Director's Series: Billy Wilder's STALAG 17

In the mid-1950’s, Billy Wilder adapted 3 straight Broadway plays into films, starting with the WWII P.O.W. dramedy, STALAG 17.

If you are a fan of the hit 1960’s television series, HOGAN’S HEROES, you will no doubt see the seeds of that show in this drama/comedy that has, once again, a cynical leading performance.

STALAG 17 tells the tale of a group of soldiers secured in a German P.O.W. camp right around the time of the Battle of the Bulge. When 2 of their comrades are killed trying to escape, they know that there is a German Mole in their midst. Suspicion falls on the lone wolf, cynical black marketeer Sefton (William Holden) who must prove that someone else is the mole.

Wilder, wisely, leans heavily on the comedic side in the first half of the film, to let the audience get to know the prisoners…one of which is a traitor. We meet most of soldiers through the antics of Sgt. “Animal” Kuzawa (Robert Strauss in an Oscar nominated turn) who is the happy-go-lucky comic relief of the film. And, while Strauss’ antics (and his acting) is a bit over the top at times, it serves it’s purpose well…especially in isolating Sefton (the Holden character) who never breaks a smile and will have nothing to do with Animal’s antics.

The film gets more and more serious as it progresses through the 2nd half, focusing less and less on Animal and more and more on Sefton. Wilder never let’s up on Seften’s cynicism and contempt for his fellow prisoners and Holden, rightfully, earns his Academy Award.

Otto Preminger (known primarily as a director) and Sig Ruman (known primarily as a foil for the Marx Brothers) are the German Commandant and Sargent tasked with keeping the prisoners docile. Once again, you can see the roots of the characters that will become Colonel Klink and Sgt Schulze in the T.V. series in these 2 characters.

As for the rest of the cast, Peter Graves, Neville Brand, Harvey Lembeck, Don Taylor, Richard Erdman and William Pierson - a cornucopia of “that guy” film and tv actors from the 50’s & 60’s, comport themselves well in support of the story.

This film, once again, shows that Wilder knows how to balance comedy and drama and he does so in such a way in that - in the end - we are actually rooting for one of his cynical leading men to actually succeed.

Letter Grade: A-

8 stars (out of 10) and you can take that to the Bank(ofMarquis)