View source for Commando (1962 film)

{{short description|1962 film}}
{{Infobox film
| name = Marcia o Crepa
| image = COMMANDOfilm.JPG
| caption = US release [[film poster]]
| director = [[Frank Wisbar]]
| producer = [[Willy Zeyn (editor)|Willy Zeyn]]
| writer = [[William Denby]]<br />[[Mino Guerrini]]<br />[[Milton Krims]]<br />[[Giuseppe Mangione]]<br />[[Frank Wisbar]]<br />[[Arturo Tofanelli]] (story)
| narrator =
| starring = [[Stewart Granger]]<br />[[Dorian Gray (actress)|Dorian Gray]]
| music = [[Angelo Francesco Lavagnino]]
| cinematography = [[Cecilio Paniagua]]
| editing =[[Mario Serandrei]]
|studio=Temp Film<br />FICIT<br />Galatea<br />Midega
| distributor = [[Tempo Film]] (Italy)<br />[[American International Pictures]] (USA)
| released = {{Film date|1962| | |Italy|1963| | |UK|1964| | |France, U.S.}}
| runtime = 101 minutes
| country = Belgium<br />Spain<br />Italy<br />Germany
| language =English
| budget =
| gross = 977,460 admissions (France)<ref name="box">[http://translate.google.com.au/translate?hl=en&sl=fr&u=http://www.boxofficestory.com/&prev=search Box office information for Stewart Granger films in France] at Box Office Story</ref>
}}
'''''Marcia o Crepa''''' (March or Die), known as '''''The Legion's Last Patrol''''' in the UK and '''''Commando''''' in the US, is a [[1962 in film|1962]] European (Italian, German, Spanish) [[co-production (filmmaking)|co-production]] [[war film]] about the [[Algerian War of Independence]].<ref>{{cite news|title=LEGION'S LAST PATROL, The "(Marcia o Crepa)"|work=Monthly Film Bulletin|location=London|volume=30|issue=348|date=Jan 1, 1963|page=87 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=The Long After-Life of Stewart Granger|author=Clifford, Terry|work=Chicago Tribune|date=Mar 24, 1968|page=e13}}</ref>
It was released in 1964 in the US by [[American International Pictures]] on a [[double feature]] with ''[[Torpedo Bay]]''/''Beta Som''.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.movieposter.com/poster/MPW-23214/Commando_and_Torpedo_Bay.html |title=Commando And Torpedo Bay movie posters at movie poster warehouse movieposter.com |website=www.movieposter.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070319011210/http://www.movieposter.com/poster/MPW-23214/Commando_and_Torpedo_Bay.html |archive-date=2007-03-19}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=War Movies Scheduled|work=Los Angeles Times|date=Mar 4, 1964|page=C11}}</ref>
In the UK this film was shown at Odeon cinemas as part of a double feature with ''[[The Day of the Triffids (film)|The Day of the Triffids]]''.
==Plot==
[[French Foreign Legion]] Captain Le Blanc ([[Stewart Granger]]) leads a section of his Legion parachutists to capture an [[National Liberation Front (Algeria)|FLN]] guerrilla leader. Along the way they are joined by a [[prostitute]] ([[Dorian Gray (actress)|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 (actress)|Dorian Gray]] : Nora
* [[Fausto Tozzi]] : Brascia
* [[Riccardo Garrone (actor)|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.<ref>Warwick, Neal, Brown, Tony & Kutner, Jon ''The Complete Book of the British Charts: Singles and Albums'' 2004 Omnibus Press</ref>
==Reception==
The ''Los Angeles Times'' called it "mediocre,  its timely subject matter reduced to the level of a formula Western."<ref>{{cite news|title=Adventure Pictures Coupled on Program|author=Thomas, Kevin|work=Los Angeles Times|date=Mar 13, 1964|page=C15}}</ref>
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."<ref>MARCIA O CREPA
Monthly Film Bulletin; London Vol. 30, Iss. 348,  (Jan 1, 1963): 87.</ref>
==See also==
* [[Algerian War]]
==References==
{{reflist}}
==External links==
*{{IMDb title|id=0056221}}
*[https://letterboxd.com/film/commando-1962/ Commando] at Letterbox DVD
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20170224000321/http://www.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b6afeeff2 Commando] at BFI
{{Frank Wisbar}}
[[Category:1962 films]]
[[Category:1962 war films]]
[[Category:German war drama films]]
[[Category:Italian war drama films]]
[[Category:Spanish war drama films]]
[[Category:West German films]]
[[Category:English-language German films]]
[[Category:English-language Italian films]]
[[Category:English-language Spanish films]]
[[Category:Films directed by Frank Wisbar]]
[[Category:German political drama films]]
[[Category:Algerian War films]]
[[Category:Films about the French Foreign Legion]]
[[Category:American International Pictures films]]
[[Category:Macaroni Combat films]]
[[Category:Films shot in Almería]]
[[Category:Films scored by Angelo Francesco Lavagnino]]
[[Category:1960s English-language films]]
[[Category:1960s Italian films]]
[[Category:1960s German films]]
[[Category:English-language war films]]
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