I might have the numbers slightly wrong, but if I remember correctly - in real life 76 escaped, 73 were recaptured and 50 were summarily murdered on Hitler's personal order. One of the fifty murdered was my grandfather on my mom's side, Flight Lieutenant Patrick Langford. R.I.P. grandpa.
@@SPEEDPAINTER1 not so much for me, but I wish my mom could have gotten to know her own father. He enlisted in the royal Canadian air force in Dec. of '39 when mum was 4 years old.
One of the parts of the movie that bothers me is the almost total lack of representation of the Canadian involvement in the escape and misrepresentation of the American involvement. Canadians played a big part and were nowhere to be seen in the movie aside from one small mention at the beginning. Wally Floody (who acted as a consultant for the movie) was in charge of the tunnels. He was recommended as the consultant by the book's author Paul Brickhill who was unable to do it. Brickhill was also a prisoner there.
Three of the actors, Steve McQueen, James Coburn, and Charles Bronson, are in the western The Magnificent Seven. One of the greatest westerns ever made. It's directed by John Sturges who directed this film. It also has music by the same composer for this film, Elmer Bernstein. Definitely one you should watch.
Stephen King loved this movie so much, he made a tribute to it in Shawshank by making Andy dispose of his wall the same way they disposed of the dirt in the Great Escape.
but thats the part which detroys the movie. you have around 60.000kg of dirt per tunnel. Thats 3 Truckloads of dirt. and they had to 60000 times empty their trouthers. And that only per tunnel. I dont know how they didi it in reality. But try to dump 150 t somwhere withou anybody noticeing it.
@@eve-llblyat2576 they had a bunch of ways they hid the dirt. But the trouser thing was absolutely one of the ways they did it so I'm not sure why that "destroys the movie"
At the beginning of the movie Donald Pleasance- Collins, the guy who went blind- made a few suggestions, and the director told him to just do his acting job and keep his suggestions to himself. Then it was revealed that he had actually been in a German POW camp during WWII.
"Colin" is the character's first name, like Colin Firth or Colin Kaepernick. His last name is "Blythe". And yes, Donald Pleasance is always amazing. Did you ever see his episode of "The Twilight Zone"?
Feels similar to how Sir Christopher Lee corrected Peter Jackson on the LotR set where he told people exactly what sound people make when they stabbed, because he was a liaison officer for SOE in WWII and knew the sound.
@@davidekstrand8544 Ohhh, I forgot that. I love the film (and the book), I forgot Pleasance was in it. Thanks. It would be great if they did that one, too.
Hey guys! I wanted to add a bit of history that hopefully no one else has mentioned. The reason the relationship between the prisoners and guards was because they were all pilots so there was mutual respect between the German Luftwaffe officers and British, American and polish airmen.
Another thing that is interesting to me Is the surprisingly atypical portrayal of the German camp kommandant, who wasn't a fan of Hitler. The Luftwaffe was the least nazified of germany's armed forces.
And they were adhering the the Geneva Conventions, which affords POWs who are officers special privileges that enlisted men didn't get (besides Russians), a major one being no forced labor (which would be a major plot point in another amazing, classic WW2 movie Bridge on the River Kwai. But there was also this old fashioned "gentlemen mutual respect" between pilots of opposing armies that carried over from WW1. Crazy times.
@@chimpymcmonkey5402 This was true to life. The real commandant was so horrified about the executions he allowed the prisoners to build a memorial to the Fifty that still exists in Poland. The prisoners later testified in his defense at Nuremberg.
