Battle of the Bulge (film)
Encyclopedia
Battle of the Bulge is a widescreen
war film
produced in Spain that was released in 1965. It was directed by Ken Annakin
. It starred Henry Fonda
, Robert Shaw
, Telly Savalas
, Robert Ryan
, Dana Andrews
and Charles Bronson
. The feature was filmed in Ultra Panavision 70
and exhibited in 70 mm Cinerama
.
Battle of the Bulge had its world premiere on December 16, 1965, the 21st anniversary of the battle, at the Pacific Cinerama Dome
Theatre in Hollywood, California.
The original VHS release of the film for home video use was heavily edited and used a full screen "pan and scan
" technique often employed in network telecasts of widescreen motion pictures. The DVD (released in 2005), however, is uncut and uses a "letterbox
" format that includes the proper aspect ratio
of the original film; it also includes some special features.
The filmmakers attempted to condense a battle that stretched across parts of Germany, Belgium and Luxembourg
and lasted nearly a month into under 3 hours. They also shot parts of the film on terrain that did not resemble actual battle locations. This left them open to criticism for lack of historical accuracy, but they claimed in the end credits that they had 're-organised' the chronological order of events to maximise the dramatic story.
Unlike most World War II epics, "Battle of the Bulge" contains virtually no portrayals of actual senior Allied leaders, civilian or military. This is presumably because of controversies surrounding the battle, both during the war and after. Though Allied forces ultimately won the battle, the initial Nazi counteroffensive caught them by surprise and caused high casualties.
) leads a last-ditch tank attack through the Allied front.
The film opens with Lt. Colonel Kiley (Fonda
) and his pilot, Joe, flying recon over the Ardennes
forest. Kiley's overhead passes causes Hessler's driver, Conrad (Hans Christian Blech
) to drive into a ditch. Hessler, however, maintains his cool, chastizing Conrad for fearing an unarmed reconnaissance aircraft.
Meanwhile, Kiley and Joe are on their way back when Kiley spots something and takes a photograph. As the plane flies away, a group of camouflaged German tanks is revealed.
Hessler enters an underground command bunker where his superior, General Kohler (Werner Peters
) presents models of the latest wonder weapons: jets, V-2 rockets and the King Tiger tank.
Suddenly, Kohler and Hessler are captured by what appears to be a squad of American soldiers. They are German soldiers in disguise led by Lieutenant Schumacher (Ty Hardin
). In the upcoming mission which Hessler will participate, these English-speaking Germans will seize vital bridges and sow confusion.
Kohler points out a clock with a 50-hour countdown: the time allotted for the mission, beyond which the odds of success will fall off. Finally, Hessler is presented with a yard full of King Tiger tanks, in response to which he proclaims the operation can be done.
Meanwhile, Kiley returns to headquarters where he warns Germany plans one more all-out offensive. His superiors, General Grey (Ryan
) and Colonel Pritchard (Andrews
) dismiss it out of hand.
Back at German HQ, Conrad confronts Hessler about the chances of success, pointing out all the experienced veterans who have fallen since Hessler first led the Panzers into Poland. Concerned, Hessler reviews his new tank commanders and discovers they are all young and mostly inexperienced. He expresses his lack of confidence to Kohler. The commanders, overhearing this, break into a resounding chorus of Panzerlied
. Moved by their spirit, Hessler casts aside his doubt.
Hoping to uncover more proof, Kiley visits a U.S. infantry position on the Siegfried Line
under command of Major Walenski (Bronson
). A patrol led by Lieutenant Weaver (James MacArthur
) and Sergeant Duquesne (George Montgomery) capture some young Germans. Kiley concludes experienced German troops have been replaced by these men and withdrawn for an offensive, but Pritchard dismisses this as well.
Early the next day as G.I.'s sleep in their positions, Hessler launches his attack. Woken by the noise of German tanks, Walenski leads his men into the wooded area of the Schnee Eifel
where his men try to stand their ground but are overrun.
Lt. Schumacher and his disguised German troops capture the only bridge over the river Our which heavy tanks can cross. With his route secure, Hessler continues his spearhead toward Ambleve, observed by Kiley. Schumacher later takes control of a small crossroads which is the intersection of 3 roads - one from Ambleve, one from Malmedy
and one from the Siegfried Line. With the signs turned around, the rear echelon of Walenski's troops are diverted not to Ambleve but to Malmedy, where an SS Division is waiting. In the last group, Lt. Weaver and Sgt. Duquesne argue about the route, are consequently captured, and placed with other American prisoners. Later, most are massacred by SS troops at Malmedy. Weaver manages to escape.
