Escaping the Germans by train in Italy
A captured American colonel (Frank Sinatra) takes command of the POWs at an Italian camp in 1943. He conflicts with the rigid Brit major (Trevor Howard) as the Allies soon land in Selerno. The opportunity eventually surfaces to take command of a train and possibly escape north. Sergio Fantoni plays an Italian captain who teams up with them.
"Von Ryan’s Express" (1965) was based on the book by David Westheimer, who himself was a navigator in a B-24 shot down over Italy at the end of 1942 wherein he ended up a prisoner in Stalag Luft III. While “The Bridge on the River Kwai” concerned a POW camp in Burma and “The Great Escape” concerned one in Poland, the camp here is in Italy. Thankfully, it only concerns the first act and the flick is wisely streamlined compared to those other two movies.
Amidst the adventure, there are interesting culture clashes between the Italians and Germans, the Allies and Italians, as well as the Brits and Americans. Sinatra insisted that the script deviate from the novel’s ending and it worked out for a memorable climax.
Beautiful Raffaella Carrà is a highlight in her black skirt and white shirt. Unfortunately, the iconic Euro-entertainer devolved into a LIEberal in the following years, supporting Communism and so forth (Get real). But what else is new?
It runs 1 hour, 57 minutes, and was majorly shot in northern Italy in Cortina d'Ampezzo and Florence, although the ending was filmed in the limestone gorge of El Chorro and the nearby railway bridge, which is close to Málaga, Spain. Interiors were done at 20th Century Fox Studios in Los Angeles with the POW camp built in the front lot.
GRADE: B+