Escape to Athena was filmed in Rhodes, Greece. The historic city of The Old Town was the primary location for the film.
Escape to Athena is a war adventure movie released in 1979. The story is based on the horrors of World War II. The story revolves around a group of Allied Prisoners of War (P.O.W.s), Nazis Germans, the black market, priceless art treasures, Greek resistance, a Greek monastery, and a secret German rocket base.
The movie’s basic storyline involves a group of prisoners held in a German camp on a Greek Island during World War II. The prisoners try to escape but what they are seeking is not only freedom. The group is tempted to find an ineffable treasure hidden in a monastery at the top of the island where they are being held prisoners.
Escape to Athena was a British movie released on 9 March 1979. The movie was directed by George P. Cosmatos, who also co-wrote with Edward Anhalt and Richard S. Lochte. The war drama was dubbed into three languages; English, German, and Greek.
Where In Rhodes Was Escape To Athena Filmed?
Escape to Athena was filmed in The Old City of Rhodes in Greece. The Old City is an ancient location with many medieval landmarks.
The trailer of the war adventure showed Lindos Castle. Lindos Castle is the ruin of the Medieval castle that lies within the walls of the Acropolis of Lindos.
Most of the movie was shot in the historic Old Town and Kalithea beach. The filming began in Greece on 21 February 1978. Lew Grade’s ITC Entertainment was partially involved in the project providing the necessary finance.
The Old City of Rhodes is an ancient city surrounded by medieval walls with seven gates. The historic town is one of modern Europe’s most famous tourist destinations. During medieval times, the city was divided into the Northern Knights, the Palace of the Grand Master, and the Southern Hora. All of these places serve as wonderful tourist sites today.
Greece has more than a thousand islands of various sizes. Only about two hundred of them are inhabited. The largest island in Greece is Crete which has an area of 8,336 sq. km (3,219 sq. miles).
Rhodes is the fourth largest island with an area of 1,401 sq. km (541 sq. miles). It lies in the Dodecanese region. The island is home to more than a hundred and fifteen thousand people. In terms of population, Rhodes is the third largest island in Greece.
Rhodes is famous for its ancient ruins and beach resorts. The city of Rhodes has an old town that features the Medieval Street of the Knights and the Palace of the Grand Masters. The history and the natural beauty of Rhodes Island have attracted many cinematographers over the years.
Rhodes is a place of historical significance. The island was famous for the Colossus, which was considered one of the Seven Wonders in ancient times. The island is a famous tourist site in Europe today.
Escape To Athena Cast
Escape to Athena has an ensemble cast of legendary actors led by Roger Moore. Other members include Telly Savalas, Anthony Valentine, Elliot Gould, and many more.
Roger Moore as Major Otto Hecht
Major Otto Hecht, played by Roger Moore, is the lead character of Escape to Athena. The camp Commandant Otto is a former Austrian antique dealer. He is sending a few valuable items to his sister, who lives in Switzerland.
Hecht finds himself standing at crossroads when Zeno confronts him, either to die fighting the resistance force or join them. The Major chooses to side with Allied forces and helps them eradicate Volkmann’s troops, assisting the resistance force in capturing the fuel depot.
Roger George Moore was a British actor widely known for his role as James Bond.
Moore started his career with TV series; most notable are Maverick, Ivanhoe, and The Alaskans. The British actor portrayed James Bond in the 1973 movie Live and Let Die.
Telly Savalas as Zeno
Zeno, played by Telly Savalas, is the leader of the resistance force against the Germans. The former monk leads a few fighters against the oppression of the Nazis.
Zeno is in contact with the Allied Headquarters, where he receives the order to break the prisoners out of their camp and use them to help liberate the town. He is further ordered to capture a nearby U-boat refueling depot.
Telly Savalas was an American actor of Greek descent. Savalas is most known for playing characters who are often sadists or psychotics. The actor rose to prominence in 1973 with his role as Det. Theo Kojak in the TV movie The Marcus-Nelson Murders.
Anthony Valentine as SS Major Volkmann
Major Volkmann played by Anthony Valentine is the SS Commandant of the town of Rhodes. While Major Hetch hesitates to participate in the ongoing war, Volkmann strongly sides with his country. He brutally enforces discipline and carries out the forced execution of civilians.
Volkmann faces a threat from the resistance group led by Zeno. In addition, he finds the situation difficult to handle after he finds out Major Otto Hecht has sided with the Allied force.
Anthony Valentine was a British actor born in Lancashire, England. The actor is most notable for films The Fifth Corner, Scobie in September, and Callan.
Elliot Gould as Charlie Dane
Charlie and Dottie are USO artists captured by the Nazi Germans. The duo organizes a concert at the camp as a cover while the resistance force advances and captures the camp. Zeno seeks help from Charlie, Rotelli, and Judson to liberate the monks from the Germans. He promises them that whatever treasure is found in the monastery will be theirs.
Elliot Gould is an American actor born on 29 August 1938. Gould has appeared in many famous and iconic films and TV series. His filmography includes Ocean’s Eleven series, M*A*S*H, The Long Goodbye, and Capricorn One.
On TV, the 84-year-old has hosted Saturday Night Live six times and made appearances in the series The Muppet Movie, Friends, and Bugsy.
Other casts include:
- Stefanie Powers as Dottie Del Mar
- David Niven as Professor Blake
- Claudia Cardinale as Eleana
- Richard Roundtree as Nat Judosn
- Sonny Bono as Bruno Rotelli
- Siegfried Rauch as Braun
- Michael Sheard as Sergeant Mann
- Richard Wren as Reistoffer
- Phillip Locke as Vogel
- Steve Ubels as Lantz and many more.
Is Escape To Athena A True Story?
Escape to Athena is a fictional movie based on World War II. The events represent wartime however story and characters are fictional.
Although the story and characters of Escape to Athena are fictional, the premises are based on historical events.
The camp where characters Charlie Dane and Dottie Del Mar were held prisoners by the Germans portrays the actual scenario of the concentration camp of the Nazis. Prisoners of War were held in the Rhodes Concentration Camps during the war.
The camp was called Concentramento, which was an open-air concentration camp in Rhodes. In 1940, the Italians imprisoned the Greeks, stacked them in the castle moat, and left them starving.
Germany invaded Greece in 1941, also known as the German Invasion of Greece. Germany landed on the island of Crete in May after the Allied forces had been defeated in mainland Greece.
The invasion of Greece by Germany was followed by the Italian Invasion of 1940. The Italians declared war on Greece in October 1940 and took control of the Dodecanese on 24 June.
From 1943 to 1944, the Germans arrested and displaced Jews all over Greece, including the Rhodes. On 20 July, almost all the Jews of Rhodes were captured and held in the impoverished concentration camp.