In order to pass a head count or roll-call, even though one of their number is engaged elsewhere in an escape attempt, ingenious PoWs create a like-like dummy they name 'Albert'.
The events in the film are based on real events in 'Marlag O', a PoW camp for naval personnel in Northern Germany. John Worsley -the only war artist to be captured during WWII- together with others including Lt JW Goble, created the first 'Albert' who was used in the course of two escape attempts. This 'Albert' was surprisingly sophisticated, even having eyes that were made from ping-pong balls, connected to a pendulum device so that they would blink.
Worsley made a second 'Albert' for this film, and Goble worked on the film as a technical assistant.
'Marlag O' was not the only PoW camp where such dummies were used; amongst others, dummies (named 'Moritz' and 'Max') were made and used in Colditz (Oflag IV-C). If you visit Colditz Castle today, you can see one of these dummies in the PoW museum there; less convincing by far than the one in the film, the one in the museum in reality worked well enough to pass 'Appel' on several occasions.
Some aspects of the film are perhaps not so realistic; for example it was common for prisoner's huts to be bugged with listening devices, so in many camps any escape attempt discussions would only be carried out whilst 'exercising' outside. However the film makers did work to give the characters more than two dimensions; in one scene we see into the minds of the prisoners as they rest in a quiet moment; their hopes, dreams and prayers are each voiced in turn. Overall the film holds up well despite a relatively modest budget.
This film might ultimately lack the 'hook' of 'The Wooden Horse' or 'The Colditz Story' but it is a pretty sound effort, and is worth seeing.
The events in the film are based on real events in 'Marlag O', a PoW camp for naval personnel in Northern Germany. John Worsley -the only war artist to be captured during WWII- together with others including Lt JW Goble, created the first 'Albert' who was used in the course of two escape attempts. This 'Albert' was surprisingly sophisticated, even having eyes that were made from ping-pong balls, connected to a pendulum device so that they would blink.
Worsley made a second 'Albert' for this film, and Goble worked on the film as a technical assistant.
'Marlag O' was not the only PoW camp where such dummies were used; amongst others, dummies (named 'Moritz' and 'Max') were made and used in Colditz (Oflag IV-C). If you visit Colditz Castle today, you can see one of these dummies in the PoW museum there; less convincing by far than the one in the film, the one in the museum in reality worked well enough to pass 'Appel' on several occasions.
Some aspects of the film are perhaps not so realistic; for example it was common for prisoner's huts to be bugged with listening devices, so in many camps any escape attempt discussions would only be carried out whilst 'exercising' outside. However the film makers did work to give the characters more than two dimensions; in one scene we see into the minds of the prisoners as they rest in a quiet moment; their hopes, dreams and prayers are each voiced in turn. Overall the film holds up well despite a relatively modest budget.
This film might ultimately lack the 'hook' of 'The Wooden Horse' or 'The Colditz Story' but it is a pretty sound effort, and is worth seeing.