"Von Ryan's Express" (1965)

Though Sinatra never served in the Armed Forces during World War II or the Korean War, he certainly made a lot of films dealing with soldiers and wartime. And this entertaining, suspenseful World War II action-adventure is one of his best. He plays Col. Joseph L. Ryan, who is taken to an Italian POW camp after his plane is shot down. As the highest-ranking officer at the camp, he leads his fellow prisoners in a daring escape -- they overtake a freight train that is transporting them to Germany and commandeer it to Switzerland.

susan.king@latimes.com