The Guns of Navarone (film)
| Company type | Motion picture |
|---|---|
| Industry | Film |
| Founded | 1961 |
| Founder | Carl Foreman (producer and screenwriter) |
| Headquarters | United States |
Key people | J. Lee Thompson (director), Carl Foreman (producer and screenwriter), Dimitri Tiomkin (composer) |
| Products | War action-adventure film |
The Guns of Navarone is a 1961 war action-adventure motion picture directed by J. Lee Thompson with a screenplay crafted by Carl Foreman, adapted from Alistair MacLean's 1957 novel. Foreman also took on production duties, with the cast led by Gregory Peck, David Niven, and Anthony Quinn, supported by Stanley Baker, Anthony Quayle, Irene Papas, Gia Scala, Richard Harris, and James Darren. The narrative centers on an Allied commando squad assigned to eliminate a German stronghold that endangers naval maneuvers in the Aegean Sea.
Plot
Set in 1943, the Axis powers prepare to attack Keros, where 2,000 British troops are trapped. Allied naval rescue attempts are thwarted by two enormous radar-controlled guns stationed on Navarone Island. After aerial bombardments fail, Allied Intelligence assembles a commando group to infiltrate Navarone and disable the artillery. The team, commanded by Major Roy Franklin, includes Captain Keith Mallory of the Long Range Desert Group; Colonel Andrea Stavros of the Greek Army; explosives specialist Corporal Miller; Greco-American spy Spyros Pappadimos; and engineer Brown.
Posing as Greek fishermen, they navigate the Aegean Sea and capture a German patrol vessel. Mallory reveals a personal rivalry with Stavros stemming from previous losses. After being shipwrecked on Navarone’s shore, they scale cliffs despite Franklin’s leg injury. Franklin pretends to cancel the mission to maintain team morale while planning an amphibious attack. They encounter local resistance members Maria and Anna; however, Anna is later unmasked as a German informant and is killed.
While seeking medical help for Franklin, the group is captured but manages to escape disguised in German uniforms, leaving Franklin behind. Under scopolamine’s influence, Franklin provides false intelligence that causes German troop movements. Miller uncovers sabotage in his explosives, confirming Anna’s betrayal. Mallory and Miller proceed to plant charges on the guns as Stavros and Spyros create diversions in town; Maria and Brown secure their getaway boat.
Spyros is killed during combat; Brown sustains injuries while stealing the boat. Mallory and Miller set a booby trap on an ammunition hoist but must retreat before it detonates. Mallory rescues Stavros, resolving their conflict. As Allied destroyers approach to evacuate stranded soldiers, German forces open fire until the trap triggers a massive explosion that destroys the guns and fortress.
Mallory’s team rejoins the British convoy while Stavros returns to Navarone with Maria. The successful operation ensures continued Allied naval control in the region.
Cast
Lt. General Fritz Bayerlein contributed as Technical Advisor. Peter Grant, who later gained fame managing bands such as Led Zeppelin, appeared uncredited as a British commando.
Production
This film was part of a wave of lavish World War II productions following successes like The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957) and The Great Escape (1963). Columbia Pictures chief Mike Frankovich, impressed by MacLean’s bestselling book, tasked producer Carl Foreman with adapting it despite Foreman’s initial doubts about its complexity. The plot was inspired by the Battle of Leros but featured exaggerated artillery for greater cinematic effect. Foreman’s script introduced notable alterations, including changing the gender of some resistance fighters and adding new interpersonal tensions.
Foreman initially aimed to direct but Columbia insisted on a British director; Alexander Mackendrick was hired but left shortly before production began—officially for health reasons but rumored due to creative clashes with Foreman. J. Lee Thompson succeeded him, partly because lead actor Gregory Peck admired Thompson’s previous work on North West Frontier.
The character John Anthony Miller was originally intended for Kenneth More, who was unavailable due to studio conflicts. Richard Todd declined participation, expressing doubts about the story’s credibility and reluctance to continue appearing in war films despite his acclaimed roles in similar projects.
Shooting
Filming primarily took place on the Greek island of Rhodes between April and July 1960. Captivated by the locale, lead actor Anthony Quinn acquired land nearby and was later granted additional property by local authorities, now known as Anthony Quinn Bay. Further sequences were shot on Gozo near Malta and on Tino in the Ligurian Sea. One of the warships featured, the destroyer escort Aetos (D-01), which served as a training vessel in the Hellenic Navy, is currently maintained as a museum ship in Albany, New York.
According to director Thompson’s DVD commentary, David Niven became seriously ill after filming scenes in contaminated water beneath a cave elevator, resulting in several weeks of hospitalization. With crucial scenes unfinished and uncertainty surrounding Niven’s return, the production risked collapse. Options under consideration included recasting or abandoning the film to claim insurance. Despite medical warnings, Niven insisted on completing his role but suffered a relapse that extended his recovery by seven weeks.
Another difficulty emerged when Gregory Peck, whose role required fluent German dialogue, was deemed unconvincing in his delivery. Consequently, voice actor Robert Rietty provided all German-language dubbing for Peck’s character. The film’s cartographic elements were crafted by British animators Halas and Batchelor. Although Navarone is a fictional location, its map bore resemblance to the real island of Antikythera. During filming of the Mandrakos cafe scene, members of the Greek Royal Family visited the set and participated as extras.
