Marcia o Crepa

Marcia o Crepa

US release film poster
Directed by Frank Wisbar
Produced by Willy Zeyn
Written by William Denby
Mino Guerrini
Milton Krims
Giuseppe Mangione
Frank Wisbar
Arturo Tofanelli(story)
Starring Stewart Granger
Dorian Grey (Maria Luisa Mangini)
Carlos Casarvilla
Music by Angelo Francesco Lavagnino
Cinematography Cecilio Paniagua
Distributed by Tempo Film (Italy)American International Pictures (USA)
Release date(s) 1962 (Italy)
1963 UK
1964 USA
Running time 101 minutes
Country Belgium/ Spain/ Italy/ Germany

Marcia o Crepa (March or Die) known as The Legion's Last Patrol in the UK and Commando in the US is a 1962 European (Italian, German, Spanish) co-production war film about the Algerian War of Independence. It was released in 1964 in the USA by American International Pictures on a double feature with Torpedo Bay/Beta Som.[1]

Plot and production

French Foreign Legion Captain Le Blanc leads a section of his Legion parachutists to capture an FLN guerilla leader. Along the way they are joined by a prostitute (Dorian Grey AKA Maria Luisa Mangini) 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.

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 #4.[2]

References

  1. ^ http://www.movieposter.com/poster/MPW-23214/Commando_and_Torpedo_Bay.html
  2. ^ Warwick, Neal, Brown, Tony & Kutner, Jon The Complete Book of the British Charts: Singles and Albums 2004 Omnibus Press

External links