John Landis on THE LONGEST DAY

Although three directors are credited, veteran producer Darryl F. Zanuck was the true auteur behind this elaborate all-star multi-national recreation of the battle of D-Day, shot mostly on the actual locations (hundreds of live land mines had to be cleared from various beaches before filming). At the time 20th Century-Fox was overspending on Cleopatra and there was a lot of pressure to scuttle "Zanuck's folly", but Zanuck rammed through what was then a monumental physical undertaking, and at $10 million the most expensive black-and-white movie ever made. Gerd Oswald, Zanuck and John Wayne directed sequences uncredited.

[schizoidboy]

This movie incidentally has two Bond villains and a James Bond in it.

[AnthonySmith-tyij]

This is one of the great WWII pictures ever made. I rank it with Saving Private Ryan, Battleground, the Big Red One, and They Were Expendable. Darryl F. Zanuck's last great achievement. A great all star cast from different countries. This is a movie I highly recommend.

[Blaqjaqshellaq]

I think it's based on a book by Cornelius Ryan, also the source for A BRIDGE TOO FAR.

[greencello]

Roddy McDowell actually filmed his scenes while waiting for the production of Cleopatra to move forward.

[jerryrichardson]

What happened to the Red Buttons character really happened to one of the soldiers in the D-Day invasion, Buttons met him. I bought a digital copy of this movie on the cheap, not long ago. It's an excellent movie with an amazing cast, as Landis says.

[sachaput]

My father, a WWII Navy vet loved this movie.  I remember seeing it at the local drive-in as a kid with my family and my father watched it just about any time he saw it listed in TV Guide as being broadcast.

[TNPnl]

The good thing about this film is that a few of the actors had actually taken part in D-Day - there is one scene where an actor has to shake hands with an other actor who was playing him ????

[k-man]

Does anyone know why John Landis introduces himself as Victor Mature..??

[seanohare]

What was unique about this impressive war film is it's well balanced take on both sides fighting this epic battle day American British German and French

[zetectic]

Not largest invasion but the largest amphibious landing.

[marks_sparks]

Method acting guru Lee Stasburg has an uncredited cameo (imdb.com) in this film as a private. Given his age and appearance that he was in Godfather Part 2 10 years later, I can only surmise that he is the medic to the left of John Wayne on the cart at 03:35.
If that's not him, can any fans point him out in this flick?

[charliegreer]

In fact, the longest day is innacurate with the Pegasus Bridge scene, but I do like the other scenes, this film is amazing!

[jackgrattan]

I think that Landis has his timeline off on Zanuck and CLEOPATRA. He had stepped away from running the studio, presumably to make this epic, but mostly to run around Europe fucking young starlets.

[zeitgeist]

I couldn't help it. I kept wondering how Irene Demick's French resistance fighter could have had her hair freshly and expertly coifed, in a Sofia Loren style of the early 1960's, no less. After falling off the train bridge when she struggled with the Nazi soldier, didn't her hair miraculously restore itself to the immaculate coif? The director was apparently...well, he permitted this silliness.

[SeungYeonFan]

Love this film, a true classic.  There were a lot of WW2 films made during this period but this is the one where you need to start.  

[plwinkler]

Robert Walker Jr. is not in this film.

[sphughes]

To be honest they actually under represented the events while sticking to accuracy because the whole enterprise was even more climatic and dramatic. Of course the Allied mistakes were largely ignored while the big German error of not sending in the tanks earlier while the Americans were on Omaha Beach was mentioned and made clear it was Hitler's decision not the generals in France. But its still an excellent film and must be seen to get some idea of what happened on the 'Longest Day.'

[Exploiting.History]

Your episodes are very engaging and entertaining and in fact I was inspired to start my own channel as a result! Thanks for the inspiration!

[fredflintstone]

Best helicopter decapitation ever! Oops wrong film.