Ike: Countdown to D-Day (2004) (TV)

Director:

Robert Harmon

Writer (WGA):

Lionel Chetwynd (written by)

Release Date:

31 May 2004 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Adventure | Drama | War

Plot:

IKE: COUNTDOWN TO D-DAY depicts the tense 90 days leading up to the D-Day invasion and how Dwight Eisenhower, against all odds, brilliantly orchestrated the most important military maneuver in modern history.

Plot Keywords:

Air Marshal | Lieutenant General | Sergeant | Major | Corporal

Awards:

Nominated for 6 Primetime Emmys. Another 3 nominations

Cast

Tom Selleck	...	Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower
James Remar	...	Gen. Omar Bradley
Timothy Bottoms	...	Walter Bedell "Beetle" Smith
Gerald McRaney	...	Lt. Gen. George S. Patton
Ian Mune	...	Prime Minister Winston Churchill
Bruce Phillips	...	Gen. Bernard Law Montgomery
John Bach	...	Air Marshal Sir Trafford Leigh-Mallory
Nick Blake	...	Air Marshal Arthur W. Tedder
Kevin J. Wilson	...	RAdm. Bert Ramsay
Christopher Baker	...	Group Capt. Maj. James Stagg
George Shevtsov	...	Gen. Charles DeGaulle
Gregor McLennan	...	Capt. Chapman
Paul Gittins	...	Maj. Gen. Henry Miller
Craig Hall	...	Cpl. William Hayes
Stephen Brunton	...	Cpl. William Younger
Paul Barrett	...	Maj. Wiatt
Robert Pollock	...	101st Airborne sergeant
Michael Saccente
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Millen Baird	...	101st Airborne private
Catherine Boniface	...	Woman at Savoy
Brian Gidley	...	Chief Whip
Bruce Hopkins	...	U.S. colonel at Savoy
David Mackie	...	Projector sergeant
Andrew Robertt	...	101st Airbourne Lieutenant
Mick Rose	...	King George VI
Ian Ruskin	...	Voice Actor
Carole Seay	...	Queen Elizabeth (as Carol Seay)
Clint Sharplin	...	101st Airborne paratrooper
Rachel Wallis	...	WAC sergeant

Directed by
Robert Harmon

Writing credits (WGA)
Lionel Chetwynd		(written by)

Produced by
Dennis A. Brown	....	producer
Paul Carran	....	service producer
Lionel Chetwynd	....	executive producer
Tim Christenson	....	associate producer
David Craig	....	supervising producer
Delia Fine	....	executive producer
Stephanie Germain	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Jeff Beal

Cinematography by
David Gribble

Film Editing by
Chris Peppe

Casting by
Terri De'ath
Susie Maizels

Production Design by
Ralph Davies		(as Ralph Davis)

Art Direction by
Nick Bassett
Andy McLaren

Set Decoration by
Jill Cormack

Costume Design by
Lesley Burkes-Harding

Makeup Department
Lon Bentley	....	makeup creator: Tom Selleck
Susan Glass	....	key makeup artist
Paul Pattison	....	hair stylist supervisor
Claire Rutledge	....	hair stylist: New Zealand
Kimberley Spiteri	....	hair stylist supervisor (as Kimberly Spiteri)

Production Management
Liz DiFiore	....	unit production manager
Ronnie Hape	....	unit manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Katie Flannigan	....	second second assistant director
George Lyle	....	first assistant director
Katie Tate	....	second assistant director

Art Department
Milton Candish	....	set dresser
Matt Cornelius	....	stand-by props
Troy Hannett	....	head scenic
Wade Hannett	....	lead scenic artist
Viv Kernick	....	property master
Clara Lill	....	art department assistant
Roger Murray	....	props designer
Murray Sweetman	....	construction manager
Megan Vertelle	....	lead man

Sound Department
Marty Church	....	adr mixer
Alan Decker	....	sound re-recording mixer
Wayne Heitman	....	sound re-recording mixer
Tony Johnson	....	sound mixer
Mark Larry	....	sound supervisor
Michael O'Corrigan	....	sound supervisor
Tim Philben	....	sound re-recording mixer
Tim Philbin	....	sound re-recording mixer

