MOVIEmeter
SEE RANK
Down 1,184 this week

The Secret War of Harry Frigg (1968)

 -  Comedy | War  -  29 February 1968 (USA)
6.1
Your rating:
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 -/10 X  
Ratings: 6.1/10 from 674 users  
Reviews: 17 user | 4 critic

When 5 allied generals are captured in Italy in WW II, it is a propaganda nightmare for the Allies. The generals are all 1 star and refuse to take orders from each other in order to plan an... See full summary »

Director:

Writers:

, (screenplay), 1 more credit »
0Check in
0Share...

Related News

Hal E Chester obituary
| The Guardian - Film News

User Lists

Related lists from IMDb users

a list of 405 titles created 02 Jan 2011
 
a list of 1216 titles created 28 Mar 2011
 
a list of 727 titles created 24 May 2011
 
a list of 20 titles created 24 Nov 2010
 
a list of 2419 titles created 4 months ago
 

Connect with IMDb


Share this Rating

Title: The Secret War of Harry Frigg (1968)

The Secret War of Harry Frigg (1968) on IMDb 6.1/10

Want to share IMDb's rating on your own site? Use the HTML below.

Take The Quiz!

Test your knowledge of The Secret War of Harry Frigg.

Photos

Edit

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
...
Pvt. Harry Frigg
...
Countess Francesca De Montefiore
...
Gen. Newton Armstrong
...
Gen. Roscoe Pennypacker
...
Gen. Francis Mayhew
...
Gen. Adrian Cox-Roberts
...
Col. Enrico Ferrucci
Jacques Roux ...
Gen. Andre Rochambeau
Werner Peters ...
Maj. von Steignitz
...
Gen. Homer Prentiss
Fabrizio Mioni ...
Lt. Rossano
Johnny Haymer ...
Sgt. Pozzallo
...
Capt. Stanley
...
Stockade Commandant
Horst Ebersberg ...
Lt. Gruber
Edit

Storyline

When 5 allied generals are captured in Italy in WW II, it is a propaganda nightmare for the Allies. The generals are all 1 star and refuse to take orders from each other in order to plan an escape. Harry Frigg is a private who has escaped from the guard house dozens of times. He is promoted to Major General (2 stars) and ordered to get the generals out once he is captured. Harry is willing to escape, but then he meets the countess ... Written by John Vogel <jlvogel@comcast.net>

Plot Summary | Add Synopsis

Taglines:

It's not who you con. It's how you do it.

Genres:

Comedy | War

Certificate:

Unrated | See all certifications »
Edit

Details

Country:

Language:

Release Date:

29 February 1968 (USA)  »

Also Known As:

Meanwhile, Far from the Front  »

Filming Locations:


Company Credits

Show detailed on  »

Technical Specs

Runtime:

Sound Mix:

(Westrex Recording System)

Color:

(Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1
See  »
Edit

Did You Know?

Trivia

Johnny Haymer's film debut. See more »

Goofs

The signage, both the title on the office door in London and the Dymo tape labels on the generator switches in the German POW camp are of a type that did not come into use until after the war. See more »

Connections

Referenced in The Simpsons: The Secret War of Lisa Simpson (1997) See more »

Frequently Asked Questions

This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.

User Reviews

 
A Talent For Escape
30 June 2006 | by (Buffalo, New York) – See all my reviews

Paul Newman as Harry Frigg is a goldbricking screw-up of a soldier who has one undeniable talent. Busting out of stockade. Seems as though the man cannot stand confinement.

That talent is put to good use by General James Gregory to affect the escape of five Allied Brigadier Generals who were captured in a Turkish bath in Tunis. Two British, two American, and one Free French general. The biggest Italian victory since the seizure of Albania.

Since these five guys seem willing to sit out the war in an Italian prison camp and being of equal rank can't get together on a plan of action, the idea Gregory has is to send in an escape specialist, the best the United States Army has, with the rank of a two star general and get an escape organized. Of course it's Paul Newman.

Of course when Newman is dropped into Italy and put in that prison camp for generals only, he finds it quite unlike any stockade he's ever been in. Prison as run by Colonel Vito Scotti a former hotel manager in Genoa. All the luxury of a Club Med vacation and for Newman, the attraction of Countess Sylva Koscina whose palace is being used for this prison camp for generals.

During the course of the film, the Allies have taken Sicily, and land in Salerno and Italy switches sides. The Nazis come and prove to be a gang of real party poopers.

The Secret War of Harry Frigg is a mildly amusing comedy. Paul Newman does the best he can with it, though he's not really cast well in this part. The premise is unusual however and my favorite performance is here is that of Vito Scotti. Man really knew how to be a good jailer.

Curiously enough some of the same premise involving Italy's deposing Mussolini and switching sides was the basis for another film about allied prisoners, Von Ryan's Escape. Of course that one involved far more prisoners and had a lot less laughs.

Paul Newman never really had a big comedy triumph until he made Slapshot. But this one while not great, is droll and amusing in its own way.


5 of 8 people found this review helpful.  Was this review helpful to you?

Message Boards

Recent Posts
Rating samanthaseaotter
Seniority question jmhow
A Very Underrated Little Comedy dwhw
Discuss The Secret War of Harry Frigg (1968) on the IMDb message boards »

Contribute to This Page

Create a character page for:
?