The guns of Navarone are huge Nazi cannons, installed on an Aegean island behind enemy lines.
Anthony Quayle is the officer assigned by the British to lead a task force to put the guns out of commission. When Quayle is injured, the mission winds up in the relatively inexperienced hands of
Gregory Peck. There's little love lost between Peck, explosives expert
David Niven and Greek patriot
Anthony Quinn, especially when it becomes known that there's a traitor in their midst. Resistance leader
Irene Papas weeds out the traitor, but there's still those guns to take care of. Filmed on location in Rhodes and distinguished by Oscar-winning special effects,
Guns of Navarone (based on
Alistair MacLean's best-seller was a major box-office hit of 1961; less successful was the pared-down 1977 sequel, Force Ten From Navarone. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide