The Victors (1963 film)
| The Victors | |
|---|---|
Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Carl Foreman |
| Written by | Carl Foreman |
| Based on | the novel The Human Kind by Alexander Baron |
| Produced by | Carl Foreman |
| Starring | Vincent Edwards Albert Finney George Hamilton Melina Mercouri Jeanne Moreau George Peppard Maurice Ronet Rosanna Schiaffino Romy Schneider Elke Sommer Eli Wallach and Michael Callan Peter Fonda James Mitchum Senta Berger |
| Cinematography | Christopher Challis B.S.C. |
| Edited by | Alan Osbiston |
| Music by | Sol Kaplan (composed and conducted by) |
| Color process | Black and white |
Production companies | A Highroad– Open Road Presentation |
| Distributed by | Columbia Pictures |
Release dates |
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Running time | 153 minutes |
| Countries | United Kingdom United States |
| Language | English |
| Box office | $2,350,000 (US/ Canada) |
The Victors is a 1963 war film written, produced and directed by Carl Foreman. He called it a "personal statement" about the futility of war—both victor and vanquished are losers.
The story follows a group of U.S. soldiers through Europe during the Second World War, from Britain in 1942, through the fierce fighting in Italy and the invasion of Normandy, to the uneasy peace of occupied Berlin. It is adapted from a collection of short stories called The Human Kind by English author Alexander Baron, based upon his own wartime experiences. The British characters were changed to Americans in order to appeal to American audiences.
The Victors features an all-star cast with fifteen American and European leading players, including six actresses whose photographs appear on the posters with the caption, "the six most exciting women in the world... in the most explosive entertainment ever made!" — Melina Mercouri from Greece, Jeanne Moreau from France, Rosanna Schiaffino from Italy, Romy Schneider from Austria, Elke Sommer from Germany and Senta Berger from Austria.