@@chimpymcmonkey5402 In real life, when rumors of the Allies mistreating German prisoners led to calls for reprisals in the form of executing Allied prisoners, the real life commandant, Col. Von Lindeiner, held a confidential meeting with his deputy commandant, Maj. Simoleit, to discuss what to do if they received orders to kill prisoners as reprisal. Simoleit said "If I should receive such a dreadful order I would refuse to obey. I prefer to be executed for military insubordination and would not try to save my miserable life by obeying." Von Lindeiner shook Simoleit's hand and told him "We both know what we have to do." Von Lindeiner donated to building a memorial for the 50 escapees who were killed by the Gestapo. After surrendering to the British, he testified in the Allies' investigation of the killings. Von Lindeiner's former prisoners actually came forward to testify in his defense, saying that he adhered to the Geneva Conventions in his treatment of POWs and that he had earned the respect of the prisoners. He was repatriated in 1947 and died at the age of 82 just months before the theatrical release of "The Great Escape."
My Grandfather was in a POW camp in Zell Am See in Austria, he escaped by hiding under a train for 1000 miles to Girona, Spain. He never talked about the war, but after he passed away we found a diary from that period. Unfortunately, he wasn't exactly Hunter S Thompson, so even though a crazy story, I don't think with entries like "it was cold and wet today" and "ate a raw potatoe for lunch" he'll ever get his own movie.
Might not have been a wordsmith, but he was a brave man and a hero! Should think of letting someone fill in the blanks and write his story. Hell I'd be tempted to have a go at it. Either way, your grandfather was a hero
fact is rarely as exciting as fiction. Even the most historically accurate films are still 100x more exciting than the real thing due to Academy Award winning screenplay writers and the dialogue.
Stalag.17 comedy? Two pies shot dead right away, fear of a spy within the POW's, one prisoner only caring about himself. It's a lot more like king rat.
Interesting fact: the guy who created “Hogan’s Heroes” was the same guy who produced and got “The Godfather” made. A fantastic series was made of the story of the making of The Godfather called “The Offer”, which you can see on Paramount+
Yes, William Holden was in Stalag 17 (I believe he won an Oscar). And, because it’s directed by the legendary Billy Wilder, there are moments of levity with Richard Strauss and Harvey Lembeck. William Holden is an early cinematic “anti-hero.” I’ll say no more, except watch this movie!
“That Henley actor guy” is James Garner. If you get the chance, you should check out two of the classic series he starred in, “Maverick” and “The Rockford Files.” You won’t be sorry. He was also a major movie star, something was rare at the time for a TV actor. The guy had it all: charm, believability and the ability to play drama and comedy.
"You must be the dumbest lookin ape I ever seen. I didn't think anybody would be ridicules enough to try and follow me in a big red Cadillac convertible. But there you where chrome rims and all."
Fun Fact: Steve McQueen (The Cooler King) was also a stunt man and an excellent motorcyclist. During his big chase scene, he's actually one of the German soldiers chasing HIM. Fun Fact #2: "Big X" is played by Richard Attenborough, the guy who says the iconic line..."Welcome to Jurassic ParK." Fun Fact #3: Danny, "Tunnel King" is played by Charles Bronson, later known for films such as "Death Wish" (Another film you should react to :) Fun Fact #4: "The Forger" is played by Donald Pleasance, known for his role as Dr. Loomis in the original "Halloween"
Some might also recognise Ducky from NCIS playing Ashley-Pitt, James Garner from the Rockford Files as The Scrounger. James Coburn (the Manufacturer) and James Garner appeared together in the 1994 Maverick film with Mel Gibson.
Richard Attenborough was never a movie star like James Garner, Steve McQueen, or even Charles Bronson, but he absolutely steals the show in this movie.
I love it when stars from other countries can steal every scene they're in from the Hollywood elites lol. As if to say "Show them what real acting is, not the Hollywood hype....."
YES!!! One of the greatest true stories ever made! Steve McQueen, James Garner, Richard Attenborough, Donald Pleasance, James Donald, Charles Bronson, Angus Lennie, David McCallum, Gordon Jackson, John Leyton, and James Coburn star in this WWII epic.
