From Hell to Victory - Nur 3 kamen durch - 1978


"From Hell to Victory" wanted to look like a big and fat war movie epic. 
A star-laden cast with George Peppard, George Hamilton and Horst Buchholz.
Splendid Scenes, colorful explosions and great moments.
But if you look behind the scenes you will recognize that director Umberto Lenzi
made it the italian way. He inter-spliced his pocket-money-epic with stock footage and even complete sequences from different other war movie flicks ("Eagles over London"/"Dirty Heroes") and blew up the small balloon to a crashing zeppelin.
Amid all the cut together footage it is difficult to recognize if Lenzi shot his own scenes on the original locations!
Cult Director Enzo G.Castellari and foreground model specialist Emilio Ruiz del Rio shot for example a fantastic sequence for "Eagles over London" in La Manga del Mar Menor (Murcia). 
Umberto Lenzi only shot a few matching new scenes, but if he did it on location in La Manga is difficult to say. 
I was able to identify the unknown "From Hell to Victory" bridge Location Set as the Rio Tajo bridge of Fuentiduena de Tajo (Madrid). 
And Lenzi definitely shot several scenes here!

German Lobby Cards

On the left you see a German Lobby Card showing the original diving scene from Alberto de Martinos "Dalle Ardenne all'Inferno" ("Dirty Heroes").
The German "From Hell to Victory" Lobby Card on the right shows a matching new scene which they sticked together with the old (stock) footage. 
See the whole story on www.movie-locations-spain.com!
German "Eagles over London" Lobby Card showing the great "Dünkirchen" Scene Director Enzo G.Castellari shot in La Manga del Mar Menor (Murcia/Spain). 
Umberto Lenzi just filmed a few new matching scenes and cut them together with nearly the entire "Dünkirchen" Sequence from "Eagles".
I couldn't find out if he shot the new scenes on location in La Manga or somewhere else.
I finally discovered this great "Eagles over London"/"From Hell to Victory" Location several years ago: Fuentiduena de Tajo.
George Hamilton on Location in Fuentiduena de Tajo, 1978 - Comparison photo 2008.
George Hamilton Comparison Photo 2008
Fuentiduena de Tajo - Bridge over the Rio Tajo
Horst Buchholz with Anne Duperey on an French (left) and German Lobby Card (right).

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