Colditz (1972–1974): Season 1, Episode 5 - Maximum Security - full transcript

All right, all right, all right.

Hey, Pat.
- Yeah.

I had a dream.

Oh, not again.
What's the matter with you?

A marvelous dream.

Do you think I like It?

What time did you get In?

About an hour ago.

How's It going?
- Very slowly.

Blisters. Thanks.

Who's doing orderly today?
- Brent and 1.



Oh

I need some more metal skewers, Dick.

What, the long ones?
- Yeah.

Come and get your acorn Juice!

Here we go.

Best I could do.

Well, Just a few more hours
and I'll be off.

You'll need a drink, then.
Brandy, good for the stomach.

Hmm? No thank you.

I'm returning straight to my unit.

I hear we may be going
to the North African front.

My sympathies.

Sympathies?
But good God, It's an honor.

To die?



It's no honor, Anton.

A relief, perhaps.

Good morning. My name Is Preston.
I'm the Senior British Officer.

Flight Lieutenant Carrington, sir.
- How do you do?

I was hoping somebody would come.
I'm glad to see you.

I'd have come sooner

but It appears the Germans are being
rather hard on you.

How have they treating you?

As little as possible.

They feed me, look at me.

My zoo.

Interesting.

It has been to me.

Where were you picked up?

Hamburg.

You must realize, Carrington,
that any scrap of Information

about the Germans may be of help to us.

Now, who picked you up?

Who? The Germans.

Police or military?

The police.

I was turned over to the Gestapo.
Routine Interrogation.

Who helped me?
How I lasted for nine weeks?

That's a good question.
- Which one?

How did you last for nine weeks?

Luck.

You're Canadian, are you?

No, I'm an American, from Michigan.

Yeah, when did America Join the war?

They didn't. I volunteered.

I was a foreign correspondent In Berlin.
I watched the Nazis grow up.

Your first war?

No, sir, I was In the Spanish Civil War
since '36.

I see.
- Any more questions?

No, not at the moment.
- Well, I have one.

When am I getting out of here?

In about a week, I'm told.

I'm not talking about solitary,
I'm talking about Colditz.

When am I getting out?

Well, It's not as direct as that,
Carrington, nor as simple.

What does that mean?

Well, It means there are plans
to be made.

I've got plans.
- Oh, good.

We'll need to hear them later.

Who are "we"?
- You'll meet them.

Well, then I am getting out of here.
- You might,

when your turn comes.
- When's that?

Well, that may not be for months.

Months?

Months? I'm not
waiting In here for months!

Carrington!
- I'm gonna make...

Now, look, you have no choice.

To escape from a place like this
requires careful planning

and good discipline.

So you will, therefore,
as everyone else, wait your turn.

Morning.
- Good morning, Herr Major.

The Adjutant Is busy with the Kommandant
for a moment.

I'm Schaeffer, second In command.
- Franz Ulmann.

I've been posted...
- I know.

To replace our Anton, poor fellow.

They're pushing him off to fight.
- Oh, It happens.

As you say, It happens.

Drink?
- Not Just now, thank you, Herr Major.

Oh, please relax.

We're quite Informal here.

Sure you won't have one?

I mean, new surroundings,
a bit nerve-wracking?

Thank you, but no.

You don't drink?
- Oh, yes.

A little wine at meal times.

To your new Job.

Perhaps I should see
If the Adjutant Is free now.

Not yet. One moment.

A little morning ritual they have,
he and the Kommandant.

The morning news, marking the map.
- Oh.

Are you regular Wehrmacht?
- Army reserve.

In peacetime? What for?

It may sound a little old-fashioned,
but I thought It my duty.

A man's duty surely
Is to support the peace, make It work,

not play at soldiers.

My civilian Job was In Insurance,
Herr Major.

Ah! I see.

Against the day that
we should overrun Europe.

The minute Is up. If you'll excuse me.

Find Oberleutnant Lehr.
Tell him his replacement has arrived.

I have read your record.

It all seems rather remarkable.

Remarkable, Herr Kommandant?
In what way?

