Commando (1962 film)

1962 film

Marcia o Crepa

US release film poster

Directed by| Frank Wisbar
Written by| William Denby
Mino Guerrini
Milton Krims
Giuseppe Mangione
Frank Wisbar
Arturo Tofanelli (story)
Produced by| Willy Zeyn
Starring| Stewart Granger
Dorian Gray
Cinematography| Cecilio Paniagua
Edited by| Mario Serandrei
Music by| Angelo Francesco Lavagnino

Production
companies

Temp Film
FICIT
Galatea
Midega

Distributed by| Tempo Film (Italy)
American International Pictures (USA)

Release dates

* 1962 (1962) (Italy)
* 1963 (1963) (UK)
* 1964 (1964) (France, U.S.)

Running time

| 101 minutes
Countries| Belgium
Spain
Italy
Germany
Language| English
Box office| 977,460 admissions (France)[1]

Marcia o Crepa (March or Die), known as The Legion's Last Patrol in the UK and Commando in the US, is a 1962 European (Italian, German, Spanish) co-production war film about the Algerian War of Independence.[2][3]

It was released in 1964 in the US by American International Pictures on a double feature with Torpedo Bay (aka Beta Som).[4][5]

In the UK this film was shown at Odeon cinemas as part of a double feature with The Day of the Triffids.

## Plot

[edit]

French Foreign Legion Captain Le Blanc (Stewart Granger) leads a section of his Legion parachutists to capture an FLN guerrilla leader. Along the way they are joined by a prostitute (Dorian Gray) and an Arab child. Their mission is a success but when their escape helicopter is shot down they have to fight their way back to the French lines.

## Cast

[edit]

* Stewart Granger : capitaine Leblanc
* Dorian Gray : Nora
* Fausto Tozzi : Brascia
* Riccardo Garrone : Paolo
* Carlos Casaravilla : Ben Bled
* Ivo Garrani : Colonel Dionne
* Alfredo Mayo : Mayor
* Pablito Alonso : Arab Kid
* Hans von Borsody : Fritz
* Maurizio Arena : Dolce Vita
* Dietmar Schönherr : Petit Prince
* Peter Carsten : Barbarossa
* Leo Anchóriz : Garcia

## Musical score

[edit]

The theme music Concerto Disperato by Angelo Francesco Lavagnino became a top selling instrumental in Italy performed by Nini Rosso and in the UK with a cover version by Ken Thorne reaching No. 4.[6]

## Reception

[edit]

The Los Angeles Times called it "mediocre, its timely subject matter reduced to the level of a formula Western."[7]

The Monthly Film Bulletin said "despite up-to-date dressing this is basically a schoolboy adventure story, though somewhat grimly executed... the narrative owes more to war movies than P.C. Wren, being a variation on the old idea of the gradual decimation of a patrol. Still, the film is an example of action all the way, apart from the gratuitously ironic ending which, though tart, comes as a decided anti-climax."[8]

## See also

[edit]

* Algerian War

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Box office information for Stewart Granger films in France at Box Office Story
2. ^ "LEGION'S LAST PATROL, The "(Marcia o Crepa)"". Monthly Film Bulletin. Vol. 30, no. 348\. London. Jan 1, 1963. p. 87.
3. ^ Clifford, Terry (Mar 24, 1968). "The Long After-Life of Stewart Granger". Chicago Tribune. p. e13.
4. ^ "Commando And Torpedo Bay movie posters at movie poster warehouse movieposter.com". www.movieposter.com. Archived from the original on 2007-03-19.
5. ^ "War Movies Scheduled". Los Angeles Times. Mar 4, 1964. p. C11.
6. ^ Warwick, Neal, Brown, Tony & Kutner, Jon The Complete Book of the British Charts: Singles and Albums 2004 Omnibus Press
7. ^ Thomas, Kevin (Mar 13, 1964). "Adventure Pictures Coupled on Program". Los Angeles Times. p. C15.
8. ^ MARCIA O CREPA Monthly Film Bulletin; London Vol. 30, Iss. 348, (Jan 1, 1963): 87.

## External links

[edit]

* Commando at IMDb
* Commando at Letterbox DVD
* Commando at BFI

* v
* t
* e

Films directed by Frank Wisbar

* Spell of the Looking Glass (1932)
* Anna and Elizabeth (1933)
* Rivalen der Luft (1934)
* Hermine and the Seven Upright Men (1935)
* The Unknown (1936)
* Fährmann Maria (1936)
* Ball at the Metropol (1937)
* Secrets of a Sorority Girl (1946)
* Strangler of the Swamp (1946)
* Devil Bat's Daughter (1946)
* Lighthouse (1947)
* Nasser Asphalt (1958)
* Stalingrad: Dogs, Do You Want to Live Forever? (1959)
* Darkness Fell on Gotenhafen (1960)
* Barbara (1961)
* Commando (1962)

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