert Shaw.

When you consider how the characters pan out, there’s some good stuff here (i.e Houston protesting about things -why not bomb the place to brickdust and so on).
Historically it is in a way a thin plot. That there’s a general captured by Jerry who could ruin D-Day but let’s skip that.

Few are left of this film. Seemingly only Eastwood, Nesbit and the Australian who plays the Ju52 pilot.
But here we are, everyone has jumped and Ure appears (now let’s be technical in the time it takes her to do her gloves etc, she’s surely miles away from the DZ).

So, poor Harold becomes the first to cop it and in true MacLean fashion (e.g Guns of Navarone). It’s interesting how Eastwood early on sort of becomes Smith’s trusted right hand man or least acts in a way to set him up later.

Goodwin might never filled his films like say Williams but what he does is enough and here it works.
Smith, Burton, is firmly in charge. It’s typical of MacLean, though, to not do much name wise with his main actors. Majority of his women are called Mary and the men tend to be John. In a way fact Burton is John Smith works rather well. I do like the setting. MacLean’s autobio says that he and Burton did many a drinking session.

There is always, to me, certain things MacLean did detail wise that few others seemed to. i.e as they are in the hut and Smith makes up this I’ve left stuff behind or whatever, on one hand he says about Harold’s body being covered by snow but when someone says about the Jerries, he says there isn’t a German within five miles rather matter of factly.

So here’s Smith and Mary.
“I thought you loved me.
-I can’t help what you think.”

I do like Smith. He gets on with the job, he’s matter of fact, forensic and yes he finds the time to squeeze Mary but what a champ.

I will say now that this is Eastwood’s bloodiest film. I’ll try to link the vid I found years ago but Eagles sees Eastwood’s greatest body count.

Eastwood of course is faintly distrusting as he cleans his gun. Why the hell am I here?
Goodwin kicks into a gear when the gang first sight the castle. This is, if I recall, the same castle that appears in the background of the Sound of Music.
It’s a minor, trivial thing, but I do like how you see their breath as they talk. They’re really out there.

Nowadays it’d been green screen but also climate wise, not that cold.
And here we are:

“Broadsword calling Danny Boy, Broadsword calling Danny Boy…”

“What are six new faces amongst six hundred new faces?”

In the same year as OHMSS, another film with cable cars. In itself, hardly worth noting but striking that there were two films with a mountain top retreat etc.

One thing Eagles has that’s a bit off, is the helicopter. Though Nazi Germany had helos prior to war, none became what we have here. But Hilly, details. I know but I have historical OCD.

The film employs, as most did prior and after, a stock retinue of ‘Germans’. We have Anton Defring who did many films and Ferdy Mayne. But of course, notably, we have Derren Nesbit who though British seemed to have a thing for the German accent (such as he seemed to sound in The Prisoner).

Nonetheless ol’ Nesbit is our resident Nazi. It is intriguing in a way though how the Army men give the Hitler salute (the Deutsche gruss). This only became the required salute for the Army after the July 20 plot which is still at best two months away here. Judging by the general’s disdain for Nesbit’s salute (or at least his uniform) he is the one Army man not even remotely Nazified.

Thus far there are no hints that this film will descend into the willy knilly shootfest it is known for. Beyond Harold’s death, there is no action or at least violent death.
Gradually we build into the plot as the team effect their entry into the town.

Effectively into the heart of the beast as Burton and Eastwood slip into the beerhaus.

Ingrid Pitt was a bit of alright in the day and does a decent job as an agent really. Supposedly both Eastwood and Burton spent much of the film trying to get on with her, as it were.

Burton…well, you couldn’t get away with it today maybe.

“Heidi has been one of our top agents since Bavaria since 1941…” (leary look at cleavage) “…and what a disguise!”

Nesbit might be a SS officer but he has the Prussian style of heel clicking. Heidi is all business which I like. Mary has her moments but Heidi knows her stuff but then I guess if you’ve lasted three years as an enemy agent, you would do.

If you’ve seen the film, as I have thousands of times, you know by now who the bad guys are but still, it’s a damn good film. Another stock German whose done the likes of Sink the Bismarck et al, appears to nick our heroes.

“Clever…very clever.”

