Cast a Giant Shadow

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Cast a Giant Shadow

theatrical poster
Directed by Melville Shavelson
Produced by Melville Shavelson
Written by Ted Berkman (book)
Melville Shavelson (screenplay)
Starring Kirk Douglas
Senta Berger
Yul Brynner
Frank Sinatra
John Wayne
Angie Dickinson
Music by Elmer Bernstein
Cinematography Aldo Ponti
Editing by Bert Bates
Gene Ruggiero
Distributed by United Artists
Release date(s) 30 March, 1966
Running time 146 min
Country United States
Language English
IMDb profile

Cast a Giant Shadow is a 1966 MGM film, produced, written and directed by Melville Shavelson based on Ted Berkman's biography of Colonel Mickey Marcus. The film stars Kirk Douglas and Senta Berger, and features sizable cameos by John Wayne, Frank Sinatra, and Yul Brynner.

Marcus (Kirk Douglas) served as an adviser in the war to establish the state of Israel in 1948. He falls in love with a female Israeli soldier, Magda Simon (Senta Berger) in Palestine. Filmed mostly in the Middle Eastern locations in which they occurred, Cast a Giant Shadow is not entirely historically accurate but is based on actual events. In addition to appearances by Wayne, Sinatra, Brynner, and Angie Dickinson, the movie also features Kirk's son Michael Douglas in his first small film role, as a jeep driver.

The film is also notable for its classic John Wayne scenes including a toast where Wayne says "L’chaim”. Footage from this film featuring Wayne as The General was used in a Coors Light commercial.

[edit] Further reading

Shavelson, Melville. How to Make a Jewish Movie, 1971. (ISBN 0-491-00156-8).

[edit] External links