“Operation Crossbow (film)”的意思、由来-开放百科全书

The film is a highly fictionalised account of the real-life Operation Crossbow, made with a large cast of the time's popular film stars, but it does touch on the main aspects of the operation. The scenes alternate between Nazi German developments of the V-1 flying bomb and V-2 rocket, with a German cast speaking their own language, and British Intelligence and its agents who are attempting to defend against the threats.^[3]

Plot

From 1943, Nazi Germany started working on terror weapons, the V-1 flying bomb and V-2 rocket while British Intelligence learns about a new secret weapon. Technical problems with the V-1 lead the Germans to create a manned version to ascertain the flight problems of the rocket but all the test pilots are killed flying it. Aviator Hanna Reitsch (Barbara Rütting) successfully flies and lands the V-1 prototype, discovering the problem (mechanical shifting of the rocket's weight and change of speed) and how to solve it, which leads to the mass production of the V-1.

Winston Churchill (Patrick Wymark) is concerned about rumours of a German flying bomb and orders Duncan Sandys, his son-in-law (Richard Johnson), one of his ministers, to investigate. Sandys is convinced by intelligence and photo-reconnaissance reports that the weapons exist, but sceptical scientific advisor Professor Lindemann (Trevor Howard) dismisses the reports as extremely fanciful (ultimately he is proved wrong when V-1s start falling on London a year later in June 1944). Bomber Command launches a raid on Peenemünde on 17/18 August 1943 to destroy the factory producing them.

The Germans move their factory underground in Southern Germany for protection and rush ahead with the development and production of the larger, more deadly V-2. The head of British intelligence (John Mills) learns that engineers are actively being recruited across occupied Europe for the new weapon and decides to infiltrate the factory. He finds three qualified volunteers, one an American, all experienced engineers who speak fluent German and Dutch. They are hastily trained and sent to Germany via the Netherlands. Amongst the volunteers interviewed but not selected is a British officer named Bamford (Anthony Quayle), who is actually a German undercover agent.

Just after the Allied agents are parachuted into occupied Europe, British Intelligence learns that one of them, Robert Henshaw (Tom Courtenay), has been given the cover identity of a Dutch sailor wanted by the police for murder. He is arrested but agrees to becoming an engineer to act as an informer for the Germans. However, he is recognised by Bamford, who has returned to Germany as a security officer. Refusing to reveal his mission, he is tortured by the Gestapo and then shot when he refuses to co-operate.

A further complication occurs when Nora (Sophia Loren), the wife of the man whom USAAF Lieutenant John Curtis (George Peppard) is impersonating, comes to visit her husband to obtain custody of their children. Although innocent, the wife can compromise the mission. Curtis assures Nora that she will be allowed to rejoin her children, but, to maintain the mission's secrecy, after Curtis leaves, the German contact, Frieda (Lilli Palmer) who runs the hotel where Curtis is staying, kills Nora.

Curtis and Phil Bradley (Jeremy Kemp) manage to infiltrate the underground factory. Bradley is only able to work as a porter/cleaner, but Curtis manages to work his way into the heart of the project, where he is assigned to fix the problem of engine vibration that is holding up the V-2's development.

The two agents send back information and learn that the Royal Air Force is mounting a nighttime bombing raid on the facility, but the protective doors on the ceiling, that cover the ready-to-launch large A9/A10 "New York Rocket", must be opened to expose the plant and provide a landmark for the bombers. The controls are in the powerhouse; while Bradley is captured at the threshold, Curtis is able to shoot his way inside and seal himself in. The Germans try to stop him by using Bradley as bargaining chip, but as the bombers close in, Bradley reveals to Curtis the lever which opens the main launch door and is shot by Bamford. As the Germans frantically try to start the missile, Curtis opens the main launch door and holds his position until the bombers arrive. The raid succeeds in obliterating the factory.

Cast

Production

To help the box office, Sophia Loren appears, courtesy of her husband and producer of the film Carlo Ponti, in a cameo role. Despite getting lead billing, she has only a modest role in the hotel sequence. She plays the Italian wife of engineer Erik van Ostamgen, a dead man whose identity has been appropriated by Curtis, Peppard's character. He provides her with a travel document, but she is killed to maintain secrecy.

