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Von Ryan's Express
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Von Ryan's Express
Von Ryan's Express is a 1965 World War II adventure film starring Frank Sinatra, Trevor Howard, and Raffaella Carrà, and directed by Mark Robson. Produced in CinemaScope, the film depicts a group of Allied prisoners of war (POWs) who attempt a daring escape by hijacking a freight train carrying Allied POWs, and then taking the train through German-occupied Italy towards neutral Switzerland. Based on the 1964 novel by David Westheimer, the film changes several aspects of the novel, most notably the ending, which is considerably more upbeat in the book. Financially, it became one of Sinatra's most successful films.
In 1943 Colonel Joseph Ryan, a USAAF fighter pilot, is shot down over Italy and taken to a POW camp run by the Fascist camp commander, Major Basilio Battaglia, and his sympathetic second-in-command, Captain Vittorio Oriani. Most prisoners are from the British 9th Fusiliers whose commanding officer recently died after being placed in a "sweat box" as punishment for hitting Battaglia. Ryan becomes the most senior Allied officer in the camp, and automatically assumes command of the POWs, replacing Major Eric Fincham, the senior British officer.
Friction develops between Ryan and Fincham. Ryan declines to support Fincham's escape attempts because Italy is close to surrender, he orders Fincham to distribute Red Cross medical supplies to the seriously ill prisoners after American prisoners are caught stealing medicine from a secret British hoard, and he reveals an escape plan to Battaglia in exchange for better treatment of the prisoners.
Battaglia refuses to issue new clothing, Ryan orders prisoners to strip and burn their filthy uniforms. Battaglia throws Ryan into the sweat box as punishment. After Italy surrenders, the camp guards flee. Ryan is freed and discovers the British are putting Battaglia on trial as a war criminal. Ryan steps in to save Battaglia from execution, instead sentencing him to his own sweat box.
A German fighter plane overflies the camp, forcing the POWs to flee into the Italian countryside. Captain Oriani agrees to make contact with Allied forces on their behalf but the Germans recapture the prisoners and force them into train boxcars. Fincham assumes Oriani betrayed them until he is found severely beaten on board. The freed Battaglia comes to gloat at their misfortune. Before leaving, the Germans shoot all the sick prisoners. Fincham blames Ryan for letting Battaglia live, and derogatively calls him "von Ryan".
Major von Klemment, takes command of the prisoner transport. As the train heads toward northern Italy, Ryan, Fincham, and Lieutenant Orde escape their car and free some POWs, who kill the remaining guards and take their uniforms as a disguise. Ryan and Fincham find von Klemment and his Italian mistress, Gabriella, in the command car. Von Klemment reveals a German troop train is on the same schedule and he is expected to stop in Florence to receive new orders. To get through the station, German-speaking British chaplain, Captain Costanzo, impersonates the German commander with Fincham and Ryan dressed as German soldiers. The orders show that both trains are headed to Innsbruck, Austria. Using a forged typewritten order, the prisoners switch their train onto a different line at Bologna while the troop train continues toward Innsbruck. Ryan, still dressed as a German soldier, is forced to shoot Von Klemment and Gabriella after they escape from the train. Her death disgusts the Italian civilians who see Ryan as a Nazi.
The German High Command discovers the train has been diverted, while the train is caught in an Allied bombing raid, killing three prisoners and wounding sixty. Oriani and the train's Italian engineer tell Ryan and Fincham their only option is to reroute the train at Milan to neutral Switzerland. However, SS troops have set up an ambush. The prisoners capture a signal box and reroute the train.
In the Italian Alps just before the Swiss border, rockets from a German aircraft topple boulders onto the track. SS troops in another train catch up as the prisoners clear and repair the track. Ryan and Fincham lead a group of POWs in holding them off until the train can move again. Ryan is killed as Fincham and the surviving POWs departs for the safety of Switzerland.
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Von Ryan's Express
Von Ryan's Express is a 1965 World War II adventure film starring Frank Sinatra, Trevor Howard, and Raffaella Carrà, and directed by Mark Robson. Produced in CinemaScope, the film depicts a group of Allied prisoners of war (POWs) who attempt a daring escape by hijacking a freight train carrying Allied POWs, and then taking the train through German-occupied Italy towards neutral Switzerland. Based on the 1964 novel by David Westheimer, the film changes several aspects of the novel, most notably the ending, which is considerably more upbeat in the book. Financially, it became one of Sinatra's most successful films.
In 1943 Colonel Joseph Ryan, a USAAF fighter pilot, is shot down over Italy and taken to a POW camp run by the Fascist camp commander, Major Basilio Battaglia, and his sympathetic second-in-command, Captain Vittorio Oriani. Most prisoners are from the British 9th Fusiliers whose commanding officer recently died after being placed in a "sweat box" as punishment for hitting Battaglia. Ryan becomes the most senior Allied officer in the camp, and automatically assumes command of the POWs, replacing Major Eric Fincham, the senior British officer.
Friction develops between Ryan and Fincham. Ryan declines to support Fincham's escape attempts because Italy is close to surrender, he orders Fincham to distribute Red Cross medical supplies to the seriously ill prisoners after American prisoners are caught stealing medicine from a secret British hoard, and he reveals an escape plan to Battaglia in exchange for better treatment of the prisoners.
Battaglia refuses to issue new clothing, Ryan orders prisoners to strip and burn their filthy uniforms. Battaglia throws Ryan into the sweat box as punishment. After Italy surrenders, the camp guards flee. Ryan is freed and discovers the British are putting Battaglia on trial as a war criminal. Ryan steps in to save Battaglia from execution, instead sentencing him to his own sweat box.
A German fighter plane overflies the camp, forcing the POWs to flee into the Italian countryside. Captain Oriani agrees to make contact with Allied forces on their behalf but the Germans recapture the prisoners and force them into train boxcars. Fincham assumes Oriani betrayed them until he is found severely beaten on board. The freed Battaglia comes to gloat at their misfortune. Before leaving, the Germans shoot all the sick prisoners. Fincham blames Ryan for letting Battaglia live, and derogatively calls him "von Ryan".
Major von Klemment, takes command of the prisoner transport. As the train heads toward northern Italy, Ryan, Fincham, and Lieutenant Orde escape their car and free some POWs, who kill the remaining guards and take their uniforms as a disguise. Ryan and Fincham find von Klemment and his Italian mistress, Gabriella, in the command car. Von Klemment reveals a German troop train is on the same schedule and he is expected to stop in Florence to receive new orders. To get through the station, German-speaking British chaplain, Captain Costanzo, impersonates the German commander with Fincham and Ryan dressed as German soldiers. The orders show that both trains are headed to Innsbruck, Austria. Using a forged typewritten order, the prisoners switch their train onto a different line at Bologna while the troop train continues toward Innsbruck. Ryan, still dressed as a German soldier, is forced to shoot Von Klemment and Gabriella after they escape from the train. Her death disgusts the Italian civilians who see Ryan as a Nazi.
The German High Command discovers the train has been diverted, while the train is caught in an Allied bombing raid, killing three prisoners and wounding sixty. Oriani and the train's Italian engineer tell Ryan and Fincham their only option is to reroute the train at Milan to neutral Switzerland. However, SS troops have set up an ambush. The prisoners capture a signal box and reroute the train.
In the Italian Alps just before the Swiss border, rockets from a German aircraft topple boulders onto the track. SS troops in another train catch up as the prisoners clear and repair the track. Ryan and Fincham lead a group of POWs in holding them off until the train can move again. Ryan is killed as Fincham and the surviving POWs departs for the safety of Switzerland.