Stalag 17 (1953)

User Rating:

8.2/10   

Director:

Billy Wilder

Writers:

Donald Bevan (play) and
Edmund Trzcinski (play) ...
(more)

Release Date:

10 August 1953 (Brazil)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama | War

Tagline:

Hilarious, heart-tugging! You'll laugh...you'll cry...you'll cheer William Holden in his great Academy Award role! (from reissue print ad)

Plot:

When two escaping American World War II prisoners are killed, the German POW camp barracks black marketeer, J.J. Sefton, is suspected of being an informer.

Plot Keywords:

Spy | Escape | Pow | Barracks | Guard

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 4 nominations

Cast

William Holden	...	Sgt. J.J. Sefton
Don Taylor	...	Lt. James Dunbar
Otto Preminger	...	Col. von Scherbach
Robert Strauss	...	Stanislas Kasava
Harvey Lembeck	...	Harry Shapiro
Richard Erdman	...	Sgt. 'Hoffy' Hoffman
Peter Graves	...	Price
Neville Brand	...	Duke
Sig Ruman	...	Sgt. Johann Schulz
Michael Moore	...	Manfredi
Peter Baldwin	...	Johnson
Robinson Stone	...	Joey
Robert Shawley	...	'Blondie' Peterson
William Pierson	...	Marko the Mailman
Gil Stratton	...	Clarence Harvey 'Cookie' Cook (as Gil Stratton Jr.)
Jay Lawrence	...	Bagradian
Erwin Kalser	...	Geneva man
Edmund Trzcinski	...	Triz' Trzcinski
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Ross Bagdasarian	...	Singing soldier (uncredited)
Rodric Beckham	...	Bit part (uncredited)
Richard P. Beedle	...	POW (uncredited)
Don Cameron	...	Bit part (uncredited)
Janice Carroll	...	Russian woman prisoner (uncredited)
Jarvis Caston	...	POW (uncredited)
Tommy Cook	...	POW (uncredited)
James Dabney Jr.	...	Bit part (uncredited)
Yvette Eaton	...	Russian woman prisoner (uncredited)
Carl Forcht	...	German lieutenant (uncredited)
Ralph Gaston	...	Bit part (uncredited)
Jerry Gerber	...	Bit part (uncredited)
Art Gilmore	...	Trailer Narrator (voice) (uncredited)
Ross Gould	...	Von Scherbach's orderly (uncredited)
Russell Grower	...	Bit part (uncredited)
Alla Gursky	...	Russian woman prisoner (uncredited)
Peter Leeds	...	Barracks #1 POW getting distillery (uncredited)
Wesley Ling	...	POW (uncredited)
Harald Maresch	...	German lieutenant (uncredited)
Bill McLean	...	POW (uncredited)
Svetlana McLe	...	Woman POW (uncredited)
John Mitchum	...	POW (uncredited)
Robin Morse	...	POW (uncredited)
William Mulcahy	...	Bit part (uncredited)
Joe Ploski	...	German guard-volleyball player (uncredited)
Harry Reardon	...	POW (uncredited)
Paul Salata	...	Prisoner with beard (uncredited)
James R. Scott	...	Bit part (uncredited)
Bill Sheehan	...	POW (uncredited)
A. Gerald Singer	...	Steve aka The Crutch (uncredited)
Mara Sondakoff	...	Russian woman prisoner (uncredited)
Warren Sortomme	...	POW (uncredited)
Audrey Strauss	...	Woman POW (uncredited)
Herbert Street	...	Bit part (uncredited)
Anthony M. Taylor	...	Bit part (uncredited)
Bob Templeton	...	Bearded Prisoner (uncredited)
Lyda Vashkulat	...	Woman POW (uncredited)
John Veitch	...	POW (uncredited)
Steve Wayne	...	Soldier (uncredited)
Alexander J. Wells	...	Prisoner with beard (uncredited)
Max Willenz	...	German lieutenant (uncredited)

Directed by
Billy Wilder

Writing credits
Donald Bevan		(play) and
Edmund Trzcinski		(play)
Billy Wilder		(writer) and
Edwin Blum		(writer)

Produced by
William Schorr	....	associate producer
Billy Wilder	....	producer

Original Music by
Leonid Raab		(uncredited)

