The Birdmen

The Birdmen
Screenplay by	David Kidd
Directed by	Philip Leacock
Starring	Doug McClure
Narrated by	Charles Aidman
Music by	David Rose
Country of origin	United States
Original language	English
Production
Producers	Harve Bennett Harry Tatelman
Cinematography	Jack A. Marta
Editors	Robert F. Shugrue Gene Palmer
Running time	74 min.
Production company	Universal Pictures
Original release
Release	September 18, 1971

The Birdmen also known as Escape of the Birdmen and Colditz: Escape of the Birdmen is a 1971 television film directed by Philip Leacock and starring Doug McClure and Rene Auberjonois. It was a fictionalised account based on a proposed scheme for prisoners of war to escape from Colditz Castle by a clandestinely constructed glider christened the Colditz Cock. The movie appeared on the ABC Movie of the Week on September 18, 1971. The film was shot at Universal Studios Hollywood and released theatrically in several countries.

Plot

O.S.S. Agent Major Cook is sent to Occupied Europe to bring a Norwegian scientist working on the atomic bomb to the Allies. The pair are captured but as they are believed to be escaped Allied airmen prisoners of war, they are sent to the "escape proof" Beckstadt Castle for Prisoners of War. Cook plots escape attempts but also has to keep the atomic scientist's true identity from both the Germans and his fellow prisoners.

Cast

• Doug McClure ... Major Harry Cook
• Rene Auberjonois ... Halden Brevik / Olav Volda
• Richard Basehart ... Kommandant Schiller
• Max Baer Jr. ... Tanker
• Chuck Connors ... Colonel Morgan Crawford
• Don Knight ... Major Tovar
• Greg Mullavey ... Sparrow
• Paul Koslo ... Davies
• Barry Brown ... Donnelly
• Tom Skerritt ... Orville Fitzgerald

Soundtrack

• Die Gedanken sind frei

References

• The Birdmen at IMDb