The Night of the Generals ** (1967, Peter O’Toole, Omar Sharif, Tom Courtenay, Christopher Plummer, Donald Pleasence, Joanna Pettet, Charles Gray, Coral Browne, John Gregson, Harry Andrews, Nigel Stock) – Classic Movie Review 7109

Director Anatole Litvak’s star-heavy, serious-minded 1967 wartime-set whodunit is based on a novel by Hans Hellmut Kirst, in which a Polish prostitute is killed in Warsaw in 1942 by a man dressed as a Nazi general.

The film stars Peter O’Toole, Omar Sharif, Tom Courtenay, Christopher Plummer, Donald Pleasence, Joanna Pettet, Philippe Noiret, Charles Gray, Coral Browne, John Gregson, Harry Andrews, Nigel Stock and Juliette Greco.

Omar Sharif stars as Major Grau of German Intelligence who investigates the three generals who are suspects: General Kahlenberge (Donald Pleasence), General von Seidlitz-Gabler (Charles Gray) and General Tanz (Peter O’Toole).

There are lots of sub-plots help to fill out the long running time of 148 minutes — including romance with Corporal Hartmann (Tom Courtenay) and Ulrike (Joanna Pettet), and the scheme to kill Adolf Hitler.

Unfortunately, this British-French co-production European blockbuster is uneven and only sometimes fully convincing, but some of the acting from the outstanding cast and Sam Spiegel’s production impress. All the main stars are good, and Christopher Plummer enjoys himself as Field Marshal Rommel. And Alexander Trauner’s set designs are special.

Also in the cast are Yves Brainville, Sacha Pitoeff, Charles Millot, Raymond Gérôme, Véronique Vendell, Pierre Mondy, Elénore Hirt, Nicole Courcel, Jenny Orléans, Gérard Buhr, Michael Goodliffe, Gordon Jackson, Patrick Allen, Maurice Teynac and Howard Vernon.

The Night of the Generals is directed by Anatole Litvak, runs 148 minutes, is made by Sonor and Horizon, is released by Columbia, is written by Joseph Kessel and Paul Dehn, based on an incident written by James Hadley Chase, and a novel by Hans Hellmut Kirst, is shot in Technicolor by Henri Decaë, is produced by Sam Spiegel and Anatole Litvak, is scored by Maurice Jarre, and is designed by Alexander Trauner.

© Derek Winnert 2018 Classic Movie Review 7109

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