Kiley notices the Germans are carrying rubber hoses and empty metal drums which prove they are short on fuel and scavenging for it. Conceding the German attack is a major effort, Pritchard apologizes to Kiley.
As Grey evacuates his HQ, an unarmed soldier runs past. When Grey stops him and asks where his unit is, the young solder exclaims they're all gone. Seeing what's happening and not wanting his division to disintegrate into a rabble, Grey turns around and orders every man to stand and fight.
Kohler informs Hessler that he is at the head of the German offensive. Bursting with pride, Hessler reveals to Conrad that before this attack, he never thought Germany could win. Now everything has changed. Conrad asks what will become of his sons, to which Hessler replies they will become soldiers and die for Germany.
With Hessler's forces now surrounding the town of Ambleve, Grey summons heavy artillery. But as the train loaded with ordnance races toward Ambleve, a lone German tank destroys the engine, denying General Grey the means to defend against heavy armour. (Note: This scene was shortened in some later theatrical and TV releases.) German troops assault Ambleve but fail to capture the town.
General Kohler orders Hessler to bypass Ambleve, but Hessler argues capturing it will eliminate a thorn in their side and severely damage American morale. As night falls, Hessler's tanks and infantry storm Ambleve, finally taking the town. (Note: In some theatrical releases, the Ambleve evening assault was not shown.) Although many Americans are captured, Grey, Pritchard, Kiley, and others escape to the river River Meuse. Walenski is captured and demands to know whether his troops will be murdered like those at Malmedy. Angered by the accusation and the knowledge that such massacres can "turn a disorganised rabble into avenging soldiers", Hessler complains to General Kohler. American resistance is stiffening everywhere. Kohler points out the units at Malmedy are S.S. and not under Wehrmacht control.
Meanwhile, angry at the thought of his sons never living in peace, Conrad confronts Hessler, denouncing him a murderer and saying he "would murder the whole world" to stay in his black Panzer uniform. Recognizing Conrad's past loyalty, he spares his life, but has him transferred to fuel services.
Facing the dangers of a foggy night, Col. Kiley conducts an aerial reconnaissance in an attempt to locate the main German spearhead. His aircraft nearly crashes into a cliff. Undaunted, he continues, ordering the pilot to shut off the engine and glide in an attempt to listen for enemy tanks. Suddenly through a gap in the fog he spots the jackpot: Hessler's column of Tiger tanks heading toward American lines. Kiley radios in the coordinates, but is hit by German fire and crashes near an American fuel depot.
Meanwhile, General Grey's force, with the river Meuse at their back, prepares to fight off Hessler. The outgunned, out-armored American tanks are systematically destroyed, but at the cost of the Germans burning up much of their fuel. Aware of this, Hessler leads a detachment toward an American depot to capture its stocks. Conrad, moving fuel drums, watches him go. Weaver and some stragglers arrive first, taking out Schumacher's men who had the dump in their hands. Hessler's tanks then appear. The U.S. defenders flood the road with gasoline. Drums are punctured and rolled downhill where they are set ablaze. Numerous German tanks are destroyed. Hessler desperately goes it alone, commandeering the controls of his Tiger, intending to drive it into the depot. But the tracks of his tank stall, followed by the vehicle catching fire and exploding where he perishes inside.
As the film ends, an American scout informs Grey the Germans have given up and are marching back. At the end of a massive column, Conrad discards his rifle and ammunition. And as the camera pans away, we see an array of abandoned German vehicles strewn across the field.
Vignettes from the actual battle are included in the film, including General McAuliffe's reply of "Nuts!" to an offer of surrender at Bastogne.
on December 26, 1944 where the U.S. 2nd Armored Division smashed the German 2nd Panzer Division. The film creates the false impression that large numbers of American tanks sacrificed themselves against the heavy Tiger II
s and in the process lured the enemy off course which caused them to run out of gas. In reality, they were already stranded. The tanks used (despite the claims of the producer in an interview which is one of the DVD extras) are not historically accurate. But the American M47 Patton
s representing German King Tiger tanks conveyed the superior size and gun power which the M24 Chaffee
s representing the M4 Sherman
had to contend with.