Something never touched upon is the fact that I assume the team speak fluent German, how else can five of them sit in the middle of a bunch of Germans chatting away and not be rumbled?

Cable car chap knows his stuff too, soon as Nesbit snaps “Von Hagen”, he’s off like a shot. Piss off the SS and you’ll wake up in a dumpster.

So the shoosting begins! Got to say, bold action really Eastwood kicking it off. So close to the edge as they were and the guns…but of course it pays off.

Naturally when you push a car with its engine off down an incline it spontaneously burst into flames!
In the book this German woman who checks papers is a right nasty bitch.

On the quiet I think Difring could’ve made a good Bond villain or some character.

I do like Heidi’s getup for the move into the castle, especially when she ditches the coat.

Hordern’s Admiral Rolland skirts a mental breakdown as the film goes on but then, when one considers the end of the film, this is a clever ruse perhaps. I do like how in the radio room we have all armed forces represented, sort of how SIS/MI6 was originally -men taken from the armed forces regardless (OHMSS mentioning that Bond was in ‘competition’ with a SAS man for Goodnight’s affections, e.g).

Now we step up a gear. With the three survivors of the team (excluding Burton and Eastwood) taken by the Nazis, our heroes get going. Booby trapping the shed.
Kaboom.

This is also the start of Eastwood’s body count, knifing the soldier by the roadside. This small town suddenly is thrown into WWII bodily.

There is something about how they speed out on a bike and sidecar which probably is why Smith/Burton starts laughing as they drive out. Though Eastwood just drives, granted they’re against a backscreen, but clearly he’s not in the laughing mood.

Another example of the intracity of the plot is how they booby trap the telegraph poles etc. Considering how the Germans are in this film, it’s a bold action, for they could’ve been twigged by the Germans prior.

Got to say it’s impressive stunt work the cable car stuff. Primarily as let’s be honest it’s a bloody long way down.

Eastwood almost goes for a Burton after leaping onto the ledge above the cable car barn.

The scene in the room with everyone present is a quietly fantastic one. The traitors living it up, Smith and Schaeffer rumbling up before Smith seems to turn tables on Schaeffer.

Meanwhile von Hagen is perhaps twigging that Mary’s story is a little suss but then he is in the SS.

It’s an intricate plot. I admit it took me a few watches to grasp it. Maybe I’m dense, easy, but it twits and turns in true MacLean fashion. Guns of Navarone runs it close in this regard, maybe even the likes of his San Andreas (which was never turned into a movie).

(Are we all speaking German here, even ‘Carnaby’ or are our Germans that smart?)

Smith is a smooth operator, betraying no nerves whilst in the lion’s den and under armed watch.

It’s a shame MacLean never wrote more on Smith unlike our Navarone heroes. This little moment where the Germans phone someone to confirm Smith’s ‘identity’ is a nice touch. One assumes that prior to this mission, Smith had spent many years infiltrating the German High Command etc.

Meanwhile Von Hagen is still with Mary but as Goodwin’s music indicates, is suspicious. Eagles is one of the few films of this period that doesn’t treat the enemy as complete idiots. He’s onto the team even if he doesn’t know exactly.

Now by now Schaeffer, though no idiot, must have a spinning head. He feels betrayed by Smith but then there’s Smith nodding his head to indicate further action (but then we don’t know just what Smith said when they were hiding up in the trees over the town. Did Smith reveal his plan or just enough to get by?
To me, he only touched upon things. So Schaeffer was in the dark right till the end).
(Robert Beatty, the fake general, does a nice little turn in Eagles).

Von Hagen romps up, no mood for any shit from anyone German or otherwise.

Got to like how clearly the situation has gotten too much and Ferdy Mayne’s general sort of cracks.
Squibs go aplenty as the team strike out. Mary though seems far too hesitant for a MI6 agent as the German woman runs at her. That’s her one hesitation.

Now Smith is a little different. His attitude towards the traitors. There’s no mincing about now. He’s got what he needed and it’s time to hotfoot it.
Jones might be a second-rate actor pretending to be a general but he seems to slip into his new role, wielding a gun and helping to guard the traitors, with ease.
Eastwood laying all these explosives.

Slight boob by Eastwood as he creeps up on the radio operator. Why don’t you just shoot him? You have a silencer and he has music cranked up? Instead, the guy hears you creak a tile or whatever and sets the ruddy alarm off.

