The Longest Day

1962
G
2h 58m

IMDb RATING

7.7/10

60K

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POPULARITY

Play trailer3:08

Historical Epic War Epic Action Drama History War

The events of D-Day, told on a grand scale from both the Allied and German points of view.The events of D-Day, told on a grand scale from both the Allied and German points of view.The events of D-Day, told on a grand scale from both the Allied and German points of view.

See production info at IMDbPro

Won 2 Oscars
- 8 wins & 6 nominations total

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Trailer 3:08

The Longest Day

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Storyline

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Did you know

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Trivia
While clearing a section of the Normandy beach near Pointe du Hoc, the crew unearthed a tank that had been buried in the sand since the original invasion. Mechanics cleaned it off, fixed it up and it was used in the movie as part of the British tank regiment.

Goofs
The American paratroopers are incorrectly shown jumping with a jumpmaster standing in the plane and commanding them to "Go!" "Go!" one at a time. On D-Day, as on all combat jumps, the jumpmaster was always first out the door, with the rest of the paratroopers following immediately behind him, exiting the plane as fast as they could in order to land as close together as possible.

Quotes
Flight Officer David Campbell: The thing that's always worried me about being one of the few is the way we keep on getting fewer.

Crazy credits
There is a 20-second overture on a black screen, no 20th Century Fox logo (in spite of this being one of their most expensive productions), and a six-minute cold open before the title is displayed. Apart from the title, there are no credits at the beginning of the film. All cast and crew credits are at the end of the film.

Alternate versions
Some video copies omits Jean Servais scenes as a Free French admiral making a short speech to his crew before the shore bombardments starts.

Connections
Edited into All This and World War II (1976)

Soundtracks
The Longest Day
Written by Paul Anka
Performed by Mitch Miller with His Orchestra and Chorus

User reviews287

Review

Featured review

Classic WWII Film!!

The Longest Day (1962) - CO-Directors: Ken Annakin & Andrew Morton Everyone knows this was producer Darryl F. Zanuck's baby and it earns its place in cinema history as one of those epic style movies that treats its subject matter with the most serious of attitudes. Obviously a war is no laughing matter but, for better or worse, movies tend to simplify logistics while highlighting emotional chords, such as bravery and homemade apple pie. Zanuck, however, wanted the audience to understand the scope and grandeur of an enterprise like D-Day.

Utilizing a cast of thousands, half of which seemed to be cameo appearances by major stars of the day, Zanuck presents on wide screen all the action and turmoil that surrounded this turning point of WW II. The ever-fighting Republican John Wayne is there, along with Democrat Henry Fonda, tough guy Bob Mitchum, brooding Richard Burton, sexy Sean Connery and pit bullish Rod Steiger. Still for my money, one of the best landing on the beach scenes ever filmed. Sorry Mr.Spielberg. (B&W)