Hell in Normandy

1968

1h 30m

IMDb RATING

4.3/10

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Drama

TV Movie

War

The movie is set during World War II in the days just prior to the D-Day invasion. A special parachute unit is sent to destroy a German flame thrower installation on Omaha Beach.

Directors

Alfonso Brescia

Writers

Stars

Guy Madison

Peter Lee Lawrence

Erika Blanc

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Top cast

Capt. Jack Murphy

Lt. Strobel

Denise

Prof. Aubernet

Capt. Ryan

Foster

Directors

Alfonso Brescia

Writers

All cast & crew

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**_Subtitled “D-Day: Italian Style”_** Just before the D-Day invasion, a group of American paratroopers (led by Guy Madison) team-up with an American lieutenant impersonating a German officer (Peter Lee Lawrence) and a resistant fighter (Erika Blanc) to destroy a bunker on Omaha Beach with the controls of a device that would burn alive Allies in the water. An Italian/French production, “Hell in Normandy” (1968) is titled “landing head for eight relentless” in Italian and “beachhead for relentless eight” in French (translated, naturally). There’s some quality action and the Italian interpretation of American soldiers is entertaining. Meanwhile, redhead Erika Blanc spices things up as the French farm lass (she was 25 during shooting). The way her aged father is desperate to comply with the occupying troops of Hitler is an interesting touch. On the dubious side, the American fatigues appear to be mid-60’s Italian NATO uniforms with the wrong camouflage patterns and helmets, but passable for non-sticklers, I reckon. Meanwhile the German “secret weapon” and the Allied operation to destroy it smacks more of James Bond than history. Also, the Italian locations are a far cry from Normandy landscapes, but I’ve seen far worse geographical substitutions. At the end of the day, this is comparable to 60’s WW2 flicks, like “Battle of the Bulge” and “Anzio,” just on a lower budget and from an Italish perspective. The film runs 1 hour, 30 minutes. GRADE: B-/C+

Wuchak11 Apr, 2024