Stalag 17 (1953)

Director:

Billy Wilder

Writers:

Billy Wilder (written for the screen by) and
Edwin Blum (written for the screen by) ...
(more)

Release Date:

10 August 1953 (Brazil)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama | Thriller | War

Tagline:

Hilarious, heart-tugging! You'll laugh...you'll cry...you'll cheer William Holden in his great Academy Award role! (from reissue print ad)

Plot:

When two escaping American World War II prisoners are killed, the German POW camp barracks black marketeer, J.J. Sefton, is suspected of being an informer.

Plot Keywords:

Escape | Spy | Barracks | Guard | Christmas

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 1 win & 4 nominations

Cast

William Holden	...	Sgt. J.J. Sefton
Don Taylor	...	Lt. James Dunbar
Otto Preminger	...	Oberst von Scherbach
Robert Strauss	...	Sgt. Stanislaus 'Animal' Kuzawa
Harvey Lembeck	...	Sgt. Harry Shapiro
Richard Erdman	...	Sgt. 'Hoffy' Hoffman
Peter Graves	...	Sgt. Price
Neville Brand	...	Duke
Sig Ruman	...	Sgt. Johann Sebastian Schulz
Michael Moore	...	Sgt. Manfredi
Peter Baldwin	...	Sgt. Johnson
Robinson Stone	...	Joey
Robert Shawley	...	Sgt. 'Blondie' Peterson
William Pierson	...	Marko the Mailman
Gil Stratton	...	Sgt. Clarence Harvey 'Cookie' Cook (as Gil Stratton Jr.)
Jay Lawrence	...	Sgt. Bagradian
Erwin Kalser	...	Geneva Man
Edmund Trzcinski	...	'Triz' Trzcinski
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Marie Ardell	...	Russian Woman Prisoner (uncredited)
Irene Bacha	...	Russian Woman Prisoner (uncredited)
Ross Bagdasarian	...	Singing Prisoner of War (uncredited)
Rodric Beckham	...	Prisoner of War (uncredited)
Richard P. Beedle	...	Prisoner of War (uncredited)
Tina Blagoi	...	Russian Woman Prisoner (uncredited)
Mike Bush	...	Dancer (uncredited)
Don Cameron	...	Prisoner of War (uncredited)
Janice Carroll	...	Russian Woman Prisoner (uncredited)
Jarvis Caston	...	Prisoner of War (uncredited)
Tommy Cook	...	Prisoner of War (uncredited)
Beatrice Da Yarr	...	Russian Woman Prisoner (uncredited)
James Dabney Jr.	...	Prisoner of War (uncredited)
Zina Dennis	...	Russian Woman Prisoner (uncredited)
Yvette Eaton	...	Russian Woman Prisoner (uncredited)
Thomas B. Fleming	...	Prisoner of War (uncredited)
Carl Forcht	...	German Lieutenant (uncredited)
Ralph Gaston	...	Prisoner of War (uncredited)
Jerry Gerber	...	Prisoner of War (uncredited)
Lana Golubeff	...	Russian Woman Prisoner (uncredited)
Ross Gould	...	Von Scherbach's Orderly (uncredited)
Russell Grower	...	Prisoner of War (uncredited)
Alla Gursky	...	Russian Woman Prisoner (uncredited)
Willy Kaufman	...	German Barrack Sergeant (uncredited)
William LaChasse	...	Prisoner of War (uncredited)
Olga Lebedeff	...	Russian Woman Prisoner (uncredited)
Forrest Lederer	...	Prisoner of War (uncredited)
Peter Leeds	...	Barracks #1 Prisoner of War Getting Distillery (uncredited)
Wesley Ling	...	Prisoner of War (uncredited)
Harald Maresch	...	German Lieutenant (uncredited)
Svetlana McLe	...	Russian Woman Prisoner (uncredited)
Bill McLean	...	Prisoner of War (uncredited)
Constance C. Meyer	...	Russian Woman Prisoner (uncredited)
John Mitchum	...	Prisoner of War (uncredited)
Robin Morse	...	Prisoner of War (uncredited)
William Mulcahy	...	Prisoner of War (uncredited)
Joe Ploski	...	German Guard - Volleyball Player (uncredited)
Harry Reardon	...	Prisoner of War (uncredited)
Paul Salata	...	Bearded Prisoner (uncredited)
William Schramm	...	German Sentry (uncredited)
James R. Scott	...	Prisoner of War (uncredited)
Bill Sheehan	...	Prisoner of War (uncredited)
A. Gerald Singer	...	Steve - The Crutch (uncredited)
Mara Sondakoff	...	Russian Woman Prisoner (uncredited)
Warren Sortomme	...	Prisoner of War (uncredited)
Fred Spitz	...	German Barrack Sergeant (uncredited)
Robert R. Stephenson	...	German Barrack Sergeant (uncredited)
Audrey Strauss	...	Russian Woman Prisoner (uncredited)
Herbert Street	...	Prisoner of War (uncredited)
Anthony M. Taylor	...	Bit Part (uncredited)
Bob Templeton	...	Bearded Prisoner (uncredited)
Del Tenney	...	(uncredited)
Lyda Vashkulat	...	Russian Woman Prisoner (uncredited)
John Veitch	...	Prisoner of War (uncredited)
Steve Wayne	...	Prisoner of War (uncredited)
Alexander J. Wells	...	Bearded Prisoner (uncredited)
Max Willenz	...	German Lieutenant Supervisor (uncredited)
William Yetter Jr.	...	German Private (uncredited)

Directed by
Billy Wilder

Writing credits
Billy Wilder		(written for the screen by) and
Edwin Blum		(written for the screen by)
Donald Bevan		(based on the play by) and
Edmund Trzcinski		(based on the play by)

