7.6/10
3,422
41 user 9 critic

King Rat (1965)

Approved | | War, Drama | 27 October 1965 (USA)
King Rat Poster
A fast-taking wheeler-dealer corporal in a Malaysian POW camp during WWII uses bribery and larceny to take de facto control of the camp from his senior officers.

Director:

Writers:

(based on a novel by), (written for the screen by)

Stars:

, , | See full cast & crew »
Reviews

Watch Now

From $2.99 (SD) on Prime Video

ON DISC
Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 1 nomination. See more awards »

Photos

See all 14 photos »
Learn more

People who liked this also liked... 













◄ Prev 6 Next 6 ►

Next »
King Rat (2017)
Comedy | Drama
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 8.4/10 X  

A comedy-drama, King Rat examines the possibility that years after graduation - whether it's ten years or thirty - we may be stuck with the same issues we had before crossing that stage at commencement.

Director: Henry Johnston
Stars: Burt Young, Austin Pendleton, Lauren Ashley Carter
Next »
Whistle Down the Wind (1961)
Crime | Drama
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 7.8/10 X  

When an injured wife murderer takes refuge on a remote Lancashire farm, the owners three children mistakenly believe him to be the Second Coming of Christ.

Director: Bryan Forbes
Stars: Alan Bates, Bernard Lee, Norman Bird
Next »
The Colditz Story (1955)
Drama | History | War
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 7.1/10 X  

Allied prisoners of various nationalities pool their resources to plan numerous escapes from an "escape-proof" German POW camp housed in a Medieval castle.

Director: Guy Hamilton
Stars: John Mills, Eric Portman, Christopher Rhodes
Next »
Ice Cold in Alex (1958)
Adventure | Drama | War
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 7.9/10 X  

During WW2 in North Africa, a medical field unit must cross the desert in their ambulance in order to reach the British lines in Alexandria.

Director: J. Lee Thompson
Stars: John Mills, Anthony Quayle, Sylvia Syms
Next »
Operation Disaster (1950)
Drama | History | War
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 7.1/10 X  

The crew of a submarine is trapped on the sea floor when it sinks. How can they be rescued before they run out of air?

Director: Roy Ward Baker
Stars: John Mills, Nigel Patrick, Peter Hammond
Next »
The L-Shaped Room (1962)
Drama | Romance
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 7.4/10 X  

A single, pregnant woman moves into a London boarding house where she meets a group of fellow misfits.

Director: Bryan Forbes
Stars: Leslie Caron, Anthony Booth, Avis Bunnage
Next »
Billy Liar (1963)
Comedy | Drama | Romance
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 7.4/10 X  

A lazy, irresponsible young clerk in provincial Northern England lives in his own fantasy world and makes emotionally immature decisions as he alienates friends and family.

Director: John Schlesinger
Stars: Tom Courtenay, Julie Christie, Wilfred Pickles
Next »
The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner (1962)
Drama | Sport
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 7.7/10 X  

A juvenile offender at a tough reform school impresses its governor with his running ability and is encouraged to compete in an upcoming race, but faces ridicule from his peers.

Director: Tony Richardson
Stars: Michael Redgrave, Tom Courtenay, Avis Bunnage
Next »
The Night of the Generals (1967)
Crime | Drama | Mystery
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 7.3/10 X  

In 1942, a Polish prostitute is murdered in Warsaw. Suspicion falls on three generals, and Major Grau of German Intelligence seeks justice despite the ongoing atrocities committed during WWII.

Director: Anatole Litvak
Stars: Peter O'Toole, Omar Sharif, Tom Courtenay
Next »
The Deadly Trackers (1973)
Western | Drama
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 5.7/10 X  

A Sheriff, who negotiates with bank robbers, ends up getting his family killed during their escape. The Sheriff chases the gang into Mexico on his own. While attempting to exact his vengeance, he is at odds with a Mexican lawman.

Directors: Barry Shear, Samuel Fuller
Stars: Richard Harris, Rod Taylor, Al Lettieri
Next »
Billy Budd (1962)
Adventure | Drama | War
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 7.9/10 X  

Billy is an innocent, naive seaman in the British Navy in 1797. When the ship's sadistic master-at-arms is murdered, Billy is accused and tried.

