Google Ads
Login | Sign Up

The Dirty Dozen Overview:

The Dirty Dozen (1967) was a Action - Drama Film directed by Robert Aldrich and produced by Kenneth Hyman and Raymond Anzarut.

Academy Awards 1967 --- Ceremony Number 40 (source: AMPAS)

AwardRecipientResult
Best Supporting ActorJohn CassavetesNominated
Best Film EditingMichael LucianoNominated
See More Oscar Winners

The Dirty Dozen BlogHub Articles:

The Dirty Dozen (1967)

By Beatrice on Jul 15, 2019 From Flickers in Time

The Dirty Dozen Directed by Robert Aldrich Written by Nunnally Johnson and Lukas Heller from a novel by E.M. Nathanson 1967/USA Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer/MKH/Seven Arts Productions Repeat viewing/Netflix rental Remains a fun action adventure after all these years, largely due to a collection of the best... Read full article

See More The Dirty Dozen Articles

The Dirty Dozen Quotes:

Samson Posey: I don't want to hurt you Major.
Major John Reisman: You're not gonna hurt me, I'm gonna hurt you.
Major John Reisman: I never went in for embroidery, just results.
Major John Reisman: You've seen a general inspecting troops before haven't you? Just walk slow, act dumb and look stupid!
Major John Reisman: [briefing the dozen] Shoot any officers you see in there.
Victor R. Franko: Who? Ours or theirs?
Major John Reisman: And where is Donald Duck?
Samson Posey: Donald Duck's down at the crossroads with a machine gun.
Major John Reisman: He'd better not be asleep or we all be in trouble, huh!
See More Quotes from The Dirty Dozen
The Dirty Dozen Facts
Charles Bronson's character says his father was a coal miner from Silesia (Central Europe). In real life, this is true. Charles Bronson's real father was a coal miner from Lithuania.
Robert Aldrich was told that he could be in line for an Oscar as Best Director for the film if he cut out the scene of Jim Brown dropping hand grenades into the bomb shelter. The scene was considered controversial because the Germans (including women) were locked inside the bunker and had no chance to survive. Aldrich considered it but elected to leave the scene in to show that "war is hell".
The sub-machine guns being used by most of the Dirty Dozen are M3, .45 ACP Cal., sub-machine guns know as the "Grease Gun". It came into use late in the war replacing Thompson sub-machine guns. It was not a general issue weapon to infantryman, normally it was the crew weapon on a tank. Many "found" their way to the frontline troops. This earlier model weapon had a charging lever on the side. Later models (M3A1) were charged by simply pulling back on the bolt by inserting your finger into a recess in the bolt. The M3A1 wire stock included a tab to help load magazines, the ends threaded to accept a cleaning brush to clean the barrel and was used as a wrench to unscrew the barrel for disassembly. The weapon, only manufactured during WWII by General Motors Headlight division, at a cost about $20 vs. the Thompsons at a few $100 each.
John Wayne was first offered the part of Maj. John Reisman, but he declined and went on to star in and direct another war film (The Green Berets). The part was then offered to Lee Marvin, who took it. Wayne's refusal was due to his disapproval of the original script where Reisman has a brief affair with a married woman whose husband is fighting overseas.
MGM's biggest moneymaker of 1967.
See More Facts about The Dirty Dozen >>