Come out of your holes you Desert Rats.

Last night to kick off Mason fest,  I watched the World War 2 film The Desert Rats based on a true story about the siege of Tobruk in Northern Africa. The Australian 9th Division is put under the command of English Captain "Tammy" MacRoberts who is played by Richard Burton.   They are  to hold Tobruk for 2 months against Field Marshall Rommel played by Mason.  During this time the men go on secret night raids.  After more then two months some of the men go on a raid to a German ammo dump. They blow up the dump but  most of the men are captured, killed or wounded. Burton escapes with one other man.  After several more days of fighting the badly wounded and tired Australian 9th is relieved by the sound of bagpipes.

James Mason was a great choice as Rommel.The film was directed by Robert Wise who also directed The Day the Earth Stood Still, West Side Story, Star Trek: The Motion Picture and The Sound of Music. This is a great war film. There are very few films about Australia's part in the war. Next, we will watch Mason again as Rommel in The Desert Fox.

Do me a favor, will you? Next time you have one of these things, keep it an all-British operation.

I watched the war classic Where Eagles Dare which is one of the top war films of all time. It was first a book and screenplay by author Alistair MacLean who also wrote other war books such The  Guns of Navarone and  Force Ten from Navarone  both of which were made in to movies. The plot is about 6 British spies  one of which is played by Richard Burton and an American ranger Lieutenant Morris Schaffer played by Clint Eastwood. Their mission is to rescue an American who has been captured and might tell all he knows about Overload.  He is located high in the Alps in a heavily guarded castle called  Schloß Adler. But what is not known is that there are enemy spies and traitors in the group.  As the movie goes on you find out many more shockers.The music to the movie is also really good because it was composed by Ron Goodwin who had already composed the theme from the war classic 633 Squadron. He would  also compose Battle of Britain the next year in 69. These are  three  of my favorite war themes. For everything Eagles you should check out this site.://www.whereeaglesdare.com/index.php