Counterpoint (1968 film)

Counterpoint
Film Poster
Directed by	Ralph Nelson
Produced by	Richard Berg
Written by	James Lee (Screenplay) Joel Oliansky (Screenplay) Alan Sillitoe (novel)
Starring	Charlton Heston Maximilian Schell Leslie Nielsen Kathryn Hays
Music by	Bronislau Kaper
Cinematography	Russell Metty
Editing by	Howard Epstein
Distributed by	Universal Pictures NBC (Original Airing)
Release date(s)	March 13, 1968
Running time	107 Min.
Country	United States
Language	English

Counterpoint (also known as The Battle Horns or The General) is an 1968 epic war film starring Charlton Heston, Maximilian Schell, and Leslie Nielsen. It is based on the novel The General by Alan Sillitoe.

Plot

Lionel Evans (Charlton Heston) is the director of a well-respected symphony orchestra touring European concert halls around 1944 in WW2. In the midst of one concert, the city where they are playing is attacked by German troops, and when Evans and his musicians try to escape, they are captured by Nazi soldiers led by Col. Arndt (Anton Diffring). Evans and the orchestra are taken to a castle where they are to bide their time before being executed; but it turns out that Arndt's superior, Gen. Schiller (Maximilian Schell), is a big classical music fan. Schiller commands Evans and his symphony to prepare a special concert for the Nazis, but Evans realizes that the moment the concert is over, he and his musicians will be killed.

Cast

• Charlton Heston as Lionel Evans
• Maximilian Schell as Gen. Schiller
• Kathryn Hays as Annabelle Rice
• Leslie Nielsen as Victor Rice
• Anton Diffring as Col. Arndt
• Linden Chiles as Lt. Long
• Peter Masterson as Sgt. Calloway
• Curt Lowens as Capt. Klingermann
• Neva Patterson as Dorothy
• Cyril Delevanti as Tartzoff
• Gregory Morton as Jordon

Music

The orchestra's performances, which include works by Tchaikovsky, Beethoven, Brahms, Wagner, and Schubert, were performed by the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra.^[1]

Translations

Also known as:^[2]

West Germany : Der Befehl
Sweden : I krigets järngrepp
Denmark : Krigens symfoni
Greece : Nyhtes kolaseos
Finland : Sankareitten sinfonia
Italy : Sinfonia di guerra
France : La Symphonie des héros
USA (working title) : The Battle Horns
USA (working title) : The General
Spain : Una Tumba al amanecer

References

1. ^ "allmovie.com". Counterpoint. http://www.allmovie.com/cg/avg.dll. Retrieved October 15, 2007. ^{[dead link]}
2. ^ "Counterpoint (1967) - Release dates". IMDb. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0062829/releaseinfo. Retrieved January 25, 2007. 

External links

• Counterpoint (1968 film) at the Internet Movie Database
• Counterpoint at AllRovi
• Counterpoint (1968 film) at AllRovi