Allied prisoners of war plan for several hundred of their number to escape from a German camp during World War II.Allied prisoners of war plan for several hundred of their number to escape from a German camp during World War II.Allied prisoners of war plan for several hundred of their number to escape from a German camp during World War II.
- Nominated for 1 Oscar
- 3 wins & 12 nominations total
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Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaOne day, the police in the German town where this movie was shot set up a speed trap near the set. Several members of the cast and crew were caught, including Steve McQueen. The Chief of Police told McQueen "Herr McQueen, we have caught several of your comrades today, but you have won the prize (for the highest speeding)." McQueen was arrested and briefly jailed.
- GoofsTimbers are needed to hold back thousands of pounds of dirt from a tunnel collapse. The three feet long, 1/2 inch thick pieces taken from the bed frames shown used in the tunnel could not withstand the weight. However documentary interviews and excavation of the actual Stalag Luft 3 site, shows that the films depiction of the tunnel's construction was accurate. While the material used may not have been adequate for a professional tunnel or mine, they were apparently adequate for the task and some are still holding up the tunnel even now.
- Alternate versionsSome TV versions edit the scene in which Ives is shot and killed for trying to escape over the fence.
- ConnectionsEdited into Return to 'the Great Escape' (1993)
Featured review
The Great Movie
The Germans, "with madness in their method" have taken every captured flier who has made repeated attempts to escape and put them in a POW camp which they have devised to be inescapable. Under the supervision of Richard Attenborough, they immediately begin to dig tunnels to break out 250 men.
There are anhistorical elements here. There were four tunnels dug, not the three in the movie; the date of the escape was changed; most notably, several American flyers took part in the breakout. While Americans did take part in the planning and construction, they had been moved to a different camp by the time of the event. This was an American film, and director John Sturges had been trying to get this project off the ground for the better part of a decade before he and the Mirisches got United Artists to foot the bill, so James Garner, Steve McQueen, and Charles Bronson (as a Pole) got major roles. UA also wanted a shorter running time, and some women, which Sturges was able to resist.
It's a great, gripping blend of suspense and thrills, with some pawky humor thrown in, and a canny shift in camerawork. The first two-thirds, with its closed-in spaces sustains an element of oppression, culminating with the breakout, at night in the confined space of the tunnel. This is followed by brightly lit and open vistas as the escapees make their ways towards freedom. Because Sturges had directed THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN, the remake of Kurosawa's THE SEVEN SAMURAI, I thought for many years this dichotomy was taken from Kurosawa's HIGH AND LOW. However, the latter picture was released four months after Sturges'.
170 minutes is a very long time for a feature film, and this was undoubtedly released in a road show version with an intermission. The natural place for a break would be right after the Germans discover the primary tunnel. Nowadays, when I watch this, I can take a break whenever I like. Even knowing how it comes out, it's a struggle to stop the movie at any point.
There are anhistorical elements here. There were four tunnels dug, not the three in the movie; the date of the escape was changed; most notably, several American flyers took part in the breakout. While Americans did take part in the planning and construction, they had been moved to a different camp by the time of the event. This was an American film, and director John Sturges had been trying to get this project off the ground for the better part of a decade before he and the Mirisches got United Artists to foot the bill, so James Garner, Steve McQueen, and Charles Bronson (as a Pole) got major roles. UA also wanted a shorter running time, and some women, which Sturges was able to resist.
It's a great, gripping blend of suspense and thrills, with some pawky humor thrown in, and a canny shift in camerawork. The first two-thirds, with its closed-in spaces sustains an element of oppression, culminating with the breakout, at night in the confined space of the tunnel. This is followed by brightly lit and open vistas as the escapees make their ways towards freedom. Because Sturges had directed THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN, the remake of Kurosawa's THE SEVEN SAMURAI, I thought for many years this dichotomy was taken from Kurosawa's HIGH AND LOW. However, the latter picture was released four months after Sturges'.
170 minutes is a very long time for a feature film, and this was undoubtedly released in a road show version with an intermission. The natural place for a break would be right after the Germans discover the primary tunnel. Nowadays, when I watch this, I can take a break whenever I like. Even knowing how it comes out, it's a struggle to stop the movie at any point.
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- boblipton
- Jan 12, 2022
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Languages
- Also known as
- Gesprengte Ketten
- Filming locations
- Füssen, Bavaria, Germany(motorcycle scenes; Gestapo agents chase Bartlett and MacDonald)
- Production companies
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Budget
- $4,000,000 (estimated)
- Gross worldwide
- $230,637
- Runtime2 hours 52 minutes
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 2.35 : 1
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