Escape to Athena
In 1944, Allied prisoners at a POW camp on an unnamed Greek island are forced to excavate ancient artifacts inside the temple of Neptune where people brought in their "offerings" to the sea god. The G…
Escape to Athena
In 1944, Allied prisoners at a POW camp on an unnamed Greek island are forced to excavate ancient artifacts inside the temple of Neptune where people brought in their "offerings" to the sea god. The Greek Island has a mountain which had a monastery, which has been converted into a garrison, overlooking the entire approach by sea. The base of the island has a submarine refueling depot. On the island are several buildings that have been occupied by the Germans and converted into a makeshift prison, where the prisoners of war are kept. The camp Commandant, Major Otto Hecht (Roger Moore), a former corrupt Austrian antiques dealer, is sending some of the most valuable pieces to his sister living in Switzerland and everything else to Berlin. However, the prisoners have discovered that they will be sent to other camps once the finds run out, so they arrange to keep "discovering" the same pieces. While Hecht is content to sit out the war, the SS Commandant of the nearby town, Major Volkmann (Anthony Valentine) town commandant and Hecht's rival, brutally enforces discipline, including reprisal executions of civilians. Resistance to the Germans is led by Zeno (Telly Savalas), a former monk, and his few fighters. They use the local brothel, run by his girlfriend Elena (Claudia Cardinale), as an undercover headquarters. Zeno uses all sorts of tactics to steal supplies and ammunition from the Germans. The PoW camp is very well fortified and separated from the rest of the island town. Professor Blake (David Niven) senior British officer among the prisoners and is a well-known archaeologist. Hecht is using Blake to identify the expensive art treasures from the Island for his own private collection. Blake, Judson and Rotelli are POWs at the camp who keep on trying to escape, but Volkmann captures them and brings them back. While Hecht wants to be lenient with their punishments, but Volkmann demands that they be given the strictest possible discipline, even though Volkmann is junior to Hecht. They know that Blake is crucial to their efforts and hence cannot afford to kill him either. Zeno, who is in contact with Allied Headquarters, is ordered to break the prisoners out of their camp and use them to help liberate the town and capture the nearby U-boat refueling depot to prepare for an allied naval invasion of the Aegean Sea. When Zeno is communicating via radio with the Allied forces, the Germans try to locate his signal. They need 30 seconds to find the location, but Zeno never transmits for that long. Still, the Germans keep getting close with their equipment. Two captured USO artists, Charlie (Elliott Gould) and Dottie (Stefanie Powers) are brought into the monastery. Hecht is enamored by Dottie and wants Charlie to organize a concert for the Germans in the camp. Hecht tells Charlie that the "real" treasures are not in the camp, but in mount Atena. Zeno uses a visit by Lt Braun (Siegfried Rauch) to the brothel, to cut the brakes of the car, causing his death later. Volkmann is angry and kills a random prostitute out of spite and promises to kill 10 more if the real murderer of Braun does not surrender within 48 hours. Professor Blake asks Charlie and Dottie perform a concert as cover, while the Greek Resistance (led by Zeno) takes over the camp. With the choice of being killed by Zeno or helping them (they want Hecht to continue to engage Volkmann so that he believes everything is alright at the camp), Hecht joins forces with the Allies. Hecht arranges things such that the resistance forces get access to the town and the refueling depot, thereby helping them eradicate Volkmann's troops as well as capturing the fuel depot simultaneously. There is a pitched battle for the town, with Charlie himself pursuing Volkmann on a bike and killing him before he is able to radio for help. After completing the mission, Charlie asks Zeno to lead him and two other prisoners, Judson (Richard Roundtree) a US army POW, and Rotelli (Sonny Bono) an Italian POW and professional chef, up to the monastery on Mount Athena to steal Byzantine treasures kept there by the monks. However, Zeno tells Charlie that the treasures belong to the Greek people. Zeno now receives word from Allied intelligence that the planned invasion of the islands has been brought forward, and so the German garrison in the monastery atop Mount Athena must be neutralized. Without revealing the whole truth, Zeno tells Charlie, Rotelli and Judson that in return for helping liberate the monks from the Germans, whatever they find there would be theirs. Meanwhile Hecht helps save Dottie's life when she is tasked by Blake to neutralize the submarine refueling station and comes under attack by 3 frogmen, who had concealed themselves when they saw the base being run over by resistance forces. However, on climbing to the monastery, the group discover a heavily armed garrison. Zeno uses gas to knock out most of the soldiers, but not before their commander orders a V-2 rocket launch to destroy the allied invasion fleet which is headed towards the islands. Judson knocks out the control room with grenades, but one of the Germans survives long enough to activate the base's self-destruct mechanism. Not realizing the danger immediately, Charlie and Rotelli scour the monastery for the treasure, while Judson frees the monks. Zeno finds the self-destruct clock, but he cannot deactivate it. Zeno, the monks and the Americans escape the monastery before it explodes. Searching for treasure until the last minute, Charlie escapes the explosion with the only treasure the Germans left behind - tin plates adorned with Hitler's face. During the victory celebration in the village, Hecht, Charlie, and Dottie plan after the war to capitalize on treasures Hecht has already looted, by making copies to sell to Americans. Professor Blake learns from one of the freed monks that their treasure - Byzantine plates made of gold - is safe, having been hidden in the brothel the entire time. The final scene cuts to the modern day, by which time Zeno's former headquarters have been turned into a state museum housing the treasures of Mount Athena.
