| Situation Hopeless... But Not Serious | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Gottfried Reinhardt |
| Produced by | Gottfried Reinhardt |
| Written by | Robert Shaw (novel) Jan Lustig Silvia Reinhardt |
| Starring | Alec Guinness Mike Connors Robert Redford Paul Dahlke |
| Release date(s) | October 13, 1965 |
| Running time | 97 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Situation Hopeless... But Not Serious is a 1965 comedy film starring Alec Guinness, Mike Connors and Robert Redford. It is based on the novel The Hiding Place by Robert Shaw.
The title is a variation of an old Viennese saying; "The situation is desperate but not serious."
In World War II, two American fliers, Captain Hank Wilson (Robert Redford) and Sergeant Lucky Finder (Mike Connors), are forced to bail out over Germany. They encounter Wilhelm Frick (Alec Guinness), who hides them from the authorities in his cellar. He enjoys their company so much that he does not inform them when the war ends. Instead, he maintains a masquerade to convince his "guests" that Germany is still fighting. Eventually, after seven years, the Americans find out the truth.