Hell River

{{about|the film|the mythological river|Styx}} {{Infobox film | name = Hell River | director = Stole Jankovic | producer = Ika Panajotovic | writer = Stole Jankovic | starring = Rod Taylor<br>Adam West<br>Xenia Gratsos<br>Bata Živojinović | music = | cinematography = | editing = | distributor = | released = {{Film date|1974}} | runtime = | country = Yugoslavia | language = English | budget = $2 million<ref name="rod"/> }} '''''Hell River''''', also known as '''''Partisans''''' ({{lang-sh-Latn-Cyrl|Partizani|separator=" / "|Партизани}}) and '''''The Last Guerilla''''', is a 1974 Yugoslav partisan film starring Rod Taylor as a Yugoslav raised in America who returns home to fight the Germans as a Partisan in World War II. Adam West plays a German officer.

The film was shot on location in Yugoslavia, and claims to be based on a true story. There are several versions, including an original three-hour cut made for Yugoslavian television, and a feature-length version for the American market. Rod Taylor was involved in rewriting and shooting some additional scenes during post production.<ref name="rod">Stephen Vagg, ''Rod Taylor: An Aussie in Hollywood'', Bear Manor Media 2010 p 179-183.</ref>

==Cast== *Rod Taylor as Marko *Adam West as Capt. Kurt Kohler *Brioni Farrell as Anna Kleitz *Bata Živojinović as Brka *Peter Carsten as Col. Henke *Olivera Katarina as Mila *Branko Pleša as Brig. Gen. Steiger *Marinko Šebez as Sele *Janez Vrhovec as Col. Hoffmann *Dragomir Felba as Chicha *Gizela Vuković as Woman Mayor *Cane Firaunović as Lt. Schuler *Jovan Janićijević as Machek *Dragomir Čumić as Partisan (uncredited) *Dragomir Stanojevic as German (uncredited) *Zoran Stojiljković as German Officer (uncredited) *Predrag Milinković as Jewish Refugee (uncredited)

==Notes== The producer, Ika Panajotovic, was a lawyer and former tennis player who represented Yugoslavia in the Davis Cup and reached the semi-finals at Wimbledon.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/latimes/obituary.aspx?n=ilija-panajotovic-ika&pid=68716|title=Ilija "Ika" Panajotovic's Obituary on Los Angeles Times|website=Los Angeles Times}}</ref>

Footage from ''Hell River'' was used in ''Once Upon a Time in Hollywood'', reedited to feature Leonardo DiCaprio.

==References== {{reflist}}

==External links== *{{IMDb title|id=0071973}} *{{IMDb title|id=0248651}} *[http://rodtaylorsite.com/partizani.shtml ''Hell River''] at the Rod Taylor Site

Category:Yugoslav war films Category:English-language Yugoslav films Category:Partisan films Category:1974 films Category:Macaroni Combat films Category:World War II films based on actual events Category:1974 English-language films Category:1974 Italian films