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The Night of the Generals movie storyline. In 1942 Warsaw, a Polish prostitute is murdered in a sadistic way. Major Grau (Omar Sharif), an Agent from German Intelligence who believes in justice, is in charge of the investigation. An eyewitness saw a German General leaving the building after a scream of the victim. A further investigation shows that three Generals do not have any alibi for that night: General Tanz (Peter O’Toole), Major General Klaus Kahlenberge (Donald Pleasence), and General von Seidlitz-Gabler (Charles Gray). The three avoid direct contact with Major Grau and become potential suspects.
As Major Grau gets close to them, he is promoted and sent to Paris. In 1944 Paris, this quartet is reunited, and Major Grau continues his investigation. Meanwhile, a plan for killing Adolf Hitler is plotted by his high command, a romance between Ulrike von Seidlitz-Gabler (Joanna Pettet) and Lance Corporal Kurt Hartmann (Sir Tom Courtenay) is happening and Inspector Morand (Philippe Noiret) is helping Major Grau in his investigation. The story ends in 1965, in Hamburg, with another, similar crime.
The Night of the Generals is a 1967 World War II mystery film directed by Anatole Litvak and produced by Sam Spiegel. It stars Peter O’Toole, Omar Sharif, Tom Courtenay, Donald Pleasence, Joanna Pettet and Philippe Noiret. The screenplay by Joseph Kessel and Paul Dehn was loosely based on the beginning of the novel of the same name by German author Hans Hellmut Kirst.
The writing credits also include the line “based on an incident written by James Hadley Chase”. Gore Vidal is said to have contributed to the screenplay, but was not credited. The musical score was composed by Maurice Jarre. The film was a French-British-American co-production. Parts of this Western-made film were shot on location in Warsaw, which at the time was behind the Iron Curtain. The last scenes of the film were shot in Munich.
The Night of the Generals (1967)
Directed by: Anatole Litvak
Starring: Peter O’Toole, Omar Sharif, Tom Courtenay, Donald Pleasence, Joanna Pettet, Philippe Noiret, Charles Gray, Coral Browne, John Gregson, Christopher Plummer, Juliette Gréco
Screenplay by: Joseph Kessel, Paul Dehn, Gore Vidal
Production Design by: Alexandre Trauner
Cinematography by: Henri Decaë
Film Editing by: Alan Osbiston
Costume Design by: Rosine Delamare, Jean-Claude Philippe
Art Direction by: Auguste Capelier
Music by: Maurice Jarre
MPAA Rating: None.
Distributed by: Columbia Pictures
Release Date: February 10, 1967 (UK), February 24, 1967 (US), April 1, 1967 (France)
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