Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
George C. Scott | ... | General George S. Patton Jr. | |
Karl Malden | ... | General Omar N. Bradley | |
Stephen Young | ... | Captain Chester B. Hansen | |
Michael Strong | ... | Brigadier General Hobart Carver | |
Carey Loftin | ... | General Bradley's Driver (as Cary Loftin) | |
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Albert Dumortier | ... | Moroccan Minister |
Frank Latimore | ... | Lieutenant Colonel Henry Davenport | |
Morgan Paull | ... | Captain Richard N. Jenson | |
Karl Michael Vogler | ... | Field Marshal Erwin Rommel | |
Bill Hickman | ... | General Patton's Driver | |
Pat Zurica | ... | First Lieutenant Alexander Stiller (as Patrick J. Zurica) | |
James Edwards | ... | Sergeant William George Meeks | |
Lawrence Dobkin | ... | Colonel Gaston Bell | |
David Bauer | ... | Lieutenant Gen. Harry Buford | |
John Barrie | ... | Air Vice-Marshal Sir Arthur Coningham |
"Patton" tells the tale of General George S. Patton, famous tank commander of World War II. The film begins with Patton's career in North Africa and progresses through the invasion of Europe and the fall of the Third Reich. Side plots also speak of Patton's numerous faults such his temper and tendency toward insubordination, faults that would prevent him from becoming the lead American general in the Normandy Invasion as well as to his being relieved as Occupation Commander of Germany. Written by Anthony Hughes <husnock31@hotmail.com>
RELEASED IN 1970 and directed by Franklin J. Schaffner, "Patton" stars George C. Scott as the charismatic general during his WWII campaigns in North Africa and Sicily, as well as France & Germany following the Normandy invasion. After the invasion of Sicily, Patton was reprimanded for slapping a cowardly soldier suffering battle fatigue (in real life it was two soldiers on separate occasions in the course of eight days in August, 1943). The fiery general was removed from command for eleven months while his junior in age and rank, Omar Bradley (Karl Malden), was selected to command the First United States Army for the invasion of Normandy.
Meanwhile, Patton was assigned to London as a decoy to deceive the Germans in a sham operation called Fortitude. The ruse was successful because the German High Command respected Patton more than any other Allied commander and deemed him crucial to any plan to invade mainland Europe. Immediately following the successful invasion, he was put in command of the Third Army in the final Allied thrust against Germany where the headstrong general, once again, proved his mettle as his forces favored speed and aggressive offensive action.
Patton was an interesting character who maintained a flashy larger-than-life image in order to encourage his troops; and he didn't hesitate to get his hands dirty with them. While other officers tried to blend-in with the troops on the battlefield, Patton brazenly displayed his rank insignia. He was a romantic who valued bravery and tenacity above all. All this is effectively conveyed in this ambitious war flick. It's interesting to observe the North African and European theaters of the war from the standpoint of the Allied generals, mostly Patton and Bradley, rather than the typical perspective of the infantry.
THE FILM WAS WRITTEN by Francis Ford Coppola with additional material from Edmund H. North (based on the factual accounts of Ladislas Farago & Omar N. Bradley). It runs 172 minutes and was shot in Spain, Algeria, Morocco, Crete and England, with the opening speech filmed at Bob Hope Patriotic Hall in Los Angeles.
GRADE: A-