Trademark Billy Wilder.

Rating: 9/10 (23 September 1999)

William Holden won an academy award for his portrayal of a cynical Army Air Force sergeant who is cooped up with a whole bunch of other Army Air Force Sergeants in a German POW camp. This Billy Wilder classic has both moments of drama and humor which was a Wilder trademark along with witty dialog.

Things haven't been going quite right in Holdens barracks. The Germans seem to know everything that the POW's try to do to escape, relay information etc. The barracks head honcho and his right-hand men believe a stoolie is among them and the entrepreneurial Holden is suspect number one. A collection of fine character actors to include Harvey Lembeck, Neville Brand and Robert Strauss (who was nominated for an Oscar in this picture) make up the gang. A young Peter Graves co-stars along with Otto Preminger as the camp commandant.