Aug 11, 2011 harry melchior heino ferch, an east german swimming champion, defects to the west in 1961, the year of the wall, but his beloved sister and her family are left behind. It shows even the most passive people will rebel under those conditions when given an oppurtunity. Escape from east berlin 1962 stream and watch online. Kurt schroeder is a chauffeur, the young east berliner who gets the idea of digging a tunnel underneath the berlin wall. Tells the story of east siders attempts to escape to free market west berlin. In january of 1962, 29 east berliners escaped to west berlin via a tunnel they had dug beneath the berlin wall, led by erwin becker, a chauffeur in the car pool of the east germany parliament, who served as technical adviser on this film. West berlin students have dug a tunnel to east berlin at bernauer strasse. Christine kaufmann is excellent as the innocent girl erika and don murray pulls off the ladies man kurt who makes the family plan of escape possible. The story of the most successful tunnel escape in the history. Escape from east berlin 1962 the movie database tmdb. Man who fled east germany in a homemade balloon and whose.
The films sets were designed by the art director dieter bartels and ted haworth. Made in 1962, right after the berlin wall was built. Aided by 26 family members and neighbors who also wish to defect, kurt tunnels under the wall, unaware that erikas parents have betrayed them and that armed troops are about to move in. Escape from east berlin is a 1962 americanwest german thriller film directed by robert siodmak and starring don murray, christine kaufmann and werner klemperer. Submit data corrections for escape from east berlin robert siodmak on allmovie allmovie. The plot to accomplish this was carried out over a period of one and a half years, including an unsuccessful attempt, three different balloons. The story of the 29 escapees, led by erwin becker, a chauffeur in the car pool of the east german parliament and technical adviser on this film, was still very fresh when the film. Aug 17, 2011 10 of the best films set in berlin berlin has been the backdrop and even the star in movies from cold war spy thrillers to dramas about the collapse of east germany. Director robert siodmaks 1962 film, inspired by true events, is about an east berlin resident who attempts to escape to west berlin with his family and girlfriend through a secret underground tunnel. Although robert siodmak didnt care much for escape from east berlin, which he described as an exercise in tedious liberalism, it is easy to imagine some personal investment. Aug 18, 2007 6 parts videos of escapes from gdr in berlin. Night crossing is a 1982 britishamerican drama film starring john hurt, jane alexander and beau bridges. This is how his best friend managed to escape from east to west berlin. Escape from east berlin tunnel 28 photos view all photos 1 movie info.
The performances are very good especially john hurt who gives a. Escape from east berlin 1962 directed by robert siodmak. The story of the most successful tunnel escape in the. The camerawork is fine, and the music score a little overdramatic but serviceable. The recommendation service has sorted out realistic, serious, suspenseful, tense, captivating and humorous films and tv shows about with berlin wall, friendship, politics, cold war, culture clash, male nudity, german, female nudity, cigarette smoking and flashback plots mostly in drama, thriller and. Soon members of kurts family are in on the highly risky endeavor, with friends such as the pretty erika jurgens christine kaufmann also joining the effort. Offered by kirby mcdaniel movieart of austin, texas. Escape from east berlin tunnel 28 1962 rotten tomatoes. In this drama, based on a true story, a courageous east berliner digs a tunnel beneath the berlin wall and leads 27 rebels to freedom. Television viewers expecting the usual programming on nbc on dec. A movie that gives a real picture of an occupied confined,restricted and oppressed enviorment that no one should have to live under. Despite being made so soon after the construction of the berlin wall, escape from east berlin is no exploitation movie. It is a tightly constructed and suspenseful tale of the attempt of a family living close to the wall to tunnel beneath it to freedom.
To help them escape, he and his engineer friend matthis sebastian koch devise the scheme of a tunnel from west berlin to east. Jun 28, 2015 escape from east berlin, reissued five decades later. Oct 07, 2018 film of daring balloon escape from east revives german identity debate this article is more than 1 year old. Top 10 remarkable escapes across the berlin wall listverse. It has taken half a year to dig this escape tunnel and it is the longest, deepest and most successful to date, enabling 57 people to escape from east to west. In the fall of 1979, one of historys most ingenious and courageous flights to freedom took place when two families fled from communist east germany to the west in. Escape from east berlin the 1962 movie, trailers, videos and more at yidio. East germany is under communist domination and life grinds away with poverty and bombed out buildings. To do justice to the story of the wolter familys 1961 escape from east berlin, an interview with wolter seemed to be the best option.
Released 1962, escape from east berlin stars don murray, christine kaufmann, werner klemperer, ingrid van bergen the movie has a runtime of about 1 hr 34 min, and received a score of out of 100. The film is based on the true story of the strelzyk and wetzel families, who on september 16, 1979, attempted to escape from east germany to west germany in a homemade hot air balloon, during the days of the inner german borderera, when emigration to west germany was strictly prohibited by. As the group tries to execute its plan, kurt and the others worry about patrolling police. Escape from east berlin, reissued five decades later the. Film of daring balloon escape from east revives german. Escape from east berlin 1962 cast and crew credits, including actors, actresses, directors, writers and more. Nov 07, 2014 the story of the most successful tunnel escape in the history of the berlin wall an abandoned bakery, some shovels and a few buckets were all it took for a few university students to defy the. Germanborn director robert siodmak was back in his native country for escape from east berlin 1962, based on a true story about a group of east germans who escape communist rule by tunneling under the berlin wall. Leslie colitt, a student in west berlin, suddenly faced a perilous. Jan 01, 2018 last family to escape across berlin wall reflects on its meaning. The film opens with karl schroeder don murray, chauffeur to an east german major, seeing a friend killed as he tried to drive his truck through the wall, he is persuaded by the friends sister, erika jurgens christine kaufmann, and his own family to engineer an attempt to make an escape to the western sector of the city by digging a tunnel under the wall which is close to their home.
