''The Secret War of Harry Frigg'' is a 1968 American

comedy Comedy is a genre of fiction that consists of discourses or works intended to be humorous or amusing by inducing laughter, especially in theatre, film, stand-up comedy, television, radio, books, or any other entertainment medium. The term o ...

war film War film is a film genre concerned with warfare, typically about navy, naval, air force, air, or army, land battles, with combat scenes central to the drama. It has been strongly associated with the 20th century. The fateful nature of battle s ...

set in

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

. It was directed by

Jack Smight John Ronald Smight (March 9, 1925 – September 1, 2003) was an American theatre and film director. His film credits include ''Harper'' (1966), '' No Way to Treat a Lady'' (1968), '' Airport 1975'' (1974), '' Midway'' (1976), and '' Fast Break ...

and stars

Paul Newman Paul Leonard Newman (January 26, 1925 – September 26, 2008) was an American actor, film director, race car driver, philanthropist, and entrepreneur. He was the recipient of numerous awards, including an Academy Award, a BAFTA Award, three ...

Plot

Several brigadier generals (American, British, and French) are unexpectedly taken prisoner by the Italian army while arguing military tactics in a sauna; this is a public relations disaster for the Allies. The brigadiers are held in an Italian villa, run by the benevolent Colonel Ferrucci, as a luxurious version of a prison camp. Being all of the same rank, none is in command and they are forced to plan escapes by committee, with predictably ineffective results. Meanwhile, Allied headquarters devises a plot to free them by sending in Harry Frigg (Paul Newman). Frigg is a private in the

U.S. Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cl ...

, a malcontent who has a history of escaping from military stockades. As incentive, he is promised a promotion to master sergeant after the generals have been freed. Accepting the mission, Frigg is "promoted" to major general so that he will outrank all the prisoners, assume command and lead the resultant breakout. Parachuted behind enemy lines, Frigg allows himself to be captured, and, as planned, is imprisoned in the same jail as the brigadiers. While they are initially skeptical of Frigg's rank, he has been given a few personal secrets about them that only a senior officer might be expected to know. Frigg discovers a secret passage, which has potential for use during the getaway. It starts in his bedroom and takes him to the gatehouse outside the villa's fence where the owner of the property, Countess Francesca De Montefiore ( Sylva Koscina) is living. The escape plan is put on hold when the two become romantically involved. Eventually, it cannot be avoided any longer and the scheme is reactivated. On the eve of the group's intended breakout, Colonel Ferrucci announces that because of the low escape rate in the complex, he is to be promoted to general at midnight the following night. The group decides to put their plans off by a day to ensure the Colonel gets promoted, despite knowing that his rank will be stripped once they do escape. During the celebration, a German major arrives, and at midnight he announces that Italy has

surrendered Surrender, in military terms, is the relinquishment of control over territory, combatants, fortifications, ships or armament to another power. A surrender may be accomplished peacefully or it may be the result of defeat in battle. A sove ...

to the Allies, and everyone present are now his prisoners. The Germans transfer the generals to a high-security prison camp for officers. Escape seems hopeless. Frigg confesses to being only a private, and is separated from the rest to be delivered to a basic holding camp for

NCOs A non-commissioned officer (NCO) is a military officer who has not pursued a commission. Non-commissioned officers usually earn their position of authority by promotion through the enlisted ranks. (Non-officers, which includes most or all enli ...

. Slipping away from his guard, he then breaks back into the officers' camp, subsequently freeing them all and capturing the Major in the process. The film concludes with Frigg ending the war as a master sergeant; he is offered the opportunity to be in charge of a radio station, and a promotion to

second lieutenant Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces, comparable to NATO OF-1 rank. Australia The rank of second lieutenant existed in the military forces of the Australian colonies and Australian Army unt ...

. While discussing the role, Frigg and his entourage pass the countess' castle. He dashes in to reunite with her and realizes that the villa is the perfect base for the radio station.

Cast

as Private/Major General/Sergeant/2nd Lt. Harry Frigg * Sylva Koscina as Countess Francesca De Montefiore *

Andrew Duggan Andrew Duggan (December 28, 1923 – May 15, 1988) was an American character actor. His work includes 185 screen credits between 1949 and 1987 for roles in both film and television, as well a number more on stage. Background Duggan was born in ...

as Brigadier General Newton Armstrong * Tom Bosley as Brigadier General Roscoe Pennypacker *

John Williams John Towner Williams (born February 8, 1932)Nylund, Rob (15 November 2022)Classic Connection review '' WBOI'' ("For the second time this year, the Fort Wayne Philharmonic honored American composer, conductor, and arranger John Williams, who w ...

as Brigadier Francis Mayhew * Charles Gray as Brigadier Adrian Cox-Roberts *

Vito Scotti Vito Giusto Scozzari (January 26, 1918 – June 5, 1996), also known as Vito Scotti, was an American character actor who played both dramatic and comedy roles on Broadway, in films, and later on television, primarily from the late 1930s to the ...

as Colonel Enrico Ferrucci
Jacques Roux
as Brigade General Andre Rochambeau *

Werner Peters Werner Peters (7 July 1918 – 30 March 1971) was a German film actor. He appeared in 102 films between 1947 and 1971. Biography Peters was born in Werlitzsch, Kreis Delitzsch, Prussian Saxony, and died of a heart attack on a promotion tou ...

as Major von Steignitz * James Gregory as Brigadier General Homer Prentiss
Fabrizio Mioni
as Lieutenant Rossano *

Johnny Haymer Haymer Lionel Flieg (January 19, 1920 – November 18, 1989), known professionally as Johnny Haymer, was an American actor known for his role as Staff Sergeant Zelmo Zale, a recurring character in the television series ''M*A*S*H''. He appeared i ...

as Sergeant Pozzallo *

Norman Fell Norman Fell (born Norman Noah Feld; March 24, 1924 – December 14, 1998) was an American actor of film and television, most famous for his role as landlord Mr. Roper on the sitcom ''Three's Company'' and its spin-off, ''The Ropers'', and his fi ...

as Captain Stanley *

Buck Henry Buck Henry (born Henry Zuckerman; December 9, 1930 – January 8, 2020) was an American actor, screenwriter, and director. Henry's contributions to film included his work as a co-writer for Mike Nichols's ''The Graduate'' (1967) for which he r ...

as Stockade Commandant

Production

The film was originally titled ''Back at the Front''.Will Real Frank Tarloff Please Stand Up? Stone, Peter. Los Angeles Times 22 May 1966: c6

References

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Secret War Of Harry Frigg 1968 films 1968 comedy films 1960s war comedy films American war comedy films Films directed by Jack Smight Films scored by Carlo Rustichelli Films set in Italy Italian Campaign of World War II films Military humor in film Universal Pictures films World War II prisoner of war films 1960s English-language films 1960s American films

Plot

Cast

Production

See also

References

External links