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The Colditz Story.

Starring:

JOHN MILLS, ERIC PORTMAN With LIONAL JEFFRIES, BRYAN FORBES, IAN CARMICHAEL, RICHARD WATTIS

Directed by GUY HAMILTON

Escaping from a prisoner-of-war camp replaced cricket as the national sport ofColditz Castle Englishmen at war. The Colditz Story (1955) was not the first film to suggest this idea - The Wooden Horse and Albert R. N. came earlier but it is still the best; the one that has entered movie mythology and even exited again as a successful TV series. Colditz was a castle-prison deep inside the Reich, behind whose walls the Germans had collected hard-core escapers of almost every Allied country.

It was indeed 'united Europe' before that phrase became commonplace. Each nationality made it a point of honour to 'have a go' again. But when each one's jealously guarded escape plan began clashing with another's, it became clear that escape, like the war, could only be won by co-operation. Britain's Escape Officer was Patrick Reid, author of the book on which producer Ivan Foxwell based his film. Played by John Mills with integrity and humour, Reid is the film's only 'real' character. But the rest of the prisoners are vividly created personalities and it is the sense of national characteristics, heightened by the 'first-night nerves' of the escape attempt, covered by the Guards officers' drilling, which gives director Guy Hamilton's adventure its sense of veracity.

'Never has a more entertaining story been made out of 30 characters in search of an exit!

The suspense is intense. But so, too, is the variety of mood: the jokey companionship of men locked up together, their occasional tantrums, the baiting of the German guards as if they were unpopular teachers. No wonder some ex-soldiers still speak of school and their particular 'Colditz' as the best days of their lives. Eric Portman makes a Senior British Officer of dignity and warmth; and the great post-war stage actor Frederick Valk turns in one of his resonant and rare film performances as the German commandant. 'As true as it could be to the spirit of Colditz,' Eric Williams said of the film. Coming from the author of The Wooden Horse, no praise could be more generous or deserved.

Distributed by: Derann Films.
Format: Super 8mm.
Supplied on: 2 reels (600ft). 
Approximate Running Time: 60 minutes.
Black & White Sound.

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The Colditz Story was released by Derann Film Services as a 2 x 600ft abridged version. The running time would be about 60 minutes. I have only got part one, the film was released on colour stock, which gives a slight blue hue to the film. The Print rating takes that into account. It would have got 5 stars, it is very good otherwise.

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This page was last updated 02 Dec 2002

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