who also had a role in the film. Case had also acted as an adviser to The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit the same year. Jan Merlin recalled that he was originally supposed to play Private Mason because of his reputation for playing villains. As his character was to continually carry the blinded lieutenant who was to have been played by the much taller Tom Tryon, the men agreed to switch their roles. See also List of American films of 1956 List of World War II films 502nd Parachute Infantry Regiment The Longest Day (film) References External links 1956 films American black-and-white films Operation Overlord films American war drama films Allied Artists films Films directed by Charles F. Haas Films produced by Samuel Bischoff Films scored by Harry Sukman Films set in the 1940s Films set in France Films set in England Skydiving in fiction 1950s English-language films 1950s American films 1950s war drama films