Film Snail

The Night of the Generals
The Night of the Generals

6.8

The Night of the Generals

NR·1967·148m

Summary

A German intelligence officer investigates a prostitute's killing in Warsaw during World War II. He lands on three major Nazi generals as suspects, two of whom are also involved in a plot to kill Adolf Hitler.

Cast

Peter O'Toole

Peter O'Toole

General Tanz

Omar Sharif

Omar Sharif

Major Grau

Tom Courtenay

Tom Courtenay

Corporal Hartmann

Donald Pleasence

Donald Pleasence

General Kahlenberge

Joanna Pettet

Joanna Pettet

Ulrike

Philippe Noiret

Philippe Noiret

Inspector Morand

Charles Gray

Charles Gray

General von Seidlitz-Gabler

Coral Browne

Coral Browne

Eleanore von Seidlitz-Gabler

John Gregson

John Gregson

Colonel Sandauer

Nigel Stock

Nigel Stock

Otto

Juliette Gréco

Juliette Gréco

Juliette

Yves Brainville

Yves Brainville

Liesowski

Raymond Gérôme

Raymond Gérôme

Colonel

Nicole Courcel

Nicole Courcel

Raymonde

Véronique Vendell

Véronique Vendell

Monique

Charles Millot

Charles Millot

Wionczek

Patrick Allen

Patrick Allen

Colonel Mannheim

Gordon Jackson

Gordon Jackson

Captain Engel

Christopher Plummer

Christopher Plummer

Field Marshal Rommel

Sacha Pitoëff

Sacha Pitoëff

Doctor

Pierre Mondy

Pierre Mondy

Kopatski

Eléonore Hirt

Eléonore Hirt

Melanie

Jenny Orléans

Otto's Wife

Gérard Buhr

Gérard Buhr

Von Stauffenberg

Michael Goodliffe

Michael Goodliffe

Hauser

Bogusz Bilewski

Bogusz Bilewski

German Soldier (uncredited)

Janusz Bukowski

Janusz Bukowski

German Soldier (uncredited)

Damian Damięcki

Polish Partisan (uncredited)

Maciej Damięcki

Maciej Damięcki

Fidgeting Prisoner (uncredited)

Jan Englert

Jan Englert

Partisan jumping out the Window (uncredited)

Stefan Friedmann

Stefan Friedmann

Polish Partisan (uncredited)

Teodor Gendera

Teodor Gendera

Soldier (uncredited)

Mieczysław Kalenik

Mieczysław Kalenik

Officer (uncredited)

Jan Kociniak

Jan Kociniak

General Tanz's Orderly (uncredited)

Konrad Morawski

Konrad Morawski

Andrzej's Father (uncredited)

Józef Nalberczak

Józef Nalberczak

Polish Policeman (uncredited)

Stanisław Niwiński

German Officer in Warsaw (uncredited)

Jerzy Radwan

Jerzy Radwan

Grenade Policeman (uncredited)

Maciej Rayzacher

Maciej Rayzacher

Fidgeting Prisoner (uncredited)

Grzegorz Roman

Grzegorz Roman

Boy receiving a Sandwich from Tanz (uncredited)

Barbara Sołtysik

Barbara Sołtysik

Polish Partisan (uncredited)

Mieczysław Stoor

Mieczysław Stoor

German Wochenschau Reporter (uncredited)

Andrzej Zaorski

Andrzej Zaorski

German Radiotelegraphist (uncredited)

Howard Vernon

Howard Vernon

Murder Suspect (uncredited)

Harry Andrews

Harry Andrews

General Stulpnagel (uncredited)

Jackie Blanchot

Jackie Blanchot

Hamburg Suspect (uncredited)

Guy Bonnafoux

German Officer at Hitler's HQ (uncredited)

Philippe Castelli

Philippe Castelli

French Forensic Physician (uncredited)

Adrien Cayla-Legrand

Adrien Cayla-Legrand

Plotting German Officer (uncredited)

Jacques Chevalier

Jacques Chevalier

Barman at Paradis Bar (uncredited)

Georges Claisse

Georges Claisse

Rommel's Orderly (uncredited)