Aside from the initial American encounters with the German offensive, there is some absence of cold weather and snow, which were the conditions in which the real battle was fought. There is no trace of snow at all in the film's major tank battle scene. Nor were some battle scenes fought in flat and bare territory, considering the mountainous, and forested and grassy nature of the Ardennes
. The film was shot on location in Sierra de Guadarrama
mountain range and Madrid, Spain.
The role of Lt. Schumacher and his men was based on Operation Greif
, the plan to parachute English speaking Germans using American equipment behind American lines to sow confusion and capture the bridges.
Absent from this movie is the response by General George Patton whose Third Army relieved the siege of Bastogne. Indeed, there is no reference to British forces in the area, although British troops were largely kept behind the Meuse river and thus almost entirely out of the fighting. Also not mentioned is General Eisenhower's decision to split the Bulge front into two, ceding temporary command of two American armies to Field Marshal Montgomery in the northern half of the Bulge; implying a totally American operation. Neither was there mention of the role of Allied air power hitting the Germans hard at the first sign of clear weather.
The film's opening narration, by William Conrad
, does mention both Montgomery and Patton, but is inaccurate, saying:
to the north, stood Montgomery's Eighth Army. To the south, Patton's Third.
In fact, Montgomery's northern command was actually the 21st Army Group. The Eighth Army
, Montgomery's previous command, was actually in Italy at the time of the Battle of the Bulge. Although Patton was in charge of 3rd Army during the battle, this army was part of a much larger American force in the south. Third Army was one of four American armies that constituted the 12th Army Group under General Omar Bradley. It was Patton, however, who was Montgomery's American counterpart on the Western Front.
There is some speculation that the fictional German character, Hessler, was modeled after Colonel Joachim Peiper
whose unit carried out the Malmedy massacre. However, this is not evident in the film where Hessler is openly critical of the Malmedy incident, pointing out such things turn a defeated rabble into an avenging army.
The film recaptures the major aspects of the battle, depicting how the inexperienced replacement American units stationed in the Ardenne were initially overwhelmed and the confusion which followed. It points out the superiority of heavy German tanks, along with their one weakness, lack of fuel.
Widescreen
Widescreen images are a variety of aspect ratios used in film, television and computer screens. In film, a widescreen film is any film image with a width-to-height aspect ratio greater than the standard 1.37:1 Academy aspect ratio provided by 35mm film....
war film
War film
War films are a film genre concerned with warfare, usually about naval, air or land battles, sometimes focusing instead on prisoners of war, covert operations, military training or other related subjects. At times war films focus on daily military or civilian life in wartime without depicting battles...
produced in Spain that was released in 1965. It was directed by Ken Annakin
Ken Annakin
Kenneth Cooper Annakin, OBE was an English film director.- Biography :Annakin grew up in Beverley, Yorkshire where he attended the local school. He began his career in feature films following an early experience making documentaries. His first filmwork was in 1947 with the Rank Organisation...
. It starred Henry Fonda
Henry Fonda
Henry Jaynes Fonda was an American film and stage actor.Fonda made his mark early as a Broadway actor. He also appeared in 1938 in plays performed in White Plains, New York, with Joan Tompkins...
, Robert Shaw
Robert Shaw (actor)
Robert Archibald Shaw was an English actor and novelist, remembered for his performances in The Sting , From Russia with Love , A Man for All Seasons , the original The Taking of Pelham One Two Three , Black Sunday , The Deep and Jaws , where he played the shark hunter Quint.-Early life...
, Telly Savalas
Telly Savalas
Aristotelis "Telly" Savalas was an American film and television actor and singer, whose career spanned four decades. Best known for playing the title role in the 1970s crime drama Kojak, Savalas was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance in Birdman of Alcatraz...
, Robert Ryan
Robert Ryan
Robert Bushnell Ryan was an American actor who often played hardened cops and ruthless villains.-Early life and career:...
, Dana Andrews
Dana Andrews
Dana Andrews was an American film actor. He was one of Hollywood's major stars of the 1940s, and continued acting, though generally in less prestigious roles, into the 1980s.-Early life:...
and Charles Bronson
Charles Bronson
Charles Bronson , born Charles Dennis Buchinsky was an American actor, best-known for such films as Once Upon a Time in the West, The Magnificent Seven, The Dirty Dozen, The Great Escape, Rider on the Rain, The Mechanic, and the popular Death Wish series...
