An all-star war epic - the film follows a group of Greek World War II Resistance heroes, co-operating with the Allies to take over a prisoners' camp run by a strict commander who has a soft spot for Greek antiquities...
Here a German soldier is shot down from the tower of Ibrahim Pasa Mosque by Zeno: the head of the Greek island's resistance movement (played by Telly Savalas)
The film's official trailer opens with a flyover of Lindos' castle.
"In 1944, Allied prisoners at a POW camp on an unnamed Greek island are forced to excavate ancient artifacts. The camp Commandant, Major Otto Hecht, a former Austrian antiques dealer, is sending some of the valuable pieces to his sister living in Switzerland. However the prisoners have discovered that they will be sent to other camps once the finds run out, so they arrange to keep "discovering" the same pieces. While Hecht is content to sit out the war, the SS Commandant of the nearby town, Major Volkmann, brutally enforces discipline, including reprisal executions of civilians.
Resistance to the Germans is led by Zeno, a former monk, and his few fighters. They use the local brothel, run by his girlfriend, as an undercover headquarters. Zeno, who is in contact with Allied Headquarters, is ordered to break the prisoners out of their camp and use them to help liberate the town and capture the nearby U-boat refuelling depot.
Two captured USO artists, Charlie and Dottie, perform a concert as cover, while the Resistance takes over the camp. With the choice of being killed by Zeno or helping them, Hecht joins forces with the Allies, helping them eradicate Volkmann's troops as well as capturing the fuel depot. After completing the mission, Charlie asks Zeno to lead him and two other prisoners, Judson and Rotelli, up to the monastery on Mount Athena to steal Byzantine treasures kept there by the monks. However Zeno tells Charlie that the treasures belong to the Greek people.
Zeno now receives word from Allied intelligence that the planned invasion of the islands has been brought forward, and so the German garrison in the monastery atop Mount Athena must be neutralised. Without revealing the whole truth, Zeno tells Charlie, Rotelli and Judson that in return for helping liberate the monks from the Germans, whatever they find there would be theirs.
However, on climbing to the monastery, the group discover a heavily armed garrison. Zeno uses gas to knock out most of the soldiers, but not before their commander orders a V-2 rocket launch to destroy the invasion fleet. Judson knocks out the control room with grenades, but one of the Germans survives long enough to activate the base's self-destruct mechanism. Not realising the danger immediately, Charlie and Rotelli scour the monastery for the treasure, while Judson frees the monks. Zeno finds the self-destruct clock, but he cannot deactivate it. Zeno, the monks and the Americans escape the monastery before it explodes. Searching for treasure until the last minute, Charlie escapes the explosion with the only treasure the Germans left behind — tin plates adorned with Hitler's face.
During the victory celebration in the village, Hecht, Charlie, and Dottie plan after the war to capitalise on treasures Hecht has already looted, by making copies to sell to Americans. Professor Blake learns from one of the freed monks that their treasure — Byzantine plates made of gold — is safe, having been hidden in the brothel the entire time.
The final scene cuts to the modern day, by which time Zeno's former headquarters have been turned into a state museum housing the treasures of Mount Athena.
It was part of a $97 million slate of movies Lew Grade was making which also included The Legend of the Lone Ranger, Movie Movie (then called Double Feature), The Boys from Brazil, Raise the Titanic, The Golden Gate from the Alistair Maclean novel (never made), Love and Bullets, The Muppet Movie and Road to the Fountain of Youth with Bing Crosby and Bob Hope (which was never made).
The film was originally called The Athena Boodle and also The Athena Crisis.
Filming began in Greece on 21 February 1978.
David Niven agreed to be in the film because his son produced it and he liked the idea of returning to Rhodes, where he had made The Guns of Navarone.
William Holden was visiting his girlfriend Stefanie Powers during filming and was persuaded to make a cameo.
The film was partly financed and produced by Lew Grade's ITC Entertainment.
Grade had wanted an action movie and felt it did not live up to the script, partly because the first eighty minutes mixed comedy with action and, as he recalled: "the combination just didn't work ... but the last forty, action-packed minutes were wonderful. If only the emphasis had been on action throughout the film would have been a hit. Unfortunately it wasn't. Still, with the pre-sales I'd made we didn't lose nearly as much as we might have".
According to a number of sources, this movie's motorcycle chase scene is, as one critic said, "one of the most memorable motorcycle chase scenes in cinematic history".
