Group of Soldiers Hiding Out in an Old House?

[neonzombie]

Alrighty, here's what we got to go on. A group of soldiers hiding out in an abandoned house somewhere. They are kinda just hanging out and playing cards or whatever, but like waiting for an attack or something. I remember one of the guys being a burly bearded type though he may not have been one of them playing cards. i remember the house having two stories with an open staircase and balcony. Kinda like in a brothel or something. I then remember some action scenes of an attack on said house but shown from the outside. I distinctly remember watching it on our local FOX affiliate the first year FOX had become a station, so I guess that would have date the film from before at least 1987. All signs seem to point to an Italian war film or something, but I have had no luck in figuring it out. Of all the films I have asked about before this one has boggled my mind the most. Any ideas?

[javakoala]

Alrighty, here's what we got to go on. A group of soldiers hiding out in an abandoned house somewhere. They are kinda just hanging out and playing cards or whatever, but like waiting for an attack or something. I remember one of the guys being a burly bearded type though he may not have been one of them playing cards. i remember the house having two stories with an open staircase and balcony. Kinda like in a brothel or something. I then remember some action scenes of an attack on said house but shown from the outside. I distinctly remember watching it on our local FOX affiliate the first year FOX had become a station, so I guess that would have date the film from before at least 1987. All signs seem to point to an Italian war film or something, but I have had no luck in figuring it out. Of all the films I have asked about before this one has boggled my mind the most. Any ideas?

Sounds a bit like CASTLE KEEP: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0064137

It has that look of a dated foreign film, probably due to the film stock used. I clearly remember the stairwell with the balcony hallway at the top. The owner attempts to use some American troops to protect his castle and his art treasures from a looming Axis attack. 

[neonzombie]

Hmm... That just might be it! Gonna track down a copy and check it out. I may have merged Bruce Dern's beard onto Peter Falk's face. That sounds like something a seven year old version of myself might do. Some of the scenes from the trailer look vaguely familiar. Fingers crossed! Thanks!

[neonzombie]

Just checked Castle Keep out and that definitely is it! Pretty cool movie. Good call. Thanks a million!

[javakoala]

Glad my head full of trivia can help someone. Cheers!!   

[BoyScoutKevin]

I'm glad someone found it for you. Not myself, but the people who post here are experts on "What was that film?" The film Castle Keep, which I have never seen in its entirety, was based on the novel by the same title by William Eastlake, which, I must admit, I have never read. The film itself is almost 50 years old, dating back to 1969.