Stalag 17 (1953) (BD) [Blu-ray]

"Did they beat you?" asked the Red Cross Man."I was playing Pinochle," Sefton replied. "It's a rough game."ESSENTIAL MOVIE!!! Stalag 17 stars William Holden & is directed by the great Billy Wilder (nominated for Best Director), who also produced & co-wrote the script. Nominated for three Academy Awards & winner of one, Stalag 17 tells the gripping story of a P.O.W. camp during late WWII. Though a drama, Stalag 17 offers many comedic moments that out does many so called comedies.Sefton (William Holden, winner of the Best Actor Academy Award) is a hustler extraordinaire, trading with the Germans for special favors. He's one of the most unpopular men (& a very unsympathetic character, no less) in Stalag 17. Everything has an angle & the bottom line is his profit. This so rules his life that only Cookie (Gil Stratton) will tolerate him. Cookie is Sefton's assistant & lackey in his profit making schemes.Stalag 17 is full of dynamic characters. Col. Von Scherbach (Otto Preminger) is the camp kommandant, ruthless & uncaring. His scenes are some of the highlights of the movie. His acting (remember, he was really a director) is so over the top that they become quite humorous. The scene where he is addressing the prisoners in the compound is classic, he eases his coat open with his arms, places his arms on his hips, all the while condescending. The scene where he calls his superiors in Berlin is classi, also. He's in full uniform except for his boots, pacing in white socks, finally, he sits, his servant assists him in putting on his jack-boots, he places the call to Berlin, clicks his heels together multiple times during the call, then when the call is completed Von Scherbach has his servant remove the boots. Classic Billy Wilder!The show stealer is Animal (Robert Strauss, nominated for Best Supporting Actor), a not-too-bright sergeant who's not very good looking either. He has a crush on Betty Grable that figures prominently in a scene later in the movie. Harry Shapiro (Harvey Lembeck) is his buddy, their scenes are some of the funniest in the movie. Near the end, when the Betty Grable angle comes in, has Animal & Shapiro dancing together (along with all the other men in the barracks), Animal is confessing his love to Shapiro, who Animal thinks is Grable. This was a very daring scene for 1950, a scene that Hollywood censors did not want in the movie.Hoffy (Richard Erdman) is the barracks chief for the Americans. Erdman had done mostly comedies up to this point in his career, this is a rare "straight" role for him.The story is basically this: Sefton is the hustler & trades too much with the Germans, the P.O.W.s don't like him. An escape attempt is made by two Americans & they are shot outside the compound. There's a stoolie in the barracks but no one knows who, since Sefton is so despicable he's the one that gets blamed. Of course they're wrong. In one of Hollywood's best scenes of retribution Sefton comes out on top & becomes a hero, albeit an unsavory one.The film has Neville Brand (Duke), Don Taylor (Lt. Dunbar), Peter Graves (Price, a pivotal role) & Sig Rugman as Sgt. Schulz (might have been Rugman's best role). If some of this sounds familiar it's very possible, the television sitcom, Hogan's Heroes, was based on this movie.The film is beautifully restored & there are bonus features; "Stalag 17: From Reality to Screen" & "The Real Heroes of Stalag XVIIB". The latter has interviews with veterans that had been imprisoned at Stalag 17. It's a very moving featurette. There's also a commentary soundtrack in the film, photo gallery * movie trailer. This is one of Hollywood's greatest efforts.

An all time favorite prisoner of war movie!

Great WWII POW movie from the golden age of cinema. Amazon product details shows the DVD media format is widescreen. The DVD is actually full-screen format (back of the DVD case shows "4:3 Full Screen Format"). Trailers and clips of Stalag 17 on YouTube and IMDB were all in full screen, so it seems that the movie was not filmed in widescreen format. IMDB technical details for Stalag 17 shows aspect ratio of 1.37:1 (4:3), not widescreen. Be advised that the this Stalag 17 DVD feature is in full screen (4:3) media format, but still a great movie.

This Performance by William Holden is spectacular. It's witty, heartwarming, and gives the good-feels for American grit and determination! A favorite for all times!

