Counterpoint (1968 film)
| Counterpoint | |
|---|---|
Film Poster
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| Directed by | Ralph Nelson |
| Produced by | Richard Berg |
| Written by |
James Lee (Screenplay) Joel Oliansky (Screenplay) Alan Sillitoe (novel) |
| Starring |
Charlton Heston Maximilian Schell Leslie Nielsen Kathryn Hays |
| Music by | Bronislau Kaper |
| Cinematography | Russell Metty |
| Edited by | Howard Epstein |
| Distributed by |
Universal Pictures NBC (Original Airing) |
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Release date
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Running time
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107 Min. |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Counterpoint (also known as The Battle Horns or The General) is an 1968 epic war film starring Charlton Heston, Maximilian Schell, and Leslie Nielsen. It is based on the novel The General by Alan Sillitoe. In the United States the film was released as a double feature with Sergeant Ryker a 1963 television film starring Lee Marvin.
Lionel Evans (Charlton Heston) is the director of a well-respected symphony orchestra touring European concert halls around 1944 in World War II. In the midst of one concert, the city where they are playing is attacked by German troops, and when Evans and his musicians try to escape, they are captured by Nazi soldiers led by Col. Arndt (Anton Diffring). Evans and the orchestra are taken to a castle where they are to bide their time before being executed; but it turns out that Arndt's superior, Gen. Schiller (Maximilian Schell), is a big classical music fan. Schiller commands Evans and his symphony to prepare a special concert for the Nazis, but Evans realizes that the moment the concert is over, he and his musicians will be killed.
The orchestra's performances, which include works by Tchaikovsky, Beethoven, Brahms, Wagner, and Schubert, were performed by the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra.
Filmed at Universal Studios including a set built for the 1923 film The Hunchback of Notre Dame, the film began shooting on 21 November 1966 and concluded 24 January 1967. Two days were removed from the production schedule and the script was rewritten without consulting the director Ralph Nelson.
Also known as:
Denmark : Krigens symfoni
West Germany : Der Befehl
Greece : Nyhtes kolaseos
Finland : Sankareitten sinfonia
France : La Symphonie des héros
Italy : Sinfonia di guerra
Spain : Una Tumba al amanecer Sweden : I krigets järngrepp
Turkey : Esirler Kampı
USA (working title) : The Battle Horns
USA (working title) : The General
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Wikipedia