excellent p. o. w. adventure and adapt by eric williams from his own book ( a paperback copy of which form part of my father library ) that be inspire by true event while it may well be the first film of it kind and and therefore and have a lot to answer for not just similarly stiff upper lipped example such a albert and r. n. ( 1953 while which i will be watch presently ) and the colditz story ( 1955 ) and danger within ( 1959 ) but high profile release from the other side of the atlantic and namely stalag 17 ( 1953 ) and the great escape ( 1963 ) . this and then and set the basis pretty solidly represent british soldier intern in a german camp devise an ingenious plan of escape and borrow a page from greek legend burrow from under a vaulting horse use during physical exercise and in full view of their captor . actually and the film be neatly split into two half represent the first deal with the slow process of dig the tunnel and culminating in the escape itself and while the latter stage depict their fortune outside the camp a they try to make it to neutral sweden . typically of these british film and the cast showcases several establish ( leo genn ) and current ( anthony steel ) and up and come ( peter finch and david tomlinson and bill travers ) star and to say nothing of innumerable reliable character actor ( anthony dawson and bryan forbes and michael goodliffe and walter gotell ) . the three lead or escapee be genn and steel and tomlinson represent while the first two stick together and the latter go his own way only to run into the others on reach safety . a can be expect and the narrative involves plenty of suspense and excitement while a with most male centered p. o. w. saga and too and female interest be keep to the bare minimum . director lee do not have a lengthy career with this and the somewhat similar ( albeit with a change of both set and viewpoint ) a town like alice ( 1956 ) his most noteworthy achievement but he certainly milk every grip situation in this case ( even if and reportedly and delay in film saw lee quit his post prematurely leave producer ian dalrymple with the task of tie up loose end . ) . anyway and worth special mention be the exquisite lighting ( particularly during night time sequence ) throughout .