The One That Got Away

I have always enjoyed older B&W British flicks,from "Odd Man Out" to "The Quatermass Xperiment",and this one did not disappoint. Neither did Hardy Kruger,forever one of my favorite actors. He is in every scene and he carries the movie with style. It is refreshing and surprising,considering the war was not far behind when this was made,to see the Luftwaffe pilot protagonist portrayed in a sympathetic light. You will root for him every time he makes a get away. As a student of history,I enjoyed that it was fact-based,as well. I highly recommend this one.

Flying, intrigue, and a true story, plus Hardy Krueger's tough and inflappable self-assurance make it a good addition to the WWII B&W cinema collection.

This is a WWII story for adults. No one dies in this movie. In fact, I cannot recall a single bullet being fired in the whole movie. If you're looking for just an action movie, this isn't for you. The story itself is what is so great. This movie is the true story of the escape of Franz von Werra, the only German pilot prisoner of war to escape from captivity. Based on the internet research that I've been able to do, the movie is a very factual account of von Werra's efforts. You really do wind up rooting for the "bad guy" in this movie. The movie is black and white. Also, there is no musical soundtrack, but you don't miss it. The one strange part about the movie is that when you turn on the English subtitles so you can know what the German prisoners are saying to each other, the movie shows English subtitles for the British soldiers speaking English too.

This is one of those movies that make you realize there was more than just one side in WWII.Hardy Krueger plays an excellent role. Remember him from "The Flight of the Phoenix," with Jimmy Stewart? Unlike his character in that movie, he plays a much more flamboyant figure in "The One That Got Away."In an age where Hollywood glorifies Americans as being the only independent & courageous people on the planet, it is nice to see a little redress. Except for "Letters From Iwo Jima," I can't think of another movie that reminds us there are always men on the other side who fight & die for their country.That brings us to the crux of the matter: Hollywood. Neither "The Boat," originally released as "Das Boot," or "The One That Got Away" was produced in America. If you want a fresh perspective on events - past and present - try looking at foreign made films.Another reason to recommend this movie: There are no politics involved; simply the drama of one man's ordeal. Considering it was made in 1957 that is something!The B&W in which it is shot also adds a sense of life & death drama - which it is. If you like movies that are true-to-life (as opposed to make-believe), or you enjoyed "The Boat" with Jurgen Prochnow, then this is one you will enjoy seeing.I would love too see a remake - although not by Hollywood!

THE ONE THAT GOT AWAY is an excellent and enthralling film recounting the story of the only German POW who successfully escaped British containment during World War II and returned to Germany. Starring a youngish Hardy Kruger, the film recounts the story of Luftwaffe ace, Franz von Werra, whose derring-do is excitingly portrayed by a stellar English cast. THE ONE THAT GOT AWAY is part of an ongoing series of fine and well-made English films that VCI Entertainment is releasing. Let me also call attention to THE MALTA STORY, with Sir Alec Guinness, and director Carol Reed's masterpiece, THE WAY AHEAD---a true treasue trove of fine films worth investigating. Highly recommended.

My biggest complaint is with Hardy Kruger's acting, which I found quite mediocre. Right from the start, his portrayal of a German officer who looked and behaved like a 1950s teddy boy turned me off. The directing, permitting long pauses of inaction, was also substandard.

I liked when the POW crossed the St. Lawrence and landed in Ogdenburg, USA.The border patrol agent should have said, Ogdenburg, NY , because the POW crossed the US border at Ogdenburg,NY .Hardy Krueger did a great job acting, nobody could play that part but him. From start to finish, this movie was great.Ever been to Ogdenburg NY ? I went up there once, I went on a fishing trip near Ogdenburg . Its close to Fort Drum. Its right above the Adirondacks and the winters are brutal. Our winter troops are trained at Fort Drum because its probably the worst conditions they'll ever face.

This is an excellent War movie starring Hardy Krüger as a German Flight Officer who was shot down over England in 1940 and tried numerous times to escape which is based on a true story of Oberleutnant Franz von Werra. This movie is presented in Widescreen, B&W and runs for about 106mins (1hr 46mins). This movie also stars; Colin Gordon, Michael Goodliffe, Terence Alexander, Jack Gwillim, Alec McCowen, plus others! Overall this an excellent movie and I would recommend this to anyone or anyone interested in War films.

From the classic Rank period of post-war film making, a rare B/W film that has a German as the central 'hero' figure. Even although the principal character (Hardy Kruger playing Von Werra) in a born German, his accent comically sounded in production like a British actor attempting one and some of the production effects were REALLY wooden (literally), that the story did start to tire. However the film did faithfully follow the book upon which it was based, and in terms of escape attempts, he certainly competes with the best of British efforts - he would have definitely been sent to the Colditz 'bad boys' camp. Instead he was sent to Canada and escaped over the river to USA, who were neutral at the time (pre- Dec '41). Marked down for the wooden acting and sets, but typical of the Rank films made in that era.

It is one of those films based on a true story. This situation really happened. It is a very unusual war movie and not shown all that often on tv. If you like to see the conflict of that era in a different context, then buy this movie. It is well acted and shows hardship, courage and the various problems of being held captive and idea of how to escape if so trapped. Good story to watch. Excellent product. Thanks

I have always loved this film ever since my father took me and 5 other small boys to see it in 1957. The quality of the film reproduction is an improvement on the DVD release and Hardy Kruger is perfect as "The One That Got Away". Lastly I had not realised previously that he was a German POW and had escaped on 3 occasions.

I remember the MGM DVD being good and this Blu-ray has excellent picture and sound quality!

This is a true story and is beautifully acted, what a story this is a MUST SEE.