Movie Description
PATTON is a three-dimensional bronze bust of World War II field general George S. Patton (George C. Scott) who wrote poetry, fired pistols at strafing fighter planes, and loved America with a lofty and historical zeal. Tracing his personal rivalries with such generals as Rommel and Montgomery, his problematic treatment of his own men, and his nearly runaway contempt for diplomacy, the film triumphs as an enduring portrait of a complex and larger-than-life figure. PATTON was recipient of 10 Academy Award Nominations and winner of eight, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor--Scott, Best (Adapted) Screenplay--Francis Ford Coppola/Edmund H. North.
| Credits | | Producer: | Frank Caffey, Frank McCarthy | | Cast: | Ed Binns, George C. Scott, John Doucette, Karl Malden, Karl Michael Vogler, Lawrence Dobkin, Michael Bates, Michael Strong, Morgan Paull, Stephen Young |
Notes
General Omar N. Bradley (played by Karl Malden in the film) wrote one the major sources for the screenplay, "A Soldier's Story," and served as senior military technical advisor for the film. Luis Martin Pozuelo served as Spanish military technical advisor. Paul D. Harkins and Glover S. Johns, Jr., also served as technical advisors.
Tim Considine, who appears as the soldier who gets slapped, played Fred MacMurray's oldest son Mike on the TV sitcom "My Three Sons" for five years.
Producer Frank McCarthy spent 20 years trying to interest someone in the Patton biography before Fox mogul Darryl F. Zanuck purchased it. McCarthy once described the first screenplay, written by Francis Ford Coppola, as "poetic, marvelous, and rather shapeless."
Schaffner won the 1970 Best Director Award from the Director's Guild of America. Scott won the 1970 Best Actor Award from the National Board of Review, the New York Film Critics Circle, and the national Society of Film Critics. National Board of Review also named "Patton" the Best Film of 1970.
There are two different laserdisc editions of "Patton." One is not letterboxed and was first released in 1981-1984. The other is a Special Wide Screen Edition, which is letterboxed, and was first released in 1989. The Special Widescreen Edition also includes an epilogue of Movietone News reports about Patton.
The film has 94 speaking parts.
Estimated budget $13 million.
Filmed over an 18-week period in Spain, England, Morocco, Greece, and Los Angeles. Filming completed May 31, 1969. Titles by Pacific Title. Color by DeLuxe. Filmed in 70mm Dimension 150, which produced a projected aspect ratio of 2.21:1.
Released in USA January 1970. Released on video May 25, 1989.
Rated BBFC A by the British Board of Film Censors.
The film was also known as "Patton: Lust for Glory," and "Patton: Salute to a Rebel."
In 1986, George C. Scott played Patton once again in the TV-movie, "The Last Days of Patton" which covers the period of Patton's life from the end of WWII to his death. The film also featured Eva Marie Saint, Richard Dysart, Murray Hamilton, Ed Lauter, and Kathryn Leigh Scott. Written by Williuam Luce from Ladislas Farago's book, "The Last Days of Patton." Directed by Delbert Mann. Running time for the video and originally aired version is 146 minutes, while some re-run versions may run 104 minutes.
Copyright 1989 The CBS/Fox Company
Editorial Reviews
"...[Scott's performance] is still the glue holding together this blunt study of war..." -- Rating: B
Entertainment Weekly - p.64 - Roy Hemming
"...One of the best American movies....A great film....The opening shot is a stunner..."
Chicago Sun-Times - Roger Ebert (07/03/2002)
"...[PATTON] still mesmerizes on the strength of George C. Scott's chew-your-behind performance as George S. Patton..."
USA Today - Mike Clark (11/05/1999)
"[A] riveting portrayal of rampant egomania with Scott fully deserving of his best actor Oscar."
Uncut - Simon Button (08/01/2001)
4 stars out of 5 -- "It's certainly a great performance from Scott, a seamless, pity-free portrayal."
Total Film - Nev Pierce (06/01/2006)
Awards
1970Academy AwardsBest ActorGeorge C. Scott, 1970Academy AwardsBest Art Direction - Set Decoration (b&w or Color), 1970Academy AwardsBest Art Direction - Set Decoration (b&w or Color)Urie McCleary, 1970Academy AwardsBest DirectorFranklin J. Schaffner, 1970Academy AwardsBest Film Editing, 1970Academy AwardsBest Original ScreenplayEdmund H. North, 1970Academy AwardsBest Original ScreenplayFrancis Ford Coppola, 1970Academy AwardsBest Picture, 1970Academy AwardsBest Sound
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