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Richard Burton, Clint Eastwood, Mary Ure, Michael Hordern, Patrick Wymark ... see more see more... , Robert Beatty , Anton Diffring , Donald Houston , William Squire , Brook Williams , Victor Beaumont , Ingrid Pitt , Richard Beale , Ivor Dean , Lyn Kennington , Nigel Lambert , Michael Rooney , Ernst Walder , Vincent Ball , Peter Barkworth , Ferdinand "Ferdy" Mayne , Neil McCarthy , Derren Nesbitt , Philip Stone

An expensive but enormously profitable war picture, Where Eagles Dare centers upon a daring rescue and even more daring escape. Disguised as Nazi officers, commandoes Maj. John Smith (Richard Burton),... read more read more... Lt. Morris Schaffer Clint Eastwood and six other courageous souls parachute behind enemy lines. Their mission: to rescue an American general, held captive in a supposedly impenetrable Alpine castle. Aiding and abetting the commandoes are Allied undercover agents Mary (Mary Ure) and Heidi (Ingrid Pitt). Also on hand is a British officer (Patrick Wymark), who masterminded the mission. Somewhere, somehow, someone amongst the Allies is going to turn out to be a traitor. There's also a neat plot twist in store when the commandoes manage to reach the American general -- which leads to yet another twist. The vertigo-inducing climax has made Where Eagles Dare one of the most sought-after of "early" Eastwood starring features. The film was written directly for the screen by espionage novelist Alistair MacLean. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

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85% liked it

26,480 ratings

Critics

88% liked it

17 critics

PG, 2 hr. 38 min.

Directed by: Brian G. Hutton

Release Date: March 12, 1969

Keywords: war

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DVD Release Date: September 2, 2003

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Stats: 1,373 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (1,373)

  • CloudStrife84
    December 7, 2011
    CloudStrife84
    They sure knew how to make great WWII films back in the 1960's. So many classics from that era to love and remember. This highly suspenseful action-adventure, starring Richard Burton and Clint Eastwood in excellent form, joins those ranks with ease, as it takes us through a rousi... read moreng series of taut and explosive events. While we do have to suffer a lot of obvious blue-screens, the outstanding story - along with its actors - makes such minor drawbacks effortless to overlook. There's a lot of plot twists as well, which results in the film being pleasantly unpredictable. We don't get that too much in modern cinema, without it feeling contrived or artificial in some way. Add to that the enchantingly sexy Ingrid Pitt, and you have more than enough reason to watch this great classic. A well-deserved 4 out of 5 stars!
  • SajinPA
    May 29, 2011
    SajinPA
    An impossible but no less important mission..
    Hyper cool heroes who perform the most daring stunts without as much as breaking a sweat..
    Double, triple or even quadruple twists and turns in the plot (Eventually you'll loose count)..
    Overall, a brainless popcorn movie that does'n... read moret offer anything reputable or realistic. Still its fun to watch Eastwood shooting the crap out of people.
  • ironclad1609
    August 16, 2010
    ironclad1609
    One of the highlights of the World War II military caper films that were rather popular in the 1960s. It has all it needs: an impossible mission to a unique and interesting location, very bad odds and cool heroes. Here: Richard Burton as sly fox planning ahead and Clint Eastwood ... read moreas tight-lipped rookie. While the first half concentrates on stealth and deception, the second is action packed, both are very exciting. The story offers more twists than you'd expect from such a film, too. As far as the realism of UK and US soldiers easily sneaking into Nazi facilities go: Tarantino certainly had a look at this before doing "Inglourious basterds".
  • allan913
    June 12, 2010
    allan913
    A blisteringly exciting and thoroughly exhilarating action-packed thriller. A classic men on a mission adventure in the tradition of The Guns of Navarone. It's purely entertaining with enough explosive suspense and slam-bang non-stop action to go around for two and a half hours. ... read moreA smart, dazzling and well-crafted masterpiece. Richard Burton and Clint Eastwood are terrific.
  • deano
    April 20, 2010
    deano
    This is one of my all-the-time favourite war films based on the novel by Alister MacLean I read before watching this. Really great entertainment in the escapist adventure where our heroes can do no wrong and the action comes thick and fast.
    Surprisingly the combination of Richar... read mored Burton's classical approach to acting & Clint Eastwood's brash new-kid-on-the block 1960s adaption works quite excellent and make for a good partnership as they go about kicking Nazi butt in their usual inimitable ways.
  • ythelastman89
    March 23, 2010
    ythelastman89
    Debatably my favorite war movie, mainly in the fact that it's so much fun. The plot is virtually flawless and extremely original, I almost feel like it could have been a B movie at one time before they discovered how cool it was. A secret ops mission at a Nazi Castle is unbeatabl... read moree in terms of shear intrigue, who wouldn't want to see that played out. Clint Eastwood and Richard Burton give two very different, yet flawless performances. Every time they appear on screen you are marveled by how amazing they are. The action is amazing and some of the best sequences are achieved by simply doing things no one ever tried to do before. The visuals alike are so unique and beautiful, hardly any war movies capture the offbeat background in the way this film does.
  • TomBowler
    September 7, 2009
    TomBowler
    This is a true representation of the book by alistair maclean, which may not be the best thing, as it does get a little boring. however, clint eastwood does very well and this movie was great for its time.
  • sononothing
    March 3, 2009
    sononothing
    Where Eagles Dare is about a group of Brits led by Major Smith (Richard Burton) and one American (Clint Eastwood) whose mission is to penetrate a fortress and bring back an American general who has the plans for the second wave of Allied European assault.

