Rent Stalag 17 (1953)
3.8 of 5 from 134 ratings
1h 55min
- General info
- Available formats
- Synopsis:
- During World War II, a group of G.I.'s are thrown together in the notorious German prison camp Stalag 17. For the most part, they spend their time scheming ways to help each other escape. But when two prisoners are killed in an escape attempt, it becomes obvious that there is a spy among them.
- Actors:
- William Holden, Don Taylor, Otto Preminger, Robert Strauss, Harvey Lembeck, Richard Erdman, Peter Graves, Neville Brand, Sig Ruman, Michael Moore, Peter Baldwin, Robinson Stone, Robert Shawley, William Pierson, Gil Stratton, Jay Lawrence, Erwin Kalser, Edmund Trzcinski, Marie Ardell, Irene Bacha
- Directors:
- Billy Wilder
- Producers:
- Billy Wilder
- Writers:
- Billy Wilder, Edwin Blum, Donald Bevan, Edmund Trzcinski
- Studio:
- Paramount
- Genres:
- Action & Adventure, Classics, Drama
- Collections:
- 10 Films to Watch if You Like To Be or Not to Be, 12 Films of Christmas Past, Behind Bars: Visit These Essential Prison Films, Cinema Paradiso's 2023 Centenary Club: Part 1, Drama Films & TV, Films & TV by topic, Films to Watch If You Like..., Getting to Know..., Getting to Know: Burt Lancaster, Getting to Know: Denzel Washington, Holidays Film Collection, The Instant Expert's Guide, The Instant Expert's Guide to: Billy Wilder, Top 10 Best Last Films: World Cinema, Top Films, WWII Films: Beaches, Oceans and Camps
- Awards:
- BBFC:
- Release Date:
- 27/07/2015
- Run Time:
- 120 minutes
- Languages:
- English LPCM Mono
- Subtitles:
- English Hard of Hearing
- Formats:
- Pal
- Aspect Ratio:
- Full Screen 1.37:1
- Colour:
- B & W
- BLU-RAY Regions:
- B
- Bonus:
- New video interview with film scholar Neil Sinyard
- Full-length audio commentary with actors Richard Erdman and Gil Stratton and co-playwright Donald Bevan
- The Real Heroes of Stalag XVII B, a group of real-world POWs relate their experiences
- Stalag 17: From Reality to Screen, a documentary on the making of the film
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Reviews (2) of Stalag 17
Comedy Realism. - Stalag 17 review by Steve
A prisoner of war comedy which was made before there was a tradition of POW films in Hollywood. Consequently there's a voice over at the start, explaining what a Stalag was and how the camps were run. It was written by a pair of former POWs. The plot now is familiar; one of the American captives is a spy giving information to the Germans.
Billy Wilder was a great blender of genres and as well as a comedy and a war film this works as a thriller. Who is the stoolie? Most of the captured flyers think it's the aloof JJ Sefton (William Holden) who trades goods with the enemy and finagles a few luxuries for himself. To protect himself from brutal reprisal, he must find the mole.
It's a very black comedy. Some of the men die because of the leak. Wilder implies these Americans are no better than any other men would be in these circumstances, and may have something to hide. There is humour but also a degree of realism; the camp is dirty, the prisoners are half crazy.
Holden is perfect as the supercilious Sefton. Though his Oscar was a bit of a push in an ensemble part. Sefton is an antihero and nearly all the characters are morally ambiguous. The most memorable performance is by Robert Strauss as 'Animal' who gives the film comic energy. WWII was still a recent trauma, but the public bought Wilder's comic cynicism.
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Rubbish - Stalag 17 review by GV
I’m afraid we thought this film was rubbish. We made allowance for its age, but it didn’t take the situation in the POW camp seriously enough in our view. Tho we didn’t watch much of it I have to admit. Can’t think why I put It on our list.
0 out of 0 members found this review helpful.