THE WOODEN HORSE

UK, 1950, 100 minutes, black and white.
Leo Genn, Anthony Steel, David Tomlinson, David Greene, Peter Burton, Michael Goodliffe, Anthony Dawson, Bryan Forbes, Peter Finch, Bill Travers.
Directed by Jack Lee.

The Wooden Horse is from a screenplay by the writer of the original book, Eric Williams. The film serves as a memoir of British prisoners of war in the German camps as well as a tribute to their enterprise.

The film shows the picture of the concentration camp, seven years after the events portrayed. Later British films, including The Colditz Story, made the picture of the camps more familiar to world audiences.

Leo Genn leads a number of British actors, some at the beginning of their successful careers, including cameo by Peter Finch as an Australian prisoner. The focus is also on Anthony Steel and David Tomlinson as the two men who escaped with Leo Genn.

The first part of the film shows the building of the horse, the men doing the exercise, the digging of the tunnel and the disposal of the sand. The second part of the film shows the three in their escape, train rides, difficulties with language, finding accommodation, tracking down Swedish sailors for passage to Sweden, the help of the French, the final voyage through Denmark and success.

1. A film of its time? The perennial interest? Troops, capture, prisoner of war camps, desire for escape? The Commandants and guards?

2. The memory of the war, this film only seven years after the events? The spirit of these films in post-war England? Tributes? Morale-boosting?

3. The strong British cast, many on the verge of their significant careers?

4. The picture of the camp, the grounds, the wires, the guard towers? The prisoners, bunks, showers, washing? The parades?

5. The men, officers and privates, together in the camp, the official British leader, the committee for examining escape plans? Collaboration amongst the men? The attempts to escape, some being found out, the roof collapsing with the dirt?

6. The idea of the wooden horse, getting material, building, permissions, letting the Germans see that it was empty, including the polls for lifting, the bags for the sand?

7. Peter, his age and experience, the voice-over, the men waking and getting up, especially the noisy man, human, airman, leader, friendship with John, with the officials, the committee and the presentation? Philip and his part in the plan? John, younger, the desire for escape?

8. Taking out the wooden horse, the men and jumping over it,the plan with Phillip to knock it over, the Germans not suspecting? The weariness of the men? Their persevering, the man with the injured leg?

9. The digging of the tunnel, the sand and the dirt, the men carrying out the horse, carrying the mena and the dirt back, hiding the dirt on the roof?

10. Some tensions, the soldier angry about the cooking? The tunnel, the hole and the injured man lying on it, the bandaging, filling up the hole?

11. The plan for leaving, clothes, blackmailing the German guard for documents, the leader with the money, the complaining soldier also giving money?

12. The timing, the escape, the three going into the woods? In the town, John speaking German, and Peter not? Buying the tickets, last-minute getting on
the train?

13. Arriving in Lubeck, finding accommodation, the hotel and the manager, the Germans and their enquiries? Trying to find the Swedish sailors? The meetings with the French? The discussions, the help, keeping to the flat? The man following and their dividing – and the irony that he was from the French? Testing out Peter’s authenticity and that he was not a spy?

14. Desperate, the thought to go to Danzig, John and Peter quarrelling? The French connection, going to the wharf, on the boat, the friendly captain, the food, hiding them from the Germans? Onto the fishing boat in Denmark? The fishing village in getting to Sweden?

15. In Sweden, neutral, the meal, the Germans – and the final image of challenge to the Germans?