Norwegian resistance tries to stop German efforts to produce an atomic bomb component during World War II.
The 89th Academy Awards telecast airs at 8:30 p.m. ET/5:30 p.m. PST, Sunday, Feb. 26, on ABC, hosted by Jimmy Kimmel. Join us for the first IMDb LIVE Viewing Party, a companion show that includes celebrity insight, real-time IMDb data, and more.
Related News
Danny Boyle accepts mission for TV series about sabotage of Nazi nuclear weapons
14 October 2013 10:28 AM, +02:00 | The Guardian - TV News
14 October 2013 10:28 AM, +02:00 | The Guardian - TV News
User Lists
Related lists from IMDb users
Connect with IMDb
Share this Rating
Title: The Heroes of Telemark (1965)
Want to share IMDb's rating on your own site? Use the HTML below.
Photos
Learn more
People who liked this also liked...
The Vikings
(1958)
Action
|
Adventure
Director:
Richard Fleischer
Stars:
Kirk Douglas,
Tony Curtis,
Ernest Borgnine
Cast a Giant Shadow
(1966)
Adventure
|
Drama
|
History
Director:
Melville Shavelson
Stars:
Kirk Douglas,
John Wayne,
Frank Sinatra
In Harm's Way
(1965)
Drama
|
War
Director:
Otto Preminger
Stars:
John Wayne,
Kirk Douglas,
Patricia Neal
The Real Heroes of Telemark
(TV Movie 2003)
Documentary
|
History
|
War
Director:
Martin Pailthorpe
Stars:
Knut Haugland,
Ray Mears,
Jens A. Poulsson
Edit
Cast
| Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
| Kirk Douglas | ... | ||
| Richard Harris | ... |
Knut
|
|
| Ulla Jacobsson | ... |
Anna
|
|
| Michael Redgrave | ... |
Uncle
|
|
| David Weston | ... |
Arne
|
|
 |
Sebastian Breaks | ... |
Gunnar
|
|
|
John Golightly | ... |
Freddy
|
| Alan Howard | ... |
Oli
|
|
|
|
Patrick Jordan | ... |
Henrik
|
|
|
William Marlowe | ... |
Claus
|
| Brook Williams | ... |
Einar
|
|
| Roy Dotrice | ... |
Jensen
|
|
| Anton Diffring | ... |
Major Frick
|
|
|
|
Ralph Michael | ... |
Nilssen
|
| Eric Porter | ... | ||
Edit
Plot Summary
|
Add Synopsis
Storyline
Set in German-occupied Norway, this is an embellished account of the remarkable efforts of the Norwegian resistance to sabotage the German development of the atomic bomb. Resistance fighter Knut Straud enlists the reluctant physicist Rolf Pedersen in an effort to destroy the German heavy water production plant near the village of Rjukan in rural Telemark. In the process, Pedersen discovers that his ex-wife Anna and her uncle have also joined the resistance. British commandos dispatched to destroy the plant are killed when their glider hits the mountainside at night. An improvised raid by the resistance ends in the partial destruction of the heavy water canisters, but the contingency plans of Reichskommissar Terboven enable the Germans to resume production quickly. Pedersen wants to recommend to London that the Allies bomb the plant. Straud opposes him because of the potential death toll on Norwegian civilians and a fight ensues. They send in separate recommendations, and the air raid ... Written by Peter Grosvenor
Taglines:
Unarmed and outnumbered, they stunned the world with their incredible victory. (Movie poster) See more »Certificate:
See all certifications »Parents Guide:
View content advisory »
Edit
See more »
See full technical specs »
Details
Official Sites:
Distributor's official site for individuals | Distributor's official site for professionals | See more »Country:
UKRelease Date:
26 November 1965 (UK) See more »Also Known As:
Anthony Mann's The Heroes of Telemark See more »Box Office
Budget:
$5,600,000 (estimated)Company Credits
Show detailed
company contact information
on
IMDbPro »
Technical Specs
Runtime:
Sound Mix:
Mono (Westrex Recording System)Aspect Ratio:
2.35 : 1
Edit
Nilssen: That is... I must say that is fantastic efficiency!
Terboven: Don't you ever make the mistake of under-rating the Germans. By Easter we will have not merely 10000 pounds of heavy water, but 12000 pounds of heavy water.
See more »
Did You Know?
Trivia
During the filming of Heroes Of Telemark, Benton Films were using the large stone church Rjukan Church. One night the whole interior of the church burnt down in a raging fire. Only the solid stone walls were standing. It was a large scandal, of course, where the church lost some great reliquaries impossible to replace. The reason for the fire is supposed to be light equipment. It took three years to rebuild the church after the fire. See more »Goofs
In the last shots of the lifeboats on the lake, the downdraft from the rotor of the camera helicopter is clearly visible on the water. See more »Quotes
Terboven: Winston Churchill is puffing an extra big cigar today. And we laugh at him. Why? Because all these containers, which the British did so much to destroy, have already been pre-fabricated in Berlin. They are already on their way here and will be installed by tomorrow.Nilssen: That is... I must say that is fantastic efficiency!
Terboven: Don't you ever make the mistake of under-rating the Germans. By Easter we will have not merely 10000 pounds of heavy water, but 12000 pounds of heavy water.
See more »
Crazy Credits
Opening credits prologue: GERMAN-OCCUPIED NORWAY 1942 See more »Check out our Oscars guide for the full list of winners, videos, and more.
I see a few comments that are decrying the liberties taken with the true story, as usual, by Hollywood.
Not that it's not a common occurrence, and I'm not defending such practice - but I do feel it necessary to point out that THIS film is NOT, in fact, a Hollywood film at all. It IS a British film. Any complaints one can have with the omission or alteration of events must be directed at Rank, not at the non-specific "Hollywood".
The events of the movie, and the true-life events, are fascinating. It's a terrible thing to contemplate, Nazis creating the atomic bomb. What would our world be like today if they had succeeded? This was certainly a WWII story worth telling.