"Myths & Legends: “The Great Escape”" Topic

"More than likely, many of us have seen the 1963 American World War II epic film "The Great Escape" based on a real escape by British Commonwealth prisoners of war from a German POW Camp during World War II, starring Steve McQueen, James Garner, and Sir Richard Attenborough.

The film is based on Paul Brickhill's 1950 book of the same name, a non-fiction first-hand account of the real mass escape from Stalag Luft III in Sagan (now Zagan, Poland), in the province of Lower Silesia, Nazi Germany. The characters are based on real men, and in some cases are composites of several men. As in any films depicting real events, many details of the actual escape attempt were changed for the film, and the role of American personnel in both the planning and the escape was largely fabricated…"
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Amicalement
Armand

Great film but nonsense of course, the moment they actually break out. Up to then reasonably accurate and we do only see a couple of US airmen in the whole thing…to interesta US audience of course.

Hilts would have been shot legitimately a dozen times over. He assaults several German soldiers/airmen and surely kills the bike rider with the wire across the road. Execution inevitable for that.

You are right my good friend!. (smile)

Amicalement
Armand

The motorcycle chase scene was something McQueen demanded. It was not in the original script. McQueen brought over his stunt man buddy to help. McQueen caused a lot of problems on the set and Bronson and Garner had to have a sit down with him to talk sense. He caused problems on The Magnificent Seven and set out to upstage Yul Brynner, who pushed back. Same director and company too.