Von Ryan’s Express **** (1965, Frank Sinatra, Trevor Howard, Edward Mulhare, Brad Dexter, John Leyton, Raffaella Carrà) – Classic Movie Review 2,481

Allied prisoners of war make a daring escape by hijacking their freight train and fleeing through German-occupied Italy to Switzerland, in the 1965 World War Two adventure film Von Ryan’s Express, starring Frank Sinatra.

Director Mark Robson’s thoroughly exciting 1965 chase-adventure film Von Ryan’s Express sees the main stars Frank Sinatra, Trevor Howard, Edward Mulhare, Brad Dexter, John Leyton and James Brolin on their best form, backed up by marvellous turns from a splendid array of European star character actors – Sergio Fantoni, Adolfo Celi, Vito Scotti, Wolfgang Preiss, Raffaella Carrà.

However, it is mainly a vehicle for Frank Sinatra as the disliked and resented American colonel, Joseph L. Ryan, who organises World War Two British prisoners (Howard and Leyton) into carrying out a daring train escape in a commandeered freight-liner to make their getaway from a wartime Italian prisoner-of-war camp.

There is plenty of action throughout, topped off by a thrilling finale in a movie blessed with fast-moving, efficient, focused direction. With Panavision and CinemaScope cinematography by William H Daniels and Harold Lipstein, it is strikingly photographed in splendid mountain scenery.

The realistically inclined screenplay by Wendell Mayes and Joseph Landon is based on David Westheimer’s 1964 novel, though with many changes, including the tone and the ending, while Jerry Goldsmith provides another fine score. Overall, it is one of Sinatra’s best and most financially successful movies, with the hated man role ideally suiting his belligerent personality.

Also notable in the cast are Michael Goodliffe as Captain Stein, Richard Bakalyan as Corporal Giannini, John Van Dreelen as Colonel Gortz and Michael St Clair as Sgt Dunbar.

Michael Goodliffe was a prisoner of war in World War Two. He spent next five years in a German camp after being captured at Dunkirk.

Novelist David Westheimer was also a POW in World War Two.

Leyton was a former British pop star who rocketed to fame and number one in the UK with ‘Johnny Remember Me’ in 1961.

For realism, 20th Century Fox shot it extensively on location in Europe, using aircraft, trains and wheeled vehicles, and built a full-scale prison camp.

Most of the film was shot in Panavision at Sinatra’s insistence but the credits and all publicity say A Cinemascope Picture and Alfred Newman’s extended 20th Century-Fox fanfare plays at the start.

Release date: June 23, 1965.

Running time: 117 minutes.

Budget: $5.76 million. Box office: $17.1 million.

Firenze SMN (Santa Maria Novella) train station.

The train station Firenze SMN (Santa Maria Novella) is the end of the line right into the centre of Florence so the train could not have gone through it.

Sinatra’s leather jacket was later worn by Bob Crane in Hogan’s Heroes and Greg Kinnear in Auto Focus (2002).

The cast are Frank Sinatra as Colonel Joseph L Ryan, Trevor Howard as Major Eric Fincham, Raffaella Carrà as Gabriella, Brad Dexter as Sgt Bostick, Sergio Fantoni as Captain Oriani, John Leyton as Lt. Orde, Edward Mulhare as the priest Captain Costanzo, Wolfgang Preiss as Major von Klemment, James Brolin as Private Ames, John van Dreelen as Colonel Gortz., Adolfo Celi as Major Bassilio Battaglia, Vito Scotti as Italian engineer Peppino, Richard Bakalyan as Corporal Giannini, Michael Goodliffe as Captain Stein, Michael St Clair as Sgt Dunbar, and Ivan Triesault as Obergruppenfuhrer Wilhelm von Kleist.

© Derek Winnert 2015 Classic Movie Review 2,481

Check out more reviews on http://derekwinnert.com