As allied P.O.W.s prepare for a soccer game against the German National Team to be played in Nazi-occupied Paris, the French Resistance and British officers are making plans for the team's escape.
Director:
Writers:
Stars:
Awards:
- 1 win & 1 nomination.
- See more »
Photos and Videos
Cast
| Sylvester Stallone | ... |
The Players: U.S.A. - Capt. Robert Hatch
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| Michael Caine | ... |
The Players: England - Capt. John Colby
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| Pelé | ... |
The Players: Brazil - Cpl. Luis Fernandez
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| Bobby Moore | ... |
The Players: England - Terry Brady
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| Osvaldo Ardiles | ... |
The Players: Argentina - Carlos Rey
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Paul Van Himst | ... |
The Players: Belgium - Michel Fileu
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| Kazimierz Deyna | ... |
The Players: Poland - Paul Wolchek
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Hallvar Thoresen | ... |
The Players: Norway - Gunnar Hilsson
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Mike Summerbee | ... |
The Players: England - Sid Harmor
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Co Prins | ... |
The Players: Holland - Pieter Van Beck
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Russell Osman | ... |
The Players: England - Doug Clure
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John Wark | ... |
The Players: Scotland - Arthur Hayes
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Søren Lindsted | ... |
The Players: Denmark - Erik Ball
(as Soren Linsted)
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Kevin O'Callaghan | ... |
The Players: Ireland - Tony Lewis
(as Kevin O'Calloghan)
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| Max von Sydow | ... |
The Germans - Major Karl Von Steiner
(as Max Von Sydow)
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| Gary Waldhorn | ... |
The Germans - Mueller, Coach
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George Mikell | ... |
The Germans - Kommandant
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Laurie Sivell | ... |
The Germans - Goalie
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| Arthur Brauss | ... |
The Germans - Lutz
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Robin Turner | ... |
The Germans - Player
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| Michael Wolf | ... |
The Germans - Lang
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Jürgen Andersen | ... |
The Germans - Propaganda Civilian
(as Jurgen Andersen)
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David Shawyer | ... |
The Germans - Strauss
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Werner Roth | ... |
The Germans - Baumann, Team Captain
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| Amidou | ... |
The French - Andre
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| Benoît Ferreux | ... |
The French - Jean Paul
(as Benoit Ferreux)
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| Jean-François Stévenin | ... |
The French - Claude
(as Jean Francois Stevenin)
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Jack Lenoir | ... |
The French - Georges
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| Zoltán Gera | ... |
The French - Viktor
(as Folton Gera)
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| Carole Laure | ... |
The French - Renee
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| Tim Pigott-Smith | ... |
The English - Rose
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Julian Curry | ... |
The English - Shurlock
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| Clive Merrison | ... |
The English - The Forger
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| Maurice Roëves | ... |
The English - Pyrie
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| Michael Cochrane | ... |
The English - Farrell
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Jack Kendrick | ... |
The English - Williams
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| Daniel Massey | ... |
The English - Colonel Waldron
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| Anton Diffring | ... |
The Commentators - Chief Commentator
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Gunter Wolbert | ... |
The Commentators - German
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Eolo Capacci | ... |
The Commentators - Italian
(as Capacci Eolo)
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Michel Dhrey | ... |
The Commentators - French
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| Rest of cast listed alphabetically: | |||
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Sándor Egervári | ... |
German Team Player (uncredited)
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Ferenc Fülöp | ... |
German Team Player (uncredited)
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Laszlo Klima | ... |
Fan in Front Row (uncredited)
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Ákos Moskovits | ... |
Renée's Son (uncredited)
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László Tátrai | ... |
