The Great Escape (1963)

Allied prisoners of war plan for several hundred of their number to escape from a German camp during World War II.

Director:

John Sturges

Writers:

Paul Brickhill (book), James Clavell (screenplay)

Stars:

Steve McQueen, James Garner, Richard Attenborough

Top Rated Movies #132 | Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 2 wins & 10 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Steve McQueen	...	Hilts 'The Cooler King'
James Garner	...	Hendley 'The Scrounger'
Richard Attenborough	...	Bartlett 'Big X'
James Donald	...	Ramsey 'The SBO'
Charles Bronson	...	Danny 'Tunnel King'
Donald Pleasence	...	Blythe 'The Forger'
James Coburn	...	Sedgwick 'Manufacturer'
Hannes Messemer	...	Von Luger 'The Kommandant'
David McCallum	...	Ashley-Pitt 'Dispersal'
Gordon Jackson	...	MacDonald 'Intelligence'
John Leyton	...	Willie 'Tunnel King'
Angus Lennie	...	Ives 'The Mole'
Nigel Stock	...	Cavendish 'The Surveyor'
Robert Graf	...	Werner 'The Ferret'
Jud Taylor	...	Goff

Storyline

Based on a true story, a group of allied escape artist-type prisoners-of-war are all put in an "escape proof" camp. Their leader decides to try to take out several hundred all at once. The first half of the movie is played for comedy, as the prisoners mostly outwit their jailers to dig the escape tunnel. The second half is high adventure as they use planes, trains, and boats to get out of occupied Europe.

---

Plot Keywords:

tunnel | escape from prison | escape | prisoner of war | nazi germany | 

---

Taglines:

put a fence in front of these men...and they'll climb it...

---

Genres:

Adventure | Drama | History | Thriller | War

---

Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English German French Russian Spanish

Release Date:

4 July 1963 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Great Escape

Filming Locations:

Bavaria Studios, Bavariafilmplatz 7, Geiselgasteig, Grünwald, Bavaria, Germany

Box Office

Budget:

$4,000,000 (estimated)

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$227,940

Company Credits

Production Co:

The Mirisch Company, Alpha

Technical Specs

Runtime:

172 min

Sound Mix:

4-Track Stereo (Westrex Recording System) Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

An urban legend persists that Harrison Ford turns up in this movie as an uncredited non-speaking extra, four years before his first credited appearance in a movie or on television. The scene, from where where this theory came, is where Bartlett and MacDonald are on-board the train and find themselves sat down opposite two uniformed German officers and are then asked for their travel passes by an undercover Gestapo man. As the camera changes angles, In the foreground there is a Nazi youth with a brown shirt, tie, and a swastika band on his left arm. This youth does indeed bear a striking resemblance to a youthful Harrison Ford, who would have been nineteen or twenty-years-old when this scene was filmed in 1962, however there are two facts that indicate this is almost certainly not Ford. Firstly, this movie was shot completely in southern Germany, so it is more than likely a local person who was hired as an extra. The second fact is that on close examination of the person in question he seems to have a Kirk Douglas type dimple chin, which Ford does not have.

---

Goofs

In Bartlett"s briefing, he says the first tunnel ("Tom")will go out from 105, and then says it will go out from hut 104, and Harry from 105. Danny is then shown starting Tom in 104. However, by the July 4th celebrations, "Tom" is in hut 105 when Strachwitz discovers it (and "105" is painted on the hut when the guards surround it).

---

Quotes

[last lines of part one]
Hilts: [after Ives is killed] Sir, let me know the exact information you need. I'm going out tonight.
Bartlett: Right.
[to Danny]
Bartlett: Open up Harry. We dig. Around the clock.

---

Alternate Versions

Some TV versions edit the scene in which Ives is shot and killed for trying to escape over the fence.

---

Connections

Referenced in Petrified (2006)

User Reviews

Great Movie

This film does take a few libertys with facts, there were no Americans involved in the escape, though some helped plan it, and where transferred to another camp at the last moment.This film though is about heroes and the spirit of freedom.T he film belongs to McQueen who is just fantastic to watch the camera loved him and I believe one day he will jump that fence.The rest of the cast are particurlarly good, the scene where the forger is told he can't escape is moving especially when James Garner volunteers to look after him.The James Garner character is roll model for me I always try to scrounge things.Simply watch and enjoy a truly great movie you will laugh and then feel down. I give this movie 8/10