Hard to imagine anyone questioning the authority of ol’ Blue Eyes, on screen or off.
But Trevor Howard does just that in the rip-snorting WWII flick “Von Ryan’s Express.”
The 1965 film, based on the novel of the same name, stars Frank Sinatra as an air force colonel shot down over Nazi-occupied Italy. He’s quickly thrown into a POW camp, where his no-nonsense attitude and rank make him the commanding officer -and a target for the disgruntled POWs.
They quickly dub him “Von Ryan” for what they see as his efforts to gain favor with their captors.
Ryan simply knows the Allies are on the way, and an escape attempt could mean death for prisoners who might otherwise go free in a few weeks, if not earlier.
But Ryan won’t turn down an escape plan that falls into his lap, including a daring train ride to the safety of neutral Switzerland.
“Express” isn’t your standard WWII pic. The Italian locales add color and authenticity, and so do the realistic aerial assaults and train sequences. Simply put, shooting “Express” on the cheap would have been disastrous.
The conflict between Italian and German forces adds an added layer of color to the storyline, as does some of the moral questions asked of Ryan and his fellow soldiers.
And then there’s Sinatra, who looks a bit small, physically, to be in command of the troops. But he’s got that innate swagger, and the good sense not to overplay the part.
The action sequences hold up remarkably well, including several tense shootouts and some nifty stunt work atop a speeding train.
“Von Ryan’s Express” doesn’t belong in the top-tier of World War II epics, but that’s no reason not to check it out on a rainy Saturday.
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I'm an award-winning journalist and film critic with more than a decade of experience in newspapers, magazines and the Web. I'm a member of the Broadcast Film Critics Association, the Washington, DC Area Film Critics Association and the Denver Film Critics Society.
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It might not belong in the top tier, but it’s one of my favorites. I’m startled by the ending every time I see it.
In the 70’s, I heard a radio talk show movie fan complain that Sinatra didn’t look the part. The host had really loved the book and just couldn’t see Sinatra in the part. What I’ve found interesting is that since that time I’ve met several fighter jocks and every single one of them has a physique similar to Sinatra’s (i.e., relatively short). So maybe it’s perfect casting after all.
Good points, Bob. And the ending is terrific … stunning, powerful and unexpected.
Just re-watched it (for the first time in decades) last night…it’s definitely a worthy film for the WWII prison-camp genre. Plus, the acting line-up is really solid – if you need another Trevor Howard fix, check out 1968’s “The Charge of the Light Brigade” with Howard as the infamous Earl of Cardigan.
However, the current DVD release has a rather disappointing bonus disc – not enough meat for behind-the-scenes junkies like me…