The One That Got Away (1957)

60% of users liked it
(1,303 ratings)

The title character in this fact-based POW drama is Franz von Werra, played by Hardy Kruger. Shot down early in the war, Luftwaffe pilot von Werra is incarcerated in an English prison camp. He refuses to submit to camp routine, insisting that he's on the brink of escaping. After two failed attempts,… More The title character in this fact-based POW drama is Franz von Werra, played by Hardy Kruger. Shot down early in the war, Luftwaffe pilot von Werra is incarcerated in an English prison camp. He refuses to submit to camp routine, insisting that he's on the brink of escaping. After two failed attempts, von Werra is transferred to a camp in Montreal. If you want to know what happens next, take a squint at the title. If you want to know how he does it and why he gets away with it, catch the film. One That Got Away was based on a novel by Kendal Burt and James Leasor. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Rating, Runtime: R, 1 hr. 51 min.
Directed By: Roy Ward Baker
Genres: Classics, Action & Adventure

On DVD: May 13, 2008

Critic Reviews

John J. Puccio, Movie Metropolis
The film predates 'The Great Escape' but has much the same feel; it's suspenseful and exciting, one of the better British movies about the Second World War.
John J. Puccio, Movie Metropolis
...a top-notch suspense thriller, with fine acting from everyone involved but especially from Hardy Kruger, who holds it all together splendidly.
Christopher Lloyd, Sarasota Herald-Tribune
The German POW character played by Hardy Kruger is not terribly different from Steve McQueen's star-making role in The Great Escape - the dedicated escape artist who singlemindedly focuses on getting out of enemy clutches.
Shane Burridge, rec.arts.movies.reviews
Stays on its toes the whole time.