Victory (1981)

Director:

John Huston

Writers:

Yabo Yablonsky (story) and
Djordje Milicevic (story) ...
(more)

Release Date:

30 July 1981 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Sport | War

Tagline:

Their goal was freedom...

Plot:

As allied POWs 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.

Plot Keywords:

Escape | Soccer | Soccer Football | Prisoner Of War | Goal Keeper

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Sylvester Stallone	...	Captain Robert Hatch
Michael Caine	...	Capt. John Colby - The Players: England
Pelé	...	Cpl. Luis Fernandez - Allied Soccer Player - The Players: Trinidad
Bobby Moore	...	Terry Brady - Allied Soccer Player - The Players: England
Osvaldo Ardiles	...	Carlos Rey - Allied Soccer Player - The Players: Argentina
Paul Van Himst	...	Michel Fileu - The Players: Belgium
Kazimierz Deyna	...	Paul Wolchek - The Players: Poland
Hallvar Thoresen	...	Gunnar Hilsson - The Players: Norway
Mike Summerbee	...	Sid Harmor - Allied Soccer Player - The Players: England
Co Prins	...	Pieter Van Beck - The Players: Holland
Russell Osman	...	Doug Clure - The Players
John Wark	...	Arthur Hayes - The Players: Scotland
Søren Lindsted	...	Erik Ball - Allied Soccer Player - The Players: Denmark
Kevin O'Callaghan	...	Tony Lewis - Allied Goalkeeper - The Players: Ireland
Max von Sydow	...	Major Karl Von Steiner - The Germans (as Max Von Sydow)
Gary Waldhorn	...	Mueller - Coach - The Germans
George Mikell	...	Kommandant - The Germans
Laurie Sivell	...	Schmidt - Goalie - The Germans
Arthur Brauss	...	Lutz - The Germans
Robin Turner	...	Player - The Germans
Michael Wolf	...	Lang - The Germans
Jürgen Andersen	...	Propaganda Civilian - The Germans
David Shawyer	...	Strauss - The Germans
Werner Roth	...	Baumann - Team Captain - The Germans
Amidou	...	André - The French
Benoît Ferreux	...	Jean Paul - The French
Jean-François Stévenin	...	Claude - The French
Jack Lenoir	...	Georges - The French
Zoltán Gera	...	Victor - The French (as Folton Gera)
Tim Pigott-Smith	...	Rose - The English
Julian Curry	...	Sherlock - The English
Carole Laure	...	Renée - The French
Clive Merrison	...	The Forger - The English
Maurice Roëves	...	Pyrie - The English
Michael Cochrane	...	Farrell - The English
Jack Kendrick	...	Williams - The English
Daniel Massey	...	Colonel Waldron - The English
Anton Diffring	...	German - The Commentators
Gunter Wolbert	...	German - The Commentators
Eolo Capacci	...	Italian - The Commentators
Michel Dhrey	...	French - The Commentators
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Laszlo Klima	...	Fan in Front Row (uncredited)
Ákos Moskovits	...	Renée's Son (uncredited)

Directed by
John Huston

Writing credits
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	....	executive producer
Gordon McLendon	....	executive producer
Andrew G. Vajna	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Bill Conti

Cinematography by
Gerry Fisher

Film Editing by
Roberto Silvi

Production Design by
J. Dennis Washington

Set Decoration by
Sydney Ann Smith-Kee		(as Sydney Ann Kee)

Costume Design by
Tom Bronson

Makeup Department
Allan A. Apone	....	special makeup effects
Tony Lloyd	....	makeup artist
Michael Westmore	....	makeup artist (as Mike Westmore)

Production Management
Tom Shaw	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Elie Cohn	....	first assistant director
Timea Veress	....	first assistant director
Charles Winkler	....	second assistant director
Peter Knob	....	second assistant director (uncredited)

