The Guns of Navarone (1961)
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95% of critics liked it
(22 reviews) -
82% of users liked it
(20,102 ratings)
The guns of Navarone are huge Nazi cannons, installed on an Aegean island behind enemy lines. Anthony Quayle is the officer assigned by the British to lead a task force to put the guns out of commission. When Quayle is injured, the mission winds up in the relatively inexperienced hands of Gregory… More The guns of Navarone are huge Nazi cannons, installed on an Aegean island behind enemy lines. Anthony Quayle is the officer assigned by the British to lead a task force to put the guns out of commission. When Quayle is injured, the mission winds up in the relatively inexperienced hands of Gregory Peck. There's little love lost between Peck, explosives expert David Niven and Greek patriot Anthony Quinn, especially when it becomes known that there's a traitor in their midst. Resistance leader Irene Papas weeds out the traitor, but there's still those guns to take care of. Filmed on location in Rhodes and distinguished by Oscar-winning special effects, Guns of Navarone (based on Alistair MacLean's best-seller was a major box-office hit of 1961; less successful was the pared-down 1977 sequel, Force Ten From Navarone. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Directed By
- J. Lee Thompson
- Written By
- Alistair MacLean, Carl Foreman
- Genres
- Drama, Action & Adventure, Art House & International, Classics
- In Theaters
- Jun 22, 1961 Wide
- Studio
- Columbia Pictures
Critic Reviews
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Matt Brunson, Creative Loafing
Beautifully paced, this 156-minute classic allows enough time for character development, plot complications (including the requisite double-cross by a member of the outfit) and several exciting set-pieces.
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Eric Melin, Scene-Stealers.com
The movie holds up pretty well as a rousing action picture, and also throws in a couple of comments about the contradictions of war.
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Emanuel Levy, EmanuelLevy.Com
The 2007 two disc Collector's Edition includes discussion of the war movie genre and illuminating interviews with writer Carl Foreman and director J. L. Thompson.
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Emanuel Levy, EmanuelLevy.Com
One of the best WWII action-adventures, with an all-star cast headed by Gregory Peck, Anthony Quinn, and David Niven, this Oscar-winner (in special effects) is stirringly directed by the vastly underestimated J. Lee Thompson
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Arthur Ryel-Lindsey, Slant Magazine
A cold, hard caper.
See more critic ratings and reviews on Rotten Tomatoes
Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)
Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)
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Cast
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Gregory Peck
as Capt. Keith Mallory
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David Niven
as Corporal Miller
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Anthony Quinn
as Col. Andrea Stavrov
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Stanley Baker
as CPO Butcher Brown
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Anthony Quayle
as Maj. Roy Franklin
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Richard Harris
as Squadron Leader Barnsby
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James Darren
as Pvt. Spiro Pappadimos
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Irene Papas
as Maria Pappadimos
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Gia Scala
as Anna
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Bryan Forbes
as Cohn
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Allan Cuthbertson
as Maj. Baker
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Michael Trubshawe
as Maj. Weaver
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Percy Herbert
as Grogan
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George Mikell
as Sessler
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Walter Gotell
as Muesel
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Tutte Lemkow
as Nicholai
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James Robertson Justice
as Narrator: Jensen
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Albert Lieven
as Commandant
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Christopher Rhodes
as German Gunnery Officer
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Norman Wooland
as Patrol's Captain
- Carl Foreman