Look on the map. No, don't move.

Poland.
- Yes?

The German flag.
Which town Is It sticking out of?

Posen.

Touch your toes.

As I say, remarkable. Silt down, Ulmann.

You see, most of us here
are unfit for active duty.

But you? Al.

And General Schaetzel spared you
from his own Intelligence staff.

Have you any Idea why he should
relegate you to this backwater?

No, Herr Kommandant.
- Aren't you curious?

General Schaetzel Is to hold
a security conference here

In 10 days' time, I believe.

The date of my posting
Is to allow me to learn the Job

before the conference.
That's all I know, sir.

Very well

You were Branch Manager
of an Insurance company before the war.

Yes, sir.
Also army reservist. Eighteen years.

A man of perseverance.
- I'm glad someone here approves.

Who doesn't?
- I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that.

Ah! I can guess.

Now, Ulmann, I tolerate
no friction between my officers.

It takes two rubbing surfaces
to create friction.

Do I make myself clear?
- Quite clear, Herr Kommandant.

Come.

Lehr, this Is Ulmann.

Ah! A pleasure.

Delighted to meet you. Delighted.

Explain to our friend his duties,
familiarize him with the castle.

Of course, Herr Kommandant, of course.

Ulmann will relieve you officially
tomorrow morning before you leave.

Yes. Right.
Right, sir, If you'll come this way?

A horse of a very different color, hmm?

He'll need to be.

Does he know? Did they brief him?

He's a hard man to read.

Let's find out.
Get me General Schaetzel

Ah! Unterfeldwebel Blatau,
this Is Hauptmann Ulmann,

the new Security Officer.

Good morning, sir.
- Good morning, Unterfeldwebel

Oh, by the way, I'm Anton.
- Franz.

Well, my dear Franz,
this Is where It all happens.

Uh, shall we start right away or
would you like some refreshment first?

We'll start now, please.

Max? It's Karl

Your new man has Just arrived.

Oh, It Is too early to say yet
but tell me... What?

A signal?

No, not yet.

It's put forward? But why?
On whose orders?

Is this to catch us unprepared,
do you suppose?

Yes, yes, I'll tell him straightaway.
Uh, what does he know?

An Indiscreet question,
I'm sorry, sir, yes.

Yes, well, we'll have to, won't we?
Right, sir.

They've put the conference forward.
To when?

Thursday.
- Three days?

Orders from Reich Security.
- Yes, but what are they up to?

Tell Ulmann. Keep It casual
Don't panic him.

Who the hell Is that?

That's our new Security Officer.

That can't be. That fellow's a captain.
- So, they've upgraded the Job.

Why would they do that?
- You tell me.

But I'll lay you a week's Lagergeld
that that's our new Security Officer.

And this one here?
- Bricked up, sir, more than a year ago.

They've all been bricked up, sir.

He went to that manhole cover
like a horse to water.

Why a captain?
- If he Jumps to things like that

In five minutes, what's he going to do
at the end of a week?

I'll have to step up my schedule.

Well, I think I'll turn In.

I'll see you In my office
first thing In the morning.

Yes, sir.

Gentlemen.

Goodnight, William.

The bar Is now closing, gentlemen.

The bar Is now closing, Herr Major.

All right, Erhard.
Leave the bottle here.

I'm afraid I must lock the drinks away,
Herr Major.

I said leave the bottle here.
Put It on my account and leave.

Last order, sir?
- No thank you.

How nice to be a militarist.

Militarists have no need
to dull their consciences.

Why don't you ask me why, Erhard?
Go on, man, ask me.

I will ask you.

Because they have no consciences.
Any more than ants, locusts.

They seek to gain by Blitzkrieg what
In the temple they have lost outright.

Good night, Herr Major.

Good night.

Sleep well

With your little clicking heels
and your empty minds,

Germany Is marching,
the wind Is behind us.

All Is well

Why didn't you challenge me?

You Just came through
the main gate, sir,

past the guard.
- How do you know that I did?

You're a German officer, sir.