Another says: "Film is an uneven mix of comedy and military action, but includes a stand out motorcycle chase. During a battle with the resistance, SS Major Volkmann escapes on a motorcycle with Charlie (played by Elliott Gould) chasing after him on a motorcycle with sidecar down narrow village streets. Impressive motorcycle stuntwork featuring some excellent jumps". Author Mark Hinchliff of Motorbike Writer ranks the chase in Escape to Athena as 3rd, only after those in The Great Escape (1st) and Skyfall (2nd)."
SOURCE - (visit link)
Éna polemikó epeisódio ólon ton astéron - i tainía akoloutheí mia omáda Ellínon Antístasis tou V 'Pankosmíou Polémou, pou synergázontai me tous Symmáchous gia na analávoun stratópedo kratouménon pou dioikeítai apó énan afstiró dioikití pou échei éna malakó simeío gia tis ellinikés archaiótites ...
Edó énas germanós stratiótis katarríptetai apó ton pýrgo apó ton Zíno: ton epikefalís tou kinímatos antístasis tou ellinikoú nisioú (pou paízetai apó ton Télly Salavá)
To epísimo rymoulkoúmeno tou kinimatográfou anoígei me éna pérasma tou kástrou tis Líndou.
"To 1944, oi stratiótes ton symmáchon se stratópedo POW se éna anónymo ellinikó nisí anankázontai na anaskafoún archaía antikeímena. O archigós tou stratopédou, Major Otto Hecht, próin afstriakós émporos antíkes, stélnei meriká apó ta polýtima kommátia stin adelfí tou pou zei stin Elvetía. Ostóso, oi kratoúmenoi échoun anakalýpsei óti tha staloún se álla stratópeda ótan ta evrímata teleiósoun, óste na frontísoun na «anakalýpsoun» ta ídia kommátia. Enó o Hecht eínai ikanopoiiménos na kathísei ston pólemo, o dioikitís SS tis kontinís pólis, Major O Vólkman, epivállei víaia tin peitharchía, symperilamvanoménon ton ekteléseon antipoínon politón.
I antístasi stous Germanoús odigeítai apó ton Zíno, próin monachó, kai tous lígous machités tou. Chrisimopoioún to topikó órko, pou diefthýnetai apó ti fíli tou, os ypódrasi. O Zíno, o opoíos érchetai se epafí me tin édra ton symmachikón dynámeon, diatássetai na spásei tous fylakisménous apó to stratópedó tous kai na tous chrisimopoiísei gia na apeleftherósoun tin póli kai na syllávoun tin kontiní apothíki anefodiasmoú ton U-boat.
Dýo syllifthéntes kallitéchnes tis USO, o Charlie kai o Dottie, ekteloún mia synavlía os kálypsi, enó i Antístasi analamvánei to stratópedo. Me tin epilogí tou na skototheí apó ton Zeno í na tous voithísei, o Hecht enónei tis dynámeis tou me tous symmáchous, voithóntas tous na exaleípsoun ta stratévmata tou Volkmann kathós kai na katalávoun tin apothíki kafsímon. Metá tin oloklírosi tis apostolís, o Tsárli zitáei apó ton Zíno na ton odigísei kai dýo állous kratoúmenous, ton Tzoúntson kai ton Rotéli, méchri to monastíri tou Athinaíou na klépsoun vyzantinoús thisavroús pou kratoúntai ekeí apó tous monachoús. Ostóso, o Zíno léei ston Tsárli óti oi thisavroí aníkoun ston ellinikó laó.
O Zíno lamvánei tóra apó ti Symmachía pliroforíes óti i programmatisméni eisvolí ton nisión échei proothitheí kai étsi i germanikí frourá sto monastíri stin koryfí tis Athinás prépei na exoudeterotheí. Chorís na apokalýptei óli tin alítheia, o Zíno léei ston Tsárli, ton Rotéli kai ton Tzoúntson óti se antállagma gia na voithísoun stin apelefthérosi ton monachón apó tous Germanoús, ó, ti vrískoun ekeí tha eínai dikoí tous.
