The Password Is Courage

Not just very much like The Great Escape - both films shared prisoners using the same techniques for obtaining materials, tunneling, disposal of dirt from the tunnel, hiding the tunnel entrance under stoves & the same slight issue with the tunnel exit.

I'd not seen this Borgarde film before TCM aired it, so it was startling how many plot similarities it shared with it's much more well known compatriot - I understand that both were in production around the same time (though Courage came out first), so neither were remakes of the other, but whether both referenced the same source material (Courage was apparently derived from the memoirs of Sgt Major Charles Coward), I'm not sure.

A side note: Anyone familiar with railways in England in the 60's will quickly notice that all the railway scenes in Courage, while supposed to be in continental Europe, were clearly filmed in England with a few cosmetic tweaks (German signage, smoke deflectors on the steam locomotives) to try to disguise things. The film also originally had a sequence representing events at Auschwitz, that was pulled at some point - presumably for being too dark a subject matter. You can still tell where this sequence was intended to be, as a narrative piece alludes to it, but the film immediately moves on.

Updated review: I just read the book by the same name. The film tells about 40% of the book, and differ's significantly with Mr. Cowards escape. I originally rated this film an 8 of 10 but after reading the book I'm downgrading it to a 6. Coward was sent to a camp near Auschwitz and almost half the book deals with his time there. He discovered there was a British Officer of Jewish blood who was put in the death camp, and Coward managed to swap places with a Jew inside Auschwitz to try to rescue this British POW from certain death! If you can imagine the courage that feat alone took you get the idea of a man who lived as if he had nothing to lose, almost inviting death to take him throughout his 7 escapes (yes 7 times he crossed the "wire"). The film on reflection is quite shallow in it's telling of Mr. Cowards story. Because of his night inside Auschwitz, he was later to become a key witness in repatriation trials against the German firms that used slave labor. Perhaps because of the time this film was made (early 60's) with the cold war in it's full intensity, and the West embracing our now West German ally; and the fact that Mr. Cowards tale of Auschwitz may have be well known with the press coverage of trials he was a witness in, the film took a lightharded look at the book. On it's own it is an entertaining film to watch, but now in balance after reading the book (which itself wasn't the best written, but just the incredible story itself is riveting), it's a shame that a more wasn't put into the film than the "Hogans Heroes" treatment this film got. I really hope they remake this film and have the whole story inside, about the time Coward killed his oppressive Guard with an overdose, about the Polish Underground Army and the TNT that was smuggled into Auschwitz to blow up the incinerators and factory by the Jews, about the hooker that Coward tried to pay for to seek shelter for the night but instead took him to the police, about the time Coward stumbled into a V1 research plant and how he got that info to the British at home, I mean NONE of that is in the film and it's just an incredible story. Following is my original review before reading the book: I have seen the Great Escape at least a half dozen times, and its a "Guy Movie" Icon. I even watched it one time on TNT, and it was like over 3 hours long with the commercials, just to see Steve Mcqueen jump the barb wire (wanted to see if I could tell when the stuntman was in I guess). Anyway I watch it that long and they actually cut that scene out! Boy was I p.o.'d, but it shows you how I loved that movie. I just watch "Password is Courage" and it was a real treat! I found it a very entertaining movie and I loved seeing Bogarde, he was awesome. I did laugh out loud a couple of times at this and it had to be a partial inspiration for the TV show "Hogans Heroes". Some of these reviewers, to me, don't seem to realize that Great Escape and this movie are both based on the same "true" event so that's why they are both similar, LOL! It isn't that one or the other is a copy! Also, the character of SGT Major Coward is a REAL person! He is listed right there on the opening credits as a technical adviser! I did a very limited amount of research after watching this movie because if HALF of this movie is actually true, Mr Coward has some real big brass ones! What did I find out in just 5 minutes of a Google search? Mr Coward saved 400-800 Jews from death at Auschwitz! I just ordered the book by the same name to read more about a truly brave and blessed man, Charles Coward. And to the people that find the prisoners having a good attitude hard to swallow, thats one reason why escapes were organized and are still taught to the US military; so you don't grow into despair! Plus since Mr. Coward himself was technical adviser I'm gonna take his word that most of this actually happened. See it, and than you'll probably want to know more about this man's story!

This rarely seen film was presented on cable recently. In a way, this is a story that has been done before. The best thing about it is how well the copy that was shown has been kept. The black and white photography of David Boulton still looks fresh. Andrew L. Stone adapted the material as well as directed it.

Most comments seem to be divided as to this version being a carbon copy of "The Great Escape", or "Hogan Heroes", in a way, it kept reminding us of "Stalag 17", which was the basis for the television series. While the movie is not up to the above mentioned models, it shows a more realistic approach to the insanity of war and the humor the British prisoners brought to their predicament.

One thing comes clear, Dirk Bogarde was brilliant in his portrayal of Sgt. Maj. Charles Coward, a man that played a game of cat and mouse with his Nazi captors. Coward seemed to know how to escape from the Germans, only to end up being taken prisoner again, and again. He even finds love with a partisan girl during the time of war!

The film was obviously shot is England. Evidently, this was a low budget effort, and it shows. Had it been a Hollywood production, it would have been blown out of proportion, but what we really enjoy from "The Password is Courage" is the bonding one watches among all the prisoners.

I saw the movie back in the early '60s and really enjoyed it. I thought, when Hogan's Heros came out that they had based the series on this movie. I really didn't even think of TGE. It is great entertainment and good for some laughs and clean fun. A rare thing these days in movies. The fact that it was based on a true story makes it even better as far as I am concerned. One of the other reviewers says, the film isn't quite sure whether it should be serious or not. Perhaps it is supposed to be both. The fact that it tells a true story is great and that some fun could be had in the midst of all the war surely helped pass the time and elevate the spirits of the prisoners. One of the other reviewers noted that "The village scenes are quite obviously filmed in England" with little attempt to disguise any telltale signs. Probably very true - I go to the cinema to be entertained not to be critical of the movie. As a non-Brit I wouldn't be able to know about the carriages etc so it would not affect my appreciation of the film as it did his. Since it was such a long time ago I would very much like to view the film again. If any one knows where I can get a copy of it please let me know. Thanks. kansaskat33@yahoo.com

Of course this movie is being often compared to "The Great Escape". The similarities between the story lines are striking and some of the sequences are almost exactly the same. Only keep in mind that this movie was actually released a year before the great escape and this movie its story is based on the real events as lived by Charles Coward, who also served as a consultant for this movie, while "The Great Escape" is based on a totally other true story.

The movie is not an heavy confronting WW II POW movie. Instead its more of a comedy at times with almost slapstick like events and characters. It does make the movie a bit unbalanced and silly to watch but for me it also made the movie very light and easy. I'm not really sure though what for a movie this was supposed to be; A comedy or a drama. It's too incoherent and unbalanced to really say.

The movie is obviously low-budget but they used some creative solutions to hide this, in the movie.

The main character is really fascinating. He is being played by Dirk Bogarde, who of course is always a pleasure to see as the main lead, regardless of the role he plays. The rest of the characters are a bit muddled in and simply not interesting enough. The movie also changes often of setting with as a result that new characters get introduced and old ones abandoned.

All in all its not a terribly memorable movie and certainly no classic. The movie is too incoherent for that and the most of the character too uninteresting. Nevertheless this is a great movie to kill some time with. Nothing heavy, just some good old fashioned light-entertainment, with some good moments. Worth seeing if you get the chance.

7/10

http://bobafett1138.blogspot.com/