Castle Keep (1969): Cast & Plot
Castle Keep is a 1969 war drama directed by Sydney Pollack, starring Burt Lancaster as Maj. Abraham Falconer, Peter Falk and Michael Conrad. It runs 1 hour 45 minutes.
- Released
- Runtime
- 1h 45m (105 min)
- Director
- Sydney Pollack
- Original language
-
English - Studio
- Filmways Pictures
- After the credits
- No No extra scene
What Is Castle Keep About?
The premise of Castle Keep without spoilers. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.
A one‑eyed major leads an eccentric squad of American soldiers into a medieval fortress during the Battle of the Bulge. The reclusive count who owns the tenth‑century castle offers them shelter, hoping they will hold the stronghold in desperate defense against the advancing German forces.
Castle Keep Themes & Keywords
· 50 tags- u.s. soldier
- castle
- battle of the bulge
- marriage between uncle and niece
- german army
- volkswagen
- aristocrat
- world war two
- based on novel
- painting of character
- reference to peter paul rubens
- title same as book
+38 more Show fewer
- aspiring writer
- reference to johannes brahms
- playing flute
- flautist
- art preservation
- front line combat
- nobility
- mortar
- war casualty
- ladder truck
- fortress
- moat
- scene before opening credits
- art historian
- horseback riding
- 10th century
- lieutenant
- count and countess
- private
- sole survivor
- impotent husband
- sex scene
- art lecture
- falling in love
- pregnant from adultery
- satire comedy
- destroyed statuary
- war violence
- bastogne
- hallucination
- painting comes to life
- rose garden
- bearing an heir
- nude art
- u. s. army
- historical drama
- political drama
- tragic romance
Castle Keep Cast & Characters
Burt Lancaster leads the cast as Maj. Abraham Falconer, with Peter Falk as Sgt. Rossi and Michael Conrad as Sgt. DeVaca. Directed by Sydney Pollack; 20 actors are credited in all.
-
Director Sydney Pollack
-
Burt Lancaster as Maj. Abraham Falconer -
Peter Falk as Sgt. Rossi - Michael Conrad as Sgt. DeVaca
- Patrick O'Neal as Capt. Lionel Beckman
Also Starring in Castle Keep
· 16 more- Al Freeman Jr. Pvt. Allistair Piersall Benjamin
- Jean-Pierre Aumont The Count of Maldorais
- Caterina Boratto Red Queen
- Scott Wilson Cpl. Clearboy
- Bruce Dern Lt. Billy Byron Bix
- Tony Bill Lt. Amberjack
- Elizabeth Teissier Red Queen Girl
- Eija Pokkinen Red Queen Girl
- Olga Bisera Baker's Wife
- Karen Blanguernon Red Queen Girl
- Astrid Heeren Therese
- James Patterson Elk
- Merja Alanen Red Queen Girl
- Anne Marie Moskovenko Red Queen Girl
- Elizabeth Darius Red Queen Girl
- Marie Danube Red Queen Girl
More from Sydney Pollack
More films directed by Sydney Pollack, best-rated first: Tootsie, Jeremiah Johnson, They Shoot Horses, Don't They? and Sketches of Frank Gehry.
Castle Keep Plot Summary
What happens in Castle Keep from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 15 key events. The opening is below; the full summary is a 5-minute read.
Spoilers ahead
The film opens with sweeping, almost reverent shots of ancient European art and sculptures being shattered by the roar of war, while a lone narrator introduces the tale of eight American soldiers before a sudden cut jumps back to a quieter moment a few weeks earlier. It is December 1944, and a ragtag group of soldiers, likely weary from combat and seeking a quiet respite, rolls into view aboard a battered Jeep that drags a small trailer. They are led by the one-eyed Major Abraham Falconer [Burt Lancaster], and they are accompanied by Sgt. Rossi [Peter Falk], the quick-witted art expert Captain Beckman [Patrick O’Neal], and the sharply intelligent Pvt. Allistair Benjamin [Al Freeman Jr].
Full summary
The whole story of Castle Keep, scene by scene
Castle Keep Trailers & Videos
2 videos: 2 trailers.
- Trailer Castle Keep ≣ 1969 ≣ Trailer
How Well Do You Know Castle Keep?
10 questions about the story, each with a hint if you get stuck. Pick an answer to see whether you were right.
Question 1 of 10
- Question 1: not answered
- Question 2: not answered
- Question 3: not answered
- Question 4: not answered
- Question 5: not answered
- Question 6: not answered
- Question 7: not answered
- Question 8: not answered
- Question 9: not answered
- Question 10: not answered
Which actor portrayed Major Abraham Falconer?
Cars in Castle Keep
9 cars on screen, including the Delahaye 163 and the 1934 Hispano-Suiza K6.
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Delahaye 163 Minor role -
1934 Hispano-Suiza K6 Minor role -
Magirus-Deutz Mercur Minor role -
unknown Minor role
Castle Keep Also Known As
17 alternative titles, including “Ardenne '44 - Un Inferno” and “Un château en enfer”.
- Also known as
-
- Ardenne '44 - Un Inferno
- Un château en enfer
- Η Μεγάλη Μάχη της Φλάνδρας
- Το Κάστρο του Πολέμου
- Das Schloss in den Ardennen
- La fortaleza
- Ardenne '44: un inferno
- A Defesa do Castelo
- Hájili jsme hrad
- Den enøjede falk
- Obrona zamku
- Охрана замка
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- 고성을 사수하라
- 基堡八勇士
- Vártorony
- Rautaiset sankarit
- La fortalesa
Seen Castle Keep?
Movies Like Castle Keep
Films with a similar story, tone or audience, including The Unprecedented Defence of the Fortress Deutschkreuz, The Last Castle and Attack.
Castle Keep FAQ: Cast, Runtime & Release Date
Runtime, release date, director, cast and post-credit scenes of Castle Keep, each answered in a sentence.
How long is Castle Keep?
Castle Keep runs 1 hour 45 minutes (105 minutes).
When was Castle Keep released?
Castle Keep was released on July 23, 1969.
Who directed Castle Keep?
Castle Keep was directed by Sydney Pollack.
More films by Sydney Pollack Who is in the cast of Castle Keep?
Castle Keep stars Burt Lancaster as Maj. Abraham Falconer, Peter Falk as Sgt. Rossi and Michael Conrad as Sgt. DeVaca, among 20 credited actors.
Does Castle Keep have a post-credit scene?
No. Castle Keep has no extra scene during or after the credits.
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