Ostóso, katá tin anarríchisi sto monastíri, i omáda anakalýptei mia variá oplisméni frourá. O Zíno chrisimopoieí aério gia na chtypísei tous perissóterous stratiótes, allá óchi prin o dioikitís tous diatáxei éna rantár V-2 gia na katastrépsei ton stólo eisvolís. O Judson chtypá tin aíthousa elénchou me cheirovomvídes, allá énas apó tous Germanoús epiviónei arketó kairó gia na energopoiísei ton michanismó aftokatastrofís tis vásis. An den syneiditopoiísei ton kíndyno amésos, o Tsárli kai o Rotéli xýnoun to monastíri gia ton thisavró, enó o Tzoúntson apeleftherónei tous monachoús. O Zíno vrískei to rolói aftokatastrofís, allá den boreí na ton apenergopoiísei. O Zíno, oi monachoí kai oi Amerikanoí xefévgoun apó ti moní prin ekragoún. Anazitóntas thisavró méchri tin teleftaía stigmí, o Tsárly xefévgei apó tin ékrixi me ton monadikó thisavró pou áfisan píso oi Germanoí - plákes kassíterou pou kosmoúsan to prósopo tou Chítler.
Katá ti diárkeia tis eortastikís níkis sto chorió, oi Hecht, Charlie kai Dottie schediázoun metá ton pólemo na epofelithoún apó thisavroús pou o Hecht échei ídi leilatísei kánontas antígrafa gia na poulísoun Amerikanoús. O kathigitís Bléik mathaínei apó énan apó tous apeleftheroménous monachoús óti o thisavrós tous - vyzantinés plákes apó chrysó - eínai asfalís, échontas kryfteí sto porneío ólo to chróno.
I telikí skiní pernáei sti sýnchroni méra, opóte kai i proigoúmeni édra tis tou Zínona metatrápike se kratikó mouseío pou filoxeneí tous thisavroús tou Athinaíou.
Ítan méros enós 97 ekatommyríon dolaríon tainión Lew Grade pou ékane epísis to The Legend of the Lone Ranger, Movie Movie (pou sti synécheia onomástike Double Feature), Ta agória apó ti Vrazilía, Áfxisi tou Titanikoú, I Chrysí Pýli apó to mythistórima Alistair Maclean (poté den ftiáchtike), i agápi kai oi sfaíres, i tainía Muppet kai o drómos pros ti vrýsi tis neolaías me ton Bing Crosby kai ton Bob Hope (pou den égine poté).
I tainía onomazótan archiká to Boutle Athena kai i Krísi tis Athinás.
I kinimatográfisi árchise stin Elláda stis 21 Fevrouaríou 1978.
O David Niven symfónise na vretheí stin tainía epeidí o gios tou to parígage kai tou árese i idéa na epistrépsei sti Ródo, ópou ékane to The Guns of Navarone.
O William Holden episképtetai ti fíli tou Stefanie Powers katá ti diárkeia tis kinimatográfisis kai ítan pepeisménos na kánei éna kaméa.
I tainía chrimatodoteítai en mérei kai parágetai apó tin Entertainment ITC tou Lew Grade.
I Grade íthele mia tainía drásis kai aisthánthike óti den antapokríthike sto senário, en mérei epeidí i próti ogdónta leptá miktí komodía me drási kai, ópos ypenthýmise: "o syndyasmós aplá den leitoúrgise ... allá ta teleftaía saránta, drási -apothikevména leptá ítan thavmásia.Eán móno i émfasi pou eíche stin drási se óli tin tainía tha ítan éna chtýpima.Dystychós den ítan.Allá, me tis pro-políseis pou eícha kánei den chásame schedón óso emeís tha boroúse na échei".
Sýmfona me arketés pigés, i skiní tis motosiklétas eínai aftí tou kinimatográfou, ópos eípe énas kritikós, "mía apó tis pio axiomnimóneftes skinés kynigioú stin kinimatografikí istoría".
Állos léei: «I tainía eínai éna anomoiogenés meígma komodías kai stratiotikís drásis, allá perilamvánei kai xechoristí kynigísei me motosikléta. Katá ti diárkeia mias máchis me tin antístasi, o SS Major Volkmann drapetévei se mia motosikléta me ton Tsárli (pou paízetai apó ton Elliott Gould) motosikléta me plaïnó odóstroma káto apó stenoús drómous tou chorioú. Entyposiakí kónchi motosikletón me meriká exairetiká álmata ". O syngraféas Mark Hinchliff tis Motorbike Writer katatássei tin ekdíoxi stin Escape stin Athiná os 3i thési, móno metá apó aftá tis Great Escape (1os) kai tou Skyfall (2os). "
PIGI - (sýndesmos epískepsis)