Customer Reviews

The Ritchie Boys

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Put me to use. That's what the so-called Ritchie Boys asked of the U.S. Army in World War II, and they got what they wanted. These new recruits, alien refugees--some fresh off the boat from Europe--were shipped off to Camp Ritchie to learn how the German military did its thing so they could interrogate prisoners in warzones. It's a World War II story that hadn't been told yet, and the Ritchie Boys themselves make for engaging watching and a wonderful story. These are soldiers most of us can relate to, people who weren't so good at handling firearms but became single-minded in their work to charm, confuse, and terrify POWs who showed up and had information they wanted.

This is an excellent addition to the growing sub-genres of Jewish and World War II documentaries, and sports skillful use of talking-head inteviews, music, and archival footage.

DVD Extras: A full 43 minutes of deleted scenes and personal accounts fill out the disc.

Making their way to America with little to nothing, many Jewish immigrants escaped German persecution, and prepared for their own kind of war while living in the United States. Each having their own reason to enlist, most did it for personal and/or ideological reasons, the immigrants soon became part of the Military Intelligence Training Center (MITC) at Camp Ritchie, Maryland. Sometimes called the Military Institute of Total Confusion because of its revolutionary, unpredictable nature, these soldiers were to be used for the unique purpose of interrogating German prisoners of war.

With intimate knowledge of the enemy, the Ritchie Boys used their ingenuity and imagination to not only display conspicuous gallantry, but also engage in psychological and intelligence endeavors beneficial to the Allied efforts. A typical soldier can be trained for war in half a year. Becoming a fluent interpreter, translator, and interrogator in any foreign language simply can't be accomplished in that amount of time; as such, the Ritchie Boys had an invaluable purpose.

The majority of the documentary is about each soldier's role during the war, and the various interesting details each can remember. Telling stories of their experiences during war with humility and comedy, recalling past events and how they're affected today, is hilarious at times and very inspiring at others. Displaying other-worldly courage, one of the Ritchie Boys (Werner Angress) even jumped from a plane on D-Day, without having gone through Airborne training! As someone who has been skydiving several times, this astonishes me. Another soldier (Si Lewen) was part of a direct broadcast to German soldiers, an attempt to convince the enemy soldiers to surrender. Since the broadcasts were initially from speakers adjacent to the microphone, high fatalities were guaranteed. Countless other stories amaze throughout the documentary, and I'm quite sure I could listen to these guys for quite some time.

Former soldiers, military history buffs, and proud Americans should know about the important contributions made by Jewish immigrants during one of our nation's most precipitous moments. Since I fit all three of the above qualifications, it's obvious that I loved the Ritchie Boys.

I first saw this as a special on the Discovery Network's Military Channel. I had to wait several months before it became available on Amazon but it was worth the wait to own it. These men's stories are compelling and fascinating. This dvd should be shown in every civics class in the country (provided we started HAVING civics classes again).

The men who trained at Camp Ritchie were almost exclusively European Jewish refugees who had just recently escaped from the Nazis. Yet they all volunteered to return to Europe to serve their newly adopted country.

They all took this very seriously but the dvd does make use of the usual humorous soldier stories. Such as the one where two of the Richie Boys who are now with the US Army in a forward area doing POW interrogations complete a fake prisoner interrogation report stating that they have captured Hitler's latrine orderly and he gave them very detailed information on the fuhrer's private parts. They sent it to their immediate superiors and they all had a good laugh. Until someone forwarded it to a higher HQ and a Colonel from Washington showed up to meet the latrine orderly for himself!

This is a must for any student of WW II.

THE RITCHIE BOYS has been short-listed for the 2005 Academy Awards and provides an excellent account of a small contingent of German Jewish intellectuals who escape from Nazi Germany - then return as U.S. soldiers to battle the Third Reich with revenge in mind. Their story has until now been largely hidden from even Nazi historians, making Christian Bauer's THE RITCHIE BOYS a significant addition to any serious DVD history collection.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

After just happening to see this on television, my son took my brother an I on a tour of World War II Europe. Among others, we took a guided tours of Normandy, Ste Mar Eglise, Malmady, Bastogne and Auschwitz. Returning home, I took another look at The Boys - and it all came alive. Rather than a well done documentary, it a classic story of of the human race at its best - up against the human race at its worst. I'd reccomend this to anyone who enjoys authentic history, a great story and an excellent piece of film. The production is 5-star.

