The Wooden Horse (1950)True story of three British POWs and their attempt to escape from Nazi Germany. Director:Jack LeeWriter:Eric Williams (novel) |
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The Wooden Horse (1950)True story of three British POWs and their attempt to escape from Nazi Germany. Director:Jack LeeWriter:Eric Williams (novel) |
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| Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
| Leo Genn | ... |
Flt. Lt. Peter Howard
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| David Tomlinson | ... |
Phil Roe
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Anthony Steel | ... |
Capt. John Clinton
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| David Greene | ... |
Nick Bennett
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| Peter Burton | ... |
Nigel
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Patrick Waddington | ... |
Group Capt. Wardley (Senior British Officer)
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| Michael Goodliffe | ... |
Robbie
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| Anthony Dawson | ... |
Pomfret
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Bryan Forbes | ... |
Paul
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Dan Cunningham | ... |
David
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| Peter Finch | ... |
Australian in Hospital
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Philip Dale | ... |
Bill White
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Russell Waters | ... |
W /
C 'Wings' Cameron
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Ralph Ward | ... |
Adjutant
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Franz Schafheitlin | ... |
Camp Commandant
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In a POW camp, the Nazis have placed the huts far from the boundary so that any escape tunnel would have to be a long one. One British officer has the idea of starting a daily gynmastics routine using a vaulting horse: they can place it near the boundary and start a tunnel from under it. He and two others do escape the camp by this means and plan to make for neutral Sweden. To do that, they'll not only have to move around without arousing any suspicions, but also find a stranger from a neutral or occupied country who'll be willing and able to help them. Written by Anonymous
The Wooden Horse is a real life World War Two escape story. Stalag-Luft III is supposed to be escape proof but this is proved wrong by three incredible escapers. The film is divided into two parts. Firstly, the escape from the camp and then the series of adventures while travelling through Germany and occupied Danmark. The method of escape is ingenious; a tunnel built under a vaulting horse that ends under the camp perimeter wire. The escapers of course are all officers (after all this is a Brtish film) and the camp itself has an air of an English public (private) school. The Germans are baited as if they were form masters or prefects. The film follows Eric William's book The Wooden Horse quite closely. There is an omission though. In the book the two escapers played brilliantly by Leo Genn and Anthony Steele meet up with members of the Danish resistance at a secluded farmhouse. One Jewish member of the resistance tells the escapers about the deportation of Jews and how members of the resistance helped Jews get to Sweden. Another member of the resistance tells of The Schalberg Corps an organization of Danish Nazis who the resistance battle with. However, The Wooden Horse is a very good film and well worth seeing.