The Great Escape (1963)

Director:

John Sturges

Writers:

Paul Brickhill (book)
James Clavell (screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

4 July 1963 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Adventure | Drama | History | Thriller | War

Tagline:

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

Plot:

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

Plot Keywords:

Escape | Prisoner | Tunnel | Plan | Escape Attempt

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 3 wins & 4 nominations

Cast

Steve McQueen	...	Capt. Hilts "The Cooler King"
James Garner	...	Flight Lt. Hendley "The Scrounger"
Richard Attenborough	...	Squadron Leader Roger Bartlett "Big X"
James Donald	...	Group Capt. Ramsey "The SBO"
Charles Bronson	...	Flight Lt. Danny Velinski "The Tunnel King"
Donald Pleasence	...	Flight Lt. Colin Blythe "The Forger"
James Coburn	...	Flying Officer Louis Sedgwick "The Manufacturer"
Hannes Messemer	...	Kommandant von Luger
David McCallum	...	Lt. Cmdr. Eric Ashley-Pitt "Dispersal"
Gordon Jackson	...	Flight Lt. Sandy MacDonald "Intelligence"
John Leyton	...	Flight Lt. William Dickes "The Tunneler"
Angus Lennie	...	Flying Officer Archibald Ives "The Mole"
Nigel Stock	...	Flight Lt. Denys Cavendish "The Surveyor"
Robert Graf	...	Werner 'The Ferret'
Jud Taylor	...	Goff
Hans Reiser	...	Herr Kuhn
Harry Riebauer	...	Stratwitch
William Russell	...	Sorren
Robert Freitag	...	Capt. Posen
Ulrich Beiger	...	Preissen
George Mikell	...	Lt. Dietrich
Lawrence Montaigne	...	Haynes ('Diversions')
Robert Desmond	...	Griffith 'Tailor'
Til Kiwe	...	Frick
Heinz Weiss	...	Kramer
Tom Adams	...	Dai Nimmo ('Diversions')
Karl-Otto Alberty	...	Steinach

Directed by
John Sturges

Writing credits
Paul Brickhill		(book)
James Clavell		(screenplay) and
W.R. Burnett		(screenplay)

Produced by
John Sturges	....	producer
James Clavell	....	producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
Elmer Bernstein

Cinematography by
Daniel L. Fapp		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Ferris Webster

Art Direction by
Fernando Carrere

Set Decoration by
Kurt Ripberger

Makeup Department
Emile LaVigne	....	makeup artist (as Emile La Vigne)
Jay Sebring	....	hair designer: Steve McQueen, James Garner (uncredited)

Production Management
Allen K. Wood	....	production supervisor
Hubert Fröhlich	....	production manager (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Jack N. Reddish	....	assistant director
John Flynn	....	assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Frank Agnone	....	property

Sound Department
Wayne Fury	....	sound effects editor

Special Effects by
A. Paul Pollard	....	special effects (as Paul Pollard)

Stunts
Bud Ekins	....	stunt double: Steve McQueen, motorcycle jump (uncredited)
Tim Gibbs	....	stunts (uncredited)
Chuck Hayward	....	stunts (uncredited)
Roy Jenson	....	stunts (uncredited)
Robert E. Relyea	....	stunt pilot (uncredited)
Roy N. Sickner	....	stunts (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Bert Henrikson	....	wardrobe

Editorial Department
Don Tomlinson	....	assistant film editor

Music Department
Richard Carruth	....	music editor
Jack Hayes	....	orchestrator (uncredited)
Leo Shuken	....	orchestrator (uncredited)

Other crew
John Franco	....	script supervisor
Robert E. Relyea	....	assistant to producer
Wally Floody	....	technical advisor (uncredited)
Mike Hyatt	....	film restoration (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Mirisch Corporation, The (as The Mirisch Company)

Distributors

• United Artists (1963) (USA) (theatrical)
• United Artists (1963) (France) (theatrical)
• United Artists (1963) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) (1967) (USA) (TV) (original airing)
• Chapel Distribution (1997) (Australia) (theatrical) (new 35mm print re-issue)
• Cine Qua Non Films (Japan) (theatrical)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment Japan (2000) (Japan) (DVD)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment Japan (2000-2007) (Japan) (VHS)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (Brazil) (DVD)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (Brazil) (VHS)
• Criterion Collection, The (1991) (USA) (VHS)
• Criterion Collection, The (1991) (USA) (laserdisc)
• MGM Home Entertainment (Europe) (2002) (UK) (DVD)
• MGM Home Entertainment (2000) (Germany) (VHS)
• MGM Home Entertainment (2004) (Germany) (DVD)
• MGM Home Entertainment (2002) (France) (DVD)
• MGM Home Entertainment (2001) (USA) (DVD)
• MGM Home Entertainment (2007) (USA) (DVD)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (1991) (USA) (VHS)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (1991) (USA) (laserdisc)
• Sony Pictures Entertainment (2006) (Japan) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (1999) (Germany) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (1990) (Japan) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (1997) (Japan) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (1998) (Japan) (DVD)
• Warner Home Vidéo (1996) (France) (video)
• Warner Home Vídeo (Brazil) (VHS) (short version)

Other Companies

• Samuel Goldwyn Studios  scoring (Samuel Goldwyn Studios, Scoring Stage Seven)
• Stalmaster-Lister Co.  casting

Runtime:

172 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | German | French | Russian

Colour:

Colour

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

4-Track Stereo (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

Iceland:12 | Canada:PG (Ontario) | USA:Approved (PCA #20399) | USA:Unrated (video release) | West Germany:12 (f) | South Korea:12 | Netherlands:12 | New Zealand:PG | Australia:PG | Finland:K-16 | Norway:16 | Portugal:M/12 | Sweden:15 | UK:PG

Filming Locations:

Bavaria Filmstudios, Geiselgasteig, Grünwald, Bavaria, Germany

Company:

Mirisch Corporation, The

Trivia:

The motorcycle that Hilts (Steve McQueen) rides is a cosmetically modified Triumph TR6 Trophy. Bud Ekins who actually performs the famous barbed wire leap stunt, was a Triumph dealer. Triumph was McQueen's favorite motorcycle marque. The motorcycle sidecar combination that crashes into a ditch is revealed to be a Triumph motorcycle, too. As is well known, these British motorcycle models were not in existence during the Second World War and their appearance is somewhat incongruous.

Goofs:

Factual errors: Group Captain Ramsey's bottom three service ribbons denote service during the first world war. (Correct order would be: 1914-15 Star, British War Medal, Victory Medal). However, these three ribbons are worn backwards on his uniform throughout the film (Victory Medal, British War Medal, 1914-15 Star).

Quotes:

Hilts: I'm going... out.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Six Feet Under: The Secret (#2.10)" (2002)

Absolutely Awesome!!!

The Great Escape is a classic war movie with plenty happening in it. It just so happens that it is my all time favourite having seen it 60 times since it first was released. Steve McQueen , as Hilts, was the driving force behind this movie. He seemed to tie everything together between the American and British prisoners especially in the scene where they were celebrating the 4th of July with the drums and good ole fashioned American moonshine. The Great Escape contains one of the most famous movie scenes of all times when McQueen has half of the German army chasing after him while riding his motorcycle trying to jump the barb wire fence to get to Switzerland. All in all, The Great Escape had a cast of actors that was so strong that it was a wonder they got this movie made in the first place with all of the egos involved. James Garner, Charles Bronson, Angus Lennie, James Coburn, etc.were absolutely awesome.