Director: Peter Ustinov
Stars: Robert Ryan, Peter Ustinov, Melvyn Douglas
Next »
Genevieve (1953)
Comedy
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 7.3/10 X  

It's time for the annual London to Brighton antique car rally, and Alan McKim and Ambrose Claverhouse are not going to let their friendship stop them from trying to humiliate each other. ... See full summary »

Director: Henry Cornelius
Stars: Dinah Sheridan, John Gregson, Kay Kendall
Edit

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
... Cpl. King
... Grey
... Marlowe
... Max
... Larkin
... Dr. Kennedy
... Tex
... Smedley-Taylor
Gerald Sim ... Jones
... McCoy
... Daven
Alan Webb ... Brant
John Ronane ... Hawkins
Sam Reese ... Kurt (as Sammy Reese)
... Stevens
See full cast »
Edit

Storyline

When Singapore surrendered to the Japanese in 1942 the Allied POWs, mostly British but including a few Americans, were incarcerated in Changi prison. This was a POW detention center like no other. There were no walls or barbed-wire fences for the simple reason that there was no place for the prisoners to escape to. Included among the prisoners is the American Cpl. King, a wheeler dealer who has managed to established a pretty good life for himself in the camp. While most of the prisoners are near starvation and have uniforms that are in tatters, King eats well and and has crisp clean clothes to wear every day. His nemesis is Lt. Robin Grey, the camp Provost who attempts to keep good order and discipline. He knows that King is breaking camp rules by bartering with the Japanese but can't quite get the evidence he needs to stop him. King soon forms a friendship with Lt. Peter Marlowe an upper class British officer who is fascinated with King's élan and no rules approach to life. As the ... Written by garykmcd

Plot Summary | Plot Synopsis

Plot Keywords:

prisoner of war | malaya | prisoner of war camp | based on novel | pow | See All (44) »

Taglines:

They made the toughest among them... King! See more »

Genres:

War | Drama

Certificate:

Approved | See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

Add content advisory for parents »
Edit

Details

Country:

Language:

| |

Release Date:

27 October 1965 (USA)  »

Also Known As:

El caudillo de los desalmados  »

Filming Locations:

 »

Company Credits

Production Co:

 »
Show more on  »

Technical Specs

Runtime:

Sound Mix:

(RCA Sound Recording)

Color:

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1
See  »
Edit

Did You Know?

Trivia

Nat King Cole approached Bryan Forbes looking for a part in " King Rat ", but Forbes had to tell him there wasn't anything suitable available. Forbes was a huge fan of Cole. See more »

Goofs

Just before the camp is liberated we can hear an airplane fly over and it is definitely a propeller operated plane; however, the scene displays a jet flying over complete with vapor trails. However, the B-29 Bomber is a 4 engined prop plane which flew high enough to leave substantial contrails (30,000ft+). Bombers normally flew in large formations but this is a single aircraft which may allude to the Enola Gay, which dropped the first Atomic bomb indicating that Japanese surrender imminent. However, the Enola Gay was accompanied by other B-29s on her atomic bomb raid. See more »

Quotes

Peter Marlowe: [Very grateful] You know there's nothing I can say.
Cpl. King: Well, you could say I'm a genius... a. you could say that.
See more »

Connections

Spoofed in King Frat (1979) See more »

Soundtracks

Adeste Fideles
(uncredited)
Written by Frederick Oakeley (1841)
Variation sung in distant background by POWs
See more »

Frequently Asked Questions

This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.

User Reviews

A pitiless world
11 March 2003 | by – See all my reviews

I saw this movie again recently and had forgotten how great it was. It shows how people behave towards each other when the thin veil of civil society is torn away.In a brilliant performance, George Segal plays the wheeler-dealer 'King Rat, a cynical hustler whose only real interest is himself. His counterparts in the Japanese POW camp are the British officers who seem to maintain the rules and courtesies of civilized life. As the movie, unfolds, though, we see the senior officers using their position to steal food from the lower ranks. Even the British provost marshal, or camp policeman (another great performance by Tom Courtenay), is shown to be a weak character, vengeful and sanctimonious, who must believe in retribution to bolster his fragile ego.

'King Rat's' one true friend in the camp is played by James Fox. But the Segal character can't really be a friend to anyone. One of the prices of cynicism is emotional shallowness. In the end Segal tells his best friend - 'You worked for me, I paid you a few bucks, that's all there was between us.' The film makes it clear that the action applies to the wider world. Unlike the other prisoners, the Segal character is neither shocked nor excited by liberation. To him, the everyday world is as pitiless as the POW camp.
34 of 34 people found this review helpful.  Was this review helpful to you? | Report this
Review this title | See all 41 user reviews »
Getting Started | Contributor Zone »

Contribute to This Page

Stream Trending Movies With Prime Video

Enjoy a night in with these popular movies available to stream now with Prime Video.

Start your free trial