History Film / WhereEaglesDare

''Where Eagles Dare'' is a seminal 1967 novel by Creator/AlistairMacLean (who also wrote ''Literature/TheGunsOfNavarone''). The following year it was made into an action thriller film directed by Brian G. Hutton and starring Creator/RichardBurton, Creator/ClintEastwood, Mary Ure, Patrick Wymark, Michael Hordern, Creator/DonaldHouston, Creator/IngridPitt and Creator/AntonDiffring. It follows in the footsteps of ''Film/TheDirtyDozen'' and ''Literature/TheGunsOfNavarone'' as part of a then-new trend in war movies toward eschewing historical accuracy in favor of flashy mowing-down-Nazis action and a high JustForFun/HolyShitQuotient, the better to appeal to a younger generation of moviegoers.

''Where Eagles Dare'' is a seminal 1967 novel by Creator/AlistairMacLean (who also wrote ''Literature/TheGunsOfNavarone''). The following year it was made into an action thriller film directed by Brian G. Hutton and starring Creator/RichardBurton, Creator/ClintEastwood, Mary Ure, Patrick Wymark, Michael Hordern, Creator/DonaldHouston, and Creator/IngridPitt. It follows in the footsteps of ''Film/TheDirtyDozen'' and ''Literature/TheGunsOfNavarone'' as part of a new trend in war movies toward eschewing historical accuracy in favor of flashy mowing-down-Nazis action and a high JustForFun/HolyShitQuotient, the better to appeal to a younger generation of moviegoers.

* ImperialStormtrooperMarksmanshipAcademy: Overdone. Mooks from THREE German groups (SS, Luftwaffe, Wehrmacht Alpenkorps) can't hit any of the heroes (except for Major Smith, but it's just a flesh wound).

* NoMrBondIExpectYouToDine: When we first see the captured General Carnaby, he is in full uniform and seated at a dinner table with his captors.

* WarCrimeSubvertsHeroism: Our Heroes commit dozens (if not hundreds) of war crimes, mostly of the "misuse of enemy uniform" variety - which makes every one of their kills a murder. Note that wearing enemy uniforms is such a flagrant violation that (at the time) the generally accepted rules of war allowed anyone caught in such to be executed on the spot.

* BottomlessMagazines: Schaffer fires an [=MP 40=] submachinegun minute after minute, never once reloading for a quarter of the movie. Since there are no convenient ammo trucks following him around, the ammo fairy must be helping out.

* ImperialStormtrooperMarksmanshipAcademy: Overdone. Mooks from THREE Nazi groups (SS, Luftwaffe, Wehrmacht Alpenkorps) can't hit any of the heroes (except for Major Smith, but it's just a flesh wound).

** General Rosemeyer arrives at the Schloss Adler in a postwar American Bell helicopter. World War II Germans did have helicopters, most notably the [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flettner_Fl_282 Flettner 282 "Kolibri"]] and the [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Focke_Achgelis_Fa_223 Focke-Achgelis Fa 223 "Drache"]], but they looked nothing like a Bell.

** General Rosemeyer arrives at the Schloss Adler in a postwar American Bell helicopter. World War II Germans did have helicopters, most notably the Flettner 282 "Kolibri" and the Focke-Achgelis Fa 223 "Drache", but they looked nothing like a Bell.

* StupidJetpackHitler: Nazis with helicopters! It was in the book, and also TruthInTelevision. World War II Germans [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flettner_Fl_282 did have]] [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Focke_Achgelis_Fa_223 operational helicopters]] and where experimenting with how to use them, anticipating many modern uses. The Flettner Fl 282 for example was used for Anti-Submarine Warfare, an ancestor of modern ASW helicopters.

* ItsGoingDown: The Schloss Adler.

* JustPlaneWrong: General Rosemeyer arrives at the Schloss Adler in a postwar American Bell helicopter, presumably meant to represent a German Flettner Fl 282.

* {{Oktoberfest}}: The commandos are going to inflitrate a castle in Bavaria, so of course there's going to be a beer hall with Dirndl dress-wearing waitresses, Heidi (Creator/IngridPitt) in this case. That being said, it matches the setting, as that traditional dress is actually worn in the Germanic Alps (Bavaria, Tyrol and so on), moreso in beer halls and restaurants (though nowadays it's more due to tourism prompting them to enforce this).

