Kelly’s Heroes: Celebrating its 50th Anniversary – The 2012 Cinema Retro Special

The Kelly's Heroes Special was published by Cinema Retro Magazine in June 2012. Following on from their 'Movie Classics Special Edition' that paid tribute to director Brian G. Hutton's Where Eagles Dare), the team came together again for his other big picture collaboration with Clint Eastwood - Kelly's Heroes.

As before, it was another 80-page blockbuster filled with amazing stories and ultra -rare photographs, many of which had never been seen before. Cinema retro had the full cooperation of the director Brian G. Hutton, who shared and spoke candidly about the trials and tribulations of making this WWII action-comedy on location in Yugoslavia. It also turned out to be the last interview that Hutton gave before his death in August 2014. 

Some of the collated stories have to be read to be believed! Additionally, Cinema Retro secured exclusive interviews with John Landis, actor Stuart Margolin (Little Joe), and Eastwood's regular key grip, Dennis Fraser. The issue was packed with sidebar information on the filming, the locations, the music, the actors, the world-wide poster campaigns and an incredible wealth of collectables. 

The team also unearthed rare vintage interviews with Clint Eastwood, Telly Savalas, Don Rickles and Donald Sutherland, all of which were recorded on location back in 1969 and never published before. All of this, plus many photographs taken on the set by cast and crew.

Director, John Landis played an integral part of the publication. Landis who began his career working as an assistant to director Brian G. Hutton on the movie, provided a collection of ultra-rare photos from his personal archive as well as original call sheets from the movie. 

Landis was incredibly impressed with the finished product, claiming that ‘it looks fantastic and extremely thorough. I really have never seen anything like it’

Landis was spot on with his praise and the publication turned out to be incredibly successful and sold out in rapid time. Today, the magazine has become highly collectable and often demands high prices on the auction circuit It was a long overdue project that certainly proved to be in demand, not just by Eastwood fans, but with film fans in general – a reflection that the film was still as popular today as it was 50 years ago.

Cinema Retro’s publications can be found HERE