During WW2 a British aircraft is shot down and crashes in Nazi held territory. The Germans capture the only survivor, an American General, and take him to the nearest SS headquarters. Unknown to the Germans the General has full knowledge of the D-Day operation. The British decide that the General must not be allowed to divulge any details of the Normandy landing at all cost and order Major John Smith to lead a crack commando team to rescue him. Amongst the team is an American Ranger, Lieutenant Schaffer, who is puzzled by his inclusion in an all British operation. When one of the team dies after the parachute drop, Schaffer suspects that Smith’s mission has a much more secret objective.

Where Eagles Dare (1968)
  • Rating: (21,772 votes)
  • Taglines:They look like Nazis but . . . The Major is British . . . The Lieutenant is American . . . The Beautiful Frauleins are Allied Agents! » One weekend Major Smith, Lieutenant Schaffer and a beautiful blonde named Mary decided to win World War II. »
  • Runtime:158 minutes
  • Director: Brian G. Hutton
  • Countries:UK, USA
  • Actors:
    Maj. Smith
    Richard Burton
    Schaffer
    Clint Eastwood
    Mary Ellison
    Mary Ure
    Col. Turner
    Patrick Wymark
    Adm. Rolland
    Michael Hordern
    Christiansen
    Donald Houston
    Berkeley
    Peter Barkworth
    Thomas
    William Squire
    Gen. George Carnaby
    Robert Beatty
    Sgt. Harrod
    Brook Williams
  • Genres:Action, Adventure, Drama, War
  • Producers:
    Denis Holt
    associate producer  
    Elliott Kastner
    producer  
    Jerry Gershwin
    executive producer (uncredited)  
  • Plots: During WW2 a British aircraft is shot down and crashes in Nazi held territory. The Germans capture the only survivor, an American General, and take him to the nearest SS headquarters. Unknown to the Germans the General has full knowledge of the D-Day operation. The British decide that the General must not be allowed to divulge any details of the Normandy landing at all cost and order Major John Smith to lead a crack commando team to rescue him. Amongst the team is an American Ranger, Lieutenant Schaffer, who is puzzled by his inclusion in an all British operation. When one of the team dies after the parachute drop, Schaffer suspects that Smith's mission has a much more secret objective. Written by Dave Jenkins <david.jenkins@smallworld.co.uk>
Where Eagles Dare
  • User's comment:The fortress - impenetrable. The army guarding it - invincible. Clint Eastwood and Richard Burton - UNSTOPPABLE! by BroadswordCallinDannyBoy

    A team of elite covert agents working for the British Government is sent to infiltrate a huge Nazi fortress. Their mission: evacuate an Allied General who has detailed knowledge of the Normandy invasion. Parachuting down into the Alps the team soon discovers that one of them is dead and that there is a Nazi traitor in their midst. And that is not all what's going on...

    From opening scene to final scene Alistair MacLean's screenplay is a masterpiece of the action genre with a detailed and involving plot that unfolds in a very interesting manner. There are plenty of hairpin turns along the way that build up the suspense to a truly explosive TNT packed climax. That is all thanks to Brian Hutton's direction, which is, well, a blueprint for contemporary studio-budget action film-making. The film is long, but the real-time development of many scenes makes for terrific suspense even in slow moments and utterly breakneck action scenes. The best example is the final 45 minutes - an escape scene in real-time as our heroes breakout of the Schloss Adler. Consisting of shootouts, fights, chases, explosions, and car crashing it is probably one of the best action sequences ever made. For reasons beyond me Brian Hutton's career never fully took off into action adventure film-making, but had it, he would be the Hitchcock of action film-making. This film does to shootouts what Hitchcock did for showers! Well, almost.

    Next are the stars - Clint Eastwood and Richard Burton. They are the leaders of the covert operation and they are a terrific, fearless, sub-machine gun totting duo who give the Nazis what they deserve most - pure hell. The classic corridor shootout as Eastwood fends of soldiers from the castle radio room is brilliant and ridiculous at the same time - he takes 'em all out! With a submachine gun in each hand! Make no mistake, this movie is ridiculous and wholly improbable, but if you find an action film that is more entertaining, involving, and suspenseful, along with being pure fun to watch, I'll be damned.

    If that's the cake, then the icing must be Ron Goodwin's amazing score of epic proportions. First appearing in the opening credits (or the DVD main menu) it is the type of stuff that makes contemporary master film composer Hans Zimmer proud.

    Action film fans, this is one of the ultimate movies for you. Take note - Watch it! 10/10

    Rated PG, quite generously, for pretty extensive violence and action


  • Quotes: Mary Ellison: I nearly froze to death in that damn plane. Why couldn't you have supplied some hot water bottles or an electrically heated suit? I thought you loved me. Major John Smith: Can't help what you think. Vice Admiral Rolland: Security? The word's become a bloody joke!
  • Also known as: Agenten sterben einsam (Austria), Agenten sterben einsam (West Germany), Donde las águilas se atreven (Mexico - imdb display title), Donde las águilas se atreven (Venezuela), O Desafio das Águias (Brazil - imdb display title), O Desafio das Águias (Portugal), Örnnästet (Sweden), Ørneborgen (Denmark), Ørneredet (Norway - imdb display title), Dove osano le aquile (Italy), El desafío de las águilas (Spain), Kémek a sasfészekben (Hungary), Kartal yuvasi (Turkey - Turkish title), Kotkat kuuntelevat (Finland), Opou tolmoun oi aetoi (Greece - transliterated ISO-LATIN-1 title), Orlovo gnezdo (Serbia), Quand les aigles attaquent (France), Tylko dla orlów (Poland - imdb display title),

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