Do you know me?

No, but the uniform...
- Never mind the uniform.

You're to challenge everyone that
comes through this yard, understood?

Yes, sir.

My Identification.

Pass, Herr Hauptmann.

That's not a Schmelser.

Who are you going to kill, Hans?
- Those things are for soldiers.

He does look rather smart, though,
you must admit.

Like the dog's dinner.
What Is It, Hitler's birthday?

Seriously, Hans, what's going on?

There you go!
- Nice and hot! Come and get It

Hey, careful.
- What? No marg?

No chief cook, either.
- What happened?

Maybe he sampled his own cooking.

The cook's been drafted
to the Kommandantur for the day.

He's scrubbed out the kitchens as well
-What do you think they're up to?

I reckon they're laying on some kind
of a do for some German brass.

Wehrmacht?

I don't know.
Something about a conference.

Hey, your move.

Hey, this coffee's not very hot.

Get out of that.

No, try It again. Try It again.

Yes.

Leave the liqueur glasses.
Holtz, you follow, topping them up.

There will be crumbs,
Herr Ulmann.

Manfried, you follow
with the brush and pan.

Excuse me, sir.
- That's right.

What are you doing?

For an officer, sir.

Thank you, Hans.

I don't know whether I will ever
see out this winter.

Ulmann, what do you want?

Herr Major, with respect, I would remind
you that In less than three hours...

For God's sake, man,
don't you ever relax?

Look, I have been on the go since dawn.

If you have come here
to respectfully suggest that I...

I more than suggest It,
for the sake of the whole unit.

Out.

That Is an order! I said out!

A word please, Herr Kommandant
-What Is It, Ulmann?

Sir, I feel you should know

the second-In-command
Is getting himself drunk.

Oh! Thank you. I'll see to It.

I suggest the doctor be warned
to put him In sick bay until..

Thank you, Ulmann,
I said I'd deal with It.

Your permission to notify the doctor,
please, sir?

Did you hear what I said?

I'd like to tidy It up now, sir,
If I may.

Ulmann, I warned you when
you first arrived here, didn't I,

about personal friction
between my officers?

Sir...
- I am quite aware

that my second-In-command puts backs up.

But we must make allowances.
He's not well

Contrary to what you may think,
he's a good German,

simply his Ideals are not ours.

Sir, I am simply concerned...
- Now, let me finish!

...that he'll be a risk today.

Talk out of turn, you mean?

Discredit himself before our guests?

Discredit me as head of security.

You? In what way?

Sir, this new Job Is like a blowtorch
turned In my direction.

I am not going to get myself
pushed Into It by a liberal

with too much drink Inside him.

Are you always so direct?

To fall would go against my record.

The SS are sending
two representatives today.

I know them, sir.

And I know that
If any of us betrays In any way

that we are not a highly efficient,
cohesive unit,

politically secure to the Last man,
they'll be In here.

Ah.

They'll post their own security officer
to the camp and I'll be out.

That'll be only
the thin end of the wedge.

Gradually, they'll take over
the whole command.

I'm quite aware of all this, Ulmann.

I simply misunderstood your motives.

I have nothing against the SS,
of course.

Of course.

But as a Wehrmacht officer...

You take pride In doing your Job well

You are quite right In
sticking to your guns.

The point you make Is absolutely valid.

So, may I speak to the doctor now, sir?

No. No, I'll see to It.

How's It going?
- I am on page 38, sir.

Well, hurry It up.
- Yes, sir.

Come.

You wanted to see me, Karl?

I was about to Inspect the latrines.

Yes, yes, come In, Willie.

Um... Sit down.

Willie, we have a problem.

Ulmann! I thought
he would run straight to you.

Oh, you're going to have
trouble with that man.

Well, he's concerned for his Job.

So you put him In his place.
Good, Karl, good.

No, Willie,
It's you I'm concerned about.

Me?

Now, we've known each other
for a long time, haven't we?

Perhaps I was a bit short with him.

Now, don't slide away, Willie.

