![]() ![]() ![]() Generalfeldmarschall Gerd von Rundstedt, commander OB West Unteroffizier "Kaffeekanne" ("coffee pot") Hans Speidel, chief of staff, Army Group B Major Werner Pluskat, 352nd Infantry Divisionĭr. Naval Commando (also was the leading stunt director of the film) Major John Howard, OC D Company, 2nd Oxford & Bucks L.I.īritish Paratrooper officer, 6th Airborne Division General Sir Bernard Montgomery, Commander Allied Ground ForcesĪdmiral Sir Bertram Ramsay, Commander Allied Naval Forces Private Hutchinson, 3rd Infantry DivisionĪir Chief Marshal Sir Arthur Tedder, Deputy Supreme Allied Commander 4 Commando (Piper on Beach)Īir Chief Marshal Sir Trafford Leigh-Mallory, Commander Allied Air Forcesīrigadier Lord Lovat, Commander 1st Special Service Brigade Benjamin Vandervoort, Commander 2nd Battalion, 505th Parachute Infantry Reg. Lieutenant Wilson, 82nd Airborne Division Barton, Commander 4th Infantry Div.īrigadier General James M. ![]() Kirk, Senior US Naval Commanderīrigadier General Norman Cota, Asst. Private Wilder (role cut from released version)Īdmiral Alan G. Lieutenant General Walter Bedell Smith, SHAEFChief of Staff Private Arthur 'Dutch' Schultz, 82nd Airborne Divisionīrigadier General Theodore Roosevelt Jr., Deputy Commander 4th Infantry Div. The film concludes with a montage showing various Allied units consolidating their beachheads before the advance inland begins to liberate France. Set piece scenes include the advance in shore from the Normandy beaches, the US Ranger Assault Group's assault on the Pointe du Hoc, the attack on Ouistreham by Free French Forcesand the strafing of the beaches by two lone Luftwaffe pilots. From the British glider missions to secure Pegasus Bridge, the counterattacks launched by American paratroopers scattered around Sainte-Mère-Église, the infiltration and sabotage work conducted by the French resistance and SOE agents, and the response by the Wehrmachtto the invasion and the uncertainty to whether it was a feint in preparation for crossings at the Pas de Calais (see Operation Fortitude). ![]() The Longest Day chronicles most of the important events surrounding D-Day. The French resistance is also shown reacting to the news that an invasion has started. Numerous scenes document the early hours of 6 June when Allied airborne troops were sent in to take key locations. The film pays particular attention to the decision by General Eisenhower, supreme commander of SHAEF, to go after reviewing the initial bad weather reports as well as the divisions within the German High Command on when an invasion might happen or what response to it should be. Beginning in the days leading up to D-Day, the film concentrates on events on both sides of the channel such as the Allies waiting for the break in the poor weather and the anticipation of the Axis forces defending northern France. The Longest Day is filmed in the style of a docudrama. Gavin (an American general), Frederick Morgan (Deputy Chief of Staff at SHAEF), John Howard (who led the airborne assault on the Pegasus Bridge), Lord Lovat (who commanded the 1st Special Service Brigade), Philippe Kieffer (who led his men in the assault on Ouistreham), Pierre Koenig (who commanded the Free French Forces in the invasion), Max Pemsel (a German general), Werner Pluskat (the major who was the first German officer to see the invasion fleet), Josef "Pips" Priller (the hot-headed pilot) and Lucie Rommel (widow of Erwin Rommel).Īlthough the Canadian Army landed at Juno Beach on 6 June 1944, it was only mentioned but not shown in the film. These included: Günther Blumentritt (a former German general), James M. Many had their roles re-enacted in the film. The film employed several Axis and Allied military consultants who had been actual participants on D-Day. Many of these actors played roles that were virtually cameo appearances. The Longest Day, which was made in black and white, features a large ensemble cast including John Wayne, Kenneth More, Richard Todd (an actual Normandy veteran), Robert Mitchum, Richard Burton, Sean Connery, Henry Fonda, Red Buttons, Rod Steiger, Leo Genn, Peter Lawford, Gert Fröbe, Irina Demick, Bourvil, Curd Jürgens, Robert Wagner, Paul Anka and Arletty. It was directed by Ken Annakin (British and French exteriors), Andrew Marton (American exteriors), Gerd Oswald (parachute drop scene), Bernhard Wicki (German scenes), and Darryl F. The screenplay adaptation was written by Romain Gary, James Jones, David Pursall, Jack Seddon, and Ryan. Zanuck paid the book's author, Cornelius Ryan, US$175,000 for the film rights. The Longest Day is a 1962 war film based on the 1959 history book The Longest Day by Cornelius Ryan, about D-Day, the Normandy landings on 6 June 1944, during World War II. ![]()
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