The 1963 Film of "The Great Escape"The 1963 Film of "The Great Escape"For those interested in the film-making and locations, Don Whistance has made an excellent web site on this aspect, and a link to Walter Riml's site - he was the chief of the 2nd Unit on rhe Bavarian team. A book called "Behind the Scenes -The Great Escape - Gesprengte Ketten" has recently been published, which shows documents and nearly 150 photos from the film. Details are on the web site.
The
feature film of the Great Escape was made by the Mirish Company and released
in 1963. The director, John Sturges, had bought the rights to Paul
Brickhill's book and was well known for films such as Gunfight At The OK Corrall,
Bad Day at Black Rock, and The Magnificent Seven. Filming on The Great
Escape began in the summer of 1962.
The screenwriter was the late James Clavell (of SHOGUN and KING RAT fame) who was himself a PoW of the Japanese during WW2. The film lasts almost three hours, although for television showing it is often cut to just over two and a half hours. In the UK there is a standing joke that the film is shown every Christmas, often on Boxing Day.
There are four Youtube videos about how the film was made - here is a link to the first one - they are all well worth watching.
The
prisoner-of-war camp used in the film was named Stalag Luft Nord
and was built amongst pine forests near Munich in Bavaria, with interiors shot
at local studios. The railway station which was supposed to be near the
camp was called Neustadt. One of the technical advisors was former
F/Lt Wally Floody, a Canadian mining engineer and wartime Spitfire pilot,
who had been responsible for the tunnel traps and their camouflage.
Nearly
all of the incidences, both serious and humorous, which are shown in the film
are completely true, although there is some inevitable telescoping of events,
and many characters are rolled into one. In particular, the method of
"stooging" (keeping watch for German guards and ferrets) is well demonstrated,
and the method of constructing the tunnels is extremely accurate. However,
the stifling boredom of PoW life, and the extent to which the prisoners attempted
to combat this by means of lessons, studying, debating, theatre, etc.
is hardly shown, unless it provided a cover for illegal activities.
Comments
from ex-Luft III inmates range from "I suppose they did a reasonable job
with the film, for Hollywood" to "it's a complete nonsense."
A USAAF PoW commented "The prisoners are too fat!" Typically, the
comment is that the weather is never shown as the freezing cold it often was,
and that far too little prominence is given to "Roger Bartlett"
the film version of Roger Bushell, with far too much importance
placed on the fictional part played by Steve McQueen. One former inmate
made a point of writing to his local paper, giving the true version of events,
every time the film was shown at his local cinemas. But this had little
or no effect.
There
was indeed Christmas Carol singing taking place to mask the sound of "manufacturing"
and "building" whilst escape materials, air piping, and compasses
were made, and concrete plinths pierced. The Germans did not seem to notice
that, at the time, it was nowhere near Christmas. The trap for "Dick"
in the wash-room floor is particularly well shown - the Germans never found
it, because 'Dick' had a perfect disguise. In the film, whilst the escape
takes place through the tunnel called 'Harry' the trap is portrayed as
being in the wash-room floor, and is definitely that of 'Dick' in real life.
The
camouflage of the traps used for 'Tom' and 'Harry' is again extremely accurate
and reflect the advice given by Wally Floody. Manners of the guards and
ferrets, and even the way some of them were suborned, is again quite true to
life. "S/Ldr Roger Bartlett" gives a good impression
of the driving power behind Squadron Leader Roger Bushell, but his sister
said that Dickie Attenborough, who played the part, looked nothing like
him. Dickie even had the facial scar of Bushell, incurred in a prewar-skiing
accident (he was an Olympic skier) which often caused him discomfort.
"Two hundred and fifty? You're crazy. You should be locked
up. You, too. Two hundred and fifty guys, just walking
down the street?"
Hilts
(Steve McQueen) berates Roger
Bartlett (Richard Attenborough)
and MacDonald (Gordon Jackson).
"Group
Captain Ramsey", the SBO or
Senior British Officer, has the severe leg injury suffered by his real counterpart,
G/C Herbert Massey, who in real life was repatriated shortly after the
escape, and who was instrumental in bringing the atrocity to the attention of
H.M. Government.
I
offer the following comparisons of the real and the imagined:-
Steve
McQueen (Hilts, the Cooler King).
