Albert R.N.

Albert R.N.
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Lewis Gilbert
Produced by	Daniel M. Angel
Written by	Vernon Harris Guy Morgan
Based on	play by Guy Morgan and Edward Sammis
Starring	Anthony Steel Jack Warner Robert Beatty
Music by	Malcolm Arnold
Cinematography	Jack Asher
Edited by	Charles Hasse
Distributed by	Eros Films
Release date	1953
Running time	88 minutes
Country	United Kingdom
Language	English
Budget	₤80,000

Albert R.N. is a 1953 British war film directed by Lewis Gilbert and starring Anthony Steel.

The British inmates of a prisoner-of-war camp think they have an informer among them after several escape attempts fail. One of the prisoners makes a dummy which they christen "Albert" and use at in order to foil the German guards.

The film is based on a true story. "Albert R.N." was a dummy constructed in Marlag O, the prisoner of war camp in northern Germany for naval officers. The head was sculpted by war artist John Worsley (1919–2000), the body by Lieutenant Bob Staines RNVR, and Lieutenant-Commander Tony Bentley-Buckle devised a mechanism enabling Albert’s eyes to blink and move, adding realism to the dummy. "Albert" was used as a stand-in for a head count while a prisoner escaped and was used on two separate occasions. In the first attempt Lieutenant William "Blondie" Mewes RNVR escaped from the camp shower block, and the skilfull use of "Albert" during roll-calls gave him four days head start before a missing PoW was reported. Unfortunately, Mewes was recaptured in Lübeck and returned to Marlag camp. The second occasion was unsuccessful, when the escaping PoW was discovered hiding in the camp shower block and "Albert" was discovered in the subsequent searches.

Worsley made a new "Albert" for use in the film. Senior Commissioned Gunner (TAS) Lieut. John William Goble RN. aided Worsley in the development of "Albert" in the POW camp, Marlag O and acted as technical adviser for the film. Worsely made a third "Albert" for the retrospective exhibition of his work held in Brighton College's Burstow Gallery. After the show, it was donated to the Royal Naval Museum Portsmouth.

Guy Morgan and Edward Sammis, who were British POWs, wrote a play based on the story on which this film was based. This was subsequently adapted into a screenplay.

Anthony Steel and Jack Warner were both lent to producer Daniel Angel by the Rank Organisation. Both had previously appeared in POW movies, The Wooden Horse (1950) and The Captive Heart (1946) respectively.