The Guns of Navarone (film)
From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia
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The Guns of Navarone is a 1961 British-American epic adventure war film directed by J. Lee Thompson. The screenplay by producer Carl Foreman was based on Alistair MacLean's 1957 novel The Guns of Navarone, which was inspired by the Battle of Leros during the Dodecanese Campaign of World War II. The film stars Gregory Peck, David Niven and Anthony Quinn, along with Stanley Baker, Anthony Quayle, Irene Papas, Gia Scala, and James Darren. The book and the film share the same basic plot: the efforts of an Allied commando unit to destroy a seemingly impregnable German fortress that threatens Allied naval ships in the Aegean Sea.
Soundtrack
The film's score was composed by Dimitri Tiomkin and featured arrangements of several traditional songs.
- "The Guns of Navarone" (music by Dimitri Tiomkin, lyrics by Paul Francis Webster)
- "Karagouna" (traditional, arranged by Andreas Markides)
- "Ena Karavi Apo Ti Chio" (traditional, arranged by Andreas Markides)
- "Yalo Yalo" (traditional, arranged by Andreas Markides)
- "Treu Sein" (music by Dimitri Tiomkin, lyrics by Alfred Perry)
- "Das Sundenlied" (music by Dimitri Tiomkin, lyrics by Alfred Perry)
Tiomkin's theme song featured on the soundtrack album with lyrics recounting the film's plot. His theme became a popular instrumental with several cover versions including a 1965 version by The Skatalites. Other cover versions were performed by Johnny Griffin, Al Caiola and the Hollyridge Strings.