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Von Ryan's Express (1965)
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Overview
User Rating:
Director:
Writers:
Release Date:
23 June 1965 (USA)
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Tagline:
Why did 600 Allied prisoners hate the man they called Von Ryan more than they hated Hitler? more
Plot:
An American POW leads a group mainly British prisoners to escape from the Germans in WWII. full summary | add synopsis
Awards:
Nominated for Oscar.
Another 2 wins
&
1 nomination
more
NewsDesk:
(3 articles)
“Nazis. I hate these guys.”: 15 WWII Movies Worth Watching Before You See Tarantino’s Inglourious Basterds.
(From FilmJunk. 26 May 2009, 4:10 PM, PDT)
Author Westheimer Dies of Heart Failure
(From WENN. 15 November 2005)
(From FilmJunk. 26 May 2009, 4:10 PM, PDT)
Author Westheimer Dies of Heart Failure
(From WENN. 15 November 2005)
User Comments:
Not far off being amongst the best
more (51 total)
Cast
(Cast overview, first billed only) | Frank Sinatra | ... | Colonel Joseph L. Ryan |
 | Trevor Howard | ... | Major Eric Fincham |
| Raffaella Carrà | ... | Gabriella (as Raffaella Carra) |
| Brad Dexter | ... | Sergeant Bostick |
| Sergio Fantoni | ... | Captain Oriani |
| John Leyton | ... | Orde |
| Edward Mulhare | ... | Captain Costanzo |
| Wolfgang Preiss | ... | Major Von Klemment |
 | James Brolin | ... | Private Ames |
| John Van Dreelen | ... | Colonel Gortz (as John van Dreelen) |
| Adolfo Celi | ... | Battaglia |
| Vito Scotti | ... | Italian Train Engineer |
| Richard Bakalyan | ... | Corporal Giannini |
 | Michael Goodliffe | ... | Captain Stein |
| Michael St. Clair | ... | Sergeant Major Dunbar |
Additional Details
Parents Guide:
Runtime:
117 min
Country:
Color:
Aspect Ratio:
2.35 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Mono (Westrex Recording System)
Certification:
Australia:G |
Australia:PG (TV rating) |
Norway:11 (DVD rating) (2006) |
Iceland:12 |
Norway:16 |
New Zealand:PG |
Finland:K-16 |
Sweden:15 |
UK:PG |
USA:PG |
West Germany:16
Fun Stuff
Trivia:
Average Shot Length = ~5.3 seconds. Median Shot Length = ~5.4 seconds.
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Goofs:
Continuity: Colonel Ryan orders the prisoners to remove their clothes and burn them. However, Private Ames starts undressing before the order is given.
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Quotes:
Colonel Joseph L. Ryan:
Major, you will order the men to strip.
[pause]
Colonel Joseph L. Ryan: Major, I said "strip." Get it? All clothes, off. Naked.
[Major turns around]
Maj. Eric Fincham: [Yelling] Parade... strip.
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[pause]
Colonel Joseph L. Ryan: Major, I said "strip." Get it? All clothes, off. Naked.
[Major turns around]
Maj. Eric Fincham: [Yelling] Parade... strip.
more
Movie Connections:
Referenced in The 100 Greatest War Films (2005) (TV)
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FAQ
How closely does the movie follow the novel?Is this novel based on a movie?
A Note Regarding Spoilers
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more (51 total)
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From a slow start this build into an exciting if somewhat unrealistic war film. However, it was designed for entertainment and not to depict any remotely historical fact.
The cinematography and scenery look good and although no expert on trains, they look from the right period. The characters are not fleshed out but as this is an adventure film this lapse is not too important. Some of the main characters are also casualties by the end thus avoiding the usual Hollywood line from that period of everyone escaping without a scratch.
I'm not a big fan of Sinatra as an actor but he does well here depicting a flawed character who appears both likable and unlikeable. It is established early in the film that Col Ryan is not a career airman and has limited military experience and so it is not surprising that he makes some key mistakes although he does learn from them.
The supporting cast is good although with the exception of John Leyton far too old to have been on military service.
Not up with the very best WW2 films but well above the average.