Once an Eagle is a fantastic novel... I have owned a copy since 1976 and read it several times. This mini-series is very poor by comparison.
This should have been 20 episodes to get the story right. There are lots of scenes in the mini series that never happened in the book, or happened far differently, such as when Damon and Massingale first met.
In the book, Massingale and his driver are lost. Sam's troops have just come out of a major battle after being held in close reserve, and under shell fire. They are all exhausted, filthy relaxing in the ruins of a building that has a well. Sam is there in the background.
Massingale approaches some of Sam's men and does not get shown the proper respect for an officer. He snaps and orders them to attention before starting to give them a dressing down about showing proper military discipline.
Sam is watching Massingale and evaluating what type of man he is. Then he intervenes and countermand's Massingale's orders.... telling his men to back to what they were doing.
Massingale is shocked by the state of Sam's uniform and the fact Sam is not wearing his insignia. He starts to lecture Sam about proper military discipline. Sam starts to get angry and calmly tells Massingale to get back in his disgusting Packard and leave.
The offended Massingale intends to report Sam's conduct and gets out a notebook to take down Sam's name and service number. Massingale does an immediate back flip once he learns who Sam is because at the time, Sam in one of the most decorated soldiers in the American forces after winning the highest award for bravery.
Massingale turns on the charm, claims responsibility for their confrontation, and makes light of being the monster from staff who has to drive around in a disgusting Packard being the bearer of bad news. Then he exits.
During the river crossing attack, Sam is hit by malaria and keeps leading the assault on the opposite bank. There is later a critical battle where Sam improvises an antitank gun to come to Ben's aid when Japanese tanks appear.
The deep bond between Sam and Ben is not really shown that well in the mini series. The relationship between Sam and Tommy is somewhat different..... she has an affair around the same time he does.
The final scene in the TV show is nothing like what happens in the book.
This mini series had such a great cast and could have been so much more if it had not been done on the cheap, stayed true to the book, and there were more episodes like the other war- rie mini series that were made around the same time.
It will be difficult to do a remake...... Sam Elliot and that calm deep drawl of his will be extremely difficult to recast.
My advice to people is take the time to read the novel...... it is one of the most captivating books I have read..... which is why I have owned a copy of it for nearly 50 years.
This should have been 20 episodes to get the story right. There are lots of scenes in the mini series that never happened in the book, or happened far differently, such as when Damon and Massingale first met.
In the book, Massingale and his driver are lost. Sam's troops have just come out of a major battle after being held in close reserve, and under shell fire. They are all exhausted, filthy relaxing in the ruins of a building that has a well. Sam is there in the background.
Massingale approaches some of Sam's men and does not get shown the proper respect for an officer. He snaps and orders them to attention before starting to give them a dressing down about showing proper military discipline.
Sam is watching Massingale and evaluating what type of man he is. Then he intervenes and countermand's Massingale's orders.... telling his men to back to what they were doing.
Massingale is shocked by the state of Sam's uniform and the fact Sam is not wearing his insignia. He starts to lecture Sam about proper military discipline. Sam starts to get angry and calmly tells Massingale to get back in his disgusting Packard and leave.
The offended Massingale intends to report Sam's conduct and gets out a notebook to take down Sam's name and service number. Massingale does an immediate back flip once he learns who Sam is because at the time, Sam in one of the most decorated soldiers in the American forces after winning the highest award for bravery.
Massingale turns on the charm, claims responsibility for their confrontation, and makes light of being the monster from staff who has to drive around in a disgusting Packard being the bearer of bad news. Then he exits.
During the river crossing attack, Sam is hit by malaria and keeps leading the assault on the opposite bank. There is later a critical battle where Sam improvises an antitank gun to come to Ben's aid when Japanese tanks appear.
The deep bond between Sam and Ben is not really shown that well in the mini series. The relationship between Sam and Tommy is somewhat different..... she has an affair around the same time he does.
The final scene in the TV show is nothing like what happens in the book.
This mini series had such a great cast and could have been so much more if it had not been done on the cheap, stayed true to the book, and there were more episodes like the other war- rie mini series that were made around the same time.
It will be difficult to do a remake...... Sam Elliot and that calm deep drawl of his will be extremely difficult to recast.
My advice to people is take the time to read the novel...... it is one of the most captivating books I have read..... which is why I have owned a copy of it for nearly 50 years.