Editing Von Ryan's Express (section)

==Production==

===Original novel===
The novel was published in 1963. The novelist David Westheimer had been a [[Prisoner of war|POW]] during World War II. He witnessed the bombing of [[Bolzano]] in 1943 from a box car.<ref>{{cite news| title=Books and Authors: Military Held a Culprit Projected Challenges Derring-Do Movie Book Reissued| url=https://www.nytimes.com/1963/12/20/archives/books-and-authors-military-held-a-culprit-projected-challenges.html| date=December 20, 1963| newspaper=The New York Times| page=27| url-access=subscription}}</ref> Martin Levin, reviewing the book for ''[[The New York Times]]'', said the novel "has everything for the screen but the camera directions."<ref>{{cite news| title=A Reader's Report| first=Martin| last=Levin| url=https://www.nytimes.com/1964/01/12/archives/a-readers-report.html| date=January 12, 1964| newspaper=The New York Times| page=BR24| url-access=subscription}}</ref>

===Development===
The novel was a best seller and 20th Century Fox bought the film rights for a reported $125,000.<ref>{{cite news| title='Von Ryan's Express' Will Star Sinatra: Robson to Produce War Story; Taylor as 'Young Cassidy'| url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-los-angeles-times-von-ryans-express/132427997/| author=Hopper, Hedda| date=April 16, 1964| newspaper=Los Angeles Times| page=C8| url-access=subscription}}</ref> The studio assigned Saul David to produce and [[Mark Robson (film director)|Mark Robson]] to direct. Robson had intended to make ''The Centurians'', but this was delayed when his chosen star, [[Anthony Quinn]], was unavailable.<ref>{{cite news| title=Robson Will Drive Von Ryan's Express: 'Dice of God' to Get Shake; Image of Latins Challenged| url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-los-angeles-times-von-ryans-express/132428213/| author=Scheuer, Philip K.| newspaper=Los Angeles Times| date=March 12, 1964| page=C11| url-access=subscription}}</ref> Frank Sinatra had read the novel and wanted to buy the film rights himself; when he heard they had been lost to Fox, he offered his services for the lead role.<ref>{{cite news| title=Sinatra Swings Upward| url=https://www.nytimes.com/1965/04/18/archives/sinatra-swings-upward.html| first=Peter| last=Bart| author-link=Peter Bart| date=April 18, 1965| newspaper=The New York Times| page=X9| url-access=subscription}}</ref>

''Von Ryan's Express'' was a project keenly undertaken by [[20th Century Fox]], which was still financially reeling after the extravagance and critical bashing of ''[[Cleopatra (1963 film)|Cleopatra]]''. Fox, in a bid to prove that they were still able to make films on an epic scale, shot extensively on location in Europe and built a full-scale prison camp as opposed to shooting on a [[backlot]]. It was producer [[Saul David (producer)|Saul David]]'s first film for Fox. He followed it with ''[[Our Man Flint]]'', ''[[Fantastic Voyage]]'', and ''[[In Like Flint]]''.

===Filming===
Rumours of a [[personality clash]] between star [[Frank Sinatra]], who was flown by helicopter to the set, and director [[Mark Robson (film director)|Mark Robson]] were not enough to cause problems as the film was shot with relatively little trouble. However, Sinatra did insist that the ending of the film be altered, ending any chance of a sequel. Sinatra also insisted the film be shot in [[Panavision]] rather than Fox's [[CinemaScope]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.widescreenmuseum.com/widescreen/wingcs8.htm |title=The CinemaScope Wing 8 |website=The American WideScreen Museum |access-date=2014-03-25}}</ref>

The film score was written by [[Jerry Goldsmith]].<ref>Clemmensen, Christian. [http://www.filmtracks.com/composers/goldsmith.shtml "Jerry Goldsmith (1929–2004) tribute"]. ''[[Filmtracks.com]]''. Retrieved 2011-04-14.</ref>

[[File:Pasarelas sobre la vía del tren.jpg|thumb|The railway bridge in 2015.]]
''Von Ryan's Express'' achieved [[Verisimilitude (narrative)|reality]] using aircraft, trains, and wheeled vehicles photographed on location along with the occasional model. The aircraft alluded to as ''Messerschmitts'' were indeed [[Messerschmitt Bf 108]]s. A majority of the film was shot on location around [[Northern Italy]] in [[Cortina d'Ampezzo]] and [[Firenze Santa Maria Novella railway station]] in [[Florence]] (in reality is [[Roma Ostiense railway station]]<ref>[http://www.reelstreets.com/films/von-ryans-express/ "Von Ryan's Express"]. ''Reelstreets''. Accessed September 25, 2023.</ref>). The [[Ferrovie dello Stato]]/Italian State Railway closely cooperated on the production, as reflected in the film's closing acknowledgment credit, providing a complete train headed by the specially-bulled up [[FS Class 735]].236. The train which the Nazis commandeer to pursue the escaping POWs is headed by a [[Franco-Crosti boiler]]-fitted Class 743.

The railway sequence at the film's conclusion, however, was shot in the [[Caminito del Rey]] walkway in the limestone gorge of [[El Chorro]] and in the adjacent railway bridge, near [[Málaga]] in [[Andalucía]], Spain.<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=GnaTOvs0Ek0C&dq=von%20ryan's%20express%20spain&pg=PT596 "Travel Andalusia, Spain"].{{dead link|date=September 2023}}</ref><ref>Archived at [https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211205/cjcZGvytKaU Ghostarchive]{{cbignore}} and the [https://web.archive.org/web/20170208161241/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cjcZGvytKaU Wayback Machine]{{cbignore}}: {{cite web| url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cjcZGvytKaU&t=3m26s| title=Historia del Caminito del Rey| website=[[YouTube]]}}{{cbignore}}</ref> This switch from filming in Italy was probably done as the bridge looked more suitably attractive for presenting the final set piece than anything that could be found on the Italian rail network. The train featuring in these sequences was laid on by the '''RENFE'''/Spanish National Railways and altered to resemble the Italy-based train. Interiors were completed at 20th Century Fox Studios in Los Angeles. The POW camp (Campo Concentramento Prigioneri di Guerra 202) was also built in the front lot of the Studios.<ref>{{cite book| last=Saul| first=David| title=The Industry: life in the Hollywood fast lane| publisher=Times Books| location=New York City| year=1981| url=https://archive.org/details/industrylifeinho0000davi/page/102/mode/2up?q=von+ryan%27s+express| isbn=978-0-8129-0971-5| pages=103, 158, 159| url-access=registration}}</ref>