The major must decide whether to make a stand against the Germans at the castle, or listen to the pleas of the castle owner (Jean-Pierre Aumont) and withdraw and spare the art treasures within.

The castle becomes a haven away from the war for the men, who get up to all manner of frolics. James MacArthur, Telly Savales, George Montgomery and Charles Bronson play American soldiers who more or less single-handedly either slow the German attack or stop it in its tracks.Ĭastle Keep stars Burt Lancaster as a realistic, one-eyed major who leads eight war-weary infantryman to occupy a Belgian castle in the Ardennes Forest during the Battle of the Bulge. The film was directed by Briton Ken Annakin, who was responsible for the British scenes in the monumental The Longest Day (1962). Hessler, a master technician and the German tank commander who spearheads the Panzer tank offensive that takes the Allies by surprise. Two other films, Armored Command (1961) and Castle Keep (1969), don’t concern themselves so much with the actual battle as with extraneous events.

When it premiered in 1965, the screenplay by Philip Yordan, Milton Sperling and John Melson was criticized by veterans’ groups for its inaccuracies and distortions. However, the three-hour film, much of which was filmed on the dusty plains of Spain with its palm trees in the background, lacked credibility. One, The Battle of the Bulge (1965), is a large-scale production with a star-studded cast, exciting battle sequences and first-class production values. Four films dealing with that decisive action were produced between 19. Pivotal World War II battles, such as those fought at Midway, Guadalcanal, in the skies over Britain and on the beaches of Normandy, France, have been the subject of countless films.Īnother such World War II battle given the Hollywood treatment was the fierce and lengthy Battle of the Bulge fought in the Ardennes Forest of Belgium, which began 50 years ago this week.

Tanks used in movie battle of the bulge