IMDb > The Great Escape (1963)
The Great Escape
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The Great Escape (1963) More at IMDbPro »

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The Great Escape (1963) -- MattTrailer.com - Trailer (Flash)

Overview

User Rating:
MOVIEmeter: ?
Down 9% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
John Sturges
Writers:
Paul Brickhill (book)
James Clavell (screenplay) ...
(more)
Contact:
View company contact information for The Great Escape on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
4 July 1963 (USA) more
Genre:
Action | Adventure | Drama | History | Thriller | War more
Tagline:
put a fence in front of these men...and they'll climb it... more
Plot:
Allied POWs plan for several hundred of their number to escape from a German camp during World War II. full summary | full synopsis
Plot Keywords:
more
Awards:
Nominated for Oscar. Another 3 wins & 4 nominations more
NewsDesk:
(45 articles)
Machan is streets ahead of any Hollywood product
 (From The Guardian - Film News. 19 November 2009, 9:23 AM, PST)
Poor start for Pamela Anderson series
 (From digitalspy. 3 November 2009, 2:41 AM, PST)
User Comments:
A genuine timeless classic. more (244 total)

Cast

  (in credits order) (verified as complete)

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)
 
Crew verified as complete


Production CompaniesDistributorsOther Companies

Additional Details

Parents Guide:
View content advisory for parents
Runtime:
172 min
Country:
USA
Language:
English | German | French | Russian
Color:
Color
Aspect Ratio:
2.35 : 1 more
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 more
Company:
Mirisch Corporation, The more

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
In issue 73 of Your Sinclair magazine in January 1992, the Spectrum stealth game adaptation of this movie was voted the 23rd best game of all time. more
Goofs:
Audio/visual unsynchronized: When the Americans are marching as "The Spirit of '76", they stop before the Senior Barracks Officer. The last fife note is heard after Hilts lowers the fife from his lips. more
Quotes:
Bartlett: One has to ask some very strange things in the job I have. more
Movie Connections:
Referenced in "Peep Show: (#1.3)" (2003) more

FAQ

What did Henley mean when he asked Blythe "What are you doing here?"
Is this a true story?
How much sex, violence, and profanity are in this movie?
more

User Comments

   (Comment on this title)
63 out of 86 people found the following comment useful.
A genuine timeless classic., 28 December 2003
9/10
Author: KEVMC from Rugby, UK.

During World War Two the Germans build a new prison camp, Stalag Luft III, for the express purpose of housing many of their most troublesome captured Allied airmen. However, all this serves to do is to pool the resources of some of the most ingenious escape artists in captivity and fill them with a resolve to engineer a mass breakout from the camp.

Based largely on real events, this film has assumed classic status over the years and its easy to understand why. Quite simply, it excells in many departments. Director John Sturges was at the height of his creative powers and he keeps a firm grip on the proceedings. Although the film runs close to three hours it never feels sluggish, while at the same time winding up the tension gradually and developing the characters. The production design is first rate, to the point where Donald Pleasance (who had been a P.O.W.) felt quite intimidated by the vast set on his arrival. Daniel Fapp's beautiful photography shows this and the picturesque German locations off to full effect. Put these virtues together with a good script, inspired casting and a classic score by Elmer Bernstein, and you have an object lesson in how to create an intelligent and exciting big budget adventure film.

On the subject of the cast; Much is made of Steve McQueen's role. While I am a huge McQueen fan, I feel that some of the other performances are equal to, if not better than his. Richard Attenborough, James Garner, Donald Pleasance, Charles Bronson and Gordon Jackson are all excellent. Good too are James Coburn, James Donald, David McCallum and Hannes Messemer as the sympathetic Commandant.

This is one of those films that I can happily watch time and time again. In September of this year a new print was screened at the NFT in London as part of an 'Attenborough at 80' season. It was a pleasure to see this on the big screen at last. For the most part the print was in very good condition. The DVD was one of the first that I ever bought some three and a half years ago, and I watched its inevitable Christmas screening on BBC2 last night. I just never tire of it. In these days of brainless, poorly executed action fodder, its a joy to behold something that hits its targets so precisely.

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