Review of Stalag 17 (1953) by Mark B — 22 Jun 2010

It's easy to see why this World War II movie was so well received upon its release. It's a rarity among war films in that all of the action takes place inside the walls of a POW camp. There are numerous engaging characters presented by a fine cast of talented actors. The dialog is smartly written with a fair share of comedy and intrigue, and a realistic dose of violence.

I thought the film gave away the main twist too early. I also felt that some of the characters, specifically POWs Shapiro and Kasava, played by Harvey Lembeck and Robert Strauss respectively, were overdone, and bordered on being annoying. And that mail man. Don't get me started on him. One mail call was all I needed of that screeching, mind numbing voice. In 1953, such characters obviously struck a positive chord with the audience, but not so much with me. William Holden and a barely recognizable Peter Graves are, on the other hand, excellent in their primary roles.

Led by one of the Hollywood's best, director Billy Wilder, this is a quality production that will not disappoint. I did not, however, regard it in the upper stratosphere of movie making like many others.