Likely to be an amalgamation of several characters, he has no direct counterpart,
although one likely candidate is Jerry Sage. The sequence where
McQueen sees a blind spot in the guards' coverage of the perimeter wire is true;
this escape was by Toft and Nichols, who cut through the wire
but were soon recaptured. The motorcycle sequences are pure Hollywood
and were put in at McQueen's request; he did nearly all the stunt riding himself,
as the long shots show. The single motorcycle was in fact a pair of 1961
British 650cc Triumphs, mocked up in German colours; the final leap was done
by the American rider Bud Ekins, as it proved impossible
for the film company to obtain insurance cover for McQueen to do it himself.
For this leap, there is obviously a ramp of some sort - (either a natural land
feature, or a man-made object) just out of camera frame, over which the rider
launches the motorcycle to get the necessary height for the jump over the barbed
wire fence.
Brendan Foley says "Just a note to say how much I enjoyed your website on Stalag Luft III. I'm a screenwriter and I’m working on the life story of Bill 'Tex' Ash - one of the more colorful characters to stay in the camp on a few occasions (other than on his seven break-outs and frequent stays at camps and prisons in half of Europe). He was certainly one of the Cooler Kings, and was awarded an MBE for his escaping activities after the war. He was a American Spitfire pilot in the RCAF, joined in 1940, shot down in 1942, escaped in 1945 after the Sagan March. I think you might want to consider him as a possible additional source for the hybrid Steve McQueen character in the Great Escape movie."
There was indeed a group of prisoners (headed by Jerry Sage and Davey Jones) who manufactured raisin wine and distilled raw liquor from vegetables and virtually any ingredient. The party on the 4th July actually happened, although 'Tom' was not discovered on this particular day.
Internet correspondent Tom Cleaver offers the opinion that the Steve McQueen character was based on F/Lt Barry Mahon of 121 Squadron RAF -the second Eagle Squadron. Mahon was shot down on Operation Jubilee in August 1942 (where he had just become the 4th Eagle Squadron ace) and sent to Stalag Luft III where he became 'the cooler king' for his many escape attempts. He was brought in from his most recent escape just before "The Great Escape" and actually received first place to go through the tunnel, but decided against accepting, thereby saving his life. Barry later became part of the movie business and was active with the makers of "The Great Escape," and served as a technical advisor on the film. McQueen took a liking to him and had Barry's facts written into his character; Barry allegedly fought hard to get the movie as real as he could, as his own way of paying respects to the dead.
Another correspondent, Bob Heffner, suggests that the McQuen character was based on John Dortch Lewis, whose exploits as a prisoner of war in Germany provided the basis for Hilts. Lewis died of pancreatic cancer on August 13th 1999 at his home in Goldsboro, N.C. He was 84. His obituary mentions his presence in Luft III.
In his book "Sage", Jerry Sage describes the PoWs' early days with home-made sports equipment, using a "baseball" made of old socks stuffed into a tightly-pulled yarn cover. It bounced fairly well and he used it to bounce off the walls during his various times in the cooler. This is clearly how the Steve McQueen archetypal cooler scenes originated!
McQueen's
character, and that of Angus
Lennie, are representative of two prisoners 'Shag' Rees and
'Red' Noble who enjoyed baiting the ferrets; consequently both spent a fair
time in the cooler.
Steve
McQueen died of cancer in November 1980, was cremated and his ashes scattered
at sea.
James
Garner (1928-2014) (Hendley,
the Scrounger). Again, no direct
counterpart, although there is some similarity with a fluent German-speaking
prisoner who insisted on being known as Axel Zillessen, his "cover"
name. He reckoned that if he was used to being called this, he wouldn't
be caught out by checkpoint guards. He suborned one of the most dangerous ferrets,
by carefully chipping away at his morale, and bribing him with chocolate and
cigarettes, which were plentifully supplied by the Red Cross.
A
Daily Mail report noted that Marcel Zillessen, who was the real scrounger portrayed
by Garner, died at Whitby on Jan 12th 1999. A fluent German
speaker born in 1917, his father's business has involved him with frequent trips
to Germany before the war, and refusing the opportunity to spy for Britain,
he enrolled in the RAF and became a fighter pilot, being shot down and taken
prisoner on April 6th 1943, in North Africa.
