MovieChat Forums > The Sea Wolves (1981) Discussion > The unofficial sequel to The Guns of Nav...

The unofficial sequel to The Guns of Navarone

posted 17 years ago by woljm45
5 replies | jump to latest

The actors and style of this film are very parallel to the Guns of Navarone, also starring Peck and Niven.

Instead of destoying two cannons, this time they are set to destroy a Nazi warship
which assists in the sinking of Allied subs, which was supposidly a true story.

The movie itself was pretty good, but I guess they really never had a good working title. The Sea Wolves makes me think of the Jack London story, The Last Charge of the Lighhouse makes me think of an old Errol Flynn movie, and you can't call it Guns of Navarone 2 because this movie has nothing to do with that part of Greece.

[–] hobnob53 17 years ago

At the time of its release, this film was referred to by several reviewers as "a geriatric 'Guns of Navarone'", because of its commando-raid-on-enemy-fortress mission and plot, but with men a generation older. Peck and Niven are in fact not the only alumni of "Guns" in this movie; Allen Cuthbertson, Percy Herbert and George Mikell were also co-stars in both films.

The basic story is indeed a true one, as are most of the characters, as detailed in the book upon which the movie was based, "Boarding Party".

I think "The Sea Wolves", while hardly an inspired title, is okay, a sardonic reference to the men's gung-ho attitude run up against the realities of the limits of late middle age. But I think calling it "Boarding Party", after the book, would have been better.

I was curious about your choice of words in writing that the movie couldn't have been called "Guns of Navarone 2 because this movie has nothing to do with that part of Greece." This movie doesn't have anything to do with ANY part of Greece (and anyway, Navarone is, of course, a fictitious island).

[–] woljm45 17 years ago

Even though its a ficticious island, you can't have the same actors playing different roles for a sequel.

[–] hobnob53 17 years ago

Right, but "Sea Wolves" isn't a sequel to anything. It and "Guns" are entirely unrelated in any way, except by coincidence of five people in common in the cast.

Originally, Peck, Niven and Anthony Quinn were supposed to reprise their "Guns" roles in its actual sequel, "Force 10 From...", when it was initially scheduled for filming in the mid-to-late 60s. But the project got repeatedly delayed, and eventually they all dropped out. Of course, by the time "Force 10" got made, in 1978, the three original cast members were too old to reprise their former roles. As you can tell from watching "Force 10", they were sorely missed (and Quinn's character didn't appear at all).

[–] Babys-man 17 years ago

It's not "The Last Charge of the Lighhouse", it's "Light Horse". Light Horse refers to a Light Horse Regiment, a form of mounted infantry. That's what these men were. It's been 25 years since I read the book (Boarding Party: The Last Action of the Calcutta Light Horse by James Leasor). As I remember, they were British businessmen in Calcutta who were members of an inactive reserve unit that once had been part of the British Indian Army. Many of the men were veterans - of the Boer War (1899 - 1902)!

I believe the Regiment was more of a social club by the time of the raid, but the action recounted in the movie really is "based on a true story".

[–] spookyrat1 8 years ago

... but the action recounted in the movie really is "based on a true story".

It's really a fascinating story and interesting to note that the full details were not released by the British Government until well into the 70's, not long before this film was made.🐭