. The feature was filmed in Ultra Panavision 70
Ultra Panavision 70
Ultra Panavision 70 and MGM Camera 65 were the photographic marketing brands — ca. 1957 to 1966 — that identified movies photographed with Panavision-brand anamorphic lenses using a 65mm negative and 70mm release print...
and exhibited in 70 mm Cinerama
Cinerama
Cinerama is the trademarked name for a widescreen process which works by simultaneously projecting images from three synchronized 35 mm projectors onto a huge, deeply-curved screen, subtending 146° of arc. It is also the trademarked name for the corporation which was formed to market it...
.
Battle of the Bulge had its world premiere on December 16, 1965, the 21st anniversary of the battle, at the Pacific Cinerama Dome
Cinerama Dome
Pacific Theatres' Cinerama Dome is a movie theater located at 6360 Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood, California. Designed to present widescreen, 70mm Cinerama films, it opened November 7, 1963. Today it continues as a leading first run theater.- History :...
Theatre in Hollywood, California.
The original VHS release of the film for home video use was heavily edited and used a full screen "pan and scan
Pan and scan
Pan and scan is a method of adjusting widescreen film images so that they can be shown within the proportions of a standard definition 4:3 aspect ratio television screen, often cropping off the sides of the original widescreen image to focus on the composition's most important aspects...
" technique often employed in network telecasts of widescreen motion pictures. The DVD (released in 2005), however, is uncut and uses a "letterbox
Letterbox
Letterboxing is the practice of transferring film shot in a widescreen aspect ratio to standard-width video formats while preserving the film's original aspect ratio. The resulting videographic image has mattes above and below it; these mattes are part of the image...
" format that includes the proper aspect ratio
Aspect ratio
The aspect ratio of a shape is the ratio of its longer dimension to its shorter dimension. It may be applied to two characteristic dimensions of a three-dimensional shape, such as the ratio of the longest and shortest axis, or for symmetrical objects that are described by just two measurements,...
of the original film; it also includes some special features.
The filmmakers attempted to condense a battle that stretched across parts of Germany, Belgium and Luxembourg
Luxembourg
Luxembourg , officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg , is a landlocked country in western Europe, bordered by Belgium, France, and Germany. It has two principal regions: the Oesling in the North as part of the Ardennes massif, and the Gutland in the south...
and lasted nearly a month into under 3 hours. They also shot parts of the film on terrain that did not resemble actual battle locations. This left them open to criticism for lack of historical accuracy, but they claimed in the end credits that they had 're-organised' the chronological order of events to maximise the dramatic story.
Unlike most World War II epics, "Battle of the Bulge" contains virtually no portrayals of actual senior Allied leaders, civilian or military. This is presumably because of controversies surrounding the battle, both during the war and after. Though Allied forces ultimately won the battle, the initial Nazi counteroffensive caught them by surprise and caused high casualties.
Plot
A German tank force led by a fictional Colonel Hessler (ShawRobert Shaw (actor)
Robert Archibald Shaw was an English actor and novelist, remembered for his performances in The Sting , From Russia with Love , A Man for All Seasons , the original The Taking of Pelham One Two Three , Black Sunday , The Deep and Jaws , where he played the shark hunter Quint.-Early life...
) leads a last-ditch tank attack through the Allied front.
The film opens with Lt. Colonel Kiley (Fonda
Henry Fonda
Henry Jaynes Fonda was an American film and stage actor.Fonda made his mark early as a Broadway actor. He also appeared in 1938 in plays performed in White Plains, New York, with Joan Tompkins...
) and his pilot, Joe, flying recon over the Ardennes
Ardennes
The Ardennes is a region of extensive forests, rolling hills and ridges formed within the Givetian Ardennes mountain range, primarily in Belgium and Luxembourg, but stretching into France , and geologically into the Eifel...
forest. Kiley's overhead passes causes Hessler's driver, Conrad (Hans Christian Blech
Hans Christian Blech
Hans Christian Blech was a German film, stage and television character actor who found success both in his native land and in Hollywood....
) to drive into a ditch. Hessler, however, maintains his cool, chastizing Conrad for fearing an unarmed reconnaissance aircraft.
