Les parachutistes arrivent

Original title: The Gypsy Moths

IMDb RATING

6.3/10

2.6K

YOUR RATING

Play trailer2:48

1 Video

58 Photos

Tragic Romance Action Drama Romance

Three skydivers and their travelling thrill show barnstorm through a small midwestern town one Fourth of July weekend.Three skydivers and their travelling thrill show barnstorm through a small midwestern town one Fourth of July weekend.Three skydivers and their travelling thrill show barnstorm through a small midwestern town one Fourth of July weekend.

Director
- John Frankenheimer
Writers
- William Hanley
- James Drought
Stars

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

6.3/10

2.6K

YOUR RATING

Director
- John Frankenheimer
Writers
- William Hanley
- James Drought
Stars

See production info at IMDbPro

User reviews48

Featured review

8/10

Kerr revealed

Being an aviation enthusiast, but not a jumper - I was drawn to this movie. Burt Lancaster plays "Mike Rettig" in the sort of role he is best at, plenty of action, with an eye for a pretty face. The pretty face in this case being Deborah Kerr. Miss Kerr was approaching 50 years of age when this movie was made, but was able to been seen close-up and naked with Burt Lancaster in what what must be one of the few (if the only) scenes where Miss Kerr reveals all. A far cry from the many Nuns she has played in her career. Compare her in this with "Heaven knows, Mr Allison" with Robert Mitchum. Gene Hackman provides good support as the reckless carefree "Joe Browdy", seeking out the local haunts for loose women. William Windom brilliantly plays Kerr's isolated and betrayed husband. A good film that happily TCM repeats regularly - thank goodness!

iandcooper
Aug 4, 2005
Permalink

Videos1

Trailer 2:48

The Gypsy Moths

Photos58

+ 52

More like this

6.3

La descente infernale

6.4

Zandy's Bride

5.9

La mutinerie

5.7

La théorie des dominos

5.9

Les naufragés de l'espace

6.6

La Chevauchée sauvage

6.8

6.5

5.9

6.7

6.5

6.1

Storyline

Edit

Did you know

Edit

Trivia
During filming at the airfield in Benton, Kansas, Director John Frankenheimer wanted to get a real, horrified reaction from the extras playing the audience, so he had a mannequin dressed like a skydiver and tied it under a helicopter, which ascended several hundred feet, then released the dummy. Most of the people hadn't noticed what had been rigged up, so when it fell, they thought it was a real person hitting the ground and he got the reaction he was looking for. One minor problem was that the pilot didn't gauge the wind accurately and the "skydiver" fell into some parked cars, narrowly missing some people and caving in the roof of an extra's car. The studio bought the car for several times what it was worth and the damaged vehicle spent the rest of the shooting behind one of the hangars.

Goofs
As the plane flies over the first airfield in the film, the town's name of Bridgeville is clearly painted on the airport's hangar. The skydivers pack up, leave town, drive for what seems half a day or so to the next town, and arrive, again, in Bridgeville.

Quotes
Mike Rettig: [softly] Tomorrow, when we leave here, I want you to come with me.
Elizabeth Brandon: [clearly surprised at the request] Come with you?
Mike Rettig: Yes.
Elizabeth Brandon: [she makes some low sounds, and he moves toward her] Do you always offer so much more than you're asked for?
Mike Rettig: Only to those who ask so much less than they want.

Alternate versions
For the film's premier at the Radio City Music Hall in New York City, MGM removed a scene of striptease in order for the film to receive an "M" rating (suggested for mature audiences, parental description advised). This was since the Radio City Music Hall at the time would only play movies that carried a "G" or "M" rating. The scene was restored when the film played everywhere else in the United States with the rating changed to "R".

Connections
Featured in The Sky Divers (1969)

Soundtracks
Piano Sonata No. 16 in C-major, K. 545
(uncredited)
Composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Performed by Bonnie Bedelia
[The piano piece Annie plays in the living room]