World War II films from different eras

Where Eagles Dare

A scene from Where Eagles Dare. [Photo/Mtime]

Where Eagles Dare is a British 1968 World War II action film directed by Brian G. Hutton. It centers upon a daring rescue and an even more daring escape.

Several months before D-Day, the British stage a daring rescue deep inside Germany. Led by British Major Jonathan Smith and an American, Lt. Morris Schaffer, their mission is to rescue American General George Carnaby whose airplane has been shot down over Germany. Carnaby, one of the architects of the D-Day invasion, is being held in the Schloss Adler, the Eagle's Castle, which is built high on a promontory and accessible only by cable car. The team successfully parachutes into Germany but losses their radioman in the jump and then a second member of the team within a day. Taken prisoner by the Germans, Smith's true mission is revealed: to uncover the identities of German spies operating in Britain.

The film involves some of the top moviemaking professionals of the time and is considered a classic.