Meanwhile, Kiley and Joe are on their way back when Kiley spots something and takes a photograph. As the plane flies away, a group of camouflaged German tanks is revealed.
Hessler enters an underground command bunker where his superior, General Kohler (Werner Peters
Werner Peters
Werner Peters was a German film actor. He appeared in 102 films between 1947 and 1971.Peters was born in Werlitzsch, Kreis Delitzsch, Prussian Saxony, and died of a heart attack on a promotion tour for his latest film in Wiesbaden, Germany.His film career started with the lead in Wolfgang...
) presents models of the latest wonder weapons: jets, V-2 rockets and the King Tiger tank.
Suddenly, Kohler and Hessler are captured by what appears to be a squad of American soldiers. They are German soldiers in disguise led by Lieutenant Schumacher (Ty Hardin
Ty Hardin
Ty Hardin, born Orison Whipple Hungerford, Jr., is a former American actor best known as the star of the 1950s ABC western television series Bronco.-Early life:...
). In the upcoming mission which Hessler will participate, these English-speaking Germans will seize vital bridges and sow confusion.
Kohler points out a clock with a 50-hour countdown: the time allotted for the mission, beyond which the odds of success will fall off. Finally, Hessler is presented with a yard full of King Tiger tanks, in response to which he proclaims the operation can be done.
Meanwhile, Kiley returns to headquarters where he warns Germany plans one more all-out offensive. His superiors, General Grey (Ryan
Robert Ryan
Robert Bushnell Ryan was an American actor who often played hardened cops and ruthless villains.-Early life and career:...
) and Colonel Pritchard (Andrews
Dana Andrews
Dana Andrews was an American film actor. He was one of Hollywood's major stars of the 1940s, and continued acting, though generally in less prestigious roles, into the 1980s.-Early life:...
) dismiss it out of hand.
Back at German HQ, Conrad confronts Hessler about the chances of success, pointing out all the experienced veterans who have fallen since Hessler first led the Panzers into Poland. Concerned, Hessler reviews his new tank commanders and discovers they are all young and mostly inexperienced. He expresses his lack of confidence to Kohler. The commanders, overhearing this, break into a resounding chorus of Panzerlied
Panzerlied
The Panzerlied is one of the best known Wehrmacht songs. It was composed in June 1933 by Oberleutnant Kurt Wiehle while on his way to Königsbrück. Wiehle adapted a German sailor's song, writing lyrics more appropriate to the Panzerwaffe. At the time, Germany was clandestinely developing an armored...
. Moved by their spirit, Hessler casts aside his doubt.
Hoping to uncover more proof, Kiley visits a U.S. infantry position on the Siegfried Line
Siegfried Line
The original Siegfried line was a line of defensive forts and tank defences built by Germany as a section of the Hindenburg Line 1916–1917 in northern France during World War I...
under command of Major Walenski (Bronson
Charles Bronson
Charles Bronson , born Charles Dennis Buchinsky was an American actor, best-known for such films as Once Upon a Time in the West, The Magnificent Seven, The Dirty Dozen, The Great Escape, Rider on the Rain, The Mechanic, and the popular Death Wish series...
). A patrol led by Lieutenant Weaver (James MacArthur
James MacArthur
James Gordon MacArthur was an American actor best known for the role of Danny "Danno" Williams, the reliable second-in-command of the fictional Hawaiian State Police squad Hawaii Five-O.-Early life:...
) and Sergeant Duquesne (George Montgomery) capture some young Germans. Kiley concludes experienced German troops have been replaced by these men and withdrawn for an offensive, but Pritchard dismisses this as well.
Early the next day as G.I.'s sleep in their positions, Hessler launches his attack. Woken by the noise of German tanks, Walenski leads his men into the wooded area of the Schnee Eifel
Schnee Eifel
The Schnee Eifel is a heavily wooded landscape in Germany's Central Uplands that forms part of the western Eifel in the area of the German-Belgian border...
where his men try to stand their ground but are overrun.
