mbanak

We have a neat, well-above-average mystery here. The twists and turns are intelligible and believable. The dialog has a few too many cliches, but there is plenty of fresh, snappy talk to keep it real.

Watch for rising stars here and there. Buddy Ebsen and Broderick Crawford shine. Peter van Eyck, here playing an American Russian, will later distinguish himself as the odious "Mundt" in "The Spy Who Came In From The Cold."

Gregory Peck's character (Lt. Col. Steve Van Dyke) inspires confidence at once. You gotta like him, and the kidnapped corporal, who is perfectly polite to his girlfriend's mom, without sounding like "Eddie Haskel".

Col. Van Dyke, seeking to recover the kidnapped corporal, navigates firmly through shark infested waters, knowing when to change plans, or else when to move forward, as new betrayals and new revelations erupt upon him with time running out.

Grab a drink and a healthy snack, and go for it.

Don't make the mistake I made, putting off the enjoyment of this great classic for so long. Years ago, I recall my mother shouting at the screen in the living room, as the breath-taking climax unfolded. Wish I had carved out the time to watch it with her. I am especially surprised to discover that so very much of this film was lifted right into the comedy series, Hogan's Heroes, and even Sergeant Bilko. Many scenes, shots, characters and situations were imported directly from this great film. But this is not a comedy film. A few good laughs emerge over the antics of POWs coping with loneliness, isolation and boredom. A set of barracks, across the camp, occupied by Russian women, seems to be there just to drive the American POWs crazy. And It seems to work, to a certain extent. This edge-of-your-seat drama is loaded with such incidence. There is a ticking time bomb in the barracks, scheduled for detonation once the Nazi informant is exposed.

As the film unfolds, have fun trying to resolve the identity of the squealer in the barracks. I was wrong in my guess. The pathos of these forgotten men often distracted me.

Having seen William Holden in roles more genteel than the grubby hustler he portrays here, I hardly recognized him. And Peter Graves is so young, his every move commands respect, confidence, often looking like Joseph Cotton. Harvey Lembeck launches from here to Sergeant Bilko effortlessly, with virtually the same fun character.

Hard to believe that two legendary comedies drew direct inspiration from a film so realistic and compelling. Perhaps those TV shows are best seen as a way to poke a finger in the eye of the treacherous Nazis. Let this film inform you, and fill your lungs with air at its unforgettable conclusion.