The 1968 film “Where Eagles Dare” tells the daring escapade of a band of Allied soldiers during World War II who plan to raid a castle where Nazis are holding a U.S. General prisoner, only for a bigger discovery to come along that shakes up their plans. Directed by Brian G. Hutton and starring Richard Burton, Clint Eastwood, and Mary Ure, the film featured some of the industry’s top filmmakers at the time.
Along with the aforementioned names, there was also award-winning score composer Ron Goodwin, who would go on to work on Alfred Hitchcock’s “Frenzy” and Disney’s “The Littlest Horse Thieves,” among others (via IMDb). It also featured the cinematography of Arthur Ibbetson, whose work includes “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory” and “Anne of a Thousand Days” (via IMDb), the latter of which received an Oscar nomination for his work. “Eagles” would go on to be a financial success (via Box Office Mojo) and receive largely positive reviews (per Rotten Tomatoes).
One element of the film that has added to its appeal over the years is its beautiful locations. As with any period piece, the varied locales play an important role in establishing not only the country, but also the World War II time period the film is set in. So just where did “Eagles” land to give us the action classic?
Where Eagles Dare was mostly shot in Austria
IMDb reports that the majority of the film’s shooting locations were in Austria. The film’s opening title showcasing beautiful snowy mountains w as filmed in Saalfelden, Austria. The Schloss Adler, the mountaintop fortress the soldiers raid, was filmed at the Burg Hohenwerfen Castle in Werfen, Austria. According to Republic World, the stunning location is free and open to the public, operating today as a museum and falconry center.
Werfen was also where the train station and high alpine huts featured in the film were shot. The location was used in other films, most notably the classic musical hit, “The Sound of Music” (per IMDb). In “Eagles,” the scenes using the cable car that helped bring them to the castle were shot at the Feuerkogel Mountain Lift in Ebensee, Austria. Any scenes featuring both the cable car and castle together were shot using a scale model.
Other Austrian locations in the film include Lofer and Aigen im Ennstal, where most of the village and airfield scenes were shot. According to Otakukart, shooting in Austria took place throughout late winter to early spring of 1968. Varying harsh weather conditions and Richard Burton’s binge drinking led to numerous filming delays.
English studios also played a part
Various studios in England did much of the heavy lifting when the crew wasn’t in Austria. MGM British Studios, located in Hertfordshire, England, housed much of the production, including scenes with the alpine bus. The studio also helped in the production of such films as “2001: A Space Odyssey,” “The Shining,” “The Dirty Dozen,” and “Casino Royale” (per IMDb). Borehamwood Studios, also located in Hertfordshire, had additional scenes shot there, with other notable productions using the space ranging from “A Clockwork Orange” to the first six “Star Wars” movies (per IMDb).
Additional locales where the film was shot include Kanton Graubünden, Switzerland, where they utilized the Samedan airport, as well as Bavaria, Germany. Bavaria also saw the filming of such productions as “The Great Escape,” “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1,” “Bohemian Rhapsody,” and many more (via IMDb).