Special Effects by
Gunner Ashford	....	special effects

Visual Effects by
George Port	....	visual effects supervisor

Camera and Electrical Department
Peter Cunningham	....	first assistant camera
John Enright	....	lighting technician
Scott Harman	....	lighting technician
Rob Marsh	....	camera operator
Jay Munro	....	key grip
Sean O'Neill	....	gaffer
Evan Pardington	....	grip

Casting Department
Yvonne Bennett	....	extras casting coordinator

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Anna Bosley	....	costume buyer
Anna Bosley	....	costume design assistant
Erin O'Neill	....	costume supervisor
Angela Williams	....	costume assistant

Editorial Department
Amy Flint	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Craig Pettigrew	....	music editor

Transportation Department
Ronnie Hape	....	transportation manager
Chico Morehu	....	transportation captain
Paul Rhodes	....	driver: cast
Chris Wildermoth	....	vehicle wrangler

Other crew
Gunner Ashford	....	armorer
Ryan Harrington	....	production coordinator
Helen Mackenzie	....	production accountant
Dianne Moffatt	....	script supervisor
Robin Murphy	....	location manager
Lyn Willis	....	production coordinator
Marlea Willis	....	unit publicist
Alejandro de Quesada	....	historical consultant (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Film Factory New Zealand Limited
• A&E Television Networks
• Lionel Chetwynd Productions
• Sony Pictures Television
• Stephanie Germain Productions

Distributors

• A&E Television Networks (2004) (USA) (TV) (original airing)
• Columbia TriStar Home Video
• Columbia TriStar (2004) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Columbia TriStar (2004) (Brazil) (VHS)

Other Companies

• Film Factory New Zealand Limited  production services
• Images Post  electronic laboratory
• Modern VideoFilm  electronic laboratory
• Sony Pictures Studios  post-production facilities

Also Known As:

Ike: Thunder in June (USA) (working title)

MPAA:

Rated PG for mild language.

Runtime:

120 min (including commercials) | Brazil:88 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Colour:

Colour

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Brazil:14 | Australia:PG | USA:PG | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

Ardmore Airport, Airfield Road, Ardmore, Auckland, New Zealand

Company:

Film Factory New Zealand Limited

Goofs:

Factual errors: In the Overlord briefing for King George VI there are a series of flags and regimental colors displayed in the Headquarters. All of the US flags are displayed with the blue field of stars in the upper right hand corner when they should be hung with the field in the upper left hand corner. This could be written off as a historically representative mistake, but this many flags in the presence of the King of England, the Prime Minister of the UK and the Supreme Commander of the Allied forces would be hung correctly.

Quotes:

Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower: I'm not sending a bunch of fresh young kids to die for a people they no nothing about, I'm asking them to die for freedom and there ready to do it and that's why there heroes.

Movie Connections:

Features The Chronicle History of King Henry the Fift with His Battell Fought at Agincourt in France (1944)

Superb - true war drama without combat

I would really recommend seeing the DVD due to the excellent commentary by Selleck, the writer and director.

Argument about the Second World War - what went wrong, what went right, why things were done - and of course about the historical accuracy of any depiction in film - is one of those great indulgences of mankind.

But I think this movie very faithful to history - and those who say that a single particular meeting with Churchill at which Y was decided did not occur, because instead there were a dozen meetings in which Y was gradually decided -- or that there were also A, B and C people at other meetings - are simply not dealing with every movie's need to compress a true story.

I think this movie (though it does acknowledge that there was some condensing of character and incident) is truly excellent.

There is a maturity about the playing (and Selleck is really superb - a tribute to the seriousness with which he took the task of playing a hero who had an obviously immense impact on history) and sober approach to the issues -- that make it very moving.

The movie does a wonderful job at showing Ike grappling with:

a) the difficulties of others' personalities (DeGaulle, Patton, Miller, Montgomery),

b) the tactical decisions (how near to the landing do you have the paratroops drop - and do you change your mind as you learn of German troop movements? The need for a full or half moon as well as good weather; the likelihood of further delay to see if things improve -causing a loss of German surprise about place of invasion).

It's just superb in every way - it will make you wish this were part of a 12 or 14 hour series about Eisenhower in wartime.

Selleck (with his Midwestern accent and - for this movie - very deliberate in movement and speech - makes a superb Eisenhower).