The Germans believed that no man could escape from Colditz Castle, set as it was in the heart of the Reich, 400 miles from any neutral frontier. This film, based on Pat Reid's epic novel, tells the story of how the British, French, Dutch and Polish prisoners of war who were incarcerated in Colditz set out to prove their captors wrong.
Direction
Guy Hamilton's debut — later directed four Bond films
Production
Shot at Colditz itself, POW consultants on set
Acting
John Mills embodies unflappable British resolve
Director
Guy Hamilton
John Mills
Pat Reid
Eric Portman
Colonel Richmond
Frederick Valk
Kommandant
Denis Shaw
Priem
Lionel Jeffries
Harry Tyler
Christopher Rhodes
'Mac' McGill
Richard Wattis
Richard Gordon
Ian Carmichael
Robin Cartwright
Bryan Forbes
Jimmy Winslow
Theodore Bikel
Vandy
Eugene Deckers
La Tour
Anton Diffring
Hauptmann Fischer
Guido Lorraine
Polish officer
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
The real Pat Reid served as technical advisor and makes a cameo as a prisoner.
This film created the popular 'Colditz myth' that downplayed Soviet POW experiences in favor of Allied heroics.
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