Match Referee (uncredited)
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| Nautic Von Horn | ... |
(uncredited)
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Directed by
| John Huston | ||
Written by
| Yabo Yablonsky | ... | (story) and |
| Djordje Milicevic | ... | (story) & |
| Jeff Maguire | ... | (story) |
| Evan Jones | ... | (screenplay) and |
| Yabo Yablonsky | ... | (screenplay) |
Produced by
| Annie Fargue | ... | associate producer |
| Freddie Fields | ... | producer |
| Mario Kassar | ... | co-producer |
| Gordon McLendon | ... | executive producer |
| Tom Stern | ... | associate co-producer |
| Andrew G. Vajna | ... | associate co-producer (as Andy Vajna) |
Music by
| Bill Conti | ||
Cinematography by
| Gerry Fisher | ... | director of photography |
Editing by
| Roberto Silvi | ||
Editorial Department
| Cesare D'Amico | ... | assistant editor |
| Barry Mark Gordon | ... | assistant editor |
Casting By
| Rose Tobias Shaw | ||
Production Design by
| J. Dennis Washington | ||
Set Decoration by
| Sydney Ann Smith-Kee | ... | (as Sydney Ann Kee) |
Makeup Department
| Tony Lloyd | ... | make up artist |
| Michael Westmore | ... | make up artist (as Mike Westmore) |
| Allan A. Apone | ... | special makeup effects (uncredited) |
Production Management
| Tom Shaw | ... | production manager / unit production manager |
Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
| Elie Cohn | ... | first assistant director |
| Robert Riger | ... | second unit director |
| Peter Knób | ... | second assistant director (uncredited) |
| Timea Veress | ... | first assistant director (uncredited) |
| Charles Winkler | ... | second assistant director (uncredited) |
Art Department
| Tom Shaw Jr. | ... | property master |
| Lajos E. Szabó | ... | stand-by painter (uncredited) |
Sound Department
| Colin Charles | ... | sound mixer |
| Barbara Gandolfo-Frady | ... | assistant sound editor (as Barbara Ann Gandolfo) |
| Robert Glass | ... | re-recording mixer |
| Leslie Hodgson | ... | supervising sound editor |
| Stephen Katz | ... | sound consultant |
| Robert Knudson | ... | re-recording mixer (as Buzz Knudson) |
| Bonnie Koehler | ... | sound editor |
| Don MacDougall | ... | re-recording mixer |
| Anthony Palk | ... | sound editor |
| Gary Weir | ... | boom operator |
| Giorgio De Vincenzo | ... | sound editor (uncredited) |
| Ken Dufva | ... | foley artist (uncredited) |
| Donald C. Rogers | ... | technical director of sound (uncredited) |
| Lionel Strutt | ... | adr mixer (uncredited) |
Special Effects by
| Candy Flanagin | ... | special effects (as Candy Flanagan) |
| Péter Pásztorfi | ... | special effects technician (uncredited) |
Stunts
| Menyhért René Balog-Dutombé | ... | stunt double (uncredited) / stunts (uncredited) |
| Sándor Boros | ... | stunts (uncredited) |
| Zoltán Gulyás Kiss | ... | stunts (uncredited) |
| Péter Katona | ... | safety man (uncredited) |
| Gábor Piroch | ... | stunts (uncredited) |
Camera and Electrical Department
| Dawn Aberg | ... | camera assistant: second unit |
| Derek Burtonshaw | ... | camera assistant: second unit |
| Ron Collins | ... | camera operator: second unit |
| Mike Davies | ... | camera operator: second unit |
| Egon Endrényi | ... | still photography |
| Cary Fisher | ... | camera assistant |
| Bernard Ford | ... | camera operator |
| Tony Garrett | ... | camera assistant: second unit |
| Harvey Harrison | ... | camera operator: second unit |
| Harry Hart | ... | camera operator: second unit |
| Dennis Hill | ... | slow motion engineer: second unit |
| David Lenham | ... | camera assistant: second unit |
| Madelyn Most | ... | assistant camera (uncredited) |
| Jimmy Mullins | ... | grip: second unit |
| Ray Norris | ... | camera assistant: second unit |
| Peter Oblath | ... | first assistant camera: second unit |
| Mike Rutter | ... | camera assistant (as Michael Rutter) |
| Laurie Shane | ... | gaffer |
| Imre Sisa | ... | grip |
| Sergio Strizzi | ... | still photographer |
| Eric van Haren Noman | ... | cameraman: second unit (as Eric Van Haren Noman) |
| Jimmy Waters | ... | key grip |
| Kenneth J. Withers | ... | operator: second unit (as Ken Withers) |
| Ken Worringham | ... | camera assistant: second unit (as Ken Warringham) |
| András Váradi | ... | camera loader (uncredited) |
Costume and Wardrobe Department
| Tom Bronson | ... | costumes |
| Uta Freiwald | ... | costume design assistant (uncredited) |
Music Department
| Bodie Chandler | ... | music supervisor |
| Stephen A. Hope | ... | music editor |
| Peter T. Myers | ... | orchestration (as Peter Myers) |
| Malcolm McNab | ... | musician: trumpet (uncredited) |
| Louise Di Tullio | ... | musician: flute (uncredited) |
| Dan Wallin | ... | score mixer (uncredited) |
Script and Continuity Department
| John Franco | ... | script supervisor |
Additional Crew
| Dawne Allstrom | ... | production coordinator (as Dawne Alstrom) |
| Tom Carlile | ... | publicity coordinator |
| Jennifer Collen-Smith | ... | assistant publicist |
| Helmut Gradischnig | ... | technical advisor |
| Jim Gublo | ... | production accountant |
| Tom Guido | ... | assistant: to Mr. Fields |
| Gladys Hill | ... | assistant: to Mr. Huston |
