This movie is much better when seen in its original widescreen format. Italys surrender offers a chance of escape when the camp is being moved to germany. They could just see, they said, its vivid story of a prisoner. In the original ending which appears in the source novel, ryan is not killed as with the films ending. Brown art director jack martin smith art director jerry goldsmith composer music score joseph landon screenwriter l. A thousand british and american pows learn to hate the american colonel who singlehandedly shapes them up.
The story is straight forward and simple and doesnt require much attention to follow. It inspired me to write my first novel, 2 years later as a christmas present for my sister, which was, sadly, historically rather inaccurate. Abused by a corrupt commandant adolfo celi, the men protest. In the original ending which appears in the source novel, ryan is not killed as with the films ending, he survives and with the other escaped pows, is able to get. Sinatra, notorious for only doing one or two takes per scene, turns in a fine performance. With frank sinatra, trevor howard, raffaella carra, brad dexter. When italy surrenders three days later, the germans capture the camp, and load everyone on a train to germany. On which railway line were the action scenes at the end of the movie shot. Westheimer captures the gritty oblivion of pow life, while the suspense builds as the. Abbott special effects mark robson director, executive producer raphael bretton set designer saul david producer walter rossi soundsound. Its definitely a slowstarter, taking its sweet time for the action to build up. While the majority of the prisoners at the camp are british, a strongminded, quickwitted american air force colonel takes charge and leads the escape, which requires that the prisoners to sneak onto a german train bound for switzerland. Sometimes the participants seem to forget just who was the enemy. Italys defeat may be imminent, but that causes only confusion for the british and american inmates.
The story of an escape from a pow train, it was a bookofthemonth club selection before being. Italys defeat may be imminent, but that causes only confusion for the british and. It stars frank sinatra and trevor howard, and is based on the novel by david westheimer. An american pow leads a group of mainly british prisoners to escape from the germans in wwii. Both are of similar in premise even though vre is totally fictional. The great escape 1963, the guns of navarone 1961, where eagles dare 1968, kellys heroes 1970, the inglorious bastards 1978.
Colonel joseph ryan, a p38 pilot and group commander, managed to escape with 900 fellow officers from a nazi pow camp in italy. The screenplay concerns a group of allied prisoners of war who conduct a daring escape by hijacking a freight train and fleeing through germanoccupied italy to switzerland. The main character, ryan, can be hard to root for at times, but in the end he has the. Westheimer captures the gritty oblivion of pow life, while the suspense builds as the prisoners try to plot their escape. While the majority of the prisoners at the camp are british, a strongminded, quickwitted. A squadron of allied soldiers trying to escape a prison camp train in italy. The houstonborn writer had served with distinction in world war ii as a b24 navigator distinguished flying cross.
The movie has some action, but frank sinatra plays the senior officer in. Movies, tv, celebs, and more is this movie based on a book. While most of the prisoners are british, a resourceful american air force colonel frank sinatra takes charge and leads the escape, which requires that the prisoners get control of a prisoner of war train and. Financially, it became one of sinatras most successful films. The character has the same name in both the book and the movie. While the basic story line is the same in the book and the movie, i found the changes in the screenplay to have made the principal characters more interesting, more human and more appealing i came to. While most of the prisoners at the camp are british, a determined, resourceful american air force colonel frank sinatra takes charge and leads the escape, which requires that the prisoners wrest control of a german train and propel it through. It was ably directed by mark robson the bridges at tokori. Ryan frank sinatra is locked up with british prisoners, after his army air corp plane crashes in a nearby town.
It is now the february book ofthemonthclub selection. His most memorable if you were a teenage boy when the movie came out in 1965. While most of the prisoners at the camp are british, a determined, resourceful american air force colonel frank sinatra takes charge and leads the escape, which requires that the prisoners wrest control of a german train and propel. The cinematography has held up well, particularly during the climax eric referred to in the italian alps. He hated doing more than a couple of takes because he felt it caused the freshness of the scene becoming stale. Frank sinatra mandated that this movies ending be changed, and subsequently this destroyed any possibility of a sequel that the 20th century fox studio was considering. The author of the book, david westheimer, was a navigator on a b24 that. The oscarnominated special effects range from some good miniature trains almost the entire nighttime firebombing scene to some dynamic but weakly superimposed. I cannot give away the ending there is also a sequel con ryans return by same author. It doesnt matter if you catch it in the beginning or in the middle.
The novel was adapted for the screen by hollywood screenwriters wendell mayes and joseph landon. Taken from the book released two years prior, the film is set in an italian prisoner of war camp, where col. Frank sinatra mandated that this movies ending be changed and subsequently this destroyed any possibility of a sequel that the 20th century fox studio was considering. The book ending is also different than in the movie in that ryan survives. According to this logic in the film version he is clearly pretending to be dead.
During ww ii colonel joe ryan crashes in italy and is interned at pow concentration camp 202. Air force colonel frank sinatra and british major trevor howard seize nazi prison train. The wrecked lightning appears to be a prop although the shape looks good for a p38, the markings are an inaccuate mix of prewar tail stripes and post 1947 usaf insignia on the wings. The author of the book, david westheimer, was a navigator on a b24 that was shot down over italy in wwii and he was a pow in stalag luft iii. Based on the novel by david westheimer, the film changes several aspects of the novel, most.
Protagonist, ciji lik tumaci frank sinatra je pukovnik joseph l. Tell, editing and paid gigs are all in ryan s mail sack. As sao senior american officer, he quickly puts a stop to disorder, and becomes the most hated man in the camp. Ryan s damaged p38 flies over an italian city, as portrayed by a real p38 or a reasonably accurate model. To refer to this film as exhilarating is, i admit, the mildest bit misleading. Based on the novel by david westheimer, the film changes several aspects of the novel, most notably the ending, which is considerably more upbeat in the book. A thousand british and american pows learn to hate the american. Frank sinatra mandated that this movies ending be changed, and subsequently this. Ryan, oficir americkog vojnog zrakoplovstva koji je tokom drugog svjetskog rata oboren iznad italije te je zavrsio u zarobljenickom logoru. Predstavlja adaptaciju istoimenog romana davida westheimera. The nazis are never far behind, and the pursuit culminates in a thrilling showdown near a treacherous mountain pass exciting stuff all the way, with a downbeat ending that makes the film even more effective. It is a star vehicle for frank sinatra and he gives one of his most memorable performances.