Escape to Athena
Action,Adventure,Comedy
Film Details
In 1944, Allied prisoners at a POW camp on an unnamed Greek island are forced to excavate ancient artifacts inside the temple of Neptune where people brought in their "offerings" to the sea god. The Greek Island has a mountain which had a monastery, which has been converted into a garrison, overlooking the entire approach by sea. The base of the island has a submarine refueling depot.
On the island are several buildings that have been occupied by the Germans and converted into a makeshift prison, where the prisoners of war are kept. The camp Commandant, Major Otto Hecht (Roger Moore), a former corrupt Austrian antiques dealer, is sending some of the most valuable pieces to his sister living in Switzerland and everything else to Berlin. However, the prisoners have discovered that they will be sent to other camps once the finds run out, so they arrange to keep "discovering" the same pieces.
While Hecht is content to sit out the war, the SS Commandant of the nearby town, Major Volkmann (Anthony Valentine) town commandant and Hecht's rival, brutally enforces discipline, including reprisal executions of civilians. Resistance to the Germans is led by Zeno (Telly Savalas), a former monk, and his few fighters. They use the local brothel, run by his girlfriend Elena (Claudia Cardinale), as an undercover headquarters.
Zeno uses all sorts of tactics to steal supplies and ammunition from the Germans. The PoW camp is very well fortified and separated from the rest of the island town. Professor Blake (David Niven) senior British officer among the prisoners and is a well-known archaeologist.
Hecht is using Blake to identify the expensive art treasures from the Island for his own private collection. Blake, Judson and Rotelli are POWs at the camp who keep on trying to escape, but Volkmann captures them and brings them back. While Hecht wants to be lenient with their punishments, but Volkmann demands that they be given the strictest possible discipline, even though Volkmann is junior to Hecht.
They know that Blake is crucial to their efforts and hence cannot afford to kill him either. Zeno, who is in contact with Allied Headquarters, is ordered to break the prisoners out of their camp and use them to help liberate the town and capture the nearby U-boat refueling depot to prepare for an allied naval invasion of the Aegean Sea. When Zeno is communicating via radio with the Allied forces, the Germans try to locate his signal.
They need 30 seconds to find the location, but Zeno never transmits for that long. Still, the Germans keep getting close with their equipment. Two captured USO artists, Charlie (Elliott Gould) and Dottie (Stefanie Powers) are brought into the monastery.
Hecht is enamored by Dottie and wants Charlie to organize a concert for the Germans in the camp. Hecht tells Charlie that the "real" treasures are not in the camp, but in mount Atena. Zeno uses a visit by Lt Braun (Siegfried Rauch) to the brothel, to cut the brakes of the car, causing his death later.
Volkmann is angry and kills a random prostitute out of spite and promises to kill 10 more if the real murderer of Braun does not surrender within 48 hours. Professor Blake asks Charlie and Dottie perform a concert as cover, while the Greek Resistance (led by Zeno) takes over the camp. With the choice of being killed by Zeno or helping them (they want Hecht to continue to engage Volkmann so that he believes everything is alright at the camp), Hecht joins forces with the Allies.
Hecht arranges things such that the resistance forces get access to the town and the refueling depot, thereby helping them eradicate Volkmann's troops as well as capturing the fuel depot simultaneously. There is a pitched battle for the town, with Charlie himself pursuing Volkmann on a bike and killing him before he is able to radio for help. After completing the mission, Charlie asks Zeno to lead him and two other prisoners, Judson (Richard Roundtree) a US army POW, and Rotelli (Sonny Bono) an Italian POW and professional chef, up to the monastery on Mount Athena to steal Byzantine treasures kept there by the monks.
However, Zeno tells Charlie that the treasures belong to the Greek people. Zeno now receives word from Allied intelligence that the planned invasion of the islands has been brought forward, and so the German garrison in the monastery atop Mount Athena must be neutralized. Without revealing the whole truth, Zeno tells Charlie, Rotelli and Judson that in return for helping liberate the monks from the Germans, whatever they find there would be theirs.
Meanwhile Hecht helps save Dottie's life when she is tasked by Blake to neutralize the submarine refueling station and comes under attack by 3 frogmen, who had concealed themselves when they saw the base being run over by resistance forces. However, on climbing to the monastery, the group discover a heavily armed garrison. Zeno uses gas to knock out most of the soldiers, but not before their commander orders a V-2 rocket launch to destroy the allied invasion fleet which is headed towards the islands.
Judson knocks out the control room with grenades, but one of the Germans survives long enough to activate the base's self-destruct mechanism. Not realizing the danger immediately, Charlie and Rotelli scour the monastery for the treasure, while Judson frees the monks. Zeno finds the self-destruct clock, but he cannot deactivate it.
Zeno, the monks and the Americans escape the monastery before it explodes. Searching for treasure until the last minute, Charlie escapes the explosion with the only treasure the Germans left behind - tin plates adorned with Hitler's face. During the victory celebration in the village, Hecht, Charlie, and Dottie plan after the war to capitalize on treasures Hecht has already looted, by making copies to sell to Americans.
Professor Blake learns from one of the freed monks that their treasure - Byzantine plates made of gold - is safe, having been hidden in the brothel the entire time. The final scene cuts to the modern day, by which time Zeno's former headquarters have been turned into a state museum housing the treasures of Mount Athena..