Commando (1962 film)

Marcia o Crepa (March or Die), known as The Legion's Last Patrol in the UK and Commando in the US, is a 1962 European (Italian, German, Spanish) co-production war film about the Algerian War of Independence.^[2][3]

Marcia o Crepa
US release film poster
Directed by	Frank Wisbar
Written by	William Denby Mino Guerrini Milton Krims Giuseppe Mangione Frank Wisbar Arturo Tofanelli (story)
Produced by	Willy Zeyn
Starring	Stewart Granger Dorian Gray
Cinematography	Cecilio Paniagua
Edited by	Mario Serandrei
Music by	Angelo Francesco Lavagnino
Production companies	Temp Film FICIT Galatea Midega
Distributed by	Tempo Film (Italy) American International Pictures (USA)
Release dates	1962 (1962) (Italy) 1963 (1963) (UK) 1964 (1964) (France, U.S.)
Running time	101 minutes
Countries	Belgium Spain Italy Germany
Language	English
Box office	977,460 admissions (France)[1]

It was released in 1964 in the US by American International Pictures on a double feature with Torpedo Bay (aka Beta Som).^[4][5]

In the UK this film was shown at Odeon cinemas as part of a double feature with The Day of the Triffids.

Plot

French Foreign Legion Captain Le Blanc (Stewart Granger) leads a section of his Legion parachutists to capture an FLN guerrilla leader. Along the way they are joined by a prostitute (Dorian Gray) and an Arab child. Their mission is a success but when their escape helicopter is shot down they have to fight their way back to the French lines.

Cast

• Stewart Granger : capitaine Leblanc
• Dorian Gray : Nora
• Fausto Tozzi : Brascia
• Riccardo Garrone : Paolo
• Carlos Casaravilla : Ben Bled
• Ivo Garrani : Colonel Dionne
• Alfredo Mayo : Mayor
• Pablito Alonso : Arab Kid
• Hans von Borsody : Fritz
• Maurizio Arena : Dolce Vita
• Dietmar Schönherr : Petit Prince
• Peter Carsten : Barbarossa
• Leo Anchóriz : Garcia

Musical score

The theme music Concerto Disperato by Angelo Francesco Lavagnino became a top selling instrumental in Italy performed by Nini Rosso and in the UK with a cover version by Ken Thorne reaching No. 4.^[6]

Reception

The Los Angeles Times called it "mediocre, its timely subject matter reduced to the level of a formula Western."^[7]

The Monthly Film Bulletin said "despite up-to-date dressing this is basically a schoolboy adventure story, though somewhat grimly executed... the narrative owes more to war movies than P.C. Wren, being a variation on the old idea of the gradual decimation of a patrol. Still, the film is an example of action all the way, apart from the gratuitously ironic ending which, though tart, comes as a decided anti-climax."^[8]

See also

• Algerian War