The Great Escape Review

The Great Escape

Release Date: 10th December 1963 - Australia (Sydney) (premiere)

Production Companies

The Mirisch Company
Alpha (Uncredited)

Genre: War

Rating: PG

Runtime: 172 minutes


Budget: $3,800,000

Box Office Gross: $11,973,256 (Worldwide) 


Plot Summary 

Angered by the number of escapes by a relatively small number of Allied prisoners, the Nazis relocated them to a high-security "escape-proof" prison camp. However, the prisoners remained undaunted, and this did not stop them from planning one of the most ambitious escape attempts in the history of World War II.


Cast

Steve McQueen - Hilts 'The Cooler King'

James Garner - Hendley 'The Scrounger'

Richard Attenborough - Bartlett 'Big X'

James Donald - Ramsey 'The
SBO'

Charles Bronson - Danny
'Tunnel King'

Donald Pleasence - Blythe
'The Forger'

James Coburn - Sedgwick 'Manufacturer'

Hannes Messemer - Von Luger 'The Kommandant'

David McCallum - Ashley-Pitt 'Dispersal'

Gordon Jackson - MacGordon 'Intelligence'

John Leyton - Willie 'Tunnel King'

Angus Lennie - Ives 'The Mole'

Nigel Stock - Cavendish 'The Surveyor'

Robert Graf - Werner 'The Ferret'

Jud Taylor - Goff

Hans Reiser - Herr Kuhn

Harry Riebauer - Strachwitz

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 - S.S. Officer Steinach

Crew

Producer/Director - John Sturges

Based on the Novel "The Great Escape" -
Paul Brickhill
Writer/Producer (Uncredited) - James Clavell

Writers - W.R. Burnett and
Walter Newman (Uncredited)
Executive Producer - Walter Mirisch (Uncredited)
Assistant to Producer/Second Unit

Director (Uncredited) - Robert E. Relyea

Technical Advisor - Wally Floody (Uncredited)

Art Director - Fernando Carrere

Set Decorator - Kurt Ripberger
Director of Photography - Daniel L. Fapp

Assistant Directors - Jack N. Reddish

and John Flynn (Uncredited)

Special Effects - A. Paul Pollard
Film Editor - Ferris Webster

Sound Effects Editor - Wayne Fury

Composer - Elmer Bernstein


Awards

1964 Academy Awards
Best Film Editing - Ferris Webster (Nominated)

Review

Following the successful release of The Magnificent Seven in 1960, director John Sturges adapted Paul Brickhill's novel THE GREAT ESCAPE to become one of 1963's top-grossing movies. Based on the author's tragic experience in World War II, he was involved in a massive escape attempt devised by his fellow prisoners-of-war (POWs). Many celebrated it as one of the greatest war movies of all time. I remember seeing it on pay TV when shown on the now-defunct Movie Greats channel. It introduced me to Steve McQueen, one of the greatest actors ever. Its famous motorcycle chase scene is what got me into seeing the film. I have waited to see this milestone film again that keeps the old-fashioned edge-of-the-seat experience. THE GREAT ESCAPE was shot on location in Germany with elaborate set pieces and contained some historical accuracy.

The cast featured actors like McQueen, Richard Attenborough, James Garner, Charles Bronson, James Coburn and Donald Pleasence. Each actor pulled through their stellar performances, like McQueen, who has a daredevil persona and likes to take risks in acting. Coburn, an American actor, surprises Australian film-goers that he can play a character with an Aussie accent. The background music by Elmer Bernstein was tremendously combining the score with the film's tragedy and cleverness.

In closing, it is one of my all-time favourite movies, and THE GREAT ESCAPE is comparable to the other films this year. Anyone who wants to view it can purchase it online and in DVD format.

Star rating: (10/10) Best Movie Ever

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