''Where Eagles Dare'' is a seminal 1967 novel by Creator/AlistairMacLean (who also wrote ''Literature/TheGunsOfNavarone''). The following year it was made into an action thriller film directed by Brian G. Hutton, starring Creator/RichardBurton, Creator/ClintEastwood, Mary Ure, Anton Diffring, Creator/IngridPitt, Patrick Wymark, Michael Hordern and Creator/DonaldHouston. It follows in the footsteps of ''Film/TheDirtyDozen'' and ''Literature/TheGunsOfNavarone'', where there was a shift in war movies, eschewing historical accuracy in favour of flashy action to mow down Nazis, and a very high JustForFun/HolyShitQuotient in order to appeal to a new generation of moviegoers.

During UsefulNotes/WorldWarII, seven Allied commandos are dropped behind enemy lines in the Alps, ostensibly to find and rescue a captured American general who's a key player in the plans for D-Day. However, after some members of the group appear to have been assassinated by a member of the gang and then the local Nazis are informed of their presence, it's clear to the viewer that there's a traitor in their midst. Is everyone in the team who they appear to be? No. Can the team accomplish their mission against all odds? Just watch 'em. And how many Nazis can be killed in just one castle anyway? [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pRHqtbt3ORc A lot.]] (Although that missed a few.)

''Where Eagles Dare'' is a seminal 1967 novel by Creator/AlistairMacLean (who also wrote ''Literature/TheGunsOfNavarone''). The following year it was made into an action thriller film directed by Brian G. Hutton, starring Creator/ClintEastwood, Creator/RichardBurton, Mary Ure, Anton Diffring, Creator/IngridPitt, Patrick Wymark, Michael Hordern and Creator/DonaldHouston. It follows in the footsteps of ''Film/TheDirtyDozen'' and ''Literature/TheGunsOfNavarone'', where there was a shift in war movies, eschewing historical accuracy in favour of flashy action to mow down Nazis, and a very high JustForFun/HolyShitQuotient in order to appeal to a new generation of moviegoers.

''Where Eagles Dare'' is a seminal 1968 novel by Creator/AlistairMacLean (who also wrote ''Literature/TheGunsOfNavarone''). The following year it was made into an action thriller starring Creator/ClintEastwood, Creator/RichardBurton, Mary Ure, Anton Diffring, Creator/IngridPitt, Patrick Wymark, Michael Hordern and Creator/DonaldHouston. It follows in the footsteps of ''Film/TheDirtyDozen'' and ''Literature/TheGunsOfNavarone'', where there was a shift in war movies, eschewing historical accuracy in favour of flashy action to mow down Nazis, and a very high JustForFun/HolyShitQuotient in order to appeal to a new generation of moviegoers.

* OutsideRide: Smith and Schaffer infiltrate the castle by sneaking onto the roof of the cable car.

* StupidJetpackHitler: Nazis with helicopters! It was in the book, and also TruthInTelevision. The Nazis [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flettner_Fl_282 did have]] [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Focke_Achgelis_Fa_223 operational helicopters]] and where experimenting with how to use them, anticipating many modern uses. The Flettner Fl 282 for example was used for Anti-Submarine Warfare, an ancestor of modern ASW helicopters.

* ThoseWackyNazis: A classic reinforcer of a lot of the stereotypes. There's the sinister Gestapo officer, the aristocratic generals and the tight-lipped torture-frau, not to mention the soon-to-be-exploded {{Mooks}} shown to be continually living it up in Bierkellers.

* {{Oktoberfest}}: The commandos are going to inflitrate a castle in Bavaria, so of course there's going to be a beer hall with Dirndl-wearing waitresses, Heidi (Creator/IngridPitt) in this case. That being said, it matches the setting, as that traditional dress is actually worn in the Germanic Alps (Bavaria, Tyrol and so on).

''Where Eagles Dare'' is a seminal 1968 novel by Creator/AlistairMacLean (who also wrote ''Literature/TheGunsOfNavarone''). The following year it was made into an action thriller starring Creator/ClintEastwood, Creator/RichardBurton, Mary Ure, Anton Diffring, Creator/IngridPitt, Patrick Wymark, Michael Hordern and Creator/DonaldHouston. It follows in the footsteps of ''Film/TheDirtyDozen'' and ''Literature/TheGunsOfNavarone'', where there was a shift in war movies, eschewing historical accuracy in favour of exploding Nazis, and a very high JustForFun/HolyShitQuotient in order to appeal to a new generation of moviegoers.

** Smith and Schaffer hop on the roof of the cable car as it ascends so they will be able to infiltrate the castle undetected. Schaffer nearly falls from the frozen and slippery roof of the cable car station upon arrival. As he's holding onto his ice axe, Smith [[TakeMyHand takes his hand]] just in time.

* CableCarActionSequence: Toward the end of the movie, a lengthy fight inside and on top of a cable-car happens, complete with jumps between two crossing gondolas. Smith fights Nazi spies [[spoiler:Christiansen and Berkeley]] on top of it.