The Guns of Navarone
Seen it?1961 | 160 min | Adventure, Drama, War
Saturday SpecialWhy it’s a Saturday Special
It won an Oscar, people are still talking about it and it earned strong reviews (92% on Rotten Tomatoes). A strong pick for the weekend.
Based on critics, audiences, awards, box office and buzz. Details below.Is it for you?
- Who'll love it
- Made for adventure fans and history buffs. If you loved Greyhound or The Longest Day, start here. Critics rate it higher than audiences do, so it rewards patience more than it chases thrills.
- The mood
- Intense.
- The pace
- Epic and sweeping, at 2 hr 40 min.
- What might put you off
- It's long: 2 hr 40 min.
- Made in 1961: an older pace and style.
A team of allied saboteurs are assigned an impossible mission: infiltrate an impregnable Nazi-held island and destroy the two enormous long-range field guns that prevent the rescue of 2,000 trapped British soldiers.
How it earned its rating
- CriticsStrong
92% on Rotten Tomatoes, 72 on Metacritic
- AudiencesSolid
7.3 out of 10
- AwardsVery strong
Won 1 Oscar: Academy Awards: Best Special Effects. Won 2 Golden Globes: Golden Globe Awards: Best Motion Picture – Drama, Golden Globe Awards: Best Original Score – Motion Picture. Also nominated for 6 more Oscars, 1 more Golden Globe and 1 BAFTA. Plus 1 other award.
- Box office & staying powerStrong
$29 million worldwide on a $6 million budget; still draws a steady audience long after release
- Buzz & cultural impactVery strong
About 361K people sought it out in the past year
Trailer
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Sunday Safe BetAnother war story, and a safe bet for a quiet night.
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Cast & crew
Directed by J. Lee Thompson
- Gregory PeckCapt. Keith Mallory
- David NivenCpl. John Anthony Miller
- Anthony QuinnCol. Andrea Stavros
- Stanley BakerPvt. 'Butcher' Brown
- Anthony QuayleMaj. Roy Franklin
- James DarrenPvt. Spyros Pappadimos
- Irene PapasMaria Pappadimos
- Gia ScalaAnna
- James Robertson JusticeCommodore Jensen / Prologue Narrator
- Richard HarrisSquadron Leader Howard Barnsby RAAF