The Hornets’ Nest, released in 1970, is an action-packed drama movie. The movie involves a story where a U.S. paratrooper who survived a failed sabotage mission in 1944 gets saved by a group of Italian orphans and these orphans also help him destroy an important enemy dam. Famous directors like Phil Karlson and Franco Cirino directed the film and stars like Rock Hudson, Sylva Koscina, and Sergio Fantoni played crucial roles in it. This article provides further details about where this movie was filmed and some surprising facts and trivia about the Hornets’ Nest.
Where it Filmed?
The shooting of the “Hornets’ Nest” took place in Gazzola, located in the Province of Piacenza, in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy. The film shooting began on June 9 in 1969. The natural and architectural beauty of Gazzola served as a perfect backdrop for the dramatic and intense scenes of the movie.
Cast Details
| Cast Name | Role |
|---|---|
| Rock Hudson | Turner |
| Sylva Koscina | Bianca |
| Sergio Fantoni | Von Hecht |
| Jacques Sernas | Maj. Taussig |
| Mark Colleano | Aldo |
| Mauro Gravina | Carlo |
| John Fordyce | Dino |
| Giuseppe Cassuto | Franco |
| Amedeo Castracane | Tonio |
| Giancarlo Colombaioni | Romeo |
| Ronald Colombaioni | Mikko |
| Valerio Colombaioni | Arturo |
| Giuseppe Coppola | Rico |
| Luigi Criscuolo | Paolo |
| Gaetano Danaro | Umberto |
| Vincenzo Danaro | Silvio |
| Daniel Dempsey | Giorgio |
| Anna-Luisa Giacinti | Maria |
| Daniel Keller | Tekko |
| Mauro Orsi | Luigi |
| Maurizio-Fabrizio Tempio | Mario |
| Jean Valmont | Scarpi |
| Andrea Bosic | Gen. Von Kleber |
| Mino Doro | Italian Doctor |
| Jacques Stany | Ehrlich |
| Hardy Stuart | Gunther |
| Max Turilli | Col. Weede |
| Alain Chammas | 1st Sentry |
| Amos Davoli | 2st Sentry |
| Larry Dolgin | Pilot |
| William Conroy | German Soldier (uncredited) |
Trivia and Facts
- In original English prints, Phil Karlson is given the sole credit for directing the film. However, in Italian prints, the credit for direction is shared between Karlson and Franco Cirino. Cirino primarily worked as a second-unit director with American directors involved in films filmed in Italy and the Mediterranean. He also acted in them from time to time.
- In spite of the story being set in 1944, the hairstyles seen in the movie are distinctively from the 1970 era. This includes Hudson’s fashionably long and unmilitary hair, completed with 1970 sideburns and a handlebar moustache. Koscina’s voluminous hair was another signature trademark of the 1970s.
- Tarantino’s famous movie Django Unchained released in 2012 makes a reference to The Hornets’ Nest.
- In one of the scenes, the character Von Hecht sarcastically comments on being shot in the arm by a child named Aldo, “Just what I need. A shoe shine. Congratulations. You’ve just captured a whole live German.” This witty dialogue adds some comic relief to the intense plot of the movie.
Geo Location Details
- Location Name: Gazzola, Provincia di Piacenza, Emilia-Romagna, Italy
- Latitude: 44.9587322
- Longitude: 9.5477324
- Place ID: ChIJzZIT4ZbGgEcR_LJ-Ya3PWBc
- Map Link: Google Map
- Place Address: 29010 Gazzola, Province of Piacenza, Italy
- Timezone: Europe/Rome