Best movies like escape from east berlin bestsimilar. After east berlin chauffer kurt schroder don murray decides to escape to west germany, he begins a plan to dig a tunnel under the berlin wall. Escape from east berlin dvd, 2015 for sale online ebay. Escape from east berlin don murray christine kaufmann werner klemperer 1962 an east german don murray tunnels under the berlin wall and leads his girlfriend christine kaufmann and 26 others to freedom. The wall is there to keep the east germans escaping to west germany. The documentary film go west escape from east berlin describes the history of the berlin wall. This cold war artifact, newly available on dvd from warner archive, was inspired by the escape of 29 east germans who tunneled to the west beneath the berlin wall in january 1962, only months. Kurt schroder and his family dig a tunnel to escape to west berlin as they struggle to overcome the obstacles blocking their underground path to freedom. Watching a movie or documentary, reading a book, and. In january of 1962, 29 east berliners escaped to west berlin via a tunnel they had dug beneath the berlin wall, led by erwin becker, a chauffeur in the car pool of the east germany parliament. Archive collection of hardtofind library and cult titles has released escape from east berlin known internationally as tunnel 28, the 1962 exploiterb.
Escape from east berlin 1962 after east berlin chauffer kurt schroder don murray decides to escape to west germany, he begins a plan to dig a tunnel under the berlin wall. Two families, with eight members in total, escaped the communist country of east germany by crossing the border to west germany in a homemade hot air balloon. Original escape from east berlin 1962 movie poster in vg. Escape from east berlin manufactured on demand on tcm shop. Harry melchior heino ferch, an east german swimming champion, defects to the west in 1961, the year of the wall, but his beloved sister and her family are left behind. Escape from east berlin, 1962 drama about a group of people from east berlin who dig a tunnel under berlin wall to take refuge in west berlin. The movie was made in the late 1970s before the fall of the berlin wall and tells the true story of two families who plan a dangerous and elaborate escape from communist east germany using a homemade hot air balloon. The list contains the best, new and most relevant berlin wall movies ordered by relevance. Escape from east berlin in august 1961, east germany laid the first bricks of a wall that would divide berlin for 30 years. In this drama, based on a true story, a courageous east berliner digs a tunnel beneath the berlin wall and leads 27. Last family to escape across berlin wall reflects on its. Escape from east berlin 1962 robert siodmak synopsis.
The story of the most successful tunnel escape in the history of the berlin wall an abandoned bakery, some shovels and a few buckets were all. East berlin, shortly after the construction of the berlin wall. Escape from east berlin is a film directed by robert siodmak with don murray, christine kaufmann, werner klemperer, ingrid van bergen, year. Thus wellassured that no guards will be able to see him escaping, kurt carefully implements his plan. In escape from east berlin aka tunnel 28, robert siodmak brings his noir stylings to a paranoid cold war thriller about a family who live on the wrong side of the berlin wall and decide to try and make a break for it, under the ground. Based on an actual mass breakout attempt that occurred in january 1962, escape from east berlin is a masterful tale of thrills and suspense from robert siodmak. Based on an actual escape from east to west germany staged on january 28, 1962, this routine docudrama by director robert siodmak reenacts the tale. Escape from east berlin trailer turner classic movies. It is one hundred and fortyfive metres long and goes as deep as 12 metres below the earth. The warner archive collection dvdr of escape from east berlin is a clean enhanced transfer of this film that really isnt obsolete. The documentation is in english, with english narration and attempts have translated german. This was shot on location in berlin and is very well done. Film of daring balloon escape from east revives german identity debate this article is more than 1 year old.
If you like escape from east berlin you are looking for movies about with berlin wall, cold war, musician, border guard, friendship, truck and death themes of drama, history and thriller genre shot in west germany or usa. Escape from east berlin, reissued five decades later. Nov 06, 2019 to do justice to the story of the wolter familys 1961 escape from east berlin, an interview with wolter seemed to be the best option. Based on a true story synopsis plot in january of 1962, 29 east berliners escaped to west berlin via a tunnel they had dug beneath the berlin wall, led by erwin becker, a chauffeur in the car pool of the east germany parliament, who served as technical adviser on this film. Plot and acting are very good and the thrilling final escape are first rate. Original movie poster for escape from east berlin 1962 11912 original mgm one sheet poster.
Submit data corrections for escape from east berlin robert siodmak on allmovie. Gunther jurgena lives in poverty in east germany and dreams of escaping. Escape from east germany by john dyson readers digest canada, january 2010 three siblings, trapped in communist germany, risked their lives and took on the berlin wall one by one. Escape from east berlin is a 1962 film directed by robert siodmak and starring don murray. The east german balloon escape took place at approximately 2.
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