TurboarrowIII I thought this film was great escapist fun.It may not be very believable but it is full of action and suspense.Sinatra is great as Ryan. After being shot down he ends up in an Italian POW camp. He isn't too impressed with Trevor Howard and his men and thinks they should sit out what is left of the war rather than try to escape. He has only just arrived at the camp so doesn't fully appreciate how bad things are especially as the commandant of the camp played by Adolfo Celi is "a two bit Mussolini" according to Brad Dexter's character.When Italy surrenders the prisoners attempt to get back to Allied lines. However, they end up getting captured by the Germans and are put on a train. Incredibly they manage to take over the train and hatch a plan to reach Switzerland after several attempts to abandon the train are thwarted. I really like the bit where the padre played by Edward Mulhare impersonates a Nazi officer and manages to get them through checks twice.The ending is great too as the train is attacked by German fighters and then troops on a chasing train. They manage to replace damaged track and carry on to Switzerland. The twist at the end is when Ryan is killed.Overall a fast paced and action packed film.

ewebster123456 With the success of the film The Great Escape (1963) a new film genre was born, the "prisoner-of-war-escape" film. Marc Robson's film Von Ryan's Express (1965) is one such film that is basically a remake of The Great Escape. The prisoners are being held by the Italian (instead of the Germans); there's a "sweatbox" instead of a "cooler"; and Frank Sinatra is saving the day instead of Steve McQueen. Express is basically a remake of The Great Escape and not a very good one. The film falls short in trying to convey a realistic story, with choppy dialogue and poor acting this film is just not that great.Old Baby Face is at it again as he attempts to portray a no-nonsense war Colonel, Joseph Ryan, the American soldier who will lead POWs to freedom. Watching Frank Sinatra try to evoke the power he had with The Manchurian Candidate but just couldn't do it. He acts like a little kid does when they are in charge but are lost in the shadows of stronger people like Trevor Howard's character as Major Eric Finchman. The film is built to be an "escape-film" and the whole film moves quickly to get to the escape and it's not that great of an escape. Everything that someone would expect to happen does, the audience knows when something will go wrong and who will die because the film is a generic representation of the "escape-film." This is a film that can be watched on a lazy Saturday afternoon because it requires no deep thinking and no need to pay close attention because the film isn't that hard to follow.

gilligan1965 FRANK SINATRA...the great crooner...was also a great actor! :)This movie (as well as others), are definitive proof of that! Frank was at his best in all of his movies...but, he was at the top in movies like "Ocean's Eleven;" "Assault on a Queen;" " None But the Brave;" "The Manchurian Candidate;" "Sergeants 3;" "From Here To Eternity;" and, many more, especially in this movie! Frank Sinatra was STARDOM-GOLD whether it be for his singing or acting, or, just being himself."Von Ryan's Express" is a classic World War II adventure of American and British POWs escaping from an Italian POW camp just as the Italians surrendered in World War II. Now, he and his men, with the help of an Italian Army Captain and a train conductor, are alluding and evading the Germans after 'stealing' a train.This is an EXCELLENT movie that all World War II buffs need to see! :)

ma-cortes Awesome warlike movie with memorable images and outstanding acting by well-known faces . This is a splendid film about a daring breakout from an Italian concentration camp with all star cast and magnificently realized by Mark Robson . The opening prologue states: "Italy , August 1943. With the Allies poised to strike, the Germans seized control of Italy. So the war-weary Italian nation fought on, a prisoner of the German armies¨ . There appears Ryan, an American POW Colonel (Frank Sinatra , his leather jacket was later worn by Bob Crane in Hogan's Heroes and was later worn by Greg Kinnear in Auto Focus) and a British military (Trevor Howard who was second choice for Major Fincham after Peter Finch turned it down and Jack Hawkins was possible for this part) is the officer in charge until Ryan takes over the escape plan . Ryan leads his fellow prisoners as foreign soldiers (James Brolin , John Leyton , Edward Mulhare) as Italian local military (Sergio Fantoni , Adolfo Celi and Vito Scotti as Train Engineer) on a perilous getaway from the Germans (led by Wolfgang Preiss as Major Von Klemment) in Italy . Having seemingly made errors of judgement, Ryan has to get the support of the mainly British soldiers he is commanding . As they aboard a German train to neutral Switzerland .This great action tale contains thrills, intrigue, tension, excitement galore, entertainment and lots of fun . Suspenseful WWII epic packs exceptional plethora of prestigious actors incarnating the motley group of POWs , giving good acting and support , as a sensational Frank Sinatra whose character , Colonel Ryan, remains today as attractive iconography ; Edward Mulhare as an army priest posing as a Nazi officer , Brad Dexter as roguish Sgt. Bostick ,Sergio Fantoni as Capt. Oriani , a very young Raffaela Carra and Michael Goodliffe, who was an actual Prisoner of War during WWII , being captured at Dunkirk and spent the next five years in a German POW camp . Excellent production design and art direction with evocative scenarios by Walter Scott . Rousing and lively soundtrack , nowadays a classic score, by Jerry Goldsmith . Colorful cinematography by William H Daniels , Greta Garbo's usual cameraman .The motion picture lavishly produced by Saul David was well realized by Mark Robson. In the early 40s Robson was much involved with the low-budget terror unit in charge of producer Val Lewton , for whom made ¨Seventh victim¨, ¨The ghost ship¨, and ¨Island of the dead¨. In the late 1940s Robson joined Stanley Kramer's independent company and directed his biggest commercial hit to date with ¨The champion¨. Years later Robson made another good film about corruption in boxing world titled ¨The harder they fall¨ with Humphrey Bogart. In the late 1960s, his work did decline . His last movie was a jinx one titled ¨Avalancha express¨. Robson and his main star, Robert Shaw, died suddenly from heart attacks. And of course , ¨Von Ryan Express¨ was one of his best films . A top-notch cast , spectacular images , tense images and noisy action help make this one a superior effort of its kind . Well worth seeing , this is the ordinary War movie that Hollywood does so well . This one is certainly one of the best movies ever made about the WWII escapes . Rating : 7 . Two thumbs up , essential and indispensable watching for WWII lovers , a real must see.