Von Ryan's Express

Von Ryan's Express is a World War II action adventure set in Italy in 1943, as Allied forces push German troops back toward Germany. American fighter pilot Colonel Joseph L. Ryan is shot down and sent to a prisoner-of-war camp holding British and American soldiers. His willingness to cooperate with the Italian authorities to improve conditions earns him the scornful nickname "Von Ryan" among the other prisoners. When the camp falls apart and the men end up in German hands, Ryan takes command from the British officer Major Eric Fincham and organizes a mass escape by seizing a train, hoping to cross Italy and reach neutral Switzerland while German forces pursue them.

Mark Robson directed the film, the tenth of the thirteen features he made in chronological order, following The Prize and preceding Lost Command. Wendell Mayes and Joseph Landon wrote the screenplay, and Saul David produced it for 20th Century Fox and P-R Productions Picture. Frank Sinatra heads the cast as Ryan, with Trevor Howard as Fincham, and Raffaella Carrà, Brad Dexter, Sergio Fantoni and John Leyton among the twenty-two credited performers.

Made for about 6 million dollars, the film took roughly 17 million dollars worldwide. On IMDb it holds 7.1 out of 10 from around 16,000 votes, and on TMDB it also stands at 7.1 from about 253 votes, while a critics' rating of 6.9 from 21 reviews places it close to the audience scores.