The Guns of Navarone (1961)

Intro.
February is the month of love.  Even though I hate Valentine's Day, I decided that the theme for posts this month would be Leading Men We Love.  It's been a bit tough lately because of the blizzard that hit the whole state of Maryland, but between Netflix online and TCM, I've been able to put together a few films.  I wasn't planning on watching The Guns of Navarone, but as it starred the always wonderful Gregory Peck, I decided to add it to my list. 

Overview
The Allies are trying to save a group of 2,000 British prisoners from the island of Kiros.  The only thing stopping them is the pair of gigantic anti-ship guns situated in the rocky cliffside of the island of Navarone.  The fortress around the guns makes an air attack impossible, and the Allied ships don't have a chance against those guns.  So the only solution is to send British officer Keith Mallory (Gregory Peck) with a team of the best fighters and explosives experts to Navarone, where they will climb a sheer cliff, meet up with a few Greek Resistance fighters and then make their way into the fortress and destroy the guns with explosives.  No part of the mission goes smoothly - the ship they take on the way to the island sinks in a storm; they have to climb the cliff in the rain at night; the head British officer, Roy Franklin (played by Anthony Quayle) breaks his leg; they get captured by the Germans; and finally when they reach the fortress, they discover someone has destroyed all of the explosive devices.  Through it all, Mallory must lead his men with conviction, even with the most difficult decisions and obstacles.  The Allies win of course, and the ending is one of the most triumphant of all WWII films.

Highlights
The acting in this film is incredible.  Anthony Quinn, as Col. Stavros, is outstanding as the friend/enemy of Mallory.  You both love and fear him.  Gregory Peck is at the top of his game as well and gives a commanding performance.  He shows us how difficult his job is without saying so.  Also worthy of note is the charming David Niven, whose witty remarks offer the necessary relief both for the men and the audience.  Nivens plays the role of the chemistry professor turned anti-officer very well, and his role in figuring out who the traitor is reminded me of his work in murder mysteries (like The Pink Panther and Death on the Nile).  His is the much needed foil for Gregory Peck's ramrod-like command, and together the two men truly lead the film.

Points of Note
Robert Osborn introduced this film as part of TCM's 31 days of Oscar.  The Guns of Navarone won the Oscar for Best Special Effects, and was nominated for several more honors.  The ending truly deserves the honor, as do all of the actors.  David Niven reportedly had an accident on set which resulted in a split lip which got infected and sent him to the hospital for four weeks.  And Gregory Peck, with his solid acting, had this film named as the highest-grossing picture in his career up to that point.  Memorable on all fronts, perhaps the best is the way the film pays tribute to the real-life battles on the Dodecanese islands in Greece.  While some of the story is elaborated or completely different from the true story, many elements remain (read more here).

Review
Often called the greatest war film of all time, The Guns of Navarone is definitely one of the most memorable.  The fine cast and great effects has established it as an undeniable classic.  There is enough action, intrigue and full character development to interest any viewer, and the unusual setting of Greece for a WWII film makes it even better.  While it is not among my favorite WWII films (like The Great Escape), I still found the entire film very enjoyable and well worth watching.  I recommend it to fans of Gregory Peck and fans of war films, particularly those set in WWII.