Von Ryan's Express (1965)

Frank Sinatra is one of my favorite movie stars,not music star,movie star.i had the regular dvd for some time and have watched it several times over the years.the blu-ray version i just watched enhanced the viewing pleasure with a more crisp picture and sound.this movie has been waiting for the blu-ray reissue and it delivers.

This flick is a little known suspenseful WW II action movie from the 60's. I would say it ranks below the two greatest classic WW 2 prisoner of war films, "The Great Escape"and "Bridge On The River Kwai", but It's still one of the very best of the genre and my absolute favorite film starring Frank Sinatra. Within a minute after his entrance to the film, you'll forget he was ever a singer and completely accept him as a brash P-38 fighter pilot., ,

The plot moves quickly and the suspense and action don't let up. I purchased the DVD years ago and the Blu ray is definitely worth the upgrade in picture and audio performance if you have a high def flat screen. Highly recommended.

Buy Von Ryan's Express (1965) Now

I am comparing the Blu-Ray and DVD version, and sadly the quality in Blu-ray is slightly better than DVD version. Was expecting better quality.

Read Best Reviews of Von Ryan's Express (1965) Here

Unfortunately, this Blu-Ray release appears to be an un-restored transfer. The color balance is off in many places (bright yellow-greens and purples in places where it should be white or brown). My guess that there either wasn't a good dup negative, or they just didn't bother to find one.

I gave it 3 stars for the content of this good WWII movie, but the technical rating is no more than 2 stars. It's surprising that with Frank Sinatra and Trevor Howard, that Fox didn't bother to do this film right as it should be.

Want Von Ryan's Express (1965) Discount?

Set in Italy during World War II, Von Ryan's Express (1965) is pure `escapist' entertainment, as a group of liberated Allied POW's, commandeer a train, and attempt to sneak into Switzerland, before the German army discovers the truth and destroys them. While reality is stretched quite far, and it takes some time to build momentum, the film is quite exciting and dramatic, features some rather impressive battle scenes, and memorable ending, that reflects both triumph and tragedy.

Frank Sinatra stars as Colonel Joseph Ryan, an American fighter pilot who is shot down and taken to a POW camp, where as the ranking officer, he takes over command of a group of predominantly British prisoners. Sinatra had just finished another WW II drama, "None But The Brave (1965)" a film set on an island in the pacific, which was the only film that Sinatra ever directed.

Ryan's attitude is radically different from the English, as he looks to improve conditions for the men, and takes a dim view of escape. Seen as a sellout, the American is given the name "von Ryan" by Major Eric Fincham (Trevor Howard), the commander of the British contingent. Things change dramatically when Italy capitulates, and the Italian soldiers guarding the prisoners vanish. The British soldiers want to kill Major Battaglia (Adolfo Celli, Thunderball) the camp commander, but Ryan intercedes and spares his life, and act that will soon have dire consequences.

The prisoners leave the camp, but are soon captured by the German army, and put aboard a train bound for Germany. In a daring escape, the prisoners kill most of the German soldiers, take over the train, and then attempt to take the train through a series of checkpoints to the Swiss border. On the journey, there are a number of close calls, tense moments, and a tragic decision by Ryan.

Von Ryan's Express was based on a book of the same name, written by David Westheimer, an American flier who was actually held prisoner in the famous Stalag Luft III, the POW camp featured in The Great Escape (1963). Westheimer's original screenplay, was revised to create a more action oriented adventure tailored to suit Frank Sinatra's personality. The film's downbeat ending was something that Sinatra insisted on.

The Bluray contains the same bonus content from the two disc special edition released in 2007. This includes a commentary track, a featurette on legendary composer Jerry Goldsmith, trailers, TV spots and a still gallery. Featuring one of Frank Sinatra's stronger performances, Von Ryan's Express is a classic example of 60's moviemaking that takes you on a tense and thrilling ride, and leaves you breathless and stunned at the finish. The film has a strong international supporting cast that includes Edward Mulhare (The Ghost and Mrs. Muir), Raffaela Cara, Sergio Fantoni, Wolfgang Preis, and Vitto Scotti.

Save 44% Off