Von Ryan's Express

UPC: 024543030041

Studio: 20th Century Fox

MPAA Rating: NR   Contains:[Questionable for Children]

Summary: Von Ryan's Express is a fast-paced, well-acted World War II drama, featuring a squadron of Allied soldiers trying to escape a prison camp in Italy. While most of the prisoners at the camp are British, a determined, resourceful American Air Force colonel (Frank Sinatra) takes charge and leads the escape, which requires that the prisoners wrest control of a German train and propel it through Italy to Switzerland. The subsequent ride, featuring good special effects and outstanding stunt work, is great fun and very suspenseful. Frank Sinatra makes an effective action hero aided by veteran actor Trevor Howard as a British officer. The CinemaScope photography is outstanding and director Mark Robson directs the exciting action sequences with skill. ~ Linda Rasmussen, Rovi

Category: Action

Awards: Best Sound Effects – Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences

Features: Anamorphic widescreen [aspect ratio 2.35:1]
Interactive menus
Scene selection
Original theatrical trailer
Audio: remastered English stereo; original English mono; French mono
Subtitles; English; Spanish

Von Ryan's Express

Format: DVD

Release Date: 05/21/2002

Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 Cinemascope

Audio: 5.1 Dolby Digital 5.1, 2 PCM stereo, 1 USA & territories, Canada

Runtime: 116 Minutes

Sides: 1

Number of Discs: 1

Language(s) English,French

Subtitles: English,Spanish

Region: USA & territories, Canada

Chapters: Side #1 --
0. Chapter Selection
1. The Downed Pilot [2:37]
2. Main Titles [1:41]
3. The Funeral [1:40]
4. The American Colonel [3:58]
5. A Full House [:34]
6. The Americans [2:29]
7. The British [1:54]
8. Escape Rations [2:15]
9. The New Commander [2:53]
10. The Naked Parade [1:49]
11. Military Justice [4:02]
12. Time to Move [4:04]
13. Ryan's Mistake [1:33]
14. A Train to Rome [3:33]
15. Ryan's Plan [3:51]
16. Taking Over the Train [:35]
17. Traveling Plans [4:35]
18. Nazi Masquerade [4:20]
19. Rerouting the Train [1:50]
20. A Tense Trade [2:53]
21. The Right Thing to Do [:02]
22. An Escape Attempt [:45]
23. Found Out [7:41]
24. Hell on the Tracks [1:44]
25. Escape Through Milan [1:39]
26. Messerschmidts [6:20]
27. Repairing the Tracks [1:48]
28. Blood on the Rails [2:51]
29. Ryan's Victory [2:49]
30. End Titles [:34]

Mike Cummings

Von Ryan's Express is entertainment, not history. Viewers who accept that premise will probably enjoy this action-packed adventure film with a simple theme: escape. The year is 1943. Germans are moving northward in Italy after allies land in the south. When Italian overseers abandon a prison camp, the English and American POWs escape, but are recaptured by Germans and placed on a train bound for a concentration camp. Led by a U.S. pilot, Col. Joseph Ryan, the prisoners overtake the Germans and commandeer the train, pointing it toward Switzerland. Although the characters are little more than cardboard cutouts, the story is riveting and suspenseful. The escaping prisoners disguise themselves, dodge dive-bombing planes, pick off harassers in a tunnel, and coax their dead train to life. The cinematrography is strong and the action bully. Frank Sinatra earns his pay as Col.Ryan -- dubbed "Von Ryan" by his mostly British underlings for his unpopular policies in the prison camp -- and Trevor Howard is superb as cranky British officer Major Eric Fincham. The plot brims with close calls. In one scene, escapees wearing German uniforms must pass through Nazi checkpoints. Because only the POW chaplain (Edward Mulhare) speaks German, the other disguised soldiers can only nod or hem and haw when addressed. In another scene, the escapees must replace damaged railroad tracks while Germans close in. Viewers looking for heavy-duty angst and realism (? la Saving Private Ryan) won't find it here. What they will find is pure escapism (? la The Great Escape). ~ Mike Cummings, Rovi

Cast and Crew: Al Wyatt  Actor 
Benito Prezia  Actor 
Buzz Henry  Actor 
Gino Gottarelli  Actor 
Barry Ford  Actor 
Eric Micklewood  Actor 
John van Dreelen  Actor 
Don Grant  Actor 
John Day  Actor 
Bard Stevens  Actor 
Luther Adler  Actor 
James B. Sikking  Actor 
Brian Gaffikin  Actor 
Michael Romanoff  Actor 
Michael St. Clair  Actor 
Jerry Goldsmith  Composer (Music Score) 
Wendell Mayes  Screenwriter 
Mark Robson  Director 
Mark Robson  Executive Producer 
Saul David  Producer 
Joseph Landon  Screenwriter 
Frank Sinatra  Actor 
Trevor Howard  Actor 
Raffaella Carrà  Actor 
James Brolin  Actor 
Brad Dexter  Actor 
Edward Mulhare  Actor 
Sergio Fantoni  Actor 
John Leyton  Actor 
Wolfgang Preiss  Actor 
Adolfo Celi  Actor 
Vito Scotti  Actor 
Richard Bakalyan  Actor 
Michael Goodliffe  Actor 
Ivan Triesault  Actor 

Country: USA