Von Ryan's Express (1965)

Director:

Mark Robson

Writers:

David Westheimer (novel)
Wendell Mayes (screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

23 June 1965 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Drama | Adventure | War

Tagline:

Why did 600 Allied prisoners hate the man they called Von Ryan more than they hated Hitler?

Plot:

An American POW leads a group mainly British prisoners to escape from the Germans in WWII.

Plot Keywords:

Escape | Italy | Train | Soldier | Major

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 2 wins & 1 nomination

Cast

Frank Sinatra	...	Colonel Joseph L. Ryan
Trevor Howard	...	Major Eric Fincham
Raffaella Carrà	...	Gabriella (as Raffaella Carra)
Brad Dexter	...	Sergeant Bostick
Sergio Fantoni	...	Captain Oriani
John Leyton	...	Orde
Edward Mulhare	...	Captain Costanzo
Wolfgang Preiss	...	Major Von Klemment
James Brolin	...	Private Ames
John Van Dreelen	...	Colonel Gortz (as John van Dreelen)
Adolfo Celi	...	Battaglia
Vito Scotti	...	Italian Train Engineer
Richard Bakalyan	...	Corporal Giannini
Michael Goodliffe	...	Captain Stein
Michael St. Clair	...	Sergeant Major Dunbar
Ivan Triesault	...	Von Kleist
Robert 'Buzz' Henry	...	American Soldier (as Buzz Henry)
Jacques Stany	...	Gortz's Aide (as Jacques Stanislavski)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
John Daheim	...	American Soldier (as John Day)
Ian Abercrombie	...	English POW (uncredited)
William Berger	...	Man from the Gestapo (uncredited)
Arthur Brauss	...	Lt. Gertel--German Mess Officer (uncredited)
William Conroy	...	German Soldier (uncredited)
Domenick Delgarde	...	Italian Soldier (uncredited)
Horst Ebersberg	...	German Pilot (uncredited)
Barry Ford	...	Ransom's Batman (uncredited)
Brian Gaffikin	...	English voices (voice) (uncredited)
Donald F. Glut	...	P.O.W. (uncredited)
Gino Gottarelli	...	Gotrz's Aide #2 (uncredited)
Joe Gray	...	Prisoner (uncredited)
Peter Hellman	...	Pilot (uncredited)
Walter Linden	...	German Captain (uncredited)
Eric Micklewood	...	Ransom (uncredited)
John Mitory	...	Oriani's Aide (uncredited)
Ernesto Molinari	...	Italian Tailor (uncredited)
Paul Muller	...	Hauptmann Josef Sonneberg (uncredited)
Benito Prezia	...	Italian Corporal (uncredited)
Christopher Riordan	...	Nude P.O.W. (uncredited)
Michael Romanoff	...	Italian Nobleman (uncredited)
Bob Rosen	...	P.O.W. who opens sweat box (uncredited)
James Sikking	...	American Soldier (uncredited)
Al Silvani	...	American P.O.W. at Train Station (uncredited)
Lee Stanley	...	English Prisoner (uncredited)
Brad Stevens	...	German Sergeant (uncredited)
Max Turilli	...	German Officer at Plane Crash Site (uncredited)
Al Wyatt Sr.	...	American Soldier (uncredited)

Directed by
Mark Robson

Writing credits
David Westheimer		(novel)
Wendell Mayes		(screenplay) and
Joseph Landon		(screenplay)

Produced by
Saul David	....	producer
Mark Robson	....	producer

Original Music by
Jerry Goldsmith

Cinematography by
William H. Daniels

Film Editing by
Dorothy Spencer

Art Direction by
Hilyard M. Brown		(as Hilyard Brown)
Jack Martin Smith

Set Decoration by
Raphael Bretton		(as Raphael G. Bretton)
Walter M. Scott

Makeup Department
Margaret Donovan	....	hair stylist
Ben Nye	....	makeup artist
José Luis Pérez	....	assistant makeup artist
Harry Thomas	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Harry Caplan	....	unit production manager (as Harry A. Caplan)
Eduardo García Maroto	....	unit production manager: Spain
Mark Robson	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Eli Dunn	....	assistant director
William Kaplan	....	second unit director

Art Department
José Algueró	....	assistant art director
Ed Graves	....	assistant art director
Lou Korn	....	assistant art director

Sound Department
Carlton W. Faulkner	....	sound
Elmer Raguse	....	sound
Don Stern	....	sound editor
Walter Rossi	....	sound effects (uncredited)

Special Effects by
L.B. Abbott	....	special photographic effects
Emil Kosa Jr.	....	special photographic effects

Stunts
John Daheim	....	stunts (uncredited)
Joe Gray	....	stunts (uncredited)
Robert 'Buzz' Henry	....	stunts (uncredited)
Al Wyatt Sr.	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Bill Johnson	....	camera operator
Harold Lipstein	....	photographer: second unit
Ramiro Sabell	....	second assistant camera

Music Department
Arthur Morton	....	orchestrator
Tommy Tedesco	....	musician: guitar (uncredited)

Transportation Department
Chris Haynes	....	driver (uncredited)

Other crew
Julio Parra	....	production supervisor

Production Companies

• Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation
• P-R Productions Picture

Distributors

• Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation (1965) (USA) (theatrical)
• 20th Century Fox (1965) (UK) (theatrical)
• American Broadcasting Company (ABC) (1971) (USA) (TV) (pan/scan)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (2002) (Brazil) (DVD)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (1998) (USA) (VHS)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (2001) (USA) (DVD)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (2002) (USA) (DVD)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (2002) (USA) (VHS)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (2007) (USA) (DVD) (two-disc special edition)
• Fox Video (1994) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment (1999) (Netherlands) (VHS)
• Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment (2007) (Netherlands) (DVD)

Runtime:

117 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | German | Italian

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

Australia:G | Australia:PG (TV rating) | Norway:11 (DVD rating) (2006) | Iceland:12 | Norway:16 | New Zealand:PG | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15 | UK:PG | USA:PG | West Germany:16

Filming Locations:

Italy

Company:

Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation

Trivia:

According to the memoirs of the producers the original choice to play Sgt Bostick was vetoed by the star.

Goofs:

Incorrectly regarded as goofs: Luftwaffe pilots are supposed to be flying ME-109s, but in fact they are flying Messerschmitt ME-108 Taifuns. The Taifun was a liaison/training aircraft, not a fighter, but its resemblance to the ME-109 made it a reasonable stand-in for the film.

Quotes:

Maj. Eric Fincham: I once told you Ryan, if only one gets out, it's a victory.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Girl in Lovers' Lane (#6.9)" (1993)

Sinatra shines in classic war movie

what a marvellous performance by Sinatra and Trevor Howard in this classic World War 11 movie.A great script and some strong supporting roles make this movie a wonderful piece of entertainment.Sharp movie fans may even notice a young James Brolin in a small role,but the greatest thing about this movie is the wonderful line uttered by Trevor Howard to Frank(as Von Ryan)when Sinatra tries to tie a knot to show how to strangle a german guard (which fails) and Trevor Howard shows Sinatra how to really tie a strangle knot ,and says the immortal line"learn that from the cowboy films did you?".what a great put down,its worth watching just for that.The ending is a surprise and really leaves one a bit flat but all in all wonderful escapism.