Cinematography by
Ernest Laszlo		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
George Tomasini

Art Direction by
Franz Bachelin
Hal Pereira

Set Decoration by
Sam Comer
Ray Moyer

Makeup Department
Wally Westmore	....	makeup supervisor

Sound Department
Gene Garvin	....	sound recordist
Harold Lewis	....	sound recordist

Special Effects by
Gordon Jennings	....	special photographic effects

Editorial Department
Doane Harrison	....	editorial advisor

Other crew
Max Kolpé	....	technical advisor (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Paramount Pictures

Distributors

• Paramount Pictures (1953) (USA) (theatrical)
• Paramount Pictures (1959) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Paramount (1960) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• National Broadcasting Company (NBC) (1965) (USA) (TV) (original airing)
• Paramount Home Video (????) (USA) (VHS)
• CIC Vídeo (????) (Brazil) (VHS)
• Paramount Home Video (1995) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Paramount Home Video (1999) (USA) (DVD)
• Paramount Home Video (????) (USA) (DVD)
• Paramount Filmes do Brasil (????) (Brazil) (DVD)

Runtime:

120 min | Germany:116 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | German

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Certification:

West Germany:16 (f) | Australia:G | South Korea:12 (2004) | Finland:K-16 | Norway:12 | UK:PG | USA:Approved (PCA #15866) | Sweden:15

Filming Locations:

John Show Ranch, Woodland Hills, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Paramount Pictures

Trivia:

To improve the chances for commercial success in the West Germany Republic (at that time already an important market for Hollywood) a Paramount executive suggested to Billy Wilder that he should make the camp guards Poles rather than Germans. Wilder, whose mother and stepfather had died in the concentration camps, furiously refused and demanded an apology from the executive. When it didn't come, Wilder did not extend his contract at Paramount

Goofs:

Anachronisms: The map of Germany in von Scherbach's office would in 1944 include not only Austria and Sudetenland but also Gdansk and the Polish Corridor, large parts of western Poland and the Saarland, all considered ethnically German by the Nazis and incorporated into the Reich.

Quotes:

Sgt. Schulz: How do you expect to win the war with an army of clowns?
Lt. James Skylar Dunbar: We sort of hope you'd laugh yourselves to death.

Movie Connections:

Featured in "The Essentials: Stalag 17 (#6.28)" (2006)

Soundtrack:

When Johnny Comes Marching Home Again

In Defense of "Stalag 17"

In defense of this great film "Stalag 17", I would like to say a few things. First of all, William Holden's performance in this film gives this film a very big lead against many other films like it. Holden is a very good actor given a very good role here as Sefton, a soldier that uniquely accepts his situation. The other supporting, and even prominent roles are good but seems "intentionally" underdeveloped for the benefit of not complicating viewers with unnecessary information. The story, consisting of a "whodunit" plot, wartime ordeals, and amusing dialogue between the characters is superb for it's time. All in all, watching "Stalag 17" is at least a fine way to spend your time.

I've read many reviews that say that they were disappointed with this film. Some were annoyed because it wasn't as realistically gritty and tense like "Saving Private Ryan". Well, that's the effect of the Hays Offices (censorship officials of American produced movies during the past). I have to say that although it may have lacked the grittiness of Spielberg's film, it still surpasses "Saving Private Ryan" for it's honest approach to it's characters such as the POW that responds to his wife's letter ("I believe it.") with a certain kind of feeling that can truly be described as honest and the German "Wake up caller" Scherbach's constant joking around with POWs while remaining true to his kommandant's wishes. The 'Animal' and Shapiro characters were obviously created for comic relief but it should only be taken as that, comic relief (Hell, everyone's a comedian and at least they tried). Most anybody that was disappointed with this film were probably disappointed for it's strange association with the TV show "Hogan's Heroes". I must say that I don't care much for that certain show but I do like this film.

I really don't think that any film should ever be compared with another film or a TV show (unless it's a spinoff, then they're just asking for it) no matter how related they are. A movie is a movie on it's own and never with the help of another, no matter the similarities. This is a classic film, worthy of it's praise yet unworthy of it's negative critique. Nobody should let personal opinions be considered flaws. Just watch it, when you have the chance, with an open mind.