Theo Robertson British officer Major Richard Mace recruits a bunch of convicted criminals in to a carrying out a secret mission that involves rescuing an Italian General being held hostage by the Nazis in Yugoslavia . If they succeed they'll be granted a pardon . If they fail they won't have to worry about living long enough to be sent back to jail because this is a literal suicide mission The above premise is very similar to THE DIRTY DOZEN a fact reflected that everyone on this page has brought up the 1967 film directed by Robert Aldrich . Of course there's only so many ways you can deal a pack of cards so sooner or later premises are going to meet one another and the 1960s were full of movies where desperate men were conscripted in to carrying out suicide missions behind enemy lines . THE SECRET INVASION probably didn't have much or any influence over THE DIRTY DOZEN and perhaps this 1964 movie owes more to the 1961 big budget release THE GUNS OF NAVERONE ? Where THE DIRTY DOZEN succeeds is that the group of soldiers turned criminals turned back in to soldiers again are far more convincing than the ones seen here . You want a demolition expert then who better than Mickey Rooney who shockingly was only 44 when this movie was released but looks like a man at least 20 years older . You do get the impression that his character would have a problem running up a flight of stairs never mind taking part in a physically draining mission against the Nazis THE SECRET INVASION is directed by Roger Corman and that alone tells you what the production values are going to be like . The action scenes aren't handled well with three or four actors squeezed in to frame as bullets whizz past explosions take place out of shot that fails to convince the audience that an epic battle scene is taking place . That said the resolution to the mission is somewhat surprising and unexpected which means if the film had a bigger budget then it might have been held in higher regard than it actually is

bkoganbing Roger Corman got his largest budget to date and distribution through United Artists for The Secret Invasion. Even though the story is a combination of The Dirty Dozen and The Guns Of Navarone, it's all delivered in nice style.Heading the mission is Major Stewart Granger and the time is during those days just before the Allies invaded Italy proper having already landed and occupied Sicily. He gets himself a choice team of criminals of varying kind all with certain specialties. His team includes Raf Vallone, Edd Byrnes, William Campbell, Mickey Rooney, and Henry Silva. With Granger that makes it a half a dozen.These six are to go into occupied Yugoslavia and kidnap a popular Italian general. Remember at this point in time Mussolini had already been overthrown and the Allies were conducting negotiations with Field Marshal Badoglio to take Italy out of the Axis orbit. Command broke down in the Italian Army and Badoglio dragged his feet somewhat. So this was a move in Yugoslavia where the Italians had considerable troops. Things didn't quite work out for Granger and the rest of his half dozen no more than they did for the Allies and Badoglio. Still the mission is completed kind of and a few actually survive to tell the tale.Best in the cast is Mickey Rooney who adopts a nice Irish brogue as he plays an IRA man who's good with explosives. Like the rest he's fighting for a pardon if he gets back from Yugoslavia. He looks like he's having a great old time in the part. Given his last name you'd think the Mick would have played more Irish types in films. But remember he was born Joe Yule, Jr. quite Jewish.The Secret Invasion will not be one of Roger Corman's cult classics, it had too big a budget for that. Still it's an enjoyable film, war film fans will like it.

sol ***SPOILERS*** Combination "Mission Impossible" & "Dirty Dozen" action movie with some half dozen misfits whipped into shape by their equally misfit commander British Major Richard Mace played by the very suntanned, who must have got his gorgeously striking tan sunbathing in the Sahara Desert, and refined looking Steward Granger. Mace is a man with a shoddy past that involved his kid brother getting killed in a screw up mission he sent him on against the Germans back in 1942.With the planned invasion of Italy just days away Mace and his gang of just released convicts are to hit the Germans in the rear in far off Yugoslavia! That's to divert the German dreaded panzer divisions from coming to the aid of the hard pressed German troops in Southern Italy where the main allied invasion is to take place. The real purpose of the "secret invasion" is to rescue Italian General Quadri, Enzo Fiermonte, who's being held captive by the Germans. The plan is to have the very popular Italian general rally his troops to join up with the Yugoslav partisans to fight against the German Army!laughable war movie until the German Army depicted at first as a German version of the Keyston Kops gets down to business and starts kicking butt on Maj. Mace and is boys who includes a leprechaun looking Mickey Rooney as IRA demolition expert Terances Scanlon. Rooney has so much trouble imitating an Irish brogue until late in the film when he ends up dropping it altogether. That's before he takes out, together with himself, a German Army pillbox that just about wiped out all the members of Maj. Mace's secret invasion force!There's also secret invasion force members Edd "Cookie" Byrnes as the master forger Simon Fell who from his acting as a master forger I doubt that he could forge is own signature much less top secret German documents. We also have the Tony Curtis looking William Campball as disguise artist Jane Saval and dead eye assassin John Dorrell, Henry Silva, with the always smiling Italian ex-convict and now super patriot Reborto Rocca, Raf Vallone, to round out the members of the secret invasion force.Boring to the point of putting its audience to sleep the film really start to move in the last twenty or so minutes of its running time. It's then when Maj. Mace's secret invasion force goes into action together with some 1,000 Yugoslav partisans who end up giving the Germans all the hell that they can handle. ***SPOILER ALERT*** Were treated to a big surprise at the end of the movie in just who this hero of the people, the Italian people, General Quadri really is? And as it turns out he isn't who we and Maj. Mace and his men thought he was! That sets us up for an even bigger surprise, if we didn't have enough surprises in the movie already, in that the only survivor, besides Roberto Rocca, contract killer John Dorrell, of the secret invasion force pulls an ace from up his sleeve, or under his clothes! The very alert and forward looking Dorrell, in expecting the unexpected, gets General Quadri's loyal troops, who would gladly give up their lives for him, to rally against the Germans, at the time their allies, by offing him and then giving them a fascist salute after doing it!

drystyx This is Corman's second best film. His masterpiece is "I Hate Your Guts". This one stands out second best among his other films, which are among the worst ever made. The theme is the same as the Dirty Dozen, with some better writing, and probably better acting. There are some big names in here. The characters are probably not as well drawn as in the Dirty Dozen, but the plot and the turns are better. This group goes through a lot. Henry Silva stands out in this crowd. There is a very goofy character played by Raf Vallone that really makes no sense, and for some reason he plays a large role. It would have been better if Granger had a bigger part. His part is largely understated. It has good action and some character twists, and good plot writing that even Corman can't mess up. I may be generous rating this a 7. It could rate anywhere from 4-7, but it's a fun flick to watch, so I give it the benefit of the doubt.