Henri Coutet

Henri Coutet

Waiter in Café (uncredited)

Valentine Dyall

Valentine Dyall

German Radio Announcer (voice) (uncredited)

Robert Favart

Robert Favart

Employee at Airport (uncredited)

Martine Ferrière

Martine Ferrière

The Polish Woman (uncredited)

Wolf Frees

German Officer at Raymonde's Apartment (uncredited)

Alan Harris

Alan Harris

German Soldier (uncredited)

René Lefèvre-Bel

René Lefèvre-Bel

(uncredited)

Jean Gold

(uncredited)

Roger Lumont

Roger Lumont

Wine Butler (uncredited)

Jacques Marbeuf

Jacques Marbeuf

(uncredited)

Olivier Mathot

Olivier Mathot

(uncredited)

Gaston Meunier

Gaston Meunier

Man at Anniversary (uncredited)

Hans Meyer

Hans Meyer

Wehrmacht Adjutant (uncredited)

Donald O'Brien

Donald O'Brien

Plotting German Officer (uncredited)

Jean Ozenne

Jean Ozenne

General Dietrich (uncredited)

Paul Pavel

Paul Pavel

Hamburg Suspect (uncredited)

Raymond Pierson

Raymond Pierson

German Officer (uncredited)

Robert Rietti

Robert Rietti

Driver (voice) (uncredited)

Alain Roche

(uncredited)

Mac Ronay

Mac Ronay

Tanz's Driver (uncredited)

Claude Salez

Plotting German Officer (uncredited)

Jacques Seiler

Jacques Seiler

Maître d'hôtel (uncredited)

Sabine Sun

Sabine Sun

Hamburg Prostitute (uncredited)

Maurice Teynac

Maurice Teynac

General (uncredited)

Pierre Tornade

Pierre Tornade

Orderly (uncredited)

César Torres

Spanish Laborer (uncredited)

François Valorbe

François Valorbe

Plotting German Officer (uncredited)

Hans Verner

Hans Verner

German Officer (uncredited)

Nicolas Vogel

Nicolas Vogel

Plotting German Officer (uncredited)

Crew

Director

Anatole Litvak

Book

James Hadley Chase

Novel

Hans Hellmut Kirst

Screenplay

Joseph Kessel

Screenplay

Paul Dehn

Screenplay

Gore Vidal

Reviews

Wuchak

Wuchak

September 19, 2024

**_Intrigue in the heart of Europe during World War 2_**

In German-occupied Warsaw in late 1942, a major of the Abwehr (Omar Sharif) conducts an investigation concerning the grisly murder of a German agent working as a prostitute. All he knows is that the culprit is a German general and this narrows it down to Gabler (Charles Gray), Kahlenberge (Donald Pleasence) and Tanz (Peter O’Toole). Nineteen months later they all happen to be in Paris when several senior Wehrmacht officers conspire to assassinate der Führer.

“The Night of the Generals” (1967) is a worthwhile pick if you’re in the mood for the décor and intrigues of WW2 minus the battles, similar to “Triple Cross” from the year prior. Christopher Plummer starred in that earlier film and has a cameo here as Field Marshal Rommel. Both movies include the July 20, 1944, plot to assassinate Hitler in the last act, which is what Cruise’s “Valkyrie” was based on four decades later.

There’s a subplot concerning the beautiful daughter of General Gabler (Joanna Pettet) and her romantic relationship with a lance corporal (Tom Courtenay). The latter becomes General Tanz’s driver and tour guide in Paris.

For another WW2 drama that focuses on parallel behind-the-scenes events of the German high command (minus the fictitious murder mystery), check out “Rommel” (2012).

The film runs 2 hour, 27 minutes, with the first act shot behind the Iron Curtain in Warsaw (a rarity for Western films at the time); the second act was filmed in Paris; and the final sequence in Munich, Bavaria, southeast Germany.

GRADE: B

Media

Status:

Released

Original Language:

English

Budget:

$5,200,000.00

Revenue:

$2,400,000.00

Keywords

prostitute
general
world war ii
investigation
flashback
murder
conspiracy
nazi occupation
1940s
1960s
warsaw, poland
adolf hitler