Sound Department
Colin Charles	....	sound mixer
Giorgio De Vincenzo	....	sound editor
Ken Dufva	....	foley artist
Robert Glass	....	sound re-recording mixer
Leslie Hodgson	....	supervising sound editor
Stephen Katz	....	sound consultant
Robert Knudson	....	sound re-recording mixer (as Buzz Knudson)
Bonnie Koehler	....	sound editor
Don MacDougall	....	sound re-recording mixer
Anthony Palk	....	sound editor
Lionel Strutt	....	adr mixer
Gary Weir	....	boom operator
Donald C. Rogers	....	technical director of sound (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Candy Flanagin	....	special effects
Péter Pásztorfi	....	special effects technician

Stunts
Menyhért René Balog-Dutombé	....	stunt double
Menyhért René Balog-Dutombé	....	stunts
Sándor Boros	....	stunts
Zoltán Gulyás Kiss	....	stunts
Gábor Piroch	....	stunts

Camera and Electrical Department
Bernard Ford	....	camera operator
Laurie Shane	....	gaffer
Eric Van Haren Noman	....	camera operator: second unit
Jimmy Waters	....	key grip
Kenneth J. Withers	....	camera operator: second unit

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Uta Freiwald	....	costume design assistant

Editorial Department
Cesare D'Amico	....	assistant editor
Barry Mark Gordon	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Bodie Chandler	....	music supervisor
Peter T. Myers	....	orchestrator (as Peter Myers)
Dan Wallin	....	score mixer

Other crew
Allegra Huston	....	production assistant
Tonda Marton	....	production assistant
Frank Pace	....	production consultant
Pelé	....	consultant: soccer
Les Shannon	....	football coordinator
Jean-Étienne Siry	....	poster designer (french version) (as Siry)

Thanks
Pen Densham	....	thanks
John Watson	....	thanks

Production Companies

• Lorimar Film Entertainment (presents) (as Lorimar)
• Victory Company

Distributors

• Paramount Pictures (1981) (USA) (theatrical)
• S.N. Prodis (1981) (France) (theatrical)
• Centfox (1982) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• Europa Film (1981) (Sweden) (theatrical)
• Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) (1983) (USA) (TV)
• Warner Home Video (1992) (USA) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (1998) (USA) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2001) (USA) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (2006) (Sweden) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2006) (Netherlands) (DVD)

Special Effects

• Makeup Effects Laboratories

Also Known As:

Escape to Victory (UK)

Runtime:

116 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

UK:A (original rating) | UK:PG (video rating) (1987) | Iceland:L | West Germany:6 (f) | Sweden:15 | Australia:PG | Finland:K-12 | Norway:12 | USA:PG | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

Budapest, Hungary

Company:

Lorimar Film Entertainment

Trivia:

Stallone lost about 40 lbs for the film because he didn't want a prisoner of war to look like an "Olympic Boxer" and he felt he needed that weight reduce to perform the tasks of a soccer goalie.

Goofs:

Miscellaneous: Assorted anachronisms and factual errors relating to the rules of Association Football.

Quotes:

Hatch: This frigging game is ruining my life.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Pelé Eterno (2004)

Soundtrack:

Symphony 5, 4th movement

Escape is a Winner.

Any football fans out there? If you haven't seen Escape To Victory either at Christmas, when it is usually on at a ridiculous time of the morning, or hired/bought it on DVD then you are really missing out.

There is a fair amount of disbelief suspending that needs to take place before you settle down. But, if you can numb your brain to the idea of Micheal Caine playing professional football or indeed, Sylvester Stallone doing the same in goal, you're in for a treat.

As a football fan, it was a real thrill to see the great Bobby Moore kicking a ball in anger and, against the Germans too (remember what I said about suspending disbelief).

OK, it isn't the greatest film ever made. But it isn't supposed to be. It's a bit of bubblegum that is just supposed to kill a couple of hours. A feat the movie accomplishes handsomely.

I defy any football fan not to cheer when the goals go in or to curse when the Germans do well. Similarly, try and stifle your guffaws when you see Mr Caine trying to look like he knows what he's supposed to be doing. Is it just me or does he become more cockney when he tries to convey excitement in any of his roles?? Probably one of England's more one dimensional acting talents.

If you don't enjoy it, you're missing the point of it. Nobody will ever forget horror of war, it's ingrained. That isn't what this film is about although it does have a stab at giving the viewer a clue about the life of a POW in WWII.

No, the film is about entertainment. And, on that level, it's one of the good ones.