Lt. Schumacher and his disguised German troops capture the only bridge over the river Our which heavy tanks can cross. With his route secure, Hessler continues his spearhead toward Ambleve, observed by Kiley. Schumacher later takes control of a small crossroads which is the intersection of 3 roads - one from Ambleve, one from Malmedy
Malmedy
Malmedy is a municipality of Belgium. It lies in the country's Walloon Region, Province of Liège. It belongs to the French Community of Belgium, within which it is French-speaking with facilities for German-speakers. On January 1, 2006 Malmedy had a total population of 11,829...
and one from the Siegfried Line. With the signs turned around, the rear echelon of Walenski's troops are diverted not to Ambleve but to Malmedy, where an SS Division is waiting. In the last group, Lt. Weaver and Sgt. Duquesne argue about the route, are consequently captured, and placed with other American prisoners. Later, most are massacred by SS troops at Malmedy. Weaver manages to escape.
Kiley notices the Germans are carrying rubber hoses and empty metal drums which prove they are short on fuel and scavenging for it. Conceding the German attack is a major effort, Pritchard apologizes to Kiley.
As Grey evacuates his HQ, an unarmed soldier runs past. When Grey stops him and asks where his unit is, the young solder exclaims they're all gone. Seeing what's happening and not wanting his division to disintegrate into a rabble, Grey turns around and orders every man to stand and fight.
Kohler informs Hessler that he is at the head of the German offensive. Bursting with pride, Hessler reveals to Conrad that before this attack, he never thought Germany could win. Now everything has changed. Conrad asks what will become of his sons, to which Hessler replies they will become soldiers and die for Germany.
With Hessler's forces now surrounding the town of Ambleve, Grey summons heavy artillery. But as the train loaded with ordnance races toward Ambleve, a lone German tank destroys the engine, denying General Grey the means to defend against heavy armour. (Note: This scene was shortened in some later theatrical and TV releases.) German troops assault Ambleve but fail to capture the town.
General Kohler orders Hessler to bypass Ambleve, but Hessler argues capturing it will eliminate a thorn in their side and severely damage American morale. As night falls, Hessler's tanks and infantry storm Ambleve, finally taking the town. (Note: In some theatrical releases, the Ambleve evening assault was not shown.) Although many Americans are captured, Grey, Pritchard, Kiley, and others escape to the river River Meuse. Walenski is captured and demands to know whether his troops will be murdered like those at Malmedy. Angered by the accusation and the knowledge that such massacres can "turn a disorganised rabble into avenging soldiers", Hessler complains to General Kohler. American resistance is stiffening everywhere. Kohler points out the units at Malmedy are S.S. and not under Wehrmacht control.
Meanwhile, angry at the thought of his sons never living in peace, Conrad confronts Hessler, denouncing him a murderer and saying he "would murder the whole world" to stay in his black Panzer uniform. Recognizing Conrad's past loyalty, he spares his life, but has him transferred to fuel services.
Facing the dangers of a foggy night, Col. Kiley conducts an aerial reconnaissance in an attempt to locate the main German spearhead. His aircraft nearly crashes into a cliff. Undaunted, he continues, ordering the pilot to shut off the engine and glide in an attempt to listen for enemy tanks. Suddenly through a gap in the fog he spots the jackpot: Hessler's column of Tiger tanks heading toward American lines. Kiley radios in the coordinates, but is hit by German fire and crashes near an American fuel depot.
Meanwhile, General Grey's force, with the river Meuse at their back, prepares to fight off Hessler. The outgunned, out-armored American tanks are systematically destroyed, but at the cost of the Germans burning up much of their fuel. Aware of this, Hessler leads a detachment toward an American depot to capture its stocks. Conrad, moving fuel drums, watches him go. Weaver and some stragglers arrive first, taking out Schumacher's men who had the dump in their hands. Hessler's tanks then appear. The U.S. defenders flood the road with gasoline. Drums are punctured and rolled downhill where they are set ablaze. Numerous German tanks are destroyed. Hessler desperately goes it alone, commandeering the controls of his Tiger, intending to drive it into the depot. But the tracks of his tank stall, followed by the vehicle catching fire and exploding where he perishes inside.
As the film ends, an American scout informs Grey the Germans have given up and are marching back. At the end of a massive column, Conrad discards his rifle and ammunition. And as the camera pans away, we see an array of abandoned German vehicles strewn across the field.
Vignettes from the actual battle are included in the film, including General McAuliffe's reply of "Nuts!" to an offer of surrender at Bastogne.
