History Trivia / TheLongestDay

* ActorSharedBackground: UsefulNotes/WorldWarII ended less than 20 years before this movie came out, a number of cast members were actual veterans.

* AllStarCast: Some posters of the film listed up to ''43'' international stars, which was quite unheard of in a movie at the time.

* AllStarCast:

** For the Germans: Creator/CurdJurgens, Werner Hinz, Creator/HansChristianBlech and Creator/GertFrobe.
** For the French: Creator/{{Bourvil}}, Jean-Louis Barrault.

** For the Americans and Canadians: Creator/JohnWayne, Creator/RobertMitchum, Mel Ferrer, Creator/HenryFonda, Creator/RobertRyan, George Segal, Rod Steiger, Paul Anka, Red Buttons, Creator/RoddyMcDowall, Robert Wagner (pre-fame), Jeffrey Hunter, Alexander Knox, Sal Mineo.
** For the British: Creator/RichardBurton, Leo Genn, Creator/SeanConnery [[note]]retroactively a star, those were his pre-James Bond days, and the role was pretty small[[/note]], Richard Todd [[note]]actually playing the Captain he served under on D-Day[[/note]].

** For the Americans and Canadians: Creator/JohnWayne, Creator/RobertMitchum, Mel Ferrer, Creator/HenryFonda, Creator/RobertRyan, George Segal, Rod Steiger Paul Anka, Red Buttons, Creator/RoddyMcDowall, Robert Wagner (pre-fame), Jeffrey Hunter, Alexander Knox, Sal Mineo.

** For the Germans: Creator/CurdJurgens, Werner Hinz, Creator/HansChristianBlech and Creator/GertFrobe.

* AllStarCast: Paul Anka, Creator/RichardBurton, Red Buttons, Creator/SeanConnery [[note]]retroactively a star, those were his pre-James Bond days, and the role was pretty small[[/note]], Mel Ferrer, Creator/HenryFonda, Leo Genn, Jeffrey Hunter, Alexander Knox, Creator/RoddyMcDowall, Sal Mineo, Creator/RobertMitchum, Creator/RobertRyan, George Segal, Rod Steiger, Richard Todd (actually playing the Captain he served under on D-Day), Robert Wagner (again, pre-fame) and Creator/JohnWayne, in addition to a number of French and German actors who were already household names in their own countries such as Creator/{{Bourvil}}, Creator/CurdJurgens, Creator/HansChristianBlech and Creator/GertFrobe.

* AllStarCast: Paul Anka, Creator/RichardBurton, Red Buttons, Creator/SeanConnery (pre-Bond, and a very small role), Mel Ferrer, Creator/HenryFonda, Leo Genn, Jeffrey Hunter, Alexander Knox, Creator/RoddyMcDowall, Sal Mineo, Creator/RobertMitchum, Creator/RobertRyan, George Segal, Rod Steiger, Richard Todd (actually playing the Captain he served under on D-Day), Robert Wagner (again, pre-fame) and Creator/JohnWayne, in addition to a number of French and German actors who were already household names in their own countries such as Creator/{{Bourvil}}, Creator/CurdJurgens, Creator/HansChristianBlech and Creator/GertFrobe.

* AllStarCast: Paul Anka, Creator/RichardBurton, Red Buttons, Creator/SeanConnery (pre-Bond, and a very small role), Mel Ferrer, Creator/HenryFonda, Leo Genn, Jeffrey Hunter, Alexander Knox, Creator/RoddyMcDowall, Sal Mineo, Creator/RobertMitchum, Creator/RobertRyan, George Segal, Rod Steiger, Richard Todd (actually playing the Captain he served under on D-Day), Robert Wagner (again, pre-fame) and Creator/JohnWayne, in addition to a number of French and German/Austrian actors who were already household names in their own countries such as Creator/{{Bourvil}}, Creator/CurdJurgens and Creator/GertFrobe.

