Home / The Colditz Story

The Colditz Story

Year:

1955

Duration:

94 min

Genres:

Drama | History | War

IMDB rate:

Director:

Guy Hamilton

Awards:

Nominated for 2 BAFTA Film Awards.

Details

Country: UK

Release Date: 1955-02-26

Filming Locations: Colditz Castle, Saxony, Germany

Cast

Actor

Character

Anton Diffring

John Mills

Pat Reid

Christopher Rhodes

'Mac' McGill (in opening credits) (as Chistopher Rhodes)

Lionel Jeffries

Harry Tyler

Bryan Forbes

Jimmy Winslow

Guido Lorraine

Polish Officer

Witold Sikorski

Polish Officer

A. Blichewicz

Polish Officer

B. Dolinski

Polish Officer

Richard Wattis

Richard Gordon

Ian Carmichael

Robin Cartwright

Eric Portman

Colonel Richmond

Frederick Valk

Kommandant

Leo Bieber

German Interpreter

Denis Shaw

Priem

Rudolph Offenbach

Dutch Colonel

Theodore Bikel

Vandy

Keith Pyott

French Colonel

Eugene Deckers

La Tour

Arthur Butcher

Polish Colonel

David Yates

Dick

Douglas Argent

British Officer

Terence Brook

British Officer

Frank Coburn

British Officer

Eric Corrie

British Officer

John Corrie

British Officer

Anthony Faramus

British Officer

Eric Lander

British Officer

Kenneth Midwood

British Officer

Peter Myers

British Officer

Claude Le Saché

French Interpreter (as Claud Le Sache)

Zygmunt Rewkowski

Polish Interpreter

Carl Duering

German Officer

Ludwik Lawinski

Franz Josef

Peter Swanwick

Lutyens (as Peter Swannick)

John G. Heller

German Guard (as John Heller)

Jean Driant

French Orderly

Jean Bacon

French Orderly

Frederick Schiller

German Soldier

Guy Deghy

German Soldier

Arthur Mullard

Prisoner of War (uncredited)

Oscar Quitak

Prisoner of War (uncredited)

Did you know?

Trivia

P.R. Reid wrote three books on Colditz: "The Colditz Story" (1952) and "The Latter Days at Colditz" (1953). The earlier book, based largely on Reid's own experiences, was the basis for the film. In 1984, Reid also published "Colditz: The Full Story," a less personal and more thoroughly researched account of Colditz during WWII.

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According to the film's epilogue, Lt. Col. Airey Neave, D.S.O.,OBE.,MC., made the 1st British Home Run in January 1942.

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The song sung by the POWs in the theatrical revue towards the film's end, "I Belong to Colditz", is a parody of one of Will Fyffe's signature songs, "I Belong to Glasgow." The sequence also parodies Flanagan and Allen's double-act, including the song, "Underneath the Arches" [Refer - Bud Flanagan and Chesney Allen].

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Goofs

According to the calendar on the Kommandant's desk during his interview with Colonel Richmond about moving the Polish prisoner, the date is "Dienstag Oktober 4" (Tuesday October 4). October 4 did not fall on a Tuesday at all during WW2, although it did in 1955, the year of the film's release.

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Christopher Rhodes is listed as "Chistopher Rhodes" in the opening credits.

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Quotes

Fischer: There is too much noise!

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Colonel Richmond: [watching a particularly rough game in the excercise yard] Who was it said our ancestors were apes?

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Colonel Richmond: [discussing the death of Mac] We had a talk. I did the talking mostly. I was very unpleasant to him. I told him straight that he was too big. I told him every sentry in the camp was gunning for him - that he hadn't a hope of getting past the guards, and he agreed. I recommended him to think of standing down. There the discussion ended.

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