Escape from Zahrain (1962): cast, story & where to watch

Released in 1962, Escape from Zahrain is an action, drama and adventure film directed by Ronald Neame, running about 93 minutes. “Escape to Explosive Adventure!” — that tagline sets the tone.

What it’s about. Yul Brynner plays political leader Sharif who is sprung from a police van on his way to a firing squad by young loyalists led by Sal Mineo. Yul and the other prisoners kidnap an ambulance and head into the Arabian desert with the police in hot pursuit. All the performances are magnificent: Sal Mineo showing his acting talents, Jack Warden in a wiseguy performance as an employee of Zahrain oil who was involved in embezzlement, Anthony Caruso as a slimy psychotic and the underrated Madlyn Rhue as a nurse who becomes emotionally involved in the proceedings.

Who’s in it. Escape from Zahrain stars Yul Brynner as Sharif, Madlyn Rhue as Laila, Sal Mineo as Ahmed and Jack Warden as Huston, among others.

How it landed. With an audience score of 6.0/10, Escape from Zahrain has drawn a solid, mixed-to-positive response.

Where to watch. In US you can rent or buy it from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies and YouTube. See the full, country-by-country breakdown on our where to watch Escape from Zahrain page.

If you liked it. Fans of Escape from Zahrain tend to enjoy The Dark Knight, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, Inception and The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring.