Sigfrit Steiner, born in 1906, was a Swiss actor whose career spanned several decades, beginning with his stage debut in 1928. In The Last Chance (1945), he delivers a compelling performance that reflects the gritty realism of post-war cinema. Steiner's extensive filmography includes over one hundred films, yet his role in this particular work highlights his ability to navigate the complexities of character in a tumultuous era. His contributions to the genre continue to resonate within the realm of cult and exploitation cinema.
The Last Chance
Autumn, 1943. Two prisoners of war, the Englishman Lt. John Halliday and the American Sgt. James Braddock, escape in the confusion when their transport train is strafed by Allied bombers in Italy. Determined to cross the frontier into Switzerland and freedom, the two men are sheltered by peasants and discover a nation at war with itself. Although Mussolini is still in power, the Fascist government is rapidly crumbling while the Italian resistance is growing in number and power. Halliday and Jackson continue their journey to a small village where they encounter Maj. Telford, an escaped POW himself, and a group of refugees desperate to elude capture. At the behest of a noble priest who sacrifices himself to give them a head start, they embark on a perilous journey to the Swiss border, pursued by a platoon of Nazi soldiers.