Zee shootfest kicks off as Burton goes full Broadsword.
No wonder the Germans lost the war, most of them died in this castle.

Over the top or not I do like how you see the walled behind Eastwood all chewed up from the hundreds of shots.

So Burton asks for the damn aircraft to get them out.
I don’t know flight times to Bavaria from the UK but clearly that Ju52 can shift it when it needs to.
Callously neat how Smith sacrifices one of the traitors, throwing the Germans off their trail for the time being.

The soundtrack enters its own as the team start to escape. The theme works in most settings and this is no exception. (Another example of Jones’ new role as he shoves the traitors towards the window).
Not quite smart sending in the traitors but then what can we do? Sadly, Eastwood is outnumbered and out kicked.

Smith by now surely is incredibly pissed and thus takes it upon himself to ride the car and get the traitors who for a moment thought they were home free. Smith like Schaeffer is attacked by the swines at the same time. Unlike Schaeffer, Smith has the skills and that includes a moment that always makes my eyes water, slapping a pickaxe into one of the bastards’ arms.

There goes Houston.

Though against backscreen, Smith’s leap between cable cars is incredible.

Once again the theme kicks in just after the team finally get away in the cable car. Once again Smith is no mug. Turn the light off in the car, set a bomb to go off whilst in the meantime dear Heidi has snuck into the shed to set up on the bus.

Great moment here as they leap into the water. For one I don’t envy them, it does look properly cold as they climb out but this music as they do so. Yes it’s the theme but it has a different edge to it here. By chance they have landed next to the shed containing the bus.

Though the car blows short of the barn, it still manages to wipe out the Germans in it.

Ach, here kommen the plane but aye aye, Wymark’s on it.

Like how Eastwood and Burton don’t get blankets, yes I know they have a gig to do but they look bloody cold.

Thankfully Smith’s time with London Transport pre-war helps here.

There’s whatshisname from the Saint, Templar’s Met cop nemesis. Got to earn a bill somehow.

Aha, know we see why they set the explosives up on the poles. Some neat driving by Burton.

Like the scenery for the airport scene. Smith clipping the planes (not a single German one, all American Texan’s which were fairly regular in films. i.e doubling as Zeroes in Final Countdown).

That wide shot over the Ju52 as the bus arrives.

But we’re not done yet.

And so the last and ultimate traitor is revealed.

I guess him saying Schaeffer was the only he could trust clears it up but Eastwood’s frown suggests he didn’t know everything.

Great dialogue.

Though Wymark saying a public try would be messy and embarrassing for MI6. Nah, I’m willing to bet had it happened, it’d been cloaked in the Official Secrets Act until 2044.
And a decent pay off for the traitor.

WED is one of the most underrated films in action cinema and in WWII action films. Absolutely essential and when the finale comes up everything goes for broke. When you have the world's greatest ever legendary stuntman (Yakima Canutt) taking over the second unit and allowed to go for broke...this is what happens. One of THE greatest action films ever made. Defines "they don't make 'em like this anymore".
I didn't realize there was a Hilly-tary. I'll check it out. Youtube is indeed brutal when it wants to be. I'm amazed anyone's ever listened to the tracks I did.

I've finally picked up a number of Maclean's novels and can't wait to start reading them.

I absolutely ADORE the intermission placement of WED that was only in the 70mm UK prints. It turned up randomly on the US Laserdisc release. They're setting up the charges and as the hand pulls the device to the door...Intermission.

It's held a steady place in my heart since childhood but getting older you appreciate it for what it is, as you say, an underrated film. Great action which the director takes into Kelly's Heroes.

Yes, my commentary exists but it's hideous. Only one I did with these headphone/microphone setup my brother gave me. Some reason it made my breathing awkward, ha. Comments on youtube, when my channel took off, he says (going from 35 subs to 300 in three weeks which for me is stratospheric), started to fly in so...yes.

I do like MacLean's books, his earlier stuff I think is his better before he went all out to get them turned into films. One of the best later books is San Andreas. Weirdly, he wrote Force 10 from Navarone as a sequel to the film version of Guns rather than the novel.

I've never seen the version with intermission. Sounds nicely placed.