Richard
Attenborough (left,1923-2014)
(Roger Bartlett, Big X). Squadron Leader Roger Bushell, correctly
breveted and ranked, with Bushell's eye injury, fluent German, and driving determination.
James
Donald (right, 1917 - 1993) (the SBO) . Group Captain Herbert M. Massey, age correct (Massey was a First World War career officer)
correctly breveted and ranked and with Massey's badly wounded leg.
Charles Bronson (Danny Velinski, Tunnel King). An amalgamation of F/Lt Wally Floody, F/Lt Ernst Valenta and F/O Danny Krol who were all tunnel specialists. Also very representative of F/O Wlodzimierz Adam Kolanowski, the architect of the tunnel traps. Kolanowski, Krol and Valenta were all shot by the Gestapo, but Floody was transferred to Belaria shortly before the escape. Bronson's character (along with that of John Leyton) reaches safety, and the two who escaped in this way were really Per Bergsland (aka Rocky Rockland) and Jens Muller. Bronson's part thus encompasses no less than five real people.
Charles Bronson died on August 30th 2003.
Certainly several prisoners were claustrophobic, including
W/C Harry Day who never once let on about it despite frequent inspections
of the tunnel and its workings. It is documented that some prisoners were
refused places on the tunnelling team, due to known claustrophobia, and had
to be found other escape activities to occupy them.
Donald
Pleasence (left) (Colin Blythe, the Forger). An amalgamation of Desmond
Plunkett, the map maker, and F/Lt Gilbert "Tim" Walenn,
the real forger. Pleasence had been a real-life member of wartime aircrew;
he had flown as a wireless-operator with No 166 Squadron, flying Lancasters
from Kirmington, being shot down on a Agenville operation on 31-Aug/1-Sep-1944,
Lancaster NE112 AS:M; he died in France on 2-Feb-95. Walenn was murdered;
Plunkett survived. Blythe is shot by a German sharpshooter.
James
Coburn (right, in light blue
shirt (Sedgwick, the Manufacturer).
An amalgamation of Al Hake,
compass maker, and Johnny Travis, the real manufacturer. Coburn
also reaches safety (although the shooting of the three German officers in the
riverside café is ficticious), and this, the third successful escaper, was in
real life Bob van der Stok, who escaped into Holland and Belgium, then
over the Pyrenees into Spain and Gibraltar. The scene where Sedgwick produces
a large suitcase which has to go down the tunnel is true, but the real escaper
in this case was Tim Walenn, the real-life forger. Hake and Walenn
were murdered; Travis did not escape.
David
McCallum (left), (Ashley-Pitt, Dispersal). A
very close match to Peter "Hornblower" Fanshawe, a Royal Navy
Fleet Air Arm pilot who was the real sand dispersal specialist. The method
of sand disposal shown in the film is an exact match for the real events.
Fanshawe was transferred to Belaria shortly before the escape, but Ashley-Pitt
was one of the victims.
John
Leyton (Willie, tunneller).
No particular representation amongst the tunnellers, but one of the two (Per
Bergsland and Jens Muller) who together reached Sweden. John, until the
film, was better known for his magnificent singing voice ("Johnny Remember
Me") of several pop songs of the early 60s, and is still performing.
Angus
Lennie ((Ives, The Mole). Again
no direct representation; but he is referred to by Gordon Jackson as "Piglet"
at one point in the film, just before Tom is discovered. This can be no
other than F/L Henry W "Piglet" Lamond, a tunneller and escapee
who didn't escape in this event, but was a prolific tunneller and escaper on
other occasions. As far as Lennie's character is concerned, some prisoners
certainly did go 'round the bend' and tried ill-conceived or absurd escapes,
sometimes with fatal consequences.
Angus Lennie has been in the BBC "Monarch of the Glen" series, 2000 onwards. His agent, Marilyn Collis, says "Angus Lennie was honoured and delighted to be asked to appear in the film The Great Escape and was very proud to be able to portray the essence of the spirit of those wonderfully brave men who were part of the real Escape. The film was, though, as you discuss, a fictionalised account and will, therefore, never be an exact portrayal of how things truly were. As an actor, Angus is humbled to know that you show interest in his time whilst filming but feels that the stories and remembrances of the true heroes should speak for themselves." (3rd July 2007)
I am saddened to report that Angus Lennie died, aged 84, on Thursday, September 18th 2014, the day of the Scottish Referendum, without knowing of the result, which was to be announced the following day.
