Kelly's Heroes (1970)
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A group of disillusioned American soldiers embark on an unsanctioned mission to steal a massive cache of gold hidden behind enemy lines during World War II.
The story
In 1944 France, during World War II, Private Kelly, a soldier scapegoated for a failed mission, captures a German officer who reveals the existence of a massive gold cache hidden in a nearby town. Kelly decides to organize a clandestine operation to seize the gold for himself and his fellow soldiers. He recruits a diverse group of comrades, including a skeptical master sergeant, a supply specialist, and an eccentric tank commander. The men must navigate the dangers of the front lines and the complexities of military bureaucracy to reach the hidden treasure, all while trying to avoid detection by both the Germans and their own high-ranking superiors.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
In 1944 France, Private Kelly discovers a cache of 14,000 gold bars hidden in the town of Clermont. He recruits a team including Big Joe, Crapgame, and Oddball to steal the gold. The team faces various obstacles, including a destroyed bridge and a minefield. Their movements are noticed by Major General Colt, who believes they are a heroic breakthrough. The men reach Clermont and negotiate with a German tank commander to breach the bank's doors. They successfully secure the gold and, as Colt arrives, they trick him into believing he is French General Charles de Gaulle to escape safely.
- First release year
- 1970
- Runtime (minutes)
- 146
- Production countries
- United States; Yugoslavia
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Brian G. Hutton
- Writers
- Troy Kennedy Martin · writer
- Cast and characters
- Clint Eastwood · Kelly; Telly Savalas · Big Joe; Don Rickles · Crapgame; Carroll O'Connor · General Colt; Donald Sutherland · Oddball
- Genres
- war comedy drama; action; satire; ensemble comedy
- Themes
- anti-authoritarianism; war-weariness; absurdity of bureaucracy
- Tone and mood
- off-beat; satirical
- Setting
- France, 1944 during World War II
- Premise and plot tags
- war; heist; comedy
- Source material / true-story basis
- The Greatest Robbery on Record
- Reception
- The film received mostly positive reviews and is noted for its unique hybrid of war and caper elements.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 79% · scale: percentage · review count: 24
- Production trivia
- The film used Soviet T-34 tanks modified to look like German Tiger I tanks.; One of the reasons for filming in Yugoslavia was the availability of World War II-era tanks.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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