Paul Newman was the king of the "cool loser" long before it became a cinematic trope. We usually think of him as the defiant Cool Hand Luke or the slick Butch Cassidy. But in 1968, right in the middle of his peak stardom, he made a weird, cynical, and surprisingly funny World War II comedy. It was called The Private War of Harry Frigg.
Most people have forgotten it. That’s a mistake.
If you’re looking for a gritty, Saving Private Ryan-style epic, keep walking. This isn't that. It’s a satire about the absurdity of military rank and the ridiculous ways people in power protect their egos. It’s basically what happens when you take a career goldbricker—a guy who spends his entire military service in the stockade—and tell him he has to become a General overnight.
The Ridiculous Plot of The Private War of Harry Frigg
The setup is pure Hollywood high-concept. Five Allied brigadier generals are captured by the Italians while they’re taking a communal shower at a villa. Yes, a shower. Because they all have the same rank, nobody is "in charge," and they spend their time bickering about seniority instead of actually trying to escape.
Enter Harry Frigg.
Newman plays Frigg as a private with a singular talent: he can escape from any guardhouse in the Army. He doesn't do it for king and country. He does it because he hates being told what to do. The brass decides the only way to get those five generals out is to send in a man who knows how to break out of cages. But there’s a catch. To make the captured generals listen to him, the Army has to promote Frigg to Major General.
He goes from the bottom of the barrel to the top of the food chain in a week.
The comedy doesn't just come from the escape mission. It comes from how quickly Frigg adapts to the perks of being a General. He gets a taste of the fine wine, the silk pajamas, and the beautiful Countess (played by Sylva Koscina), and suddenly, he isn't in such a hurry to finish the mission.
It’s a cynical look at how "the uniform makes the man," or at least how the uniform makes the man a total jerk.
Why the 1960s Context Matters
You have to remember what was happening in 1968. The Vietnam War was tearing the social fabric of America apart. The "Old Hollywood" war movies—the ones where every soldier was a square-jawed hero dying for a noble cause—were starting to feel fake. Audiences wanted something with a bit more bite.
The Private War of Harry Frigg arrived alongside movies like MASH (the book came out in '68, the movie in '70) and Kelly's Heroes. These films treated the military hierarchy as a joke. They suggested that the guys at the top were often incompetent, and the guys at the bottom were just trying to survive the madness.
💡 You might also like: Why Believe the Bravery Lyrics Are More Than Just a Meme
Director Jack Smight, who later did Midway and Airport 1975, doesn't play this for slapstick. He plays it straight. That’s why it works. When Newman’s Frigg starts demanding "General-level" respect, it’s funny because we know he was scrubbing floors two days ago, but the people around him are so blinded by the stars on his shoulder that they can’t see the con.
Paul Newman’s Performance: More Than Just a Pretty Face
Honestly, Newman could have phoned this one in. He was the biggest star in the world. But he gives Frigg a specific kind of blue-collar grittiness. He’s not a hero. He’s a guy who knows the system is rigged and has decided to rig it back in his favor.
There's this specific nuance in how he portrays Frigg’s transformation. In the beginning, he’s slouched, cynical, and dirty. Once he puts on the General's uniform, his posture changes. He starts believing his own hype. It’s a masterclass in character acting hidden inside a commercial comedy.
The supporting cast is a "who's who" of character actors from that era. You’ve got:
- Andrew Duggan
- Tom Bosley (long before Happy Days)
- John Williams (the actor, not the composer)
- Charles Gray
They play the captured generals as pompous, out-of-touch bureaucrats. Watching Newman—a Private in his heart—bully these high-ranking officers is incredibly cathartic. It’s the ultimate "revenge of the grunt" story.
Is It Historically Accurate?
Not even close.
While there were certainly high-ranking officers captured during WWII (like General Patton’s son-in-law, John K. Waters), the idea of a "professional escape artist" private being promoted to General to lead a breakout is pure fiction. The movie was filmed largely in California, standing in for the Italian countryside.
But the movie captures a different kind of truth. It captures the tension between the "Greatest Generation" ideals and the counter-culture rebellion of the late 60s. It’s a bridge between two eras of filmmaking.
Critical Reception and Legacy
When it first hit theaters, critics were mixed. Some felt it was too lighthearted given the world situation. Others thought it was a bit slow in the middle. But over time, it has developed a bit of a cult following among Newman fans.
It’s often compared to The Great Escape, but that’s an unfair comparison. The Great Escape is a drama with funny moments. The Private War of Harry Frigg is a satire that uses a war setting to talk about class and ego.
One thing that holds up surprisingly well is the romance. Often, these 60s comedies have romantic subplots that feel tacked on or, frankly, pretty sexist. While the relationship between Frigg and the Countess is a bit of a fantasy, Sylva Koscina gives her character enough intelligence and agency that it doesn't feel entirely hollow. She’s the only one who really sees through Frigg’s act, and that creates a genuine chemistry.
What Most People Get Wrong About This Film
A lot of modern viewers go into this expecting a "war movie." They get frustrated when there aren't big battle scenes or a high body count.
Basically, you have to view this as a workplace comedy. The "workplace" just happens to be a prisoner-of-war camp in occupied Italy. If you approach it like Office Space but with more Mussolini and vintage uniforms, you’ll have a much better time.
Another misconception is that this was a "flop." It actually did decent business at the box office, mostly because Paul Newman’s name was basically a license to print money in 1968. It just didn't have the cultural staying power of his more "serious" roles.
How to Watch It Today
Finding The Private War of Harry Frigg isn't as easy as finding The Sting. It’s not always on the major streaming platforms. You usually have to hunt it down on digital rental services like Amazon or Apple, or find a physical Blu-ray copy.
It’s worth the hunt. If you’re a fan of 60s cinema, or if you just want to see Paul Newman at his most charmingly manipulative, it’s a essential viewing.
Actionable Insights for Film Buffs
If you're planning to dive into this era of Newman's career, don't stop here. To really get the context of what he was doing in the late 60s, you should watch these in order:
- Cool Hand Luke (1967): The ultimate "rebel vs. the system" movie.
- The Private War of Harry Frigg (1968): The comedic deconstruction of that same rebel character.
- Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969): The perfection of the "charismatic loser" archetype.
When you watch them back-to-back, you see a theme. Newman was obsessed with the idea of the individual vs. the institution. Harry Frigg is just the version of that story where the individual decides that instead of fighting the institution, he might as well enjoy the catered lunch.
Next Steps for Your Movie Night:
- Check your local library's digital catalog (like Hoopla or Kanopy); they often carry these "mid-tier" classics for free.
- Look for the 2021 Blu-ray release from Kino Lorber. It has a much better transfer than the old DVDs and includes some great commentary that explains the production hurdles.
- Pair it with Kelly's Heroes for a double feature on the "Cynical WWII" subgenre.
Stop skipping the "lesser" entries in a great actor's filmography. Sometimes, the movies that didn't win the Oscars are the ones that tell you the most about the time they were made. Harry Frigg might be a fake General, but the movie is the real deal.