Commando (1962 film)
Marcia o Crepa (March or Die) known as The Legion's Last Patrol in the UK and Commando in the US is a 1962 European (Italian, German, Spanish) co-production war film about the Algerian War of Independence.[2][3]
Marcia o Crepa | |
---|---|
US release film poster | |
Directed by | Frank Wisbar |
Produced by | Willy Zeyn |
Written by | William Denby Mino Guerrini Milton Krims Giuseppe Mangione Frank Wisbar Arturo Tofanelli (story) |
Starring | Stewart Granger Dorian Gray |
Music by | Angelo Francesco Lavagnino |
Cinematography | Cecilio Paniagua |
Edited by | Mario Serandrei |
Production company | Temp Film FICIT Galatea Midega |
Distributed by | Tempo Film (Italy) American International Pictures (USA) |
Release date |
|
Running time | 101 minutes |
Country | Belgium Spain Italy Germany |
Language | English |
Box office | 977,460 admissions (France)[1] |
It was released in 1964 in the USA by American International Pictures on a double feature with Torpedo Bay/Beta Som.[4][5]
In the UK this film was shown at Odeon cinemas as part of a double feature with The Day of the Triffids.
Plot
French Foreign Legion Captain Le Blanc (Stewart Granger) leads a section of his Legion parachutists to capture an FLN guerilla leader. Along the way they are joined by a prostitute (Dorian Gray) and an Arab child. Their mission is a success but when their escape helicopter is shot down they have to fight their way back to the French lines.
Cast
- Stewart Granger : capitaine Leblanc
- Dorian Gray : Nora
- Fausto Tozzi : Brascia
- Riccardo Garrone : Paolo
- Carlos Casaravilla : Ben Bled
- Ivo Garrani : Colonel Dionne
- Alfredo Mayo : Mayor
- Pablito Alonso : Arab Kid
- Hans von Borsody : Fritz
- Maurizio Arena : Dolce Vita
- Dietmar Schönherr : Petit Prince
- Peter Carsten : Barbarossa
- Leo Anchóriz : Garcia
Production
The theme music Concerto Disperato by Angelo Francesco Lavagnino became a top selling instrumental in Italy performed by Nini Rosso and in the UK with a cover version by Ken Thorne reaching #4.[6]
Reception
The Los Angeles Times called it "mediocre, its timely subject matter reduced to the level of a formula Western."[7]
References
- Box office information for Stewart Granger films in France at Box Office Story
- LEGION'S LAST PATROL, The "(Marcia o Crepa)" Monthly Film Bulletin; London Vol. 30, Iss. 348, (Jan 1, 1963): 87.
- The Long After-Life of Stewart Granger Clifford, Terry. Chicago Tribune 24 Mar 1968: e13.
- http://www.movieposter.com/poster/MPW-23214/Commando_and_Torpedo_Bay.html
- War Movies Scheduled Los Angeles Times (1923-1995); Los Angeles, Calif. [Los Angeles, Calif]04 Mar 1964: C11.
- Warwick, Neal, Brown, Tony & Kutner, Jon The Complete Book of the British Charts: Singles and Albums 2004 Omnibus Press
- Adventure Pictures Coupled on Program Thomas, Kevin. Los Angeles Times 13 Mar 1964: C15