The stories of these gentlemen before, during and after the war is incredible. There's sad dark events and hysterical humor - all in the same film. It's a treasure.

I just viewed this film on-line and am still in shock. One of the Ritchie Boys is a former employer whom I was Personal Assistant to in the late 80s in NYC! If only he had shared this part of his life with me! Fred Howard in the film is the same flamboyant, over-the-top, brash man he was in the office. Tall, very handsome, with a distinct German accent, he returned after WWII to make a name for himself in business. The word 'genius' is not sufficient to describe his mind. When you walk into a Duane-Reade, Walgreens, or supermarket, you will see his designs. He invented the "Leggs Egg" among other items we take for granted. All the shelving that holds the merchandise. I knew he was brilliant but had no idea of his involvement in the war.

If only Fred Howard had told me of this background he would have learned something about me he never knew--my uncle was shot down over Germany, was captured and imprisoned in a Stalag until the end of the war. A tall, football player in high school, he returned to the US at the end of the war weighing barely 120 pounds. Mr. Howard and I could have talked for hours about the war because I became obsessed with the subject of Germany during WWII and to this day continue to study it. Amazon.com can certainly verify this with the films and books I have purchased over the years on Hitler, Count Von Stauffenberg, Heydrich, Albert Speer, Ernst Hanfstaengl and numerous other famous figures from that era.

I remember attending Mr. Howard's 60th birthday party at Le Cirque in 1987. He is now 84 and I am almost 70. This film was made in 2004 so I don't know if Fred Howard is still alive. I would love to have the opportunity to visit with him and his wife and have a long talk about what I saw in this remarkable film. He did mention working for intelligence during the war but, to be honest, I didn't believe him! Blame it on my youth!

I happened upon this film by accident. This film should be shown in every high school and university in America. Young German men (all Jewish) who left Germany in the 30s and arrived in the US only to be trained as interrogators and dropped over Germany at the end of the war! Why hasn't someone in Hollywood made a film of this story? Amazing! Simply amazing!

The Ritchie Boys spotlights certain members who tell the story of their involvement in the group along with family photos and personal gems that are both tearful and enlightening. Fred Howard's story about Marlene Dietrich is wonderful! So Fred!

This is a story you have never heard before. It opens up new vistas to those of us who study the second world war and Germany, in particular. Of course it was not by accident that I found this film today. Divine intervention for sure! Now, after all these years, I understand why Fred Howard was the character he was. If only I had known back in the 80s when I was his Personal Assistant! It would have made the experience so much richer! What a man! What an incredible story! I loved this film.

It seems the "Ritchie Boys" were able to successfully interrogate POWs by cutting off buttons, and asking to hear the Lord's Prayer -- no water boarding necessary! Cheney and Romney could learn a few things about winning a war from these guys. Such admirable men, using brains over brawn.

This is a nostalgic and historically important film comprised of present day interviews and films of the period. It gives a very moving account of these patriotic and extraordinarly brilliant intelligence officers who were forced from their European birthplace in their youth and who found acceptance in their new homeland--the USA. During WW II their gratitude was expessed by exemplary military service which they carried out without blind vengeance or injustice.

I am buying this for my dad who was in Army Intelligence in WWII and trained many, gifted European POW's as Army Intelligence staff not far from Camp Richie a few years after the war.

This is one of the the best written and certainly most humorous documentary on WWII I have ever seen. You would love to spend a weekend with the guys in the film just listening to their stories and enjoying their spirit and heart for God, country and others. These are the kind of men that have made America great in he past. May God give us more like them in the days ahead.

The Ritchie Boys is a valuable document on interrogation written for the
public and describing how a group of highly trained American GIs were
able during World War II to obtain priceless intelligence information from
German prisoners without resort to torture or inhumane treatment. These
GIs have never received the recognition they deserved for saving countless
lives and helping to shorten the war. Their methods and success contrast
with the barbaric treatment of prisoners and suspects by American personnel
during the second Iraq War. This is a book that will hold the attention even of
a reader initially believing that he has no interest in the subject! It is a record
of heroes who could take justifiable pride in their significant accomplishments
but who never sought glory they deserved and deserve, as some are still living.
Jazz De Cou