Produced by
William Schorr	....	associate producer
Billy Wilder	....	producer

Original Music by
Franz Waxman		(uncredited)

Cinematography by
Ernest Laszlo		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
George Tomasini

Casting by
Bill Greenwald		(casting) (uncredited)
Bert McKay		(unit casting director) (uncredited)

Art Direction by
Franz Bachelin
Hal Pereira

Set Decoration by
Sam Comer
Ray Moyer

Makeup Department
Wally Westmore	....	makeup supervisor
Harry Ray	....	makeup artist (uncredited)

Production Management
Hugh Brown	....	assistant production manager (uncredited)
Don Robb	....	unit production manager (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Frank Baur	....	assistant director (uncredited)
Charles C. Coleman	....	assistant director (uncredited)
Harvey Dwight	....	assistant director (uncredited)
Al Mann	....	assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Earl Olin	....	props (uncredited)
Tom Plews	....	props (uncredited)

Sound Department
Gene Garvin	....	sound recordist
Harold Lewis	....	sound recordist
John Camarda	....	sound recordist (uncredited)
Lyle Figland	....	boom operator (uncredited)
Charles Kelly	....	mike grip (uncredited)
August Van Koughnet	....	sound cable (uncredited)

Visual Effects by
Gordon Jennings	....	special photographic effects

Camera and Electrical Department
Neal Beckner	....	camera operator (uncredited)
Don English	....	stills (uncredited)
Thomas E. 'Pep' Lee	....	best boy (uncredited)
Walter McLeod	....	grip (uncredited)
Roy Roberts	....	gaffer (uncredited)
Harlow Stengel	....	assistant camera (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Allan Sloane	....	wardrobe (uncredited)

Editorial Department
Doane Harrison	....	editorial advisor
Robert Lawrence	....	assistant editor (uncredited)

Music Department
Franz Waxman	....	musical settings
Leonid Raab	....	orchestrator (uncredited)
Troy Sanders	....	music advisor (uncredited)

Other crew
Irving Cooper	....	script clerk (uncredited)
Harry Hogan	....	dialogue coach (uncredited)
Max Kolpé	....	technical advisor (uncredited)
Art Sarno	....	publicist (uncredited)
Edmund Trzcinski	....	technical advisor (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Paramount Pictures (as A Paramount Picture)

Distributors

• Paramount Pictures (1953) (USA) (theatrical) (as A Paramount Picture)
• Paramount Pictures (1959) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Paramount (1960) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• National Broadcasting Company (NBC) (1965) (USA) (TV) (original airing)
• Paramount Home Video (????) (USA) (VHS)
• CIC Vídeo (????) (Brazil) (VHS)
• Paramount Home Video (1995) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Paramount Home Video (1999) (USA) (DVD)
• Paramount Home Video (????) (USA) (DVD)
• Paramount Filmes do Brasil (????) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Paramount Home Entertainment (2003) (Germany) (DVD)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

120 min | Germany:116 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | German | Russian

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Certification:

Finland:K-16 | Norway:12 | UK:PG (video rating) (1988) (2002) | USA:Approved (PCA #15866) | Sweden:15 | West Germany:16 (f) | Australia:G | South Korea:12 (2004) | USA:TV-PG (TV rating) | Germany:16 (DVD rating) | UK:A (original rating) | UK:PG (tv rating) | USA:Not Rated

Filming Locations:

John Show Ranch, Woodland Hills, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Paramount Pictures

Trivia:

According to the Virgin Film Guide, this film provided the template and inspiration for the television sitcom series "Hogan's Heroes" (1965). Moreover, this is particularly also the case for one of its chief characters, Sgt. Johann Schulz (played by Sig Ruman) who is said to have provided the basis for the character of Sgt. Hans Georg Schultz in "Hogan's Heroes" (1965) (played by John Banner). However, this assertion has been disputed legally and lost though many people still believe it.

Goofs:

Continuity: Even though he synchronized watches with Sefton, it takes Hoffy approximately 55 seconds to count from thirty seconds to one second, the point when the prisoners throw Price out of the barracks.

Quotes:

Sgt. Schulz:[on seeing the men wearing Hitler moustaches] Bah! One Fuhrer is enough!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Gilmore Girls: A-Tisket, A-Tasket (#2.13)" (2002)

Soundtrack:

Adeste Fideles

Absorbing & Very Entertaining

This absorbing and very entertaining movie creates a believable and interesting cast of characters, puts them into an intriguing story, and uses its settings, props, and other resources very creatively. It is a fine combination of drama and comic relief that stands up very well against anything else of its type. The setting and atmosphere are quite believable, and they make it easy to enter the characters' world.

The opening sequence sets up everything nicely, with most of POW's helping two of the prisoners in an escape attempt, while William Holden as the cynical Sefton separates himself from the rest. Sefton is interesting enough as it is, a man who simply by remaining true to his nature cannot help arousing suspicion and antagonism, and Holden was quite a good choice to play him. The story builds up nicely, with developments coming at a careful pace, and some good stretches of lighter material.

There are numerous interesting characters and good performances among the other prisoners, and in particular Robert Strauss and Harvey Lembeck steal more than one scene with their antics which, though goofy, are also an appropriate complement to the main plot and the setting. The German characters are more stylized, but both Sig Ruman and Otto Preminger make them come to life, and help them fit in seamlessly with the others.

Billy Wilder's direction and the photography also deserve praise. Besides the way that each sequence fits together so nicely with the others, there are several individual scenes and shots that are done in an impressive fashion - not flashy, but creative and thoughtful. The scene with Holden lying on his cot while most of the others sing and celebrate is one particularly good example. There is a wealth of good material throughout, making "Stalag 17" a classic that has lost nothing over the years, and one that can be seen and enjoyed several times.