Was "The Longest Day" ever dubbed into English?
Steven L.
got me to thinking about "The Longest Day".
I seem to remember that, as a kid, I had seen a version of that movie in
which the German dialogue was dubbed into English. But when the movie
has been shown on TV more recently, the German actors are speaking
German with English subtitles.
Am I remembering incorrectly, or was there ever a version of this movie
with the German dialogue dubbed into English?
--
Steven L.
Email: sdli...@earthlinkNOSPAM.net
Remove the NOSPAM before replying to me.
Film Buff
On Sun, 7 Jun 2009 12:23:27 -0600, nmas...@gmail.com (Neill Massello) wrote:
>Steven L. <sdli...@earthlink.net> wrote:
>
>> Am I remembering incorrectly, or was there ever a version of this movie
>> with the German dialogue dubbed into English?
>
>Don't think so. It would spoil the fun of hearing the German officers
>say "Gummipuppen?" over and over.
MrBud...@aol.com
> Am I remembering incorrectly, or was there ever a version of this movie
> with the German dialogue dubbed into English?
>
In a word, no: THE LONGEST DAY was never dubbed into English.
However ... they did shoot alternate scenes in which the German (and
French) actors spoke in English instead of their native language in
order to create an all-English version.
That's the version you must have seen.
mikeos
> Yesterday was the anniversary of the D-Day invasion at Normandy. And it
> got me to thinking about "The Longest Day".
>
> I seem to remember that, as a kid, I had seen a version of that movie in
> which the German dialogue was dubbed into English. But when the movie
> has been shown on TV more recently, the German actors are speaking
> German with English subtitles.
>
> Am I remembering incorrectly, or was there ever a version of this movie
> with the German dialogue dubbed into English?
>
subtitled. Later, I saw it on tv, and the German was dubbed. Later tv
showings (in the UK) seem to have reverted to the subtitled version.
Hal Erickson
"mikeos" <mik...@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:793t9hF...@mid.individual.net...
The version in which the actors all spoke English instead of their own
languages was the one shown when LONGEST DAY made its network TV debut in
1972. I remember being quite startled, especially when we got to the
"puppet" scene.
On a related topic, TCM has run a version of BATTLE OF BRITAIN without
English subtitles during the German-language scenes.
--Hal E
mikeos
What struck me most about this film were the over-age actors. Mike Caine
and Robert Shaw as Spitfire pilots, when in reality they were 19 or 20
years old. Any Squadron Leader of 25 was known as "The Old Man"
madar...@gmail.com
> got me to thinking about "The Longest Day".
>
> I seem to remember that, as a kid, I had seen a version of that movie in
> which the German dialogue was dubbed into English. But when the movie
> has been shown on TV more recently, the German actors are speaking
> German with English subtitles.
>
> Am I remembering incorrectly, or was there ever a version of this movie
> with the German dialogue dubbed into English?
>
> --
> Steven L.
> Remove the NOSPAM before replying to me.
When I saw this in the movies as a kid, the foreign language scenes
were subtitled. When I saw it on Network television (probably ABC's
Sunday Night at the Movies), I was shocked to find that they'd dubbed
the foreign language scenes (French and German) into English.
Steven L.
That's not unusual.
Many war movies prior to the 1970s (and even some more recent) had cast
older actors in the roles of young military men. That's partly because
younger actors hadn't yet achieved the superstar status of John Wayne or
Kirk Douglas.
Also the movie "Above and Beyond," about the dropping of the atomic bomb
on Hiroshima, cast Robert Taylor as Colonel Tibbets, even though Taylor
was 41 at the time, whereas Tibbets was only in his late 20s when he got
involved with the Manhattan Project.
MrBud...@aol.com
> When I saw this in the movies as a kid, the foreign language scenes
> were subtitled. When I saw it on Network television (probably ABC's
> Sunday Night at the Movies), I was shocked to find that they'd dubbed
> the foreign language scenes (French and German) into English.
Once again: There was no dubbing. They filmed scenes with the French
and German actors in both their native languages and in English and
cobbled together an all-English version
Kin...@aol.com
Halmyre
al...@amuro.co.uk
> I have seen The Longest Day at least 15 times and each time I find several differences in the speech. Once John Wayne had a terrible lisp and my brother heard the same thing. I've never heard that again but several times the French were speaking French and in others they are speaking English but it never sounds dubbed, it's perfect. The same with the Germans, in the bunker when the German finally sees the ships coming he used to say zer commin and I loved that. I just watched it on Netflix and he says they're coming in perfect English with no dub detectable. It's crazy that there could be so many changes in all languages and they are not dubbed or it's not detectable. These days there probably isn't anyone who gives a shit or even knows this movie. We are a dying breed but I'm a real film buff who is interested in all kinds of wacky stuff like this. One guy responded that there are so many stars you can't identify with any of them and therefore he didn't like the movie. You weren't supposed to identify with anyone as it's an epic film on D Day. It's more of a historical account than what he's looking for I guess and it's not a John Wayne film, John just happens to be in it. If you're looking for a Wayne film watch True Grit. This dialog will fuck with my head until I die.
al...@amuro.co.uk
ocean.w...@gmail.com
bermuda999
"Uniquely for British- and American-produced World War II films of the time, all French and German characters speak in their own languages, with subtitles running below in English. Another version, which was shot simultaneously, has all the actors speaking their lines in English. (This version was used for the film's trailer, as the Germans deliver their lines in English.) However, this version saw limited use during the film's initial release. It was used more extensively during the film's late 1960s re-release."
bermuda999
"There are two distinct versions of this film: in one, all the characters speak English; in the other, the French and German characters speak their own respective languages, with subtitles. In the latter version the theme played over the end titles is an instrumental, while the former has lyrics written by Paul Anka (the latest DVD version contains both the German/French speaking and the vocal version of the film's musical theme)."
bermuda999
The decision to shoot the film with the German characters speaking German and the French ones speaking French. Though an alternate version was reportedly shot simultaneously with the entire cast speaking English, the native languages version was the one released to most parts of the world. It was, unquestionably, the first time mainstream America experienced such a subtitle-heavy film.
Moreover, producer Darryl F. Zanuck assigned different directors to tackle each "language": Ken Annakin is credited with the "British Exterior Episodes," Andrew Marton with the "American Exterior Episodes," and Bernard Wicki with the "German Episodes." These credits are, however, murkily defined to say the least. Annakin also directed most or all of the French Resistance material featuring Irina Demick, Zanuck's girlfriend at the time, and some of the battle for Ouistreham. Zanuck himself "directed" some interiors, though Annakin jokes this was just for show; he'd set up all the shots, and Zanuck hung around only long enough to say "Action!" and "Cut!"