The Victors (1963 film)

The Victors
Theatrical release poster
Directed byCarl Foreman
Written byCarl Foreman
Based onthe novel The Human Kind
by Alexander Baron
Produced byCarl Foreman
StarringVincent 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
CinematographyChristopher Challis B.S.C.
Edited byAlan Osbiston
Music bySol Kaplan
(composed and
conducted by)
Color processBlack and white
Production
companies
A Highroad–
Open Road Presentation
Distributed byColumbia Pictures
Release dates
  • 18 November 1963 (1963-11-18) (London-Royal Premiere)
  • 19 November 1963 (1963-11-19) (United Kingdom)
  • 19 December 1963 (1963-12-19) (United States)
Running time
153 minutes
CountriesUnited Kingdom
United States
LanguageEnglish
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.