Tagline: "Hilarious, heart-tugging! You'll laugh...you'll cry...you'll cheer! William Holden in his great Academy Award role!" This outstanding WW II movie is considered, along with "The Great Escape" and "The Bridge on the River Kwai" (also starring William Holden), among the greatest World War II Prisoner of War films. Holden, who actually turned down this role, but was forced to take it because he was under contract to Paramount, stars as Sgt J.J. Sefton, whose amoral cynicism and gift for the cheap hustle allow him to feather his nest even while a prisoner of war. As the story opens, It is a dreary Christmas 1944 for the American POWs in Stalag 17. The men in Barracks 4, all sergeants, have to deal with a grave problem - there seems to be a security leak. The Germans always seem to be forewarned about escapes and in the most recent attempt, two POWs walked straight into a trap and were killed. For some in Barracks 4, the leaker is obviously Sefton, But is Sefton really the stoolie? If you've never seen this film and are unaware of the story, you might be surprised. In addition to Holden, look for a fine ensemble support cast that includes standout performances by Robert Strauss, Harvey Lembeck, Peter Graves, Neville Brand, Sig Ruman, and Otto Preminger - not as the director, but as the camp commandant. Billy Wilder - one of the most versatile of all directors - does a masterful job behind the camera. As the tagline states, this is a comedy as well as being as serious WW II POW drama; and you will see several plot-points and characters that remind you of the TV sitcom, "Hogan's Heroes"...including Sgt Schulz.

Terrific film, a black and white ww2 film set in a German run POW camp with great performances all round. The disc itself from Masters of Cinema is top quality and it’s great that the old films are being released on Blu-Ray for serous film lovers. Picture quality is 4.5 out of 5.0. Sound 4.0 out of 5.0.Good bonus features such as a commentary, video interview, making of, documentary on the real life POW’S and a 28 page booklet.If you like war related films, this is a good one.

Stalag 17 is another great film from Billy Wilder who juggles humour, suspense and tragedy in the way only he can. Set in a second world war German prison camp, Stalag 17 pitches a number of prisoner US sergeants against one another as they attempt to expose a 'stool pigeon' within their midst, whose informing to the prison authorities results in the shooting of two escaping prisoners.The film casts William Holden in the lead role as the suspected stool, and he delivers a tremendous (indeed, Oscar-winning) performance as Sefton. Not quite to the standard of his performance in Wilder's earlier (and superior) classic Sunset Boulevard, but top-rate nevertheless. Also worthy of mention are Robert Strauss as the eccentric, Betty Grable-obsessed 'Animal' (who was also Oscar-nominated in the supporting role), Don Taylor as Dunbar, Peter (Mission Impossible) Graves as the stool pigeon Price, and the director-turned-actor Otto Preminger as Oberst von Scherbach.The film is actually quite a slow burner, with the initial stages focusing on the comedic elements. But it is in the latter stages when the film plot moves to the uncovering of the informer that Wilder really works his magic, with a gradual build-up of tension and some great camera work and plot devices in the unveiling of Price.Whilst, for me, Stalag 17 is not quite up with Sunset Boulevard, Some Like It Hot, The Appartment and Double Indemnity as Wilder's finest, it is a thoroughly enjoyable film and one that has many elements to commend it.

this has to be one of the all time classic war films for me,from script to actimg it's brilliant throughtout.this isn't just a war based film it's thriller with a comical edge to it that has you gripped to the seat from start to finish.If you haven't seen this film before then i am extremely jealous of you as wish i could see this again for the first time!!!!!!if you have no problem watching in black and white then your in for a treat this is a little gem.not going to bore you with the content of the film and tell you half of the plot like some other reviewers so buy the damn thing!

Stalag17..... Billy Wilder at his best...….William Holden at his Oscar wining best......Comedy, Heartache and Sorrow with a little Action thrown in...…Lovely!!

Brilliant b&w traditional WW2 pow film. Superb acting all round, tense but with also some hilarious tension breaking moments, this is a superb classic “must watch” film.