Soundtrack
The musical score was composed by Dimitri Tiomkin, incorporating adaptations of traditional melodies:
- "The Guns of Navarone" (composed by Dimitri Tiomkin, lyrics by Paul Francis Webster)
- "Karagouna" (traditional tune arranged by Andreas Markides)
- "Ena Karavi Apo Ti Chio" (traditional tune arranged by Andreas Markides)
- "Yalo Yalo" (traditional tune arranged by Andreas Markides)
- "Treu Sein" (music by Dimitri Tiomkin, lyrics by Alfred Perry)
- "Das Sundenlied" (music by Dimitri Tiomkin, lyrics by Alfred Perry)
Tiomkin’s theme song, which narrates the storyline of the film, was issued on the soundtrack album and gained popularity as an instrumental piece. It inspired numerous cover versions, notably a 1965 rendition by The Skatalites. Other artists such as Johnny Griffin, Al Caiola, and the Hollyridge Strings also recorded their interpretations.
Box office
The Guns of Navarone debuted on 27 April 1961 at London's Odeon Leicester Square, with Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip among the attendees. The film earned $28.9 million globally and generated $13 million from theatrical rentals across the US and Canada, ranking it as the second highest-grossing movie of 1961. Worldwide rentals totaled $25 million.
Critics
The film received predominantly favorable reviews. Bosley Crowther of The New York Times characterized it as an action-packed melodrama featuring abundant heroic feats, though he noted it was somewhat predictable. Variety complimented its impressive drama, star-studded cast, special effects, and technical execution, declaring it a success. Harrison's Reports awarded an "Excellent" rating, emphasizing the quality of the screenplay, direction, performances, and cinematography. Richard L. Coe from The Washington Post praised its intricate cliffhanger storytelling and outstanding island photography.
John L. Scott from the Los Angeles Times deemed it the finest adventure film that year despite some flaws in character depth while commending its grand suspense. Brendan Gill of The New Yorker considered it exciting despite occasional implausibility. Conversely, The Monthly Film Bulletin criticized the script for being unfocused and unevenly paced. Stanley Kauffmann from The New Republic described it as an energetic adventure with well-crafted suspense.
On review aggregator sites, the movie holds a 92% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes for its memorable ensemble cast and scale, alongside a Metacritic score of 72.
Accolades
The film has been acknowledged by the American Film Institute in the following compilation:
- AFI's 100 Years...100 Thrills—ranked #89
Sequel
In 1968, novelist Alistair MacLean brought back the characters Mallory, Miller, and Stavros in his bestselling follow-up Force 10 From Navarone, which stands as his sole sequel. This book was later transformed into the 1978 motion picture Force 10 from Navarone, helmed by British director Guy Hamilton, renowned for his work on several James Bond films. The film starred actors such as Robert Shaw, Harrison Ford, and Edward Fox. Despite achieving moderate box office returns, the sequel fell short of matching the original’s critical acclaim and financial success.
In popular culture
- The 1981 game Castle Wolfenstein was influenced by this film.
- The "Assault on the Rock" episode from the 1987 animated series Spiral Zone presents a storyline reminiscent of the movie, featuring massive artillery threatening the Mediterranean region.
- The finale of the 1988 action film Template:Film year draws inspiration from The Guns of Navarone.
- The 2004 video game Call of Duty: United Offensive includes a mission entitled "Sicily," partially based on the movie’s setting and events, as well as the SAS operation during the Allied invasion of Sicily.
- Several episodes of The Dick Van Dyke Show reference The Guns of Navarone within character arcs and cultural allusions.
- In hip-hop, artist Method Man mentions The Guns of Navarone in his track "Triumph" featured on the Wu-Tang Forever album.
- Samuel L. Jackson’s character in Pulp Fiction quotes a line alluding to The Guns of Navarone.
- The Jamaican group The Skatalites released "Guns of Navarone" in 1965, a Ska classic that reached #36 on UK charts in 1968 and has been widely covered since.
- In A Grand Day Out, the first Wallace & Gromit short film, a scene depicts mice wearing sunglasses as an homage to German gunners donning goggles before firing in the movie.
External links
- The Guns of Navarone featured on TV Guide (updated edition of the 1987 review originally from The Motion Picture Guide)
- Articles with short description
- 1961 films
- 1961 war films
- 1960s war adventure films
- 1960s English-language films
- Best Drama Picture Golden Globe winners
- British war adventure films
- Columbia Pictures films
- English-language war adventure films
- British World War II films
- Films scored by Dimitri Tiomkin
- Films about the British Army
- Films based on British novels
- Films based on military novels
- Films based on works by Alistair MacLean
- Films directed by J. Lee Thompson
- Films set in 1943
- Films shot in Corse-du-Sud
- Films that won the Best Visual Effects Academy Award
- Films with screenplays by Carl Foreman
- Films set in Axis-occupied Greece
- Films set on fictional islands
- Films shot in Rhodes
- Films shot at Associated British Studios
- Films shot at Shepperton Studios