Operation Thunderbolt: Raid on Entebbe Poster Daybill Original 1977
Daybill Poster.Operation Thunderbolt: Raid on Entebbe is a 1977 NBC television film directed by Irvin Kershner. It enjoyed a theatrical release in countries outside of the USA. It is based on an actual event: Operation Entebbe and the freeing of hostages at Entebbe Airport in Entebbe, Uganda, on July 4, 1976. The portrayal of Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin was Peter Finch's final performance; he died five days after the film's release. Charles Bronson and James Woods also star. Raid on Entebbe focuses on the basic facts of the rescue of hostages held in Uganda. The film recounts the events and response of the Israeli government along with the controversy that the rescue stirred. A similar production on the Entebbe raid, Victory at Entebbe (Kirk Douglas) was rushed through production by ABC and broadcast one month earlier in December 1976. Raid on Entebbe was filmed entirely in the United States, with the Stockton Metropolitan Airport in Stockton, California, serving as both Entebbe Airport and an Israeli Air Force (IAF) base. Principal photography on Raid on Entebbe took place in November 1976, with the training for the raid that took place using a replica of the Entebbe Airport. The actual airport had been built by an Israeli construction company and their involvement led to an accurate mock up being built to test out tactics devised for the raid. It was well received by critics.