Cast
- Henry FondaHenry FondaHenry Jaynes Fonda was an American film and stage actor.Fonda made his mark early as a Broadway actor. He also appeared in 1938 in plays performed in White Plains, New York, with Joan Tompkins...
as Lt. Col. Kiley - Robert ShawRobert Shaw (actor)Robert Archibald Shaw was an English actor and novelist, remembered for his performances in The Sting , From Russia with Love , A Man for All Seasons , the original The Taking of Pelham One Two Three , Black Sunday , The Deep and Jaws , where he played the shark hunter Quint.-Early life...
as Col. Hessler - Robert RyanRobert RyanRobert Bushnell Ryan was an American actor who often played hardened cops and ruthless villains.-Early life and career:...
as Gen. Grey - Dana AndrewsDana AndrewsDana Andrews was an American film actor. He was one of Hollywood's major stars of the 1940s, and continued acting, though generally in less prestigious roles, into the 1980s.-Early life:...
as Col. Pritchard - George Montgomery as Sgt. Duquesne
- Ty HardinTy HardinTy Hardin, born Orison Whipple Hungerford, Jr., is a former American actor best known as the star of the 1950s ABC western television series Bronco.-Early life:...
as Schumacher - Pier AngeliPier AngeliPier Angeli was an Italian-born television and film actress. Her American cinematographic debut was in the starring role of the 1951 film Teresa, in which she won a Golden Globe Award...
as Louise - Barbara Werle as Elena
- Charles BronsonCharles BronsonCharles Bronson , born Charles Dennis Buchinsky was an American actor, best-known for such films as Once Upon a Time in the West, The Magnificent Seven, The Dirty Dozen, The Great Escape, Rider on the Rain, The Mechanic, and the popular Death Wish series...
as Wolenski - Hans Christian BlechHans Christian BlechHans Christian Blech was a German film, stage and television character actor who found success both in his native land and in Hollywood....
as Conrad - Werner PetersWerner PetersWerner Peters was a German film actor. He appeared in 102 films between 1947 and 1971.Peters was born in Werlitzsch, Kreis Delitzsch, Prussian Saxony, and died of a heart attack on a promotion tour for his latest film in Wiesbaden, Germany.His film career started with the lead in Wolfgang...
as Gen. Kohler - James MacArthurJames MacArthurJames Gordon MacArthur was an American actor best known for the role of Danny "Danno" Williams, the reliable second-in-command of the fictional Hawaiian State Police squad Hawaii Five-O.-Early life:...
as Lt. Weaver - Karl-Otto AlbertyKarl-Otto AlbertyKarl-Otto Alberty is a German actor.He started out as an amateur boxer before discovering a talent for acting, making his début at the City Theatre in Konstanz in 1959. He then began to take supporting roles in films...
as Von Diepel (as Karl Otto Alberty) - Telly SavalasTelly SavalasAristotelis "Telly" Savalas was an American film and television actor and singer, whose career spanned four decades. Best known for playing the title role in the 1970s crime drama Kojak, Savalas was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance in Birdman of Alcatraz...
as Sgt. Guffy - Steve Rowland as Eddy
- Robert Woods (actor)Robert Woods (actor)Robert Woods, sometimes credited as Robert Wood, is a film and television actor. He is noted for extensive work in Spaghetti Westerns and in the European film industry from the 1960s to present day....
as Joe (Kiley's pilot)
Historical inaccuracies
The final tank battle is a rough depiction of the Battle of CellesCelles, Houyet
Celles is a village in the municipality of Houyet in the province of Namur, Belgium.It is a member of the heritage group Les Plus Beaux Villages de Wallonie ....
on December 26, 1944 where the U.S. 2nd Armored Division smashed the German 2nd Panzer Division. The film creates the false impression that large numbers of American tanks sacrificed themselves against the heavy Tiger II
Tiger II
Tiger II is the common name of a German heavy tank of the Second World War. The final official German designation was Panzerkampfwagen Tiger Ausf. B,Panzerkampfwagen – abbr: Pz. or Pz.Kfw. Ausführung – abbr: Ausf. .The full titles Panzerkampfwagen Tiger Ausf...
s and in the process lured the enemy off course which caused them to run out of gas. In reality, they were already stranded. The tanks used (despite the claims of the producer in an interview which is one of the DVD extras) are not historically accurate. But the American M47 Patton
M47 Patton
The M47 Patton is an American medium tank, the second tank to be named after General George S. Patton, commander of the U.S. Third Army during World War II and one of the earliest American advocates of tanks in battle. It was a further development of the M46 Patton tank.-History:The M47 was the U.S...