* AllStarCast: Paul Anka, Creator/RichardBurton, Red Buttons, Creator/SeanConnery (pre-Bond, and a very small role), Mel Ferrer, Creator/HenryFonda, Leo Genn, Jeffrey Hunter, Alexander Knox, Creator/RoddyMcDowall, Sal Mineo, Creator/RobertMitchum, Creator/RobertRyan, George Segal, Rod Steiger, Richard Todd (actually playing the Captain he served under on D-Day), Robert Wagner (again, pre-fame) and Creator/JohnWayne, in addition to a number of French and German/Austrian actors who were already household names in their own countries such as Creator/{{Bourvil}} and Creator/CurdJurgens.

** Creator/HansChristianBlech (Werner Pluskat) was a German Eastern front veteran.

* IronyAsSheIsCast: Curt Jürgens played General Blumentritt. In real life, Jürgens had been imprisoned by the Nazis.

* ActorSharedBackground: UsefulNotes/WorldWarII ended less than 20 years before this movie came out, many cast members were actual veterans.

* AllStarCast: Paul Anka, Creator/RichardBurton, Red Buttons, Creator/SeanConnery (pre-Bond, and a very small role), Mel Ferrer, Creator/HenryFonda, Leo Genn, Jeffrey Hunter, Alexander Knox, Creator/RoddyMcDowall, Sal Mineo, Creator/RobertMitchum, Creator/RobertRyan, George Segal, Rod Steiger, Richard Todd (actually playing the Captain he served under on D-Day), Robert Wagner (again, pre-fame) and Creator/JohnWayne, in addition to a number of French and German/Austrian actors who were already household names in their own countries such as Creator/{{Bourvil}} and Creator/CurdJurgens.
* BackedByThePentagon: About 23.000(!) real US, British and French soldiers were used as extras in the movie. They also rented two Messerschmitts from the Spanish air force and four Spitfires from the Belgian air force.
* CastTheExpert: UsefulNotes/WorldWarII ended less than 20 years before this movie came out, many cast members were actual veterans.

* CastTheExpert:

* AllStarCast: Paul Anka, Creator/RichardBurton, Red Buttons, Creator/SeanConnery (pre-Bond, and a very small role), Mel Ferrer, Creator/HenryFonda, Leo Genn, Jeffrey Hunter, Alexander Knox, Creator/RoddyMcDowall, Sal Mineo, Creator/RobertMitchum, Creator/RobertRyan, George Segal, Rod Steiger, Richard Todd (actually playing the Captain he served under on D-Day), Robert Wagner (again, pre-fame) and Creator/JohnWayne, in addition to a number of French and German/Austrian actors who were already household names in their own countries.

* MoneyDearBoy: This was one of several high-profile projects which Creator/JohnWayne took in the wake of the extremely expensive ''Film/TheAlamo''. He had used his own funds to help finance the project, and he was in desperate need of a quick payday.

* AllStarCast: Paul Anka, Creator/RichardBurton, Red Buttons, Creator/SeanConnery (pre-Bond, and a very small role), Mel Ferrer, Creator/HenryFonda, Leo Genn, Jeffrey Hunter, Alexander Knox, Creator/RoddyMcDowall, Sal Mineo, Creator/RobertMitchum, Robert Ryan, George Segal, Rod Steiger, Richard Todd (actually playing the Captain he served under on D-Day), Robert Wagner (again, pre-fame) and Creator/JohnWayne, in addition to a number of French and German/Austrian actors who were already household names in their own countries.

