slabihoud "The Secret War of Harry Frigg" shows the crisis in which the movie industry in the sixties has been. Stars like Paul Newman were not able to find decent material for films and had to do stuff like this. At that time WWII which had received serious treatment in the fifties was now ripe for spoofs, mostly in connection with the Italian front line because Italian soldiers did not remind people e.g. of concentration camps. Good comedies about wartime are rare ("To be or not to be") and the more distant the war got the more stupid the comedies about war. Watching Newman in the role of Harry Frigg makes me cringe. His character is completely unrealistic and so is the rest of the story. WWII became a playground for selfish soldiers who seemed to have no other problem but to have fun is definitely no fun to me.In this film as in "What did you do in the war, daddy?" the Italians are kind of cute and the Germans are the real enemies. One wonders when the first comedy about 9/11 will come out...

David_Brown This is a movie that (If possible) should be seen as a Double Feature with "The Pigeon That Took Rome". They are very similar movies (Although I prefer "Pigeon") slightly. They are both movies about the "Fish Out Of Water" American mixed up with an Itallian Woman. What is different, is this film is about learning who you really are and what you can actually be: Countess Francesca De Montefiore (Sylvia Koscina)reached that stage (Being an average woman who married into royalty). MAJOR Spoilers Ahead: This is what will happen to Harry. "Are You A General Or Private?" Harry (Paul Newman) "A Little Of Both". And at the end where Harry tells the Countess "I Still Run Into The Generals From Time To Time, They Are Still Generals, But One Day I Will Get My Bars Back". Harry's plan (With the FULL participation of the Countess), is to marry her, rent the Villa/"Prison" he and the Generals were staying at DOUBLE the rent (That place was the softest definition of a prison possible), and live in the guest quarters with Francesca (Personal note: Mmmmmmm living with Sylvia Koscina, I would have signed up for that "Duty" in an instant). I have little doubt that he would have succeeded in his plan, because not only is he smart (And thinks outside the box), and has the Countess by his side, but has General Prentess (James Gregory), over him (Who knows that Harry can get things done, and made him an officer), finally, he learned quite a bit from Col. Enrico Ferrucci (Vito Scotti), on how to make Generals quite content.

grendelkhan The Secret War of Harry Frigg should be shared with everyone. It's a delightful romp, set during WWII. A group of Allied generals have gone at got themselves captured. They find themselves in a pleasant Italian prison camp; a villa, commanded by a former hotelier, Vitto Scotti. The generals are of equal rank, so no one can seem to take command of their "escape" attempts; not that they are trying too hard. Enter Pvt. Harry Frigg.Frigg, a chronic escaper, finds himself promoted above corporal, all the war to major general. He is tasked to lead the generals in an escape and bring them back. This sounds fine and dandy, until Frigg meets the one thing he can't escape, the Contessa. Add the Germans to the mix, and Frigg's plans become even more complicated.Paul Newman is first rate here, showing a flair for comedy that he rarely seems to get a chance to display. He is backed up by a terrific cast of great character actors. The romance with the Contessa is quite charming, with the simple Frigg learning that true nobility comes from within, not from birth.This is a wonderful overlooked gem that deserves to be seen. It's a lighthearted bit of fun, much like Hogan's Heroes, What Did You Do in the War Daddy, and Operation Petticoat. Definitely worth seeking out.

bkoganbing Paul Newman as Harry Frigg is a goldbricking screw-up of a soldier who has one undeniable talent. Busting out of stockade. Seems as though the man cannot stand confinement.That talent is put to good use by General James Gregory to affect the escape of five Allied Brigadier Generals who were captured in a Turkish bath in Tunis. Two British, two American, and one Free French general. The biggest Italian victory since the seizure of Albania.Since these five guys seem willing to sit out the war in an Italian prison camp and being of equal rank can't get together on a plan of action, the idea Gregory has is to send in an escape specialist, the best the United States Army has, with the rank of a two star general and get an escape organized. Of course it's Paul Newman.Of course when Newman is dropped into Italy and put in that prison camp for generals only, he finds it quite unlike any stockade he's ever been in. Prison as run by Colonel Vito Scotti a former hotel manager in Genoa. All the luxury of a Club Med vacation and for Newman, the attraction of Countess Sylva Koscina whose palace is being used for this prison camp for generals.During the course of the film, the Allies have taken Sicily, and land in Salerno and Italy switches sides. The Nazis come and prove to be a gang of real party poopers.The Secret War of Harry Frigg is a mildly amusing comedy. Paul Newman does the best he can with it, though he's not really cast well in this part. The premise is unusual however and my favorite performance is here is that of Vito Scotti. Man really knew how to be a good jailer.Curiously enough some of the same premise involving Italy's deposing Mussolini and switching sides was the basis for another film about allied prisoners, Von Ryan's Escape. Of course that one involved far more prisoners and had a lot less laughs.Paul Newman never really had a big comedy triumph until he made Slapshot. But this one while not great, is droll and amusing in its own way.