Danger Within [Breakout] *** (1959, Richard Todd, Bernard Lee, Michael Wilding, Richard Attenborough, Dennis Price, Donald Houston, Peter Arne) – Classic Movie Review 8939

Director Don Chaffey’s 1959 British in black and white war movie drama Danger Within [Breakout] is old-fashioned (even in 1959) but still involving stuff, boosted by the reliably strong playing from stiff-lipped stalwarts Richard Todd, Bernard Lee, Michael Wilding, Richard Attenborough, Dennis Price, Peter Arne and Donald Houston, giving the kind of performances in caricature roles that they could do standing on their heads.

A traitor endangers British soldiers’ breakout secrets, in this ingeniously written, above-average prisoner of war escape action thriller, set in 1942 Italy, with a pleasing dash of mystery and humour in the style of Stalag 17.

The screenplay by Bryan Forbes and Frank Harvey is based on the novel Death in Captivity by Michael Gilbert.

Also in the stalwart cast are William Franklyn, Vincent Ball, Ronnie Stevens, Peter Jones, Terence Alexander, Andrew Faulds, Steve Norbert, and Cyril Shaps.

Danger Within [Breakout] is directed by Don Chaffey, runs 101 minutes, is made by Colin Lesslie Productions and British Lion Film Corporation, is released by British Lion Film Corporation (1959) (UK) and Continental Distributing (1960) (US), is written by Bryan Forbes and Frank Harvey, is shot in black and white by Arthur Grant, is produced by Colin Lesslie and is scored by Francis Chagrin.

© Derek Winnert 2019 Classic Movie Review 8939

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