William Holden plays an American sergeant in an allied POW camp during WWII,
alongside a ragtag bunch of fellow POW's. To keep their spirits up, the men
in this camp still have a sense of camaraderie and good cheer despite their
predictament, much to the dismay of the Nazi general (Otto Preminger) and
his soldiers.
However, when two POW's in Holden's barracks attempt an escape late at
night--and, despite careful precautions, are immediately gunned down--it
becomes very obvious to Holden and the men that someone in their barracks is
working undercover as a German informant. But at first, because of his
cynical behavior, Holden himself is suspected by the men as the stoolie.
It's up to the good sergeant to clear his name with the men and flush out
the REAL stoolie....
Based on the play of the same name, "Stalag 17" is a brilliant POW
comedy/drama that still holds up wonderfully today. Everything in the film
works perfectly: the terrific script that has great laughs as well as great
drama & suspense, Billy Wilder's tight direction, and the fabulous
performances by the cast. Certainly memorable are William Holden's masterful
Oscar-winning performance as the sergeant, as well as Peter Graves, Otto
Preminger, and, supplying great comedy relief, Robert Strauss & Harvey
Lembeck as the dim-witted Animal and his little buddy, Shapiro. But the
*entire* cast are all first-rate.
"Stalag 17" is arguably the best POW film ever made. With such great acting,
writing, and directing on display, it's not too difficult to see why this
top-notch film is such a classic.
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