Directed by:
Mark RobsonCinematography:
William H. DanielsComposer:
Jerry GoldsmithCast:
Frank Sinatra, Trevor Howard, Raffaella Carrà, Brad Dexter, Sergio Fantoni, John Leyton, Edward Mulhare, Wolfgang Preiss, James Brolin, John Van Dreelen (more)VOD (1)
Plots(1)
When U.S. combat pilot Col. Joseph Ryan (Frank Sinatra) is captured by Nazis, he does what it takes to survive prison camp, including, by all appearances, befriend the enemy. Hence, his prison mates give Ryan the insulting nickname Von Ryan. But in time, Ryan takes over from the commanding British officer (Trevor Howard) and masterminds commandeering a train to Switzerland with the Nazis in hot pursuit. (official distributor synopsis)
(more)Reviews (2)
Straight up I declare - I had no idea that such a bon vivant as Frank Sinatra played in any war movie of Hollywood back then. In this movie, however, he portrays Colonel Joseph Ryan of the U.S. Air Force. Nevertheless, this is an absolutely fantastic war movie for its time, although it is reflective of its era. The viewer can expect a solid story, perfect atmosphere, but also, at times, pseudo-humorous scenes that make the movie a bit of a farce. Personally, I perceive it as something that doesn't quite fit into war movies, but at the time it was justified. However, the last half hour offers a grand finale. This is something no fan of war movies can afford to miss.
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The whole film is excellent, but in my eyes it's a classic of its genre mainly because of the fabulous alpine finale.
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