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Congratulations
Within 22 days it will be James Darren`s 72th birthday. (June 8, 1936)
(Spyros Pappadimos)
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
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)
The Guns of Navarone are two massive German artillery pieces nestled in an impenetrable German fortress on the Mediterranean island of Navarone. These guns are so formidable that they prevent the British Royal Navy from evacuating 2000 trapped men on a nearby island before a scheduled German bombardment blows them into pieces.
A small group of British and Greek commandos, led by Major Franklin (Anthony Quayle) is sent to land on the island. After a long, weary journey, dodging German patrols buzzing about, they reach the ruins of St. Alexis and make contact with the local Greek resistance forces. Captain Mallory (Gregory Peck), who had replaced injured Franklin, begins suspecting a possible traitor among his comrades.
