Guns of Navarone

1961 United Kingdom Color 159 minutes


Irene PapasAnthony Quinn + Gregory Peck

The big guns

Anthony QuayleBig bullets

The guns of NavaroneLooking for explosives

The doors of NavaroneDavid Niven + Gia Scala

Anthony Quinn + Anthony Quayle + Stanley Baker + David NivenThe guns of NavaroneAnthony Quinn

Gregory Peck + director J Lee Thompson Anthony Quinn + director J Lee Thompson

 

Anthony Quinn

Trivia

Release date: June 22, 1961

Oscar:
Best Effects

Oscar nominations:
Best Director -> J. Lee Thompson
Best Film Editing
Best Music
Best Picture
Best Sound
Best Writing

The movie is different from the book. It introduced female characters, romance, and a subplot that radically altered the relationship between Mallory and Andrea.

William Holden asked for $750,000 plus 10% of the gross to play Mallory. He was turned down and Gregory Peck was cast.

In 1978 the sequel, Force 10 from Navarone was released.

David Niven almost drowned in the water tank on the set.

Anthony Quayle spent part of WWII in Albania organizing guerilla forces.

Alistair MacLean wrote the novel in 1957.

The script was written by Carl Foreman, whose previous credits included High noon. He remained unaccredited for his last major film, The bridge on the river Kwai, due to studio blacklisting and alleged Communist beliefs.

The guns of Navarone ranks number 142 in the American box-office rankings.
Grossing adjusted for inflation -> $224 m

Bio

Anthony Quinn

Anthony Quinn
I never get the girl, I wind up with a country instead.

Remarkable:

In 1993 Quinn was dubbed The mighty Quinn when, at the age of 78, he fathered his 11th child.

Born:

April 21, 1915

Born as:

Antonio Rudolfo Oaxaca Quinn

Died:

June 3, 2001

Anthony was born in Chihuahua, Mexico of Irish-Mexican parentage. In the U.S. from childhood, Quinn had a variety of jobs: prizefighter, painter, musician and he was considering to be an architect.

He entered films in 1936 after brief stage experience. Anthony played supporting parts through the 40s, usually as a foreign heavy or indian.

His first lead role came in 1947 in Black Gold. That same year Quinn went to New York City and made his Broadway debut. Then Elia Kazan offered Quinn the role of Stanley Kowalski in Streetcar Named Desire for two years on tour.

Returning to Hollywood, Quinn won an Oscar for Viva Zapata! (1952). His career picked up following his Oscar win; he began playing leading parts in films that emphasized his brute masculinity. Several of these were filmed in Europe, the most notable of which was La Strada (1954).

Back in the U.S.A. Quinn's went on to roles in memorable motion pictures like Lust for Life (1956), The Guns of Navarone (1961), Lawrence of Arabia (1962) and Zorba the Greek (1964). The 1970s saw the beginning of a decline in acting for Quinn, but he became a successful artist and sculptor.

Academy awards:

1965 Nominated Actor for: Alexis Zorbas (1964)
1958 Nominated Actor for: Wild Is the Wind (1957)
1957 Won Oscar Best Actor for: Lust for Life (1956)
1953 Won Oscar Best Actor for: Viva Zapata! (1952)

Selected Movies:

Books:

Anthony Quinn -> The Original Sin (1972)
Anthony Quinn -> One Man Tango (1995)