True story , but movie is highly inaccurate , by last survivor of the escape team ,Jack Lyon , died in 2019 at age 101 , shots were fired before he could get in to the tunnel. 76 escaped , 73 were recaptured , 50 were executed by order from Adolf himself , only 3 men were able to get away , Per Bergsland , Norwegian RAF pilot , Jens Müller, Norwegian RAF pilot and Bram van der Stok , Dutch RAF pilot ... Per and Jens did go to Sweden and Bram , via France to Spain , so that part was accurate . Also the whole camp hold nearly 11 000 POWs , in 10´ x 12´ huts , in movie its tiny camp with bigger barracks .
These people are legends. Im not sure they can understand who is Charles Bronson, James Garner, James Coburn.... These guys are bigger stars than any movie actors today.
James Donald, who played the British senior officer, seemed to be in virtually every other British war film made from 1940 to 1964, including “The Bridge on the River Kwai.”
“What camp are they going to?” Bartlett: “Welcome… to Jurassic Park!” As crazy as it is, Charles Bronson actually grew up in a coal mining town and worked in the mines as a child. He would regularly be subjected to cave-ins. He really was claustrophobic and dealt with it his whole life.
@@aztecgold8997 My favorite western is Once Upon a Time in The West. Magnificent Seven is obviously incredible too! Bronson was such an amazing man! Guy survived the Great Depression, coal mines, WWII, was wounded and decorated during his time in the war, made it in movies, and was just an overall badass.
Back in the 90s, I met a veteran who had been a prisoner at Stalag Luft III. He took part in the early planning for the escape but, along with the rest of the American POWs, he was transferred out of the camp before the breakout took place.
There was no Americans at this camp read your history there is many prisoners that cant stand this inaccurate pretrial of this all where from the east canada UK
@@lynnkernighan yes, there were American POWs at Stalag Luft III that were transferred out before the escape took place. Specifically, they had worked on "Tom" while they were still there. By the time "Harry" was ready, they had been moved to camps specifically for American prisoners.
When James Garner (Hendley) starred in the TV series "The Rockford Files," there was an article about him in TV Guide that started with the line "James Garner is like Sara Lee. Nobody doesn't like him" (referencing the Sara Lee dessert company's popular commercial jingle "Everybody doesn't like something, but nobody doesn't like Sara Lee"). He was always known for that likable, "regular guy" persona.
My mom bought that TV Guide when we were grocery shopping. She saw his picture on the cover and thought it looked so much like my dad that she had to get it (she never bought magazines). She kept it for years 🙂
Yet one of the most infamous pieces of footage of him is that moment in that racing film where he lost the rag with someone. And yes i know from reading about him he was well liked and popular but imagine once in your life having an off day and it gets captured for posterity.....
Stalag 17 never impressed me. Yes, Holden is good, but much of the movie seems more like the play from which it was derived. Billy Wilder made some great films, but Stalag 17 is not one of them, IMO.
It’s amazing how many not only recognizable, but famous actors appear throughout this entire film. A good approximate depiction of what really happened in WWII, and great filmmaking. Thanks for watching it. I haven’t finished the reaction, yet, but it takes a great director to make you wish a film as long as this one wasn’t over when it finishes. Thanks, guys.
Great reaction as usual. Another fantastic war movie is the The Dirty Dozen (1967). Stellar cast including John Cassavetes (Rosemary's Baby). I know you consider him a top villian in your movie reactions. His character (Franco) will not disappoint. Highly recommend!
Have you seen that this movie don't have a lot of blood, but the characters are so endearing that their deaths or failures are really hard to see? This is the signature of a movie that wraps you into the story. Great reaction you guys
Henley was James Garner, one of the most likeable human beings in Hollywood - I've never heard anybody say anything but what a great guy he was. Of all the movies he was in, Garner's personal favorite was The Americanization of Emily with Julie Andrews, but he was in other highly rated movies as well. He also had a major TV career - he first became a star in a 1950s western series called Maverick, and later starred in a very successful detective series called The Rockford Files (1970s). The Rockford Files ran during the years I was in high school and was my absolute favorite show at the time - still worth checking out.
