SimonJack The plot of "From Hell to Victory" had real possibilities. But the plot is the only good thing about this film. For such a large ensemble of known actors of the day, the performances are poor. George Peppard is the weakest as Brett Roson. Sam Wanamaker is the best as Ray MacDonald, but just fair. George Hamilton tries to be French as Maurice Bernard, and isn't too bad. Horst Buchohlz is almost speechless as Jürgen Dietrich. Anny Duperey and Capucine are so-so. Peppard's lackadaisical manner – a part of his usual persona, just doesn't cut it here for a soldier in combat. The screenplay is poor. It lacks life and any semblance of order. It's full of holes and choppy. That reflects also on the direction and film editing. Even the parts of actual footage or combat action from other films spliced in don't seem to work well. It was a good idea for a movie, but just needed a screenplay with some substance, some actors who could give it life, and good direction. This one isn't even good enough to keep in a war film collection.

ma-cortes Mediocre Italian/French/Spanish warlike with big name actors and regularly staged battles , dealing with a group of different nationalities vow to meet each year , at the same date , but WWII interrupts their lives . This spectacular movie starts on August 24, 1939, at a small French Cafe , six friends (George Peppard as Brett Rosson , George Hamilton as Maurice Bernard , Horst Buchholz as Jürgen Dietrich , Anny Duperey as Fabienne , Jean-Pierre Cassel as Dick and Sam Wanamaker as Ray) of various nationalities are about to go their separate ways , they vow to reunite on that day each year at the cafe , though it is not always possible . And when the war breaks out , the events go awry . They all go join the war for their countries and one of them is German (Horst Buchholz) and Fabienne (Anny Duperey) begins working with the French resistance , joining forces with Partisans (Lambert Wilson) , one becomes a flier (Jean Pierre Cassel) and two others are just simple officers-in-command . An upright officer named Rosson incarnated by George Peppard is assigned to OSS and his son (Ray Lovelock) takes the ranks as a soldier in special operations along with Maurice Bernard (George Hamilton) . After the action is placed on several locations . As in France Maurice/George Hamilton and Jim Rosson/Ray Lovelock whose mission to destroy a German bridge before it's used against the Allied forces . Follow the feats about Partisans and a squadron attacking German positions . Meantime Rosson/Peppard must neutralize a German installation where Nazis hide combustible for V2 rockets . This is a regularly conceived WWII with action filled, , character drama and exciting battles , but nothing special . Packs inaccurate details and an extremely talented though wasted casting make this one of all-star-cast European epic productions though failed . The film contains news-reel documentary , stock-shots vignettes and miniatures , however lost continuity with several cuts and zooms. Spectacular battles and fights , including miniaturized tanks and planes , whose footage is taken from ¨Battle of commands¨ also by Umberto Lenzi , and The Dirty Heroes by Alberto De Martino and Eagles over London by Enzo G Castell. The battle scenes shot in Hoyo De Manzanares , Spain , where in the 60s and 70s , along with Almeria location , were filmed a lot of Western . This average movie contains a prestigious cast as George Peppard , Sam Wanamaker , Jean Pierre Cassel , George Hamilton , Capucine , though really wasted . Furthermome , numerous Italian/Spanish/French secondaries in brief interventions such as as May Heatherly ,Howard Vernon , Ritza Brown , Franco Fantasia and Antonio Mayans . Appropriate cinematography by Jose Luis Alcaine , though being necessary a right remastering , this magnificent cameraman has been making a prestigious career as Pedro Almodovar's usual photographer such as The skin I live in , Volver , Bad education and Women on the verge of a Nervous breakdown . Emotive as well as functional musical score by Riz Ortalani .The tale produced by Jose Frade is middling directed by Umbert Lenzi, he used the pseudonym Hank Milestone and Humphrey Logan. He's an expert on wartime genre such as he proved in ¨ Desert commandos , Battle of commandos and Bridge to hell .

bkoganbing Not that George Peppard and George Hamilton were any kind of buddy duo in the way Burt Lancaster and Kirk Douglas were, but they did do two well received films together, The Victors and Home from the Hill. But for a reunion film it would have been nice if they had gotten something better than this.In fact this is a reunion film of a bunch of players who seem to hit the heights of their careers around the beginning of the Kennedy years. Peppard, Hamilton, Capucine. Horst Bucholtz all were at their respective peaks around 1961. None of them ever really reached any kind of screen immortality and with only Hamilton left among them were not likely to see another reunion film.Thankfully not another one like Contro 4 Bandiere. It's a cobbled together film of action sequences from other products and newsreels. The plot has six friends of varying background in Paris having good times a week before the start of World War II. They pledge to see each other at that Paris cafe every year, but war does intervene and they're all not on the same side.Some make it, some don't and if you're interested to see who shows up then watch Contro 4 Bandiere.

Joker-26 Apart from the German and Allied uniforms in this film, there's not much else to it. I mean, come on, they painted German markings on British spitfires and funnily enough the Brits looked like they were flying Curtis fighters (US-made). And the whole sequencing of the air battles looked so fake, as if from a 1930s film. And some of the air shots looked like they were done in a studio with arm-sized aircraft models!! Did anyone remember the tank battle as well at the end. The 'German' Panzers were actually American Patton tanks, built around the late 40s. It just looked so amateurish and cheap when you compare it to a film like a Bridge too Far, made ten years earlier (and which I concede had a much bigger budget). I mean, why bother with air and tank battles when you can't even make them look half realistic? The other thing i noticed was that all the explosions that were supposed to be stopping the 'Panzers' actually exploded beside or in front of the tanks, and yet the tank would come to a grinding halt!! Ridiculous.But I'll admit the military action not involving tanks and aircraft looked decent enough (such as when Peppard infiltrates enemy installations to plant explosives, etc.) But overall the acting was wooden, mainly from the main actors. The only good performance was from George Hamilton who played 'Maurice', a French commando. Peppard himself was ok, but he did have a better acting scope than this which was not utilised.Overall, 3/10.