    This is your basic, st... read moreraightforward, 1960's WWII movie where they take an established star (Burton) and an up and comer (Eastwood) and send them on an impossible mission against thousands of Nazis. The problem with Where Eagles Dare is that by the time you get to any kind of pay off you really don't care. You'll be bored to tears by the never ending action sequences as characters swing back and forth between sets over and over again. The two hour forty minute running time could have easily been trimmed to make the film run a little easier, but that would still not make up for Burton's performance. Burton tries to be the star, yet Eastwood steals the stage, which isn't saying much because Eastwood is given very little to work with in his character. He's practically playing a plank. Burton, who was intoxicated through much of the shoot, pales in comparison.

    There are a few good sequences throughout the film, but most of it drags on and on and never really reaches its destination. You'll need a score card for all the plot twists and a pillow for the inevitable nap.
  • jjnxn
    December 27, 2008
    jjnxn
    Good but overlong action thriller. Some good twists and beautiful scenery help. Burton, sometimes a very good actor and sometimes a very lazy one falls on the good side in this as does Eastwood, the ladies perform well although they aren't given much in the way of character devel... read moreopment.
  • kenstachnik
    February 27, 2008
    kenstachnik
    Another Great "Bunch of Guys (and this time girls) get together to kick some ass movie

View All Where Eagles Dare Reviews

Critic Reviews

December 26, 2007
Variety

Alistair MacLean wrote an original screenplay that was treated with respect for the writer's unusual abilities as a master of actionful suspense. The resulting film is highly entertaining, thrilling a... Full Review

Vincent Canby
May 9, 2005
Vincent Canby, New York Times

It is so long (almost three hours) that it may finally bore the very action trade for which it was intended; yet it's just at that point of surface boredom that the movie aficionado will probably beco... Full Review

Dave Kehr
January 1, 2000
Dave Kehr, Chicago Reader

You have to admire any film that casts Clint Eastwood opposite Richard Burton; the real violence is in the clash of acting styles. Full Review

John J. Puccio
July 1, 2010
John J. Puccio, Movie Metropolis

...it provides full-on thrills, maybe exaggerated thrills, to be sure, but making for an exciting ride, nonetheless. Full Review

Peter Canavese
June 6, 2010
Peter Canavese, Groucho Reviews

A straight-ahead, old-school action movie for war-espionage junkies. [Blu-ray] Full Review

Dennis Schwartz
May 24, 2008
Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews

If it's a mindless roller-coaster thrill ride that you fancy, this is the vehicle that knows how to make it a fun ride. Full Review

December 26, 2007
TV Guide's Movie Guide

If it's explosions, gunplay, and wartime treachery that you like, Where Eagles Dare delivers. Full Review

January 26, 2006
Time Out

It may be devoid of significance of any sort, but it is nevertheless passably entertaining, and certainly better viewing than most MacLean adaptations. Full Review

Scott Weinberg
April 3, 2005
Scott Weinberg, eFilmCritic.com

Clint Eastwood and Richard Burton team up for a fairly high-flying adventure.

Jeffrey Westhoff
July 26, 2002
Jeffrey Westhoff, Northwest Herald (Crystal Lake, IL)

Non-stop action of the highest quality.

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Facts

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    • John Smith: Lieutenant, in the next 15 minutes we have to create enough confusion to get out of here alive.
    • Lt. Morris Schaffer: Major, right now you got me about as confused as I ever hope to be.
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Where Eagles Dare Trivia

  • Who plays the American hired-gun opposite Richard Burton in Where Eagles Dare (1968)  Answer »
  • In "Where Eagles Dare" how do Richard Burton and Clint Eastwood get into the Schloss Adler (Castle of the Eagle)  Answer »
  • In the film Where Eagles Dare, why does Richard Burton say that its an advantage to drink cold coffee?  Answer »
  • In the war film "Where Eagles Dare" (1968) why is Lt. Morris Schaffer, played by Clint Eastwood, part of the crack commando team sent on a rescue operation to a heavily defended German fortress?  Answer »
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