Where Eagles Dare is a 1968 war adventure film directed by Brian G. Hutton, featuring Richard Burton, Clint Eastwood, and Mary Ure. Its screenplay and eponymous 1967 best-selling novel were written almost simultaneously by Alistair MacLean; this was his first screenplay; both the film and the novel are considered classics of their genres. History The driving force behind the film was Richard Burton's son, who wanted to see his father in a good, old-fashioned adventure war movie. Burton approached producer Elliott Kastner for ideas, who consulted with MacLean. At that time, most of MacLean's novels had either been made into films, or were in the process of being filmed, nevertheless, Kastner persuaded MacLean to write a new story; six weeks later, MacLean delivered the script of Where Eagles Dare.. The title derives from Act I, Scene III in William Shakespeare's Richard III: "The world