Classic 60s Movie: “The Blue Max”

January is Classic 60s Movie month. Today’s guest post comes from Steve Cook.

Movie Title: The Blue Max

Year: 1966

Writers: Jack Hunter (novel), Ben Barzman, Basilio Franchina (adaptation), David Pursall, Jack Seddon, Gerald Hanley (screenplay)

Lead Actors: George Peppard, James Mason, Ursula Andress, Jeremy Kemp, Karl Michael Vogler

Director: John Guillermin

IMDb Plot Summary: In 1918, an ambitious young pilot in the Imperial German Air Force, shunned by his comrades as lower-class and unchivalrous, will do whatever it takes to earn Germany’s most prestigious military medal: the Blue Max.

My Favorite Moment In The Movie: The scene where Stachel (George Peppard) and Willi (Jeremy Kemp) are trying to prove who is the better pilot. This happens just after a brief dogfight, when Stachel’s guns jam and Willi flames two English planes with ease. Stachel is furious his jammed guns cost him a chance to increase his number of kills. They see a bridge. Stachel and Willi take turns flying beneath the bridge, risking their lives in a game of oneupmanship. The aerial stunt work is superb.

My Favorite Dialogue In the Movie: Funeral for an enemy pilot.

Willi von Klugermann: Well, aren’t you coming? It’s an order.
Bruno Stachel: Why?
Willi von Klugermann: Because our commanding officer has made it one. He believes in chivalry, Stachel.
Bruno Stachel: Chivalry? To kill a man, then make a ritual out of saluting him? That’s hypocrisy. If they kill me, I don’t want anyone to salute.
Willi von Klugermann: They probably won’t.

Key Things You Should Look For When Watching This Movie: This is a great example of the kind of epic movies popular in the 1960s. There are massive battle sequences, both in the air and on the ground, as well as scenes on the home front in Germany. The cinematography and production values are excellent, as well as the attention to detail on the aircraft and uniforms. Excellent performances by an international cast. Class warfare is a major theme: Stachel (Peppard) is a former enlisted grunt and a commoner. He doesn’t fit in socially with the aristocratic officers in his fighter squadron. Rejection fuels his ruthless ambition (fatal flaw), which leads to his ultimate downfall.

Thanks, Steve! To show our gratitude for your guest post, here’s a dash of creative juju for you. Whoosh!

We already have a set of classic 70s movies, 80s Movies and 90s Movies. This month, we’re working on 60s Movies.

We have 22 volunteers. I have put in bold those who have already sent their guest post to me.

Ipsita Barik — Rosemary’s Baby
Bookman Film — The Sound of Music
Brandnewusedcar — Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
Markham Cook — Jules et Jim
Steve Cook — The Blue Max
N D — Lonely are the Brave
Drew Dorenfest — Easy Rider
Felicity Flesher — The Music Man
JasperLamarCrab — 2001: A Space Odyssey
D.L. Gill — Zulu
Jeff Guenther — Cool Hand Luke
Kate Hagen — Repulsion
John Henderson — Night of the Living Dead
hoernsch — The Graduate
Zach Jansen — They Shoot Horses, Don’t They?
Will King — The Pink Panther
Lisaisfunny — Blow Up
Jack McDonald — Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
Daryl Powell — The Apartment
jprichard — Persona
Liz Warner — The Manchurian Candidate
Michael Waters — Dr. No

I’m looking for more guest posts to take us through January. Why not pitch in to help add to this online resource to inspire writers to learn about and — most importantly — watch great movies.

If you have a classic 60s movies on which you’d like to do a writeup, please either post in comments or email me.

Thanks in advance!

For the original post explaining the series, go here.

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