''Due marines e un generale'' (translated: ''Two Marines and a General'', internationally released as ''War Italian Style'') is a 1965 Italian

comedy film A comedy film is a category of film which emphasizes humor. These films are designed to make the audience laugh through amusement. Films in this style traditionally have a happy ending ( black comedy being an exception). Comedy is one of the o ...

directed by

Luigi Scattini Luigi Scattini (17 May 1927 – 12 July 2010) was an Italian film director and screenwriter. Scattini graduated in law, then he began his career as a journalist and a film critic for several weekly magazines such as '' Gente'' and '' Oggi''. ...

. The film puts together the famous Italian comic duo

Franco and Ciccio Franco () and Ciccio () were a comic comedy duo formed by Italian actors Franco Franchi (1928–1992) and Ciccio Ingrassia (1922–2003), particularly popular in the 1960s and 1970s. Their collaboration began in 1954 in the theater field, and end ...

, and the silent cinema icon

Buster Keaton Joseph Frank "Buster" Keaton (October 4, 1895 – February 1, 1966) was an American actor, comedian, and filmmaker. He is best known for his silent film work, in which his trademark was physical comedy accompanied by a stoic, deadpan expression ...

. The Keaton role is a mute role, except for the words "''Thank you''" that he pronounces in the final scene of the film.

Premise

Two US Marines who are so incompetent that they are sent to the

European Theatre of Operations The European theatre of World War II was one of the two main theatres of combat during World War II. It saw heavy fighting across Europe for almost six years, starting with Germany's invasion of Poland on 1 September 1939 and ending with th ...

end up in the

Battle of Anzio The Battle of Anzio was a battle of the Italian Campaign of World War II that took place from January 22, 1944 (beginning with the Allied amphibious landing known as Operation Shingle) to June 5, 1944 (ending with the capture of Rome). The op ...

where they face the German's giant artillery piece " Anzio Annie".

Cast

Franco Franchi Franco Franchi (born Francesco Benenato; 18 September 1928 – 9 December 1992) was an Italian actor, comedian and singer. He was born in Palermo, Sicily and began his career in the 1950s, although his career only really took off in the 1960s. ...

as Frank *

Ciccio Ingrassia Francesco Ingrassia (5 October 1922 – 28 April 2003) was an Italian actor, comedian and film director. He was born in Palermo, Sicily, and began his career in the 1950s, although his career only really took off in the 1960s. He starred in m ...

as Joe *

as Gen. von Kassler *

Martha Hyer Martha Hyer (August 10, 1924 – May 31, 2014) was an American actress who played Gwen French in ''Some Came Running'' (1958), for which she was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. Her autobiography, ''Finding My Way ...

as Lt. Inge Schultze *

Fred Clark Frederick Leonard Clark (March 19, 1914 – December 5, 1968) was an American film and television character actor. Early years Born in Lincoln, California, Clark was the son of Fred Clark Sr. He attended Stanford University with plans to become ...

as Gen. Zacharias * Barbara Lory as Inger *

Franco Ressel Franco Ressel (8 February 1925 – 30 April 1985) was an Italian film actor. He appeared in more than 120 films between 1961 and 1985. He was born in Naples, Italy and died in Rome, Italy. Selected filmography * ''La cento chilometri'' (19 ...

as Col. Jaeger *

Lino Banfi Lino Banfi (born Pasquale Zagaria; 9 July 1936) is an Italian film actor and presenter. He has appeared in more than 100 films since 1960. Biography He was born in the Apulian city of Andria and at the age of three, moved to Canosa di Puglia. L ...

as German Soldier

References

External links

* 1960s buddy comedy films Italian buddy comedy films Films directed by Luigi Scattini Films scored by Piero Umiliani Italian Campaign of World War II films Military humor in film Macaroni Combat films Films about the United States Marine Corps Italian World War II films 1960s Italian-language films 1965 films American International Pictures films 1960s Italian films {{1960s-Italy-comedy-film-stub