Top 250 Challenge: 148

Stalag 17 (1953)
Number 199 on IMDb's Top 250

Nominated by Anonymous Ken

No one has ever escaped from Stalag 17, a POW camp for American airmen near the Danube. Maybe that's because there's a spy in barracks four. The German guards seem to know everything that's happening before it happens. Most of the American POWs suspect Sergeant J.J. Sefton, whose wheeling-and-dealing rates him special privileges from the camp guards. When Lieutenant Dunbar arrives at the prison camp, and is accused of blowing up an ammunition train, the American prisoners must expose the stoolie before he informs the Germans where Dunbar is hiding, AND get Dunbar out of the "unescapable" camp before the SS arrives to take him into custody. Hilarity ensues.

Trivia: William Holden won the Oscar for Best Actor for this role. His acceptance speech was the shortest in Academy history. He said only two words: "Thank You." The uncredited soldier singing at the Christmas Party is Ross Bagdasarian, also known as Dave Seville, the leader/creator/voice of Alvin and the Chipmunks .

I can't decide if this is a drama with a lot of comedy in it or a comedy with dramatic elements. I think it is the former based on the fact that none of the comedy came from the star William Holden or the head guys. Most of the comedy, and there was a lot of it, came from Animal and Harry (Robert Strauss and Harvey Lembeck). The movie has a nice balance of drama and comedy, it's a dramedy! Thanks AK.