36 Hours (1965)

Set in 1944, a U.S. Army Major (James Garner) with vital information on the D Day landing at Normandy is drugged and kidnapped by German agents and transported to Germany. When he awakens, he believes he is at a U.S. Army hospital in the mountains and is told by his doctor (Rod Taylor) that he has amnesia and that the year is 1950 and the war has been over for several years. In actuality, the "Americans" are all Germans and it's a plot to get him to reveal information about D Day. Based on BEWARE OF THE DOG by Roald Dahl and directed by George Seaton (AIRPORT). This WWII thriller is so expertly done that you easily accept the incredibly far fetched premise and just enjoy the ride. The screenplay (also by Seaton) is tight and intelligent and covers all the bases (at least I didn't catch any goofs). It's beautifully shot in B&W Panavision by Philip H. Lathrop (PINK PANTHER) with Yosemite National Park doubling for Germany and one can't help but think of Ansel Adams' magnificent B&W photos. The acting is quite good with Rod Taylor giving one of his best performances and Eva Marie Saint as a concentration camp survivor forced to be part of the masquerade brings a lot of depth to her role. Dimitri Tiomkin's weak underscore doesn't serve the movie well. With Werner Peters, Oscar Beregi, Alan Napier, Celia Lovsky, John Banner and Marjorie Bennett.