He could handle a racecar too. Apparently the pro racecar drivers who were consultants and did some stunts in the racing movie "Grand Prix" were hugely impressed by Garner's natural talent as a driver. Garner did all his own driving for that movie. I used to watch The Rockford Files, one of my favorites. What a guy!
One of those films that get better and better the more you watch it. Its a broad comedy but still has little comic touches sprinkled throughout the film that it takes multiple viewings to get them all.
I love, love, love, love this movie so much. One of my absolute all-time favorites, and the movie that made me think Steve McQueen was the coolest person ever.
I love that you are now James Garner fans! He is just so fantastic-his best work was starring in The Rockford Files on tv. His other great film, IMO, is alongside Julie Andrews in Victor/Victoria, which is hilarious.
The Americanization of Emily (1964) with Garner & Julie Andrews is worth catching. Also 36 Hours (1964) with Garner & Eva Marie Saint. Both of these are set in WW2.
One of the Best war movies ever made, with a stellar cast, and a theme tune that will stick in your head for life. Also, a good novel by Paul Brickhill.
They did have to bend the story a bit by including Americans among the major cast but I think this was forgivable. Without McQueen, we wouldn’t have had the mad motorcycle dash.
@@TheTerryGene Yeah, sure, understood. But it was worth it for the theatrical effect. The closing motorbike chase/jump is cinematic masterpiece. As a lifelong bibliophile i would say in 999 cases out of 1000 the book is always better :D
@@LordEriolTolkien Maybe it was, but... I mean Paul Brickhill was **there.** It's as much a history as Stephen Ambrose's book, _Band of Brothers._ "Brickhill became involved with organizing the camp's escape, initially as a lookout or "stooge", before volunteering to work as a digger on the "Tom" tunnel.[10] ... Following the announcement of the murder of the escapees who had been recaptured following the Great Escape, Brickhill became determined to document the event. ... As prisoners were forbidden from writing anything other than letters and postcards, they collected every piece of paper they could find and, writing in as small a hand as possible, they collected stories and hid them from the guards." en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Brickhill
Danny, the one who digs the tunnel, is the great Charles Bronson, I recommend: "Once upon a time in the West" by Sergio Leone, a great Western movie, in which Charles Bronson is the protagonist. Film that is a classic and one of the best westerns in history
Yes, and James Coburn (the "bicycle guy") starred in the next Leone movie: "Duck, you sucker!" aka "A fistful of dynamite" - lesser known Leone movie, but also a recommendation.
Steve McQueen, James Garner, Charles Bronson, Donald Pleasence, James Coburn, Richard Attenborough ("Jurassic Park") are all veterans. Donald Pleasence was a German POW. Charles Bronson was claustrophobic, having spent several years as a coal miner.
Same with my sister. She was working at a golf club/hotel where he was staying and he called her "honey" when he made some reservations on the phone. She told that story for years.
So for a similar WW2 prison camp movie, but from the Japanese side of the war, try "Bridge Over the River Kwai". It's another based on reality movie with a stellar cast.
Donald Pleasance (Colin) was an actual POW in WWII, he was a wireless operator in the RAF and flew in over 60 missions before his Lancaster bomber was shot down in 1944. He said that the set was a very accurate depiction of a German POW camp. Charles Bronson (Danny) was a coal miner before becoming an actor, and advised the production on the actualities of digging underground. Similarly to his character in the film, Bronson developed claustrophobia from his experiences as a coal miner. Unlike his character though, Bronson was fluent in Russian having spoken it as his first language from childhood. James Garner (Hendley) based his "scrounger" character on his own experiences as a "self confessed scrounger" during his military service in the Korea War.
