The One That Got Away (1957)

A cocky German fighter pilot is shot down over England in 1940 and makes numerous attempts to escape to fight again.

Director:

Roy Ward Baker (as Roy Baker)

Writers:

Howard Clewes (screenplay), Kendal Burt (book)

Stars:

Hardy Krüger, Colin Gordon, Michael Goodliffe

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Hardy Krüger	...	Franz Von Werra
Colin Gordon	...	Army Interrogator
Michael Goodliffe	...	R.A.F. Interrogator
Terence Alexander	...	R.A.F. Intelligence Officer
Jack Gwillim	...	Commandant, Grizedale
Andrew Faulds	...	Lieutenant, Grizedale
Julian Somers	...	Booking Clerk
Alec McCowen	...	Duty Officer, Hucknall
Harry Lockart	...	German Prisoner
Robert Crewdson	...	German Prisoner
George Mikell	...	German Prisoner
George Roubicek	...	German Prisoner
John Van Eyssen	...	German Prisoner
Frederick Jaeger	...	German Prisoner
Richard Marner	...	German Prisoner

Storyline

This is the true story of Oberleutnant Franz von Werra, the only German prisoner of war to escape from imprisonment in Britain during the Second World War.

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Plot Keywords:

escape | german | dossier | hero | bravado | 

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Taglines:

Canadians will remember...The One That Got Away.

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Genres:

Adventure | Drama | War

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Did You Know?

Trivia

The film takes place from September 5, 1940 to January 1941.

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Goofs

As stated early in the film Franz Von Werra had a straight forefinger on his right hand. However, at various stages during the film, Hardy Kruger had apparently forgotten this, as he continuously bends that finger.

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Quotes

Franz von Werra: Does nobody speak in this country?

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Crazy Credits

Opening credits prologue: SEPTEMBER 5th 1940 WINCHET HILL, KENT.

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Connections

Featured in Die Hardy Krüger-Story (2019)

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Soundtracks

Muss i denn, muss i denn zum Städtele hinaus
(uncredited)
Traditional

User Reviews

Well done, straight forward, harrowing story, a bit two-dimensional

The One that Got Away (1957)

Not quite documentary in form, this is still a true life story told in a dry and sometimes rather funny British way about the one known P.O.W. who escaped from the British and returned to Germany in WWII. They tell you this in the opening titles, so in a way you know the whole plot.

And this changes the way you look at it all, wondering, okay, now how is he going to escape. And then he does. Yes. But it's how it happens, and the incredible chutzpah and cleverness that let it follow through. It's the kind of part Brad Pitt would play, with a terrible German accent of course, but this one is 1957 and Hardy Kruger, who is German (he's still alive in his 80s), is played with dash and compassion. I liked him despite the ingrained sentiment we have (here in the U.S. at least) that Nazis in the movies are terrible people.

This is Kruger's first significant film role, and he actually served in the German army as a teenager in the war. His character is so likable and cunning, you gradually come to admire and almost root for him, even though the British and later the Canadians are all doing a pretty decent job overall, however lax it might seem to us. This is set in 1940, and the U.S. isn't yet in the war and so represents neutral territory even for a Nazi (always a weird thing to swallow in retrospect) and this plays a role in the latter half the movie.

The drawback of the film is its inevitability. And its linear quality, following the increasingly outrageous and difficult escape. But it's smartly done, with understatement, and if you like the bravery and adventure of a man on his own against the odds, this might just resonate. And of course WWII buffs will get it at least from the periphery. It's got some good glimpses of planes and flying, and a decent sense of life on the ground in this period.

Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

22 November 1957 (UK)

Also Known As:

Einer kam durch

Filming Locations:

Pinewood Studios, Iver Heath, Buckinghamshire, England, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

Julian Wintle Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

106 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.75: 1