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The Longest Day
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The Longest Day (1962) More at IMDbPro »

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The Longest Day (1962) -- The events of D-Day, told on a grand scale from both the Allied and German points of view.

Overview

User Rating:
7.8/10   15,751 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Up 4% in popularity this week. See rank & trends on IMDbPro.
Writers:
Cornelius Ryan (screenplay)
Cornelius Ryan (book)
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Contact:
View company contact information for The Longest Day on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
4 October 1962 (USA) more
Genre:
Action | Drama | History | War more
Tagline:
42 STARS IN THE LONGEST DAY more
Plot:
The events of D-Day, told on a grand scale from both the Allied and German points of view. full summary | add synopsis
Plot Keywords:
more
Awards:
Won 2 Oscars. Another 5 wins & 6 nominations more
NewsDesk:
(9 articles)
Ken Annakin: 1914-2009 -- An Appreciation
 (From The Hollywood Interview. 30 April 2009, 10:22 AM, PDT)


 (From CinemaRetro. 24 April 2009, 9:06 AM, PDT)

User Comments:
Allow Yourself A Long Day To See This All-Star War Pic... more
US TV Schedule:
Sun. July 193:30 AMAMC   

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)
Eddie Albert ... Col. Thompson
Paul Anka ... U.S. Army Ranger
Arletty ... Madame Barrault
Jean-Louis Barrault ... Father Louis Roulland
Richard Beymer ... Schultz
Hans Christian Blech ... Maj. Werner Pluskat
Bourvil ... Mayor of Colleville

Richard Burton ... Flight Officer David Campbell
Wolfgang Büttner ... Maj. Gen. Dr. Hans Speidel

Red Buttons ... Pvt. John Steele
Pauline Carton ... Maid

Sean Connery ... Pvt. Flanagan
Ray Danton ... Capt. Frank
Irina Demick ... Janine Boitard (as Irina Demich)
Fred Dur ... U.S. Army Ranger major
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Additional Details

Runtime:
178 min
Country:
USA
Language:
English | German | French
Aspect Ratio:
2.20 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
4-Track Stereo (Westrex Recording System) | 70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints)
Filming Locations:
Calvados, France more

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
Henry Grace was not an actor when being cast as Dwight D. Eisenhower, but his remarkable resemblance to Eisenhower got him the role. more
Goofs:
Factual errors: Actors Robert Ryan and John Wayne - both in their mid 50s when the movie was made - were (and looked) some 20 and 30 years too old respectively to be portraying their real-life counterparts. Ryan's character Major General James Gavin (the youngest man to hold that rank in the U.S. Army) was only in his mid 30s at the time of D-Day, and Wayne's character Lt. Col. Ben Vandervoort was only 27. more
Quotes:
Private John Steele: Bonjour, mademoiselle. Je suis américain. more
Movie Connections:
Referenced in "What's My Line?: (1962-09-16)" (1962) more
Soundtrack:
The Longest Day more

FAQ

This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.
38 out of 50 people found the following comment useful:-
Allow Yourself A Long Day To See This All-Star War Pic..., 12 April 1999
7/10
Author: Donald J. Lamb from Philadelphia, PA

Darryl F. Zanuck's THE LONGEST DAY is indeed long, has over 48 international stars, 3 directors, and took about 2 years to make. 1962 was the year of the epic as far as the 1960's were concerned and this exceptional film is no exception. No cost was spared. Some good war sequences mixed with stock footage of WWII effectively present a version of D-Day, June of 1944. We see it from the German perspective (in sub-titles), the American plight, and the rest of the Allied forces. One problem: If you are seeing the film for the first time AFTER watching SAVING PRIVATE RYAN, you may come out disappointed. The war scenes are well-crafted, however, the piercing reality is missing. I tried to watch it as objectively as I could, but it is hard, considering the impression Spielberg's version of D-Day left on me.

The soldiers are led by a variety of huge name actors. John Wayne is a no-holds-barred Captain who will fight, broken foot or not. Henry Fonda plays Teddy Roosevelt, Jr. looking not to be treated as the son of an ex-president. Bob Mitchum is great as a cigar-smoking officer of the U.S. raid on Omaha Beach. The only problem is authenticity. The actors look good and realisticly war-like, however, they are kept in frame to showcase their talents and they never seem to be near death. This is by no means an anti-war film like RYAN. It can be harrowing at times, but watching Richard Burton, Sean Connery, and Rod Steiger deliver cameo-like performances (meaning they know they are only on-screen for a short time) was a bit contrived and distracting.

Overall, I did like the movie. It is greatly detailed and it lets you know exactly who each actor is playing. This is pure American propaganda, but it is still exciting. Too many fearful war experiences are handled with kid gloves. The grand spectacle of the top-notch production values as well as non-stop action make the picture watchable, if only once.

RATING: 7 of 10

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