CAST A GIANT SHADOW

PRODUCED, DIRECTED AND WRITTEN BY MELVILLE SHAVELSON
C0-PROCUCED BY MICHAEL WAYNE
MIRISCH-LLENROC BATJAC
UNITED ARTISTS

172

INFORMATION FROM IMDb

Plot Summary

An American Army officer is recruited by the yet to exist Israel to help them form an army. He is disturbed by this sudden appeal to his jewish roots. Each of Israel's Arab neighbors has vowed to invade the poorly prepared country as soon as partition is granted. He is made commander of the Israeli forces just before the war begins.

Summary written by John Vogel

Full Cast

Kirk Douglas .... Col. David 'Mickey' Marcus
Senta Berger .... Magda Simon
Angie Dickinson .... Emma Marcus
James Donald .... Maj. Safir
Stathis Giallelis .... Ram Oren
Luther Adler .... Jacob Zion
Topol .... Abou Ibn Kader
Ruth White .... Mrs. Chaison
Gordon Jackson .... James MacAfee
Michael Hordern .... British ambassador
Allan Cuthbertson .... Immigration officer
Jeremy Kemp .... British Immigration senior
Sean Barrett .... British Immigration junior
Michael Shillo .... Andre Simon
Rina Ganor .... Rona
Roland Bartrop .... Bert Harrison
Robert Gardett .... Gen. Walsh
Michael Balston .... Sentry #1
Claude Aliotti .... Sentry #2
Samra Dedes .... Belly dancer
Michael Shagrir .... Truck driver
Frank Latimore .... UN officer
Ken Buckle .... UN officer
Rod Dana .... Aide to Gen. Randolph (as Rodd Dana)
Robert Ross .... Aide to Chief of Staff
Arthur Hansel .... Officer
Dan Sturkie .... Parachute sergeant (as Don Sturkie)
Hillel Rave .... Yaakov
Shlomo Hermon .... Yussuf
Frank Sinatra .... Vince Talmadge
Yul Brynner .... Asher Gonen
John Wayne .... Gen. Mike Randolph
Vera Dolen .... Mrs. Martinson (scenes deleted)
Gary Merrill .... Pentagon Chief of Staff (scenes deleted)
Winston Churchill .... Himself (archive footage) (uncredited)
Michael Douglas .... Jeep driver (uncredited)
Rudolf Hess .... Himself at Nuremberg (archive footage) (uncredited)
Fiorello LaGuardia .... Himself (archive footage) (uncredited)
Danny Perlman .... Jeep driver (uncredited)
Franklin Delano Roosevelt .... Himself (archive footage) (uncredited)
Joseph Stalin .... Himself (archive footage) (uncredited)


Stunts

Ken Buckle .... stunts (uncredited)
Jack Cooper .... stunts (uncredited)
Joe Powell .... stunts (uncredited)

Filming Locations

Cinecittà, Rome, Lazio, Italy
(studio)

Israel

Rome, Lazio, Italy

Goofs

* Anachronisms: Although the film takes place between 1947 and 1948, Magda's car is a 1954 Pontiac Star Chief Convertible.

* Crew or equipment visible: In a sequence portraying a night attack of an enemy position, there is a brief cutaway from the action to a shot of Mickey, Asher Gonen, and Magda intently listening to reports from the battle. At the moment the cut to this shot occurs, the slate is visible being withdrawn from the frame, from left to right. In freeze frame, one can even see the title, "Cast A Giant Shadow" printed at the top of the slate.

Hi,
Like THE LONGEST DAY ,
this is a film, where, because of careful editing,
Duke seems to be in the film all the way through!!
In fact, he only appears in 6 sequences, totalling 11 minutes.
Of course this is a Kirk Douglas film, that Kirk
could not get backing for, until Duke and Batjac
came along. It was because of this, that Kirk repaid the favour, by agreeing
to appear in THE WAR WAGON, just after.
Once again Duke proved he could act a great commander on film,
and acquitted himself in the film.
Kirk Douglas, Frank Sinatra, Angie Dickinson,
all played well.
However the film, made less impact than Duke would have liked.
Overall, I think this is a wonderful film, and a pleasure to watch,
although it had a very sad ending.
Rating 8/10

I've always enjoyed this movie. I bought it last year on DVD. My favorite character in the film is Abou Bin Kader played by Topol in his pre-Fiddler On The Roof days. He just made me laugh and laugh. Also, Angie Dickinson and Senta Berger both looked ravishing.

Memorable Quotes

Thre are numerous quotes for this film, and I have included a few of them,
follow the link at the bottom, for many more:-

Maj. Safir: Colonel Marcus?
Bert Harrison: Merry Christmas.
Maj. Safir: My name is Safir, and my business is private.
Col. David 'Mickey' Marcus: Bert Harrison, my law partner. Mr. Safir, who conducts his private business in Macy's window.

Col. David 'Mickey' Marcus: Would you give up everything you love to fight an insane war for a little country that's gonna get its brains blown out in a couple of weeks?
Maj. Safir: If it were my country.
Col. David 'Mickey' Marcus: Maybe it's yours, but... it isn't mine.
Maj. Safir: But you are a Jew.
Col. David 'Mickey' Marcus: I'm an American, Major. That's my religion. The last time I was in Temple I was 13 years old. I made a speech and got 42 fountain pens. I don't have to go again. I've got enough fountain pens.

Emma Marcus: I guess I'm proud of you. But I'm so damn tired of being proud of you.

Emma Marcus: Did you ever notice we don't have any children?
Col. David 'Mickey' Marcus: Only me.

Emma Marcus: I was the only girl in Brooklyn who didn't get pregnant during the war.
Col. David 'Mickey' Marcus: Hm?
Emma Marcus: My mother kept the statistics.

INFORMATION IMDb

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We have this movie, and agree with Keith's remark about this really being a Kirk Douglas movie. The sad part of the movie was the hero ending up being shot accidentally by his own men.

Deep Discount DVD ([Only registered and activated users can see links])

Amazon ([Only registered and activated users can see links])

Chester :newyear:

Here is an example of the book. Enjoy!

Mark

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Some epic scenes a good storyline if a little one sided in terms of the Arab position. I wonder if this region will ever know peace