Rip David McCallum. I do believe he was one of the last surviving cast of this masterpiece. They are all having a cuppa in heaven with the real escapers. God bless all those guys. Heroes all
James Garner (Henley) - star of the TV series "The Rockford Files". He was also the original "Maverick" and again starred with Mel Gibson in the remake of "Maverick". See him also in "Support you local Sheriff"
It warms my heart to see so many people recommending Stalag 17. It's been an all-time favorite of mine forever but I haven't met that many people that have seen it.
One of my favorite James Garner movie is The Americanization of Emily. He plays another scrounger who works for an Admiral right before D-Day. Also stars Julie Andrews, and James Coburn (who plays the Australian Sedgwick in this movie). Both Garner and Andrews considered it their favorite movies that they made.
One of my favourite war films. You should also check out Where Eagles Dare (1968), The Guns of Navarone (1961), The Dirty Dozen (1967), The Desert Fox (1951), and The One That Got Away (1957).
This film is fairly accurate to what happened. Though there was one major difference that was a huge plot point which was the season. The prisoners escaped during winter. It was rather a harsh winter and a lot of them turned themselves in as they were scattered out in the wild and snow freezing to death. Though Hitler wanted them all executed, someone convinced him to only execute 50. One of the escapees did indeed get caught when when a German officer said "Good Luck" to him.
Also the characters were fictionalized although based on true characters, some amalgamations of different people and their roles. There was only one American involved in the escape (and even he was a British citizen before the war and in the British army) and no exciting motorcycle chase, though it made for fantastic action. The ironically named Wally Floody, a Canadian, was in charge of engineering the tunnels and was a tunnel king, serving as a consultant for the film so the techniques used in the escape were accurate. The three men who did go all the way were a Dutchman and 2 Norwegians and they blended in better, being from occupied countries. Despite the historical nitpicks, it still is one of my favorite movies of all time.
Steve McQueen, Charles Bronson (tunnel guy) and James Coburn (bicycle guy) worked together along with Yul Brenner and Eli Wallach (you remember as the Ugly in good, the bad and the ugly) in a really great western "The Magnificent Seven" and should be on your list of must see movies.
I would love to see you guys react to "The Best Years of Our Lives" ,its a story of soldiers returning home after WWII, great film, and also for James Garner that you want to see more of, a great Comedy he is in called "Support Your Local Sheriff", its a western sorta spoof and is my favorite film of his.
"Support Your Local Sheriff" is great fun, and the best blast of James Garner in a single film. (A true shame that "The Rockford Files" will probably fade away... that show is so good.)
Many say TBYOOL is the greatest Hollywood film ever made and was for years near the top of all Top Ten movies lists. Should be reacted to much more than it has, but because of stupid "millennial bias" as it is not HD or in colour, it is rarely seen. The term "millennial bias" came from the reactor herself.
The cast for this movie is insane, as a lot of this cast became movie legends after this movie, probably the biggest movie cast of all time. A similar cast today would be Depp,DeCaprio,Pitt,Day Lewis,Jackman,Damon,Hanks,Cumberbatch, Tom Hardy. The theme to this movie isnt about how many escaped, its about no matter what happens , we are never giving up. NEVER GIVING UP, EVER.
A true classic, the tunnel digging sequence and the escape were hair raising as was the prisoners on the run. Only three of the escapees made a complete getaway.
You guys should react to Kelly's Heroes, starring Clint Eastwood among others. It too takes place during world war two and is an action movie, a comedy and a heist movie all rolled into one.
And I think the officer who captures the guy right at the end might be the same one who's the commander of the German tank in the climax of Kelly's Heroes (not certain, but looks like him).
Fun Great Escape Movie Fact: Steve McQueen performed many of the motorbike stunts himself, sometimes dressed as a German soldier, so at one point during the film, McQueen is actually chasing himself, during the motorbike chase. :)
I'm never not in the mood to watch Great Escape. It's just a perfect lazy Saturday kind of movie for me. Seen it so many times in my life that it's downright comforting to me. Turn it on, take a nap, wake up and i don't feel I've missed a beat.
