Von Ryan's Express
Frank Sinatra Busts Loose And Outsmarts The Nazis!
As the Allies begin to push the Nazis back toward Germany, U.S. combat pilot Col. Joseph Ryan (Sinatra) is shot down and placed in a prison camp. Initially, he's more concerned with surviving than escaping, earning him the insulting nickname, "Von Ryan." But in time, Ryan takes over from the commanding British officer (Trevor Howard) and masterminds a daredevil race for freedom that involves commandeering a train and getting it across Italy to Switzerland with the Nazis in hot pursuit. Then it's all blazing action, hair-raising chases and spectacular Italian scenery in this Oscar-nominated adventure that runs full speed until the nail-biting finale!
Member Reviews
Ugh - rnhaas
Remember the good old days when men were men and everyone enjoyed fighting Nazis? It was so much fun, even though lots of people were dying, it was still fun enough to have moments of comedy and a general spirit of adventure. Nothing like stealing a train to make your prison break that much more special. Oh I wish we were back in the day when war movies weren't serious and were about adventure and fun!A Classic War Film - MovieProf
Frank Sinatra has been in two solid war films: 1959's "Never So Few," with a young Steve McQueen, and 1965's "Von Ryan's Express," with Trevor Howard. "Ryan" is fantastic, short and simple.
This is a film that deals with U.S. and British POWs in Italy during the Second World War. Sinatra is a U.S. air colonel who is shot down in southern Italy and transferred to a POW camp. There he meets Howard, a British major, the acting commander officer of the camp. Sinatra takes over that role, and before long, the POWs find themselves prisoners no more, Italy having surrendered to the Allies. From there, we are wisked away on a train bound for the north, and hopefully the Swiss border, the ruthless German army in hot pursuit.
There are several great aspects about this film: one, its authenticity is enhanced by having subtitles. I have noticed that few Hollywood films before, say, the 1970s, had actors speaking in foreign languages. Usually the actors are English speakers putting on accents, which means we have to suspend reality and pretend they are actually speaking another language. Here, Italians and Gremans are used and speak to each in...Italian and German. Imagine that. Imagine the enhanced realism. As well, the Italian landscape goes a long way.
All in all, this is a great film: a strong script, stronger acting performances from Sinatr, Howard, and others, and strong cinematography. A real treat.5 stars - Torsty
People rave about Old Blue Eyes (Frank Sinatra) and the way he sang but, for mine, Frankie boy was a pretty good actor.
A favourite role is that of Colonel Joseph Ryan, an American airman in World War Two, who gets shot down and captured by the Italians.
Now not only was that a rarity (for an Allied soldier to surrender to Mussolini's jellybacks) but it came at a time when Italy was quickly trying to give up without getting too much grief from their German mates.
Anyway, Ryan is transferred to a Prisoner of War camp where most of the men behind the wire are Brits.
As a colonel he is the senior officer in the camp and sets about restoring health and sense - much to the chagrin of Major Eric Fincham (Trevor Howard).
The nickname Von Ryan comes when the Brits think he is betraying them to the Italians in return for medicine and clothing.
From this inauspicious start, Ryan plans a mass escape and soon several hundred prisoners are on a train heading for Switzerland trying to avoid swarms of evil Nazis.
Von Ryan's Express is an exciting tale of escape through the passes of the Alps and while it does get a bit fanciful on occasions, is definitely a war movie worth seeing.
There is plenty of action, a lot of surprises, and it is one of those movies that very rarely falls flat.
Sinatra is terrific as the lead character and while Trevor Howard doesn't get a lot of room to show his acting skills, watch out for the chaplain (Edward Mulhare) when he impersonates a German officer.
The transfer is good with only a few artefacts to take your eyes from some terrific imagery.
Member Reviews
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Ugh - rnhaas
Remember the good old days when men were men and everyone enjoyed fighting Nazis? It was so much fun, even though lots of people were dying, it was still fun enough to have moments of comedy and a general spirit of adventure. Nothing like stealing a train ...A Classic War Film - MovieProf
Frank Sinatra has been in two solid war films: 1959's "Never So Few," with a young Steve McQueen, and 1965's "Von Ryan's Express," with Trevor Howard. "Ryan" is fantastic, short and simple.
This is a film that deals with U.S. and British POWs in Italy ...5 stars - Torsty
People rave about Old Blue Eyes (Frank Sinatra) and the way he sang but, for mine, Frankie boy was a pretty good actor.
A favourite role is that of Colonel Joseph Ryan, an American airman in World War Two, who gets shot down and captured by the Italians. ...