As your second-In-command,

I couldn't allow him to presume...
- Willie! Look at me.

How many drinks have you had
this morning?

Well, Just... Nothing.

Two? Three?

When you know the SS are coming today?

And how you're Inclined to talk
when you've had a few drinks?

If you go to that conference,
you will deliberately...

No, Karl, don't say It.

I thought I could trust you.

You can.

There are too many Important Issues
at stake.

Think what you're doing to me.

I have been a burden to you.
I know that.

It's a hell of a way to repay you,
after all you have done for me.

You got me posted to this unit

because you knew that I wouldn't last
five minutes with any other unit.

I applied for you because I thought
you were the man for the Job.

I know where I stand.

But I have tried.

For your sake.

Oh, please...
- No, let me finish.

If you bar me from the conference today,

It will be because you made a bad choice
of second-In-command.

It will reflect on you.

I don't want that.

No, no, no.

It will Just mean that you have
a touch of flu.

No one will notice anything.

The SS are anxious to purge the army
of you and your like.

Their knives are drawn.

You are handing them the opportunity
they are waiting for.

I couldn't live with that.

Do you understand what I am saying?

Willie, you need a rest.
I'll bring your leave forward.

No, no.

I have been thinking about this
for some time.

Your faith In me Is the only thing
that has kept me going.

Without It, there Is nothing left for me
In this godforsaken war.

So, will you trust me, Karl?

Please, I am begging you.

Do not write off your old friend.

Will you swear to me, on your oath,

that you will not touch one more drop
of liquor until after they have gone?

I can't.

You can. Swear It.

On my oath, I swear It.

All right, Willie.

Come.

Herr Komm... Oh, excuse me, sir.

What Is It, Lehr?
- I'm going now, sir.

Oh, yes. Yes, of course.

Well, good luck, Lehr, and thank you for
all the good work you have done here.

Thank you, sir.

Goodbye, Herr Major,
look after yourself.

Goodbye, Anton, brave soldier,
defender of the Fatherland.

Thank you, sir.

Hell Hitler!

Oh, God|

There will be schnapps,
wine at luncheon,

brandy, Nazi tongues yapping...

Already I feel a sick thirst
In my throat.

You gave me your word.

Never trust an alcoholic, Karl

They lie like stormtroopers.

But thank you anyway
for not making It an order.

Willie...

Where are you going?

To report a case of flu.

Of course, any conference
the Germans have must concern us

but I don't see what we can do about It.

Well, suppose we could eavesdrop, sir?

Through nine feet of brick wall?

If the priority Is high enough,
It could be worked.

It could be vital to our future here.

I agree with that but I still don't see
what we could do about It.

Pat, you ready?
- Yeah.

Watch the door, Jim.
- All right.

Map of the castle, sir.

Here we are.

Now, the Kommandantur mess
Is somewhere here.

The drain system Is here.

The one I've been working on
runs this way under the hospital

But on this side, It angles this way.

How's that going to help you?

Well, there must be an access point
to the system

somewhere In the Kommandantur building.

Yes, but won't the system be blocked up?

Yes, I'll have to break through It
with a crowbar.

The Poles have got them.

How are you going to get down
that manhole there In daylight?

The rest of us will create
some kind of diversion.

What do you say, sir?

Well, I'm sorry.
I think It's too dangerous.

Well, we simply can't afford not to try.

Right, supposing,
Just supposing you do get Into that area

and you manage to overhear,

what good Is that?
You don't speak German.

I do, sir.

Two of you?

I think It's a bit mad,

but If the pair of you
are willing to take the risk

I won't stop you.

But It Is going to need
a damn good diversion

to get you down that manhole.

Any suggestions, anybody?

Well, how about a rugger match
and a scrum over the manhole?

No.
- We could stage a fight.

Why go to all that trouble?

All you need Is cockroaches.

Here we are at Colditz Park,

ready for the first race
of the afternoon.

It's the 3:00,
the Nasty Person's Handicap.

And we all know what that Is.

Two runners,
they're both at the starting line.

Almost under orders. Gather round now.

