Kelly's Heroes

I think this is probably my favourite outing for Telly Savalas on the big screen as he decides to join his eponymous lieutenant (Clint Eastwood) on a perilous journey across enemy lines. With shells going off everywhere, their platoon captures a Nazi officer who reveals that there is a bank in rural France that is home to gold - $16 millions worth of gold. How can they get it, though? Well that's where the inventive "Kelly" drafts in the help of quartermaster-cum-scrounger "Crapgame" (Don Rickles); the aptly named and eccentric tank commander "Oddball" (Donald Sutherland) and leaving the captain's yacht to the mercies of the bombs, this disparate bunch start their journey. It proves surprisingly straightforward to make progress - a progress that causes some chagrin for "Gen. Colt" (Carroll O'Connor) who thinks that they are a collection of courageous soldiers worthy of medals galore - and of whom he is soon in hot pursuit without a clue as to their less than patriotic intent. Upon arrival at the town, the heroes discover there are well-armed Tiger tanks there, and the building that is supposed to hold the gold is well defended. How to destroy the tanks, get the gold and not reduce the entire village to rubble is now the order of the day... Eastwood holds this adventure together well, but it's really an ensemble effort with the entertaining Sutherland and Savalas working well with Troy Kennedy Martin's lively characterisations and script. Director Brian Hutton also keeps the pace moving well with plenty of action, the odd tin of (pink) paint and an exciting stand off at the denouement. Can they get away with it? Nowadays we'd be expecting a sequel!