Nigel Stock (1919 - 1986) (Cavendish). During the film interrogation of this character, the dialogue represents that between the Gestapo and one of the victims, who before his being taken away by the Gestapo, recounted his interrogation to a fellow escaper, who survived the murders.
Robert Desmond (Griff, the Tailor). Obviously Tommy Guest, who was a prewar tailor and whose team made the civilian clothes from bits of blanket and uniforms. Guest did not escape. Desmond died in 2002.
Hannes Messemer (1924 - 1991), left, (von Luger, the Kommandant). Oberst Friedrich Wilhelm von Lindeiner-Wildau, an excellent representation of an honourable career Luftwaffe senior officer who was a humane, and where possible, kindly man, respected by the prisoners. Arrested immediately after the escape, he developed heart trouble. He and his two immediate subordinates (Broili and Pieber) were sentenced to one year's fortress arrest. (von Lindeiner was interrogated by the RAF SIB at the London Cage, and proved extremely pro-British and very helpful.) The actual Kommandant at the time of the announcement of the murders was Oberst Braune and his demeanour at the time - one of shock, disbelief and horror - is well represented.
The Gestapo man (Kuhn, played by Hans Reiser, 1919 - 1982) in the leather coat who is so nasty to Bartlett ("If you escape again and be recaptured, you will be shot") at the start of the film and the bald bespectacled Gestapo man (Preissen, played by Ulrich Beiger, 1918 - 1996) who is so delighted at the capture of most of the escapers ("Ah - Herr Bartlett! You are going to be sorry you put us to so much trouble") have no direct counterparts in real life. However, if the bounds of credibility, artistic licence and real information may be stretched, they may be interpreted as being (a) Sturmbannfuhrer Johannes Post, deputy Gestapo chief at Kiel and together with his subordinate Lux, responsible for the murders of over twenty-five of the escapers. Post and his cohorts were hanged; (b) Dr Wilhelm Scharpwinkel, or (c) Dr Leopold Spann as any of these three Gestapo men would readily fit the bill. (d) Dr Gunther Absalon is another candidate. More details of these men are on the main page. Robert Graf (1923 - 1966) was Werner the ferret.
Whilst
the film does suggest that the convoy of trucks carrying the captured airmen
was split three ways, the actual murders were not en masse,
but the captured prisoners were taken in small groups and killed whilst in transit.
Details are on the main page.
If
you think you know the film well:-
1. Which five languages are spoken in the film (one
is very brief!)
2. John Leyton's character (Willie, the Tunneller) has
non-standard RAF uniform. What's different about it?
3. Which Christmas carol is being sung by the unfortunate
prisoner as he falls through his bunk after Hilts has removed some more bedboards?
4. Who gave who "Ten out of ten for this, old boy."
?
5. Tom was Danny's number-what tunnel?
6. When told "The photograph doesn't do you justice"
who replied "I'd like to see one of you under similar circumstances."
?
7. Name the café in which Sedgewick contacted the Resistance.
8. What is the first German phrase spoken in the film?
9. Who, having warned an escapee about a particular danger,
was subsequently caught out by it?
10. What did
Ashley-Pitt (David McCallum) give as his profession when his papers were checked
on the train?
11. Who was
commanded to "Look sharp!" and by whom?
12. Whose job
"Just didn't work out"?
13. What warning
did Hendley give to Blythe when the latter was starting the training aircraft's
engine?
14. Why were
the ceilings in the prisoners' huts creaking? (This scene is often cut
from the TV version.)
15. Who remarked
dryly "I'm watching him. I'm a Lifeguard."
16. What was
signified by a prisoner banging the dustbin lid?
17. What diversion
made it possible for some of the prisoners to conceal themselves in the lorries
carrying sawn-off tree branches?
18. At what
stage does a lanius nubicus enter the story?
19. What profession
was Ives before he joined the RAF, and what RAF rank was he?
20..
Which German found the concealed entrance to "Tom"?
12 Hilts
commented thus to von Luger as the latter was being led away, under arrest.
13 "Don't move or you get a mouthful of propeller!"
14 The
sand disposal team were concealing tunnel sand amongt the beams and rafters.