10-to-1 on Goering. 6-to-4, Himmler.

Coming up to the tapes now,
on the left Is Goering

ridden by Hitler.

On the right Is Himmler
ridden by Mussolini.

Now Goering won't get Into line.

Coming up towards the tapes,
the flag Is up.

And.. they're off!

Himmler carrying Mussolini
going fast on the outside.

Going very fast Indeed.

He's going over. He's over the line!

It's another win!
Another win for Mussolini

Here we are.
- Hey, that cockroach has been nobbled.

Bumping and boarding on the bend.
- Are you questioning...

Are you questioning
the Integrity of the course?

Quite right, too, we're all villains.

Yeah, what about my money?
I had 4-to-8 against.

The SPO. The brass have arrived.

How are we going to know
when to get them out?

Oh, they'll bang on the cover.

We'll take It In turns to stand by.

I always said that man
had the luck of the devil.

Remember him In the Somme
In the old days?

Wearing those red pyjamas?

Excuse me, Herr Kommandant.

Where's your second-In-command,
Schaeffer, today?

Oh, he's not well Touch of the flu.

Sorry to hear that.
I was hoping for a talk.

Oh, It's nothing serious.
It's only a mild bout,

so my staff surgeon says.

He was a great
ladles man, Hoffner.

A toast, gentlemen.
A toast between friends.

Toast!

To the Party!
- To the Party!

When did you become
such a hunter, Hessler?

Oh, there's nothing to It
once you've killed your first man.

They're a fine collection, though,
aren't they?

Only Himmler could be so Imaginative.

What about this one? Most recent.

Was easy to come by,

was In coping with a large number
of undesirables.

The Führer said, "Fräulein.”

As a matter of fact
she was a lady from the highest circles

with red hair and a superb bosom.

He said, "I am flattered
by your suggestion

"but you have the wrong man.

"Take my advice and see Goering.

"He Is my Minister
for Affairs of the Heart."

The lady looked at Goering and said,

"Mein Führer,
though I might take your advice,

"I could never take the weight."

Oh. What have we here?

So, It seems suddenly
we're In conference, gentlemen.

In here? In the mess?
Is there no conference room?

Well, yes, but...

I thought It would
save an upheaval, sir.

It's warmer In here.

Well, I have no objection.
Is It all right with you gentlemen?

A moment. Schmeling, the door.

Excuse me.

Happy, gentlemen?

Good. Well, first I think
we might dispense with these.

Well, you all know why we're here.

To reappraise
the security administration

of the castle.

But what you may not all know

Is that the role of Colditz
has been changed.

So our task now

Is to update the security arrangements
to cope with this change.

...and as the camp expands,
so of course, we Increase staff.

It's laid down, you remember, that
guards must always outnumber prisoners.

Laid down In respect of what?

Our establishment, of course.

But that Is Invalid now,
Herr Kommandant.

You are continuing to think In terms
of a prisoner-of-war camp.

Colditz Is Sonderlager now, remember?

A special camp.

Yes, of course...
- Out with It, Hessler.

What's on your mind?

New buttons never did make a new suit.

Any attempt to expand an existing system

Is a waste of time, resources
and manpower.

A whole new security structure
must be created.

If not, we'll end up
with a ponderous machine

that Is uneconomical In manpower
and everything else.

And you think you are more competent

to design this structure than
we are here, despite our experience?

Herr Kommandant,
security Is our business.

Can you guarantee to make
this Sonderlager 100% secure?

Yes, I can.

Impossible.

The voice of your own security officer,
he admits you can't do It.

We can't do It, nor can you.

The term "100% secure"
Is an Ideal, gentlemen.

An abstract.

The assessment of security risk
Is a science.

We don't speak In such Inexactitudes.

"We'?

Of the profession. I was In Insurance.

I think we can Ignore
the specialist view.

I thought that was the view
you were putting forward.

I must say
I'm very reluctant, Hessler,

to have you people In on this.

May I ask why?

Divided commands don't work.

