The Vintage Marquee: The Story Behind The Great Escape

I was hoping to have this post ready yesterday in honor of Veterans Day, but better late than never. Besides, our veterans should be celebrated every day, not just on Veterans Day. With that in mind, I bring you, The Great Escape; John Sturges' 1963 film that's not only a fantastic movie, but is also a great tribute to the men and women who served, and continue to serve, our country.

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"...It is the sworn duty of all officers [POWs] to try to escape. If they can't, it is their sworn duty to cause the enemy to use an inordinate amount of troops to guard them, and their sworn duty to harass the enemy to the best of their abilities." - Capt. Ramsay

Based on true events, The Great Escape tells the story of a Nazi-run prisoner of war camp during WWII which confined hundreds of Allied officers. Labeled as security risks by the Nazis for their numerous escape attempts, these British and American soldiers were rounded up and taken to a maximum security, "escape-proof" POW camp. The Nazis' idea was to put "all their bad eggs in one basket;" what they didn't realize however, was that by putting all of the Allies' greatest escape artists together, this would also give the officers the opportunity to pull off one of the greatest POW escape plans in history.

The Players. Via.

The film introduces you to several different POWs, all with different skills, different challenges, and different motives for wanting to escape. Flight Lieutenant Hilts, played by film's star actor Steve McQueen, is the main American soldier the story follows inside the camp. After quickly partnering up with British POW, Ives, Hilts begins to devise a series of ingenious, yet simplistically absurd escape plans. When these harebrained plans are consistently foiled, Hilts earns himself the nickname "The Cooler King," for the extensive time he spends in and out of isolation.

Hilts' Blitz Out: "It's so stupid, it's positively brilliant."

"I haven't seen Berlin yet, from the ground or from the air, and I plan on doing both before the war is over." - Hilts

Meanwhile, British Squadron Leader Roger Bartlett, nicknamed Big X, (played Richard Attenborough- AKA John Hammond in Jurassic Park!!) has an escape plan of his own. "No half-measures this time," as Bartlett says. He devices a plan to dig three tunnels all leading out of the camp in different directions. His goal: breakout two hundred and fifty men. Quite the lofty goal, when the average POW escape usually freed around three or four officers. Although Bartlett asks for Hilts' (McQueen) help, Hilt is too cynical to believe this mass breakout plan will work; his mission is to find a way to blitz himself out and back to front lines as soon as possible.

"We're going to devote our energies to sports and gardening, all the cultural pursuits as far as their concerned. In fact, we're going to put the goons to sleep. Meanwhile, we dig. - Big X Bartlett

In the tunnel. Via.

As work begins on the three different tunnels, the film takes a closer look at the various prisoners: Bartlett who's motive is to handicap the Nazis as much as possible; Hilts who's plan is to get back to the front lines; Flying Officer Ives who's numerous failed escape attempts have him close to cracking; Flight Lt. Blythe who's deteriorating vision may jeopardize his opportunity to escape, and Flight Lt. Danny who's continuous tunnel digging has inflicted him with crippling claustrophobia. Those are just few of the numerous soldiers working and striving to escape. The Great Escape gives us a glimpse at their struggles and challenges both leading up to, and after, their escape.

Danny starts his 17th tunnel.

Although Sturges' received the story rights for The Great Escape by promising to be faithful to the actual events, he didn't quite live up to that promise. As the title page explains several circumstantial details, characters, time frames, and places were changed in the film. Stalag Luft III, the mission, and the method of escape, however, were all factual. For me, that's what made the various characters' stories so moving. Although they might be fictionalized, the situations they found themselves in were very real. It's amazing that despite having the opportunity to live out to rest of the war reading, gardening, and generally relaxing, these soldiers remain faithful to their oaths; instead of giving up and waiting out the war, they risked their lives to escape and continued to contribute to war effort.

James Coburn, John Sturges, Steve McQueen, and Charles Bronson on the set of The Great Race. Via.

Since I don't want to spoil the ending in case any readers haven't seen the film yet, I will just say that the film goes full circle back to Capt. Ramsay's first explanation of the captured officer's duty. While watching the escape plan unfold, I forgot about that statement and found myself disappointed and frustrated by some of the final scenes. By the end however, the film reminds us that a soldier puts aside his personal feelings and desires for the greater good of the mission- that's what makes them heroes.

"Do you think it was worth the price?" - Hendley

"Depends on your point of view."- Ramsay

Boasting an all-star cast, The Great Escape has some excellent performances. It's still considered one of Steve McQueen's greatest films. Shooting The Great Escape was definitely fun for McQueen as well; known to be something of a daredevil in real-life, he was able to do many of his own stunts. He even got to fill in as one of the Nazis during the motorcycle race towards the end of the film. So, thanks to the magic of Hollywood editing, McQueen is technically chasing himself in that scene.

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Steve McQueen isn't the only actor that shines in The Great Escape; James Garner also gives an excellent portrayal of Flight Lt. Hendley; as the mission "Scrounger" he uses his wits and charm to obtain all the supplies necessary for the escape. He is also the honorable escapee who volunteers to help Flight Lt. Blythe, who's macular dystrophy prevents him from escaping alone. All the actors offer realistic and honest portrayals of the POW soldiers. Their performances remind us of the suffering and sacrifices our veterans have made for our country.

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Although the mission did not free the 250 as planned, 76 Allied officers still escaped. The the real-life mission was one of the largest mass POW escapes throughout the entire second World War. The Great Escape is a well-acted and well-produced tribute to all the officers who were held at Stalag Luft III and all other POWs. As the film's epilogue reads: