Release CalendarTop 250 MoviesMost Popular MoviesBrowse Movies by GenreTop Box OfficeShowtimes & TicketsMovie NewsIndia Movie Spotlight
    What's on TV & StreamingTop 250 TV ShowsMost Popular TV ShowsBrowse TV Shows by GenreTV News
    What to WatchLatest TrailersIMDb OriginalsIMDb PicksIMDb SpotlightIMDb Podcasts
    OscarsCannes Film FestivalStar WarsSXSW Film FestivalSTARmeter AwardsAwards CentralFestival CentralAll Events
    Born TodayMost Popular CelebsCelebrity News
    Help CenterContributor ZonePolls
For Industry Professionals
  • Language
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
Watchlist
Sign In
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
Use app
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
  • FAQ
IMDbPro

The Great Escape

  • 1963
  • Approved
  • 2h 52m
IMDb RATING
8.2/10
268K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
1,154
58
Richard Attenborough, Steve McQueen, and James Garner in 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.
Play trailer3:09
9 Videos
99+ Photos
Period DramaPrison DramaWar EpicAdventureDramaThrillerWar

Allied officers in a German prisoner of war camp during World War II making a daring plan for a mass escape by hundreds of their men, hoping to draw German personnel and resources away from ... Read allAllied officers in a German prisoner of war camp during World War II making a daring plan for a mass escape by hundreds of their men, hoping to draw German personnel and resources away from combat operations.Allied officers in a German prisoner of war camp during World War II making a daring plan for a mass escape by hundreds of their men, hoping to draw German personnel and resources away from combat operations.

  • Director
    • John Sturges
  • Writers
    • Paul Brickhill
    • James Clavell
    • W.R. Burnett
  • Stars
    • Steve McQueen
    • James Garner
    • Richard Attenborough
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • IMDb RATING
    8.2/10
    268K
    YOUR RATING
    POPULARITY
    1,154
    58
    • Director
      • John Sturges
    • Writers
      • Paul Brickhill
      • James Clavell
      • W.R. Burnett
    • Stars
      • Steve McQueen
      • James Garner
      • Richard Attenborough
    • 468User reviews
    • 99Critic reviews
    • 86Metascore
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • Top rated movie #157
    • Nominated for 1 Oscar
      • 3 wins & 12 nominations total

    Top cast28

    Edit
    Steve McQueen
    Steve McQueen
    • Hilts 'The Cooler King'
    James Garner
    James Garner
    • Hendley 'The Scrounger'
    Richard Attenborough
    Richard Attenborough
    • Bartlett 'Big X'
    Charles Bronson
    Charles Bronson
    • Danny 'Tunnel King'
    James Donald
    James Donald
    • Ramsey 'The SBO'
    Donald Pleasence
    Donald Pleasence
    • Blythe 'The Forger'
    James Coburn
    James Coburn
    • Sedgwick 'Manufacturer'
    Hannes Messemer
    Hannes Messemer
    • Von Luger 'The Kommandant'
    David McCallum
    David McCallum
    • Ashley-Pitt 'Dispersal'
    Gordon Jackson
    Gordon Jackson
    • MacDonald 'Intelligence'
    John Leyton
    John Leyton
    • Willie 'Tunnel King'
    Angus Lennie
    Angus Lennie
    • Ives 'The Mole'
    Nigel Stock
    Nigel Stock
    • Cavendish 'The Surveyor'
    Robert Graf
    Robert Graf
    • Werner 'The Ferret'
    Jud Taylor
    Jud Taylor
    • Goff
    Hans Reiser
    Hans Reiser
    • Herr Kuhn
    Harry Riebauer
    • Strachwitz
    William Russell
    William Russell
    • Sorren
    • Director
      • John Sturges
    • Writers
      • Paul Brickhill
      • James Clavell
      • W.R. Burnett
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews468

    Featured review

    Of action and tragedy

    "The Great Escape" is a rousing blend of suspense, action and ultimately tragedy, bolstered by an all-star cast, terrific music and beautiful European locations. A few fellow reviewers have cited the unbelievably "pristine" prison conditions, but the German authorities did try to uphold the Geneva Convention for Western Allied POWs. The characters in this film left their well-run 'stalag' anyway, and many paid the ultimate price. While entertaining its viewers, "The Great Escape" effectively depicted the tragic consequences.