This has been one of my favorite movies since I first saw it on television. I'm guessing that would have been around 1968 when I was nine years old. When my friends and I would get together and wanted to imitate this movie there was always a small argument about who was going to be the "cooler King". I was one of the ones arguing and sometimes won.
Starting some time around 1970, this was shown on British tv every Christmas (I know) for about 20 years, it became part of our holiday tradition and every iconic scene and phrase was absorbed into our consciousness. glad you liked it too - 'Good luck'. 👍
If you want to check out other great Steve McQueen movies, I highly suggest "Sand Pebbles," (1966), inspired by true events, and "Papillon" (1973) also based on the account of an actual prisoner on Devil's Island, French Guyana. Both films have some all-too-realistic, gut-wrenching moments, but also outstanding performances by McQueen. Some have said that Sand Pebbles was McQueen's only shot at an Oscar.
One of the stars of The Great Escape (1963) to have actually been a World War II prisoner of war (Hannes Messemer, who played Colonel Lugo the camp commander, was a German soldier in World War II and was captured by American troops and held in a POW camp until the end of the war). He was also a POW in Russia. When he kindly offered advice to director John Sturges, he was politely asked to keep his "opinions" to himself. Later, when another star from the film informed Sturges that Pleasence (the Colin/forger character) had actually been an RAF officer in a World War II German POW camp, Sturges requested Pleasance's technical advice and input on historical accuracy from that point forward. (from imdb)
The actor that played Hedley is James Garner . He had a long running tv show called the Rockford Files. Also has done a lot of great movies. Best known for being Brett Maverick. Another war movie that I enjoy is called 36 Hours. Another movie you might enjoy is him,Clint Eastwood, Donald Sutherland, and Tommy Lee Jones in Space Cowboys.
He was also in Support Your Local Sheriff! and Support Your Local Gunfighter Plus everyone seems to focus on Ryan Gosling's part in the Notebook but James Garner had the much more difficult role of dealing with her illness and the heartbreak of reading the story over and over until she remembered him again
I just love how this movie balances humor, drama and action. Nowadays it would be overly serious, or a pure comedy, or just over the top and self-aware.
I highly recommend the 1968 action crime thriller BULLITT, where Steve McQueen plays a San Francisco Police Detective who gets ahold of a mob witness/corruption case and won't let go. It has the most realistic car chase in film history. It won the Oscar for Best Film Editing.
This movie is phenomenal! This movie is in my top 6 war movies and is full of major actors: Where Eagles Dare, A Bridge Too Far, Great Escape, Saving Private Ryan, Midway(70's version), Eagle Has Landed! You are one of the rare reactors who watched this masterpiece! Thank you!
A documentary mentioned that there was a lot of fraternization between the prisoners and guards and showed a photo of one of the guards performing in a show the prisoners had put on to keep themselves entertained while in captivity. One of the former prisoners who was still in the camp when the escape was discovered said the Germans felt incredibly betrayed.
Another Steve McQueen movie you really need to watch is THE TOWERING INFERNO, where a San Francisco fire chief and an architect, (Paul Newman), try to save his girlfriend, (Faye Dunaway), and others,(William Holden, Fred Astaire, Richard Chamberlain, Robert Wagner, Susan Blakely, Jennifer Jones, OJ Simpson and Robert Vaughn,) stuck in a burning high rise.
At the time of filming, some things were still classified. Among those was the amount of smuggling that happened with Red Cross Packages. Things like special made cardboard, when you take the multiple layers apart, you'll find maps or documents. Magnetized needles (for compassess) hidden inside the edges of the boxes etc.
Great reaction. I'd love to see you guys react to The Train with Burt Lancaster. I watched it for the first time recently and it deserves more attention, it's fantastic.
I whole heartedly second that! "The Train" 1964 is a GREAT movie! Burt Lancaster's circus skills came in handy as he did all his own stunts. Like "The Great Escape" this movie was based on real life events. This was one of my father's favorite movies and