Filmed at Bavaria Film studios outside of Munich Germany, The Great Escape is the true retelling of the greatest prisoner escape of WWII from Stalag Luft III. Filmed on a forested 400 acre lot to the almost exact specs as the original camp, The Great Escape pulls together the most talented actors of the time to make this a very exciting, sometimes funny, and very tense story.
With the use of German, British, and US actors, John Sturges, using the Paul Brickhill book by the same name, began filming without a script. Using the exact means of escape that the real men did Sturges made composite characters to represent the real men and stayed as true to the real escape as he possibly could while filming. He also hired Wally Floody, the real tunnel king, who was portrayed by Charles Bronson as the technical adviser.
The Great Escape follows the men of Stalag Luft III who find ways to tunnel under the camp and to the surrounding pine forest of Zagan, Poland. Big X, played by Richard Attenborough, plans to move 200 prisoners out of the camp and into the surrounding country side to disrupt the German war machine. Thrilling, funny, and suspense filled it is a great movie from start to finish. It is truly and epic war movie and should be part of every DVD library.
With the use of German, British, and US actors, John Sturges, using the Paul Brickhill book by the same name, began filming without a script. Using the exact means of escape that the real men did Sturges made composite characters to represent the real men and stayed as true to the real escape as he possibly could while filming. He also hired Wally Floody, the real tunnel king, who was portrayed by Charles Bronson as the technical adviser.
The Great Escape follows the men of Stalag Luft III who find ways to tunnel under the camp and to the surrounding pine forest of Zagan, Poland. Big X, played by Richard Attenborough, plans to move 200 prisoners out of the camp and into the surrounding country side to disrupt the German war machine. Thrilling, funny, and suspense filled it is a great movie from start to finish. It is truly and epic war movie and should be part of every DVD library.
Stars
Steve McQueen, James Garner, Richard Attenborough, James Donald, Charles Bronson, Donald Pleasence, James Coburn, and David McCallum.
Attention to Detail
Donald Pleasence noted that the camp built for the movie was the exact replica of Stalag Luft I which he was a resident of during the war.
Uniforms were made to the exact specifications as the originals. Vehicles were period vehicles scrounged up from around the area, the studio, or collectors.
Sturges incorporated details from the book, personal accounts from the veterans on set including accounts from the actors, set dressers, and other people associated with the movie for realism.
Famous Lines
Von Luger: Are all American officers so ill-mannered?
Hilts: Yeah, about 99 percent.
Von Luger: Then perhaps while you are with us you will have a chance to learn some. Ten days isolation, Hilts.
Hilts: CAPTAIN Hilts.
Von Luger: Twenty days.
Hilts: Right. Oh, uh, you'll still be here when I get out?
Von Luger: [visibly annoyed] Cooler!
Also Watch
Battle of the Bulge
Battle of Britain
I Give This....
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