* AllStarCast: If you were an A-List male actor in Hollywood in 1962, you have at least a bit part in this film. Plus a couple well-known British, French and German actors. Some like Creator/SeanConnery [[RetroactiveRecognition had not yet hit mainstream attention]], and some others are almost unnoticeable such as Creator/ClintEastwood, who plays a US ranger.
* ArtisticLicenseHistory:
** Engineers are seen removing explosives from the Orne Bridge. In reality they hadn't been placed in their slots when the gliders landed. Zanuck chose to ignore Howard's telling him this for the sake of drama.
** Averted when a scene where German soldiers are seen running out of the café near that bridge wasn't shot, as one of the owners insisted vehemently she had never allowed Germans to sleep there.
** The casino of Ouistreham was blown up by the Germans in 1943 and a bunker was built in its place. [[http://www.histoirenormande.fr/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/casino.jpg The movie's casino]] is still intact with the ground floor turned into a bunker. And it didn't look like [[http://www.ouistreham.mobi/ressources/images/diaporama/1944/casino/1fr.jpg the real casino]] to begin with.
* AsHimself:
** Almost. Actor Richard Todd plays John Howard, the Major whose unit secures Pegasus Bridge. One of the relief units coming to their aid was led by Captain Richard Todd, played by another actor in the movie! There is a picture of Richard Todd, as John Howard, posing next to the other actor, as Richard Todd.
** Another almost with former President UsefulNotes/DwightDEisenhower. Eisenhower actually would have played himself except he looked too old for his younger self from two decades before so the idea was scrapped.
** Played straight with Joseph Lowe, one of the cliff climbers at Utah Beach who reprised his efforts for the movie.

* DawsonCasting Creator/JohnWayne as Lieutenant Colonel Benjamin Vandervoort. The real Benjamin Vandervoort was 12 years younger than Wayne, and on D-Day he had been just 27, while Wayne was '''54''' when the movie was filmed.

* DirectorDisplacement: Given ''five'' people did the thing simultaneously, doesn't surprise producer Darryl F. Zanuck gets more focus than all of them.

* RealLifeWritesThePlot:
** Creator/RichardBurton and Roddy [=McDowall=] asked for small roles to spare the boredom after ''Film/{{Cleopatra}}'' was delayed... AGAIN.
** Creator/SeanConnery, on the other hand, also has a small role because he was eager to get off to Jamaica and begin filming ''Film/DrNo''.
* RetroactiveRecognition: Before he became famous, Creator/{{Loriot}} got cast by Bernhard Wicki in an uncredited bit-part as a junior Wehrmacht staff officer.

** Creator/JohnWayne's role was originally offered to Creator/CharltonHeston.

** Also played straight by Bill Millin, the bagpiper with Lord Lovat's commandos.

* ArtisticLicenseHistory: Engineers are seen removing explosives from the Orne Bridge. In reality they hadn't been placed in their slots when the gliders landed. Zanuck chose to ignore Howard's telling him this for the sake of drama.

* ScrewedByTheNetwork: Averted - Fox was planning on just doing a quick wide release to earn some cash they needed to offset their losses from ''Film/{{Cleopatra}}''. Darryl Zanuck threatened to bring''The Longest Day'' to Warner Bros. if they didn't do a proper roadshow release, and Fox had to comply. (it still was the box office hit the studio needed)

** The part of the British padre was first offered to Creator/DirkBogarde, who turned it down.

* AllStarCast: If you were an A-List male actor in Hollywood in 1962, you have at least a bit part in this film. Plus a couple well-known British, French and German actors. Some like Creator/SeanConnery [[RetroactiveRecognition had not yet hit mainstream attention]], and some others are barely noticeable such as Creator/ClintEastwood, who plays a US ranger.

* AllStarCast: If you were an A-List male actor in Hollywood in 1962, you have at least a bit part in this film. Plus a couple well-known British, French and German actors. Some like Creator/SeanConnery [[RetroactiveRecognition had not yet hit mainstream attention]], and some others are barely noticeable (such as Creator/ClintEastwood, who plays a US ranger).

* AllStarCast: If you were an A-List male actor in Hollywood in 1962, you have at least a bit part in this film. Plus a couple well-known British, French and German actors.

* TheDanza: Sort of. Gen. James Gavin, played by Robert Ryan, was actually born James Ryan, but put up for adoption at age two, and adopted by Martin and Mary Gavin at age seven.
* DawsonCasting: Creator/JohnWayne as Lieutenant Colonel Benjamin Vandervoort. The real Benjamin Vandervoort was 12 years younger than Wayne, and on D-Day he had been just 27, while Wayne was '''54''' when the movie was filmed.

* TheDanza: Sort of.
Gen. James Gavin, played by Robert Ryan, was actually born James Ryan, but put up for adoption at age two, and adopted by Martin and Mary Gavin at age seven.