Von Ryan's Express

1965

Action / Adventure / War

23
Rotten Tomatoes Critics - Rotten 82% · 21 reviews
Rotten Tomatoes Audience - Upright 82% · 5K ratings
IMDb Rating 7.1/10 10 16025 16K

nazi escape italian switzerland world war ii prisoner of war

Plot summary

Von Ryan's Express stars Frank Sinatra as a POW colonel who leads a daring escape from WWII Italy by taking over a freight train, but he has to win over the British soldiers he finds himself commanding.

Director

Mark Robson Photo
Mark Robson

Top cast

Trevor Howard Photo
Trevor Howard as Major Eric Fincham
Edward Mulhare Photo
Edward Mulhare as Costanzo
William Berger Photo
William Berger as Man from the Gestapo
Ian Abercrombie Photo
Ian Abercrombie as English POW
720p.BluRay 1080p.BluRay
835.08 MB
1280*534
English 2.0
NR
Subtitles us  
23.976 fps
1 hr 57 min
Seeds 5
1.75 GB
1920*800
English 2.0
NR
Subtitles us  
23.976 fps
1 hr 57 min
Seeds 14

Movie Reviews

Reviewed by ma-cortes 7 / 10

A first-class as well as entertaining WWII story of escape from a prisoner-of-war concentration camp aboard a train

Awesome warlike movie with memorable images and outstanding acting by well-known faces . This is a splendid film about a daring breakout from an Italian concentration camp with all star cast and magnificently realized by Mark Robson . The opening prologue states: "Italy , August 1943. With the Allies poised to strike, the Germans seized control of Italy. So the war-weary Italian nation fought on, a prisoner of the German armies¨ . There appears Ryan, an American POW Colonel (Frank Sinatra , his leather jacket was later worn by Bob Crane in Hogan's Heroes and was later worn by Greg Kinnear in Auto Focus) and a British military (Trevor Howard who was second choice for Major Fincham after Peter Finch turned it down and Jack Hawkins was possible for this part) is the officer in charge until Ryan takes over the escape plan . Ryan leads his fellow prisoners as foreign soldiers (James Brolin , John Leyton , Edward Mulhare) as Italian local military (Sergio Fantoni , Adolfo Celi and Vito Scotti as Train Engineer) on a perilous getaway from the Germans (led by Wolfgang Preiss as Major Von Klemment) in Italy . Having seemingly made errors of judgement, Ryan has to get the support of the mainly British soldiers he is commanding . As they aboard a German train to neutral Switzerland .This great action tale contains thrills, intrigue, tension, excitement galore, entertainment and lots of fun . Suspenseful WWII epic packs exceptional plethora of prestigious actors incarnating the motley group of POWs , giving good acting and support , as a sensational Frank Sinatra whose character , Colonel Ryan, remains today as attractive iconography ; Edward Mulhare as an army priest posing as a Nazi officer , Brad Dexter as roguish Sgt. Bostick ,Sergio Fantoni as Capt. Oriani , a very young Raffaela Carra and Michael Goodliffe, who was an actual Prisoner of War during WWII , being captured at Dunkirk and spent the next five years in a German POW camp . Excellent production design and art direction with evocative scenarios by Walter Scott . Rousing and lively soundtrack , nowadays a classic score, by Jerry Goldsmith . Colorful cinematography by William H Daniels , Greta Garbo's usual cameraman .The motion picture lavishly produced by Saul David was well realized by Mark Robson. In the early 40s Robson was much involved with the low-budget terror unit in charge of producer Val Lewton , for whom made ¨Seventh victim¨, ¨The ghost ship¨, and ¨Island of the dead¨. In the late 1940s Robson joined Stanley Kramer's independent company and directed his biggest commercial hit to date with ¨The champion¨. Years later Robson made another good film about corruption in boxing world titled ¨The harder they fall¨ with Humphrey Bogart. In the late 1960s, his work did decline . His last movie was a jinx one titled ¨Avalancha express¨. Robson and his main star, Robert Shaw, died suddenly from heart attacks. And of course , ¨Von Ryan Express¨ was one of his best films . A top-notch cast , spectacular images , tense images and noisy action help make this one a superior effort of its kind . Well worth seeing , this is the ordinary War movie that Hollywood does so well . This one is certainly one of the best movies ever made about the WWII escapes . Rating : 7 . Two thumbs up , essential and indispensable watching for WWII lovers , a real must see.
Reviewed by Leofwine_draca 7 / 10

Another decent WW2 adventure

VON RYAN'S EXPRESS is another decent Hollywood WW2 adventure. It's not as good or as iconic as WHERE EAGLES DARE but it's still a highly suspenseful thrill-ride of a movie, although a little drawn out in places. I particularly liked the way that the story is quite impossible to predict throughout, with lots of little twists you don't see coming which last right up until the climax.Frank Sinatra plays the cocky, all-American fighter pilot hero who is sent to a prisoner of war camp in Italy where he butts heads with the grizzled British officer Trevor Howard (on very fine form). I won't spoil the plot, but there are plenty of different situations taking place here, and as the title would suggest a large part of the film is set on board a train. I personally love train films and the train action here doesn't disappointed, loaded with suspense and action as it is.The supporting cast is a mix of reliable old hands (Adolfo Celi, Michael Goodliffe, Brad Dexter) and fresh-faced newcomers (James Brolin, the delectable Raffaella Carra). The exemplary direction is from the hugely experienced Mark Robson, a man who started out with Boris Karloff spook shows such as ISLE OF THE DEAD and finished with '70s disaster movies like EARTHQUAKE. It's another feather in the cap for a man with an extraordinary career.
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