s representing German King Tiger tanks conveyed the superior size and gun power which the M24 Chaffee
M24 Chaffee
The Light Tank M24 was an American light tank used during World War II and in postwar conflicts including the Korean War and with the French in the War in Algeria and First Indochina War. In British service it was given the service name Chaffee, after the United States Army General Adna R...
s representing the M4 Sherman
M4 Sherman
The M4 Sherman, formally Medium Tank, M4, was the primary tank used by the United States during World War II. Thousands were also distributed to the Allies, including the British Commonwealth and Soviet armies, via lend-lease...
had to contend with.
Aside from the initial American encounters with the German offensive, there is some absence of cold weather and snow, which were the conditions in which the real battle was fought. There is no trace of snow at all in the film's major tank battle scene. Nor were some battle scenes fought in flat and bare territory, considering the mountainous, and forested and grassy nature of the Ardennes
Ardennes
The Ardennes is a region of extensive forests, rolling hills and ridges formed within the Givetian Ardennes mountain range, primarily in Belgium and Luxembourg, but stretching into France , and geologically into the Eifel...
. The film was shot on location in Sierra de Guadarrama
Sierra de Guadarrama
The Sierra de Guadarrama is a mountain range forming the main eastern section of the Sistema Central, the system of mountain ranges at the centre of the Iberian Peninsula. It is located between the Sierra de Gredos in the province of Ávila, and Sierra de Ayllón in the province of Guadalajara...
mountain range and Madrid, Spain.
The role of Lt. Schumacher and his men was based on Operation Greif
Operation Greif
Operation Greif was a special false flag operation commanded by Waffen-SS commando Otto Skorzeny during the Battle of the Bulge. The operation was the brainchild of Adolf Hitler, and its purpose was to capture one or more of the bridges over the Meuse river before they could be destroyed...
, the plan to parachute English speaking Germans using American equipment behind American lines to sow confusion and capture the bridges.
Absent from this movie is the response by General George Patton whose Third Army relieved the siege of Bastogne. Indeed, there is no reference to British forces in the area, although British troops were largely kept behind the Meuse river and thus almost entirely out of the fighting. Also not mentioned is General Eisenhower's decision to split the Bulge front into two, ceding temporary command of two American armies to Field Marshal Montgomery in the northern half of the Bulge; implying a totally American operation. Neither was there mention of the role of Allied air power hitting the Germans hard at the first sign of clear weather.
The film's opening narration, by William Conrad
William Conrad
William Conrad was an American actor, producer and director whose career spanned five decades in radio, film and television....
, does mention both Montgomery and Patton, but is inaccurate, saying:
to the north, stood Montgomery's Eighth Army. To the south, Patton's Third.
In fact, Montgomery's northern command was actually the 21st Army Group. The Eighth Army
Eighth Army (United Kingdom)
The Eighth Army was one of the best-known formations of the British Army during World War II, fighting in the North African and Italian campaigns....
, Montgomery's previous command, was actually in Italy at the time of the Battle of the Bulge. Although Patton was in charge of 3rd Army during the battle, this army was part of a much larger American force in the south. Third Army was one of four American armies that constituted the 12th Army Group under General Omar Bradley. It was Patton, however, who was Montgomery's American counterpart on the Western Front.
There is some speculation that the fictional German character, Hessler, was modeled after Colonel Joachim Peiper
Joachim Peiper
Joachim Peiper , more often known as Jochen Peiper, was a field officer in the Waffen-SS during World War II, convicted of war crimes in Belgium and accused of war crimes in Italy. He was Reichsführer-SS Heinrich Himmler's personal adjutant . In 1945, he was an SS-Standartenführer, the Waffen-SS's...
whose unit carried out the Malmedy massacre. However, this is not evident in the film where Hessler is openly critical of the Malmedy incident, pointing out such things turn a defeated rabble into an avenging army.
The film recaptures the major aspects of the battle, depicting how the inexperienced replacement American units stationed in the Ardenne were initially overwhelmed and the confusion which followed. It points out the superiority of heavy German tanks, along with their one weakness, lack of fuel.
External links
- Marcus Wendel (May 14, 2006), "Heer Units". Viewed December 26, 2006.