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Von Ryan's Express
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===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]]''.
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