| Allegra Huston | ... | production assistant |
| Anna Korda | ... | dialogue coach |
| Stuart D. Latham | ... | researcher |
| Tonda Marton | ... | publicity secretary |
| Peter Mason | ... | player consultant |
| Pelé | ... | designer: soccer plays |
| P.R. Reid | ... | technical advisor (as Major Pat Reid) |
| Anne Shaw | ... | production coordinator |
| Charles Winkler | ... | production trainee |
| Elizabeth Yanoska | ... | assistant: Mr. Fields (as Betty Yanoska) |
| Tonda Marton | ... | production assistant (uncredited) |
| Burke Mattsson | ... | title designer (uncredited) |
| Frank Pace | ... | production consultant (uncredited) |
| Pelé | ... | consultant: soccer (uncredited) |
| Les Shannon | ... | football coordinator (uncredited) |
| Jean-Étienne Siry | ... | poster designer (uncredited) |
Thanks
| Gary Chandler | ... | the producer wishes to thank (as Gary Chandler and their staff) |
| New York Cosmos | ... | the producer wishes to thank |
| Pen Densham | ... | the producer wishes to thank |
| Otto Elek | ... | the producer wishes to thank (as Otto Elek and their staff) |
| Michael Jackson | ... | the producer wishes to thank |
| Mario Machado | ... | the producer wishes to thank |
| Bobby Moore | ... | the producer wishes to thank (as Bobby Moore and their staff) |
| Werner Roth | ... | the producer wishes to thank (as Werner Roth and their staff) |
| Judit Somogyi | ... | the producer wishes to thank (as Judit Somogyi and their staff) |
| Mike Summerbee | ... | the producer wishes to thank (as Mike Summerbee and their staff) |
| John Watson | ... | the producer wishes to thank |
Production Companies
- Lorimar Film Entertainment (presents)
- Victory Company
- New Gold Entertainment (co-production)
Distributors
- Paramount Pictures (1981) (United States) (theatrical)
- Roadshow Films (1981) (Australia) (theatrical)
- Europa Film (1981) (Sweden) (theatrical)
- Syncron Film (1981) (Norway) (theatrical)
- New Gold Entertainment (1981) (Italy)
- S.N. Prodis (1981) (France) (theatrical)
- Concorde Film (1981) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
- Aries Cinematográfica Argentina (1981) (Argentina) (theatrical)
- CBS (1983) (United States) (tv)
- Centfox (1982) (West Germany) (theatrical)
- ITC Film Distributors (1981) (United Kingdom) (theatrical)
- Paramount Pictures (1982) (Mexico) (theatrical)
- Película (1981) (Portugal) (theatrical)
- British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) (1984) (United Kingdom) (tv) (Original UK Airing BBC1)
- CBS/Fox Home Video (1983) (Australia) (video)
- Guild Home Video (1982) (United Kingdom) (VHS)
- HBO Max (2021) (United States) (video) (VOD)
- Home Video Hellas (HVH) (1983) (Greece) (VHS)
- ITT Contrast (West Germany) (VHS)
- ITV4 (2018) (United Kingdom) (tv)
- MGM/CBS Home Video (United States) (VHS)
- Rete 4 (2016) (Italy) (tv)
- Spaghetti Pictures Italia (2013) (Italy) (video) (VOD)
- Televisie Radio Omroep Stichting (TROS) (1985) (Netherlands) (tv)
- Video Collection International (1987) (United Kingdom) (VHS)
- Videomax (Mexico) (VHS)
- Warner Home Video (1992) (Australia) (video)
- Warner Home Video (2002) (Australia) (DVD)
- Warner Home Video (2006) (Spain) (DVD)
- Warner Home Video (2005) (Italy) (DVD)
- Warner Home Video (2006) (Netherlands) (DVD)
- Warner Home Video (2006) (Sweden) (DVD)
- Warner Home Video (1992) (United States) (VHS)
- Warner Home Video (1998) (United States) (DVD)
- Warner Home Video (2001) (United States) (VHS)
- Warner Home Video (2005) (United Kingdom) (DVD)
- Warner Home Video (2005) (United States) (DVD) (Double-billed with "American Flyers")
- Warner Home Video (2008) (Germany) (DVD)
- Warner Home Video (2010) (United States) (DVD)
Special Effects
Other Companies
- New York Cosmos (the producer wishes to thank)
Storyline
| Plot Summary |
In World War II, a group of Nazi officers come up with a propaganda event in which an all-star Nazi team will play a team composed of Allied prisoners of war in a soccer (football) game. The prisoners agree, planning on using the game as a means of escape from the camp.
Written by John Vogel |
| Plot Keywords | |
| Taglines | Their goal was freedom... See more » |
| Genres | |
| Parents Guide | View content advisory » |
| Certification |
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Box Office
| Budget | $10,000,000 (estimated) |
Did You Know?
| Trivia | Sir Michael Caine admitted that the only reason he agreed to make this movie was the opportunity to work alongside soccer legend Pelé. See more » |
| Goofs | The team refuses to escape during the halftime, and return to the stadium to play the second half of the game. The two allied officers in the bleachers see this and are shocked, looking very disappointed, probably thinking something went wrong and the escape couldn't be arranged. However, there is no reason for them to be disappointed, since they could have no idea that the escape was arranged for the halftime break. Even the players were told just moments before the game. See more » |
| Movie Connections | Featured in Victory/Condorman/Loulou/Under the Rainbow (1981). See more » |
| Soundtracks | Symphony 5, 4th movement See more » |
| Quotes |
Hatch:
This frigging game is ruining my life. See more » |