Peppard was chosen for his role because of contract difficulties. MGM held his contract and insisted on a movie before he gained his release and cast him in this film.^[5]{{better source |date=September 2018}} He signed a new agreement with MGM for which Crossbow was the first – one a year for three years.^[6]

Filming started July 1964. Said Peppard, "Mikey Anderson is one of those gifted directors who let you play it your own way and only when you see your own rushes do you realise you've been doing it his way all along."^[7]

The sets were the largest ever built at MGM British studios. Stages 6 and 7 were combined into one large set of 30,000 square feet.^[7]

Some scenes of the bombing of the factory at the end of the film were later used in Battlestar Galactica to show the inside of the spacecraft burning. The scenes are obvious because a railway oil tank wagon is clearly visible.

Ponti and the production company worried that the authentic name chosen for the film was confusing and led to a poor initial showing. This reappraisal led to new names, Code Name: Operation Crossbow and The Great Spy Mission, the name chosen for a re-release in North America. The film was also known as Operazione Crossbow in Italy.^[8]

Realistic props in addition to detailed sets added to the look of authenticity in recreating the German secret weapons projects. The now defunct St. Pancras power station in London was used as a filming location for the power house scenes.

Dialogue

An unusual aspect of Operation Crossbow is that all the German characters, and the disguised Allied characters in their roles, speak (subtitled) German instead of accented English. The same was true of the 1962 film The Longest Day. According to Turner Classic Movies' commentary,^[9] actor Paul Henreid argued the German would not work well, and that they should use English with a heavy German accent. Director Michael Anderson insisted on staying with the idea. However, it did not come across well, apparently leading to many of Henreid's scenes being cut.

Historical accuracy

Reception

Awards and honours

Lilli Palmer won the Prize San Sebastián for Best Actress at the 1965 San Sebastián International Film Festival.^[17]

Home media

The DVD version of Operation Crossbow has been released in the United States on Region 1, and also in certain parts of Europe. Currently, the film has not yet been released on DVD on Region 2 in the United Kingdom.

Comic book adaption

References

1. ^This figure consists of anticipated rentals accruing distributors in North America. See "Big Rental Pictures of 1965", Variety, 5 January 1966 p 6
2. ^¹"Film review:Operation Crossbow." Variety, 7 April 1965, p. 6.
3. ^{{cite news | title=Sophia Loren in New Film | work=The New York Times | date=15 Feb 1964 | page=14}}
4. ^{{cite news | title=John Wayne Cast in Admiral Role: To Star in Film on War in Pacific, 'In Harm's Way' | work=The New York Times | date=17 Feb 1964 | page=27}}
5. ^Atkins, David. User review: "George Peppard's Great War Movie." Turner Classic Movies, 8 May 2008.
6. ^{{cite news | title=Looking at Hollywood: Sinatra Hires Cameraman as Producer | last=Hopper | first=Hedda | author-link=Hedda Hopper | work=Chicago Tribune | date=20 June 1964 | page=A6}}
7. ^¹²{{cite news | title='King Rat' Sparks Invasion by British: Pal's 'Odd John' Sci-Fic; 'Crossbow' at Crossroads | last=Scheuer | first=Philip K. | work=Los Angeles Times | date=17 Sep 1964 | page=C13}}
8. ^Erickson, Hal. "Synopsis: Operation Crossbow." AllRovi. Retrieved: 21 September 2011.
9. ^Ben Mankiewicz, TCM, commentary after Operation Crossbow, 6:00–8:00pm, September 1, 2018
10. ^Fort 2004, p. 237.
11. ^King and Kutta 2003, pp. 176, 184.
12. ^Piszkiewicz 1987, p. 86.
13. ^Kreis, John F. et al. [https://books.google.com/books?id=rf_7ioBSUCgC&pg=PA472&lpg=PA472&dq=Air+Spy:+The+Story+of+Photo+Intelligence+in+World+War+II Piercing the Fog: Intelligence and Army Air Forces Operations in World War II.] Washington, D.C.: A.I.R. Force Historical Studies Office, 2002, First edition 1996. {{ISBN|978-99966-42-45-6}}.
14. ^"Most Popular Film Star." The Times [London, England], 31 December 1965, p. 13 via The Times Digital Archive, 16 September 2013.
15. ^Crowther, Bosley. [https://movies.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=EE05E7DF1731E76CBC4A53DFB266838E679EDE "Review: Operation Crossbow (1965)."] The New York Times, 2 April 1965.
16. ^¹Evans 2000, p. 145.
17. ^"Archives: 1965 San Sebastián International Film Festival." San Sebastián International Film Festival. Retrieved: 21 September 2011.
18. ^"Operation Crossbow DVD Movie." cduniverse.com. Retrieved: 21 September 2011.
19. ^{{gcdb series|id=74224|title=Dell Movie Classic: Operation Crossbow}}