The Train

Burt Lancaster performed all his own stunts in this movie. Albert Rémy also got into the act by performing the stunt of uncoupling the engine from the paintings train on a real moving train.

When the German officer in the train thinks they've arrived in Germany, he takes a look at his map and we see Strasbourg (Alsace, France), the France-Germany border and Baaden-Baaden (Germany). During German occupation of France, Alsace and Strasbourg were annexed to the German Reich, i.e. this German military map should have shown a different border (100 km West) and Strasbourg should have been in Germany.

Opening credits prologue: PARIS August 2-1944 1511th day of German occupation

Whilst the official run time is 133 minutes, the BBFC website has two separate entries, one with a theatrical 'U' rated certificate in 1964 running at 141 minutes 31 seconds and the other entry with a theatrical 'A' rated certificate in 1959 running at 90 minutes 37 seconds. Though the second entry seems incorrect due to the erroneous date of certification being 21 October 1959 (the film was being made in 1963 and is copyrighted in 1964) and a much shorter run time, the BBFC reference numbering is in sequence with the later video rated entries so it is unknown if this 1959 entry is a much shorter cut of this film or this is an error in the BBFC records. It is also not known if the 142 minute entry is a longer cut of the film that has simply not been since it's UK theatrical release in 1964.

Featured in Film Review: Burt Lancaster (1968)