The Making of Where Eagles Dare

From a single phone call between an ambitious Hollywood producer and a retired Scottish novelist came one of the most daring film adventures ever made.

The Making of Where Eagles Dare is a fifteen-part series exploring how Elliott Kastner, Alistair MacLean, Richard Burton, and Clint Eastwood brought their wartime thriller to life among the snowbound peaks of Austria.
Drawing on production archives, rare interviews, and first-hand accounts, each article traces a different stage of the journey — from MacLean’s first screenplay and Brian G. Hutton’s audacious direction to the legendary cable-car stunts and Ron Goodwin’s unforgettable score.

This series captures not only how the film was made but why it endures — a mix of discipline, chaos, and pure cinematic invention that continues to inspire filmmakers half a century later.

Genesis of the Mission

How a determined producer convinced a reluctant Alistair MacLean to write his first original screenplay—and how a single phone call in 1966 gave birth to Where Eagles Dare.

Text excerpt from the original edition of Where Eagles Dare.

Writing the Screenplay

Alistair MacLean’s only original script evolved from a 240-page epic into a lean espionage masterpiece. Director Brian G. Hutton reshaped it into the tight, twist-filled adventure we know today.

Casting the Commandos

Behind-the-scenes negotiations that brought Richard Burton, Clint Eastwood, Mary Ure, and Ingrid Pitt together for one of the most iconic World War II thrillers ever filmed.

The Director’s Vision

Brian G. Hutton turned a massive war production into a stylish, fast-moving “pop movie.” His partnership with Burton and his respect for craftsmen defined the film’s precision.

The Stunt Legend: Yakima Canutt

Hollywood’s greatest stunt pioneer came out of retirement to stage explosions, cable-car fights, and bridge crashes that set new standards for cinematic realism.

Smith and Schaffer standing together, observing the castle through the trees.

From Salzburg to Schloss Adler

The story of Where Eagles Dare unfolds against snowbound peaks and stone fortresses, and its production demanded the same.In early 1968, the cast and crew arrived in Salzburg, Austria, to begin filming what would become one of the most logistically…

Richard Burton, Elisabeth Taylor and Clint Eastwood.

Life on Location

Life on the Where Eagles Dare set was as dramatic as the film itself. Filming began on New Year’s Day 1968, with temperatures below freezing and only six hours of daylight. Mountains near Salzburg were accessible only by convoys of…

Smith holding onto the cable car with his ice axe, with Christiansen clinging to his legs, about to fall.

The Cable Car Challenge

The cable-car fight is the beating heart of Where Eagles Dare—an extended sequence of vertigo, violence, and ingenuity that tested every department. The idea was pure Alistair MacLean: an impossible duel suspended thousands of feet above an Alpine gorge. Filming…

Schaffer climbing the mountainside, his hands and feet gripping the surface for support.

The Unsung Heroes

If Where Eagles Dare dazzled audiences with its breathtaking action, much of the credit belonged to the British stunt team who risked their lives in freezing conditions to make it look effortless. Under Yakima Canutt’s direction, a group of men…

Schaffer picking up his submachine gun and aiming it at the table, looking determinedly at Smith.

Eastwood and the Action Legacy

For Clint Eastwood, Where Eagles Dare marked a turning point. In 1968 he was still known primarily for his Italian westerns—A Fistful of Dollars and The Good, the Bad and the Ugly—and was searching for a Hollywood vehicle to legitimize…

A side view of an airplane flying against the backdrop of snow-covered mountains.

The Music of Danger

Few war films owe as much to their soundtrack as Where Eagles Dare. Composer Ron Goodwin—already famous for 633 Squadron and Operation Crossbow—delivered a score that turned snow and steel into rhythm. Its pounding snare drums, icy strings, and brass…

The group hiking downhill through the snowy forest, all in white camouflage.

Editing and Final Touches

When filming wrapped in mid-1968, Where Eagles Dare was a vast, snow-covered epic running nearly three and a half hours.Director Brian G. Hutton and editor John Jympson spent months paring it down to the tight, relentless thriller audiences know today.…