    -Tony
    • angilbas
    • Apr 16, 2000
    • Permalink

    Videos9

    Official Trailer
    Trailer 3:09
    Official Trailer
    The Great Escape
    Trailer 2:42
    The Great Escape
    The Great Escape
    Trailer 2:42
    The Great Escape
    The Great Escape: Ives' Escape Attempt
    Clip 1:59
    The Great Escape: Ives' Escape Attempt
    The Great Escape: Twenty Feet Short
    Clip 1:25
    The Great Escape: Twenty Feet Short
    The Great Escape: Baseball
    Clip 1:56
    The Great Escape: Baseball
    The Great Escape: Cooler
    Clip 1:36
    The Great Escape: Cooler

    Photos1205

    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    + 1.2K
    View Poster

    More like this

    The Treasure of the Sierra Madre
    8.2
    The Treasure of the Sierra Madre
    Dial M for Murder
    8.2
    Dial M for Murder
    Monty Python and the Holy Grail
    8.2
    Monty Python and the Holy Grail
    The Bridge on the River Kwai
    8.1
    The Bridge on the River Kwai
    Yojimbo
    8.2
    Yojimbo
    The Elephant Man
    8.2
    The Elephant Man
    Gone with the Wind
    8.2
    Gone with the Wind
    Rashomon
    8.2
    Rashomon
    Chinatown
    8.1
    Chinatown
    The Great Escape II: The Untold Story
    5.5
    The Great Escape II: The Untold Story
    Judgment at Nuremberg
    8.3
    Judgment at Nuremberg
    Ran
    8.2
    Ran

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      In this movie, several Americans (including Hilts and Henley) were amongst the escapees. In real life, American officers assisted with the construction of the escape tunnel, but weren't amongst the escapees, because the Germans moved them to a remote compound just before the escape.
    • Goofs
      Strong timbers are needed to support thousands of pounds of dirt above a tunnel. The three foot long, 1/2 inch thick boards taken from the bed frames shown used in the tunnel seemingly could not support the weight. However, documentary interviews and excavation of the actual Stalag Luft 3 site, reveal that the film's depiction of the tunnel's construction was accurate. While the materials used may not have been adequate for a professional tunnel or mine, they were apparently adequate to the task and some are still holding up the tunnel even now.
    • Quotes

      Ramsey: Colonel Von Luger, it is the sworn duty of all officers to try to escape. If they cannot escape, then it is their sworn duty to cause the enemy to use an inordinate number of troops to guard them, and their sworn duty to harass the enemy to the best of their ability.

    • Alternate versions
      Some TV versions edit the scene in which Ives is shot and killed for trying to escape over the fence.
    • Connections
      Edited into Return to 'the Great Escape' (1993)

    Top picks

    Sign in to rate and Watchlist for personalized recommendations
    Sign in

    Everything New on Prime Video in April

    Everything New on Prime Video in April

    Your guide to all the new movies and shows streaming on Prime Video in the US this month.
    See the list
    Production art
    List

    FAQ29

    • How long is The Great Escape?Powered by Alexa
    • Did Blythe go blind from having the moonshine?
    • What is 'The Great Escape' about?
    • Is this movie based on a book?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • July 4, 1963 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Languages
      • English
      • German
      • French
      • Russian
      • Spanish
    • Also known as
      • El gran escape
    • Filming locations
      • Füssen, Bavaria, Germany(motorcycle scenes; Gestapo agents chase Bartlett and MacDonald)
    • Production companies
      • The Mirisch Company
      • Alpha Productions
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $4,000,000 (estimated)
    • Gross worldwide
      • $230,637
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      2 hours 52 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Aspect ratio
      • 2.35 : 1

    Related news

    Contribute to this page

    Suggest an edit or add missing content
    Richard Attenborough, Steve McQueen, and James Garner in The Great Escape (1963)
    Top Gap
    What was the official certification given to The Great Escape (1963) in Mexico?
    Answer
    • See more gaps
    • Learn more about contributing
    Edit page

    More to explore

    Recently viewed

    Please enable browser cookies to use this feature. Learn more.
    Get the IMDb app
    Sign in for more accessSign in for more access
    Follow IMDb on social
    Get the IMDb app
    For Android and iOS
    Get the IMDb app
    • Help
    • Site Index
    • IMDbPro
    • Box Office Mojo
    • License IMDb Data
    • Press Room
    • Advertising
    • Jobs
    • Conditions of Use
    • Privacy Policy
    • Your Ads Privacy Choices
    IMDb, an Amazon company

    © 1990-2025 by IMDb.com, Inc.