To put It bluntly,
with the war escalating,

you have too many
Important commitments elsewhere

to warrant you sitting on your tails
In this backwater.

I think that Is for us to decide.

Not here.
- Here, now.

Schmeling, you must tell them.

We have no official release
on the Information yet.

I'll be responsible. Tell them.

Tell us what? Out with It.

Well, an order has Just been
received at Reich Security

from the Führer himself.

It decrees that
as well as Allied personnel,

all captured prominente
will be Imprisoned here.

Politicians, royalty, governors.

And the object?

That they be held
as hostages of the Reich,

to be used as and when
the Führer sees fit.

They're out of their minds.

Why wasn't I told of this?
- The news has already...

[No, It hasn't]

This Is why the conference
was brought forward, Isn't It?

Come on, man, admit It!
- Well, there was a question...

No, there wasn't!

The Information
was deliberately withheld.

Now, why?

To give the Kommandant and his staff
no time to prepare their own proposals.

My dear Herr...
- I tell you,

I have a good mind to adjourn
this meeting here and now.

You can't do that.
- There Is a time element.

Detailed proposals
for the reorganisation here

must be on Herr Himmler's desk
within eight days.

Can It be done?

It's all right, gentlemen,
no need to panic.

A draft plan has already been prepared.

By your people.
- Of course.

You would like to hear
what we are proposing?

Well, principally, SS participation
In the running of the camp.

The actual security details
are still In the melting pot.

We have to look the camp over.

We have to make an analysis
of existing measures.

And with your permission,
Herr Kommandant,

we'd like to start on that tomorrow.

What a waste.

Our plan Is already complete.

But that Is Impossible.

Unless you had forehand knowledge
about the hostages.

Standartenführer, whom we Imprison here
Is not the point.

It Is how we do It.
- Really?

Is a safe more secure or less secure
because of what It has Inside It?

The more valuable Its contents,
the more effort may be made to open It.

From the outside.
But that Is not our problem, Is It?

Colditz was built to keep people out.
What we have to do Is keep them In.

If we can keep In enemy officers,
we can keep In this Prominente, too.

Hmm. That makes sense.

These plans of yours,
are they available, Ulmann?

In front of you, sir.

"Revised allocations of manpower."

"Searchlights, weapons..."

"Modern locking devices..."

Gentlemen, Colditz Castle.

Existing guard positions, machine guns,
floodlights In black.

Revised and proposed positions In red.

If you'd care to follow
on the reports In front of you,

I'll take you through
each one separately,

explaining Its functions,
arc of fires, etcetera.

Well, these are my Initial proposals,
Herr General

Initial? I see.

Which you claim will afford
1009% security against escape?

Oh, no. I estimate 98.5,

half a point below
what my company reckoned

for strong rooms equipped
with electrical warning devices.

Any further comments, gentlemen?

Good.

Well, In view of the time factor,

I think this report
should go forward Immediately

to Reich Security, Schmeling.

I'll take some copies with me.

For my own part,

I think that the Kommandant
and his staff

should be allowed to get on
with their own reorganisation

In their own way.

And I shall make a report
to that effect.

That's all, gentlemen, meeting closed.

Well, that's about everything.
Ulmann's really sewn us up now.

Even the SS approved his plan.

Anyway, we're still under
the control of the Wehrmacht.

That's something.

Well, thank you, Player,
thank you, Grant.

Look, I've been doing some thinking
and these are my conclusions.

That one, we pool every
professional resource that we have.

Two, we focus those resources
on every single escape attempt.

And three,
we attempt to bring the Poles

and the other nationalities
along with us.

You mean form an Allied committee?

No, I can only see chaos In committee,

what I want Is a coordinator.

One man, with authority,
who can sift every plan.

An escape officer.
- Exactly, an escape officer.

You must realize that that man's got
to have a great deal of discretion

and a great deal of patience.

And you'll appreciate
that as the escape officer,

he won't be able to escape himself.

Now, the man I have In mind
for that Job Is you, Pat.

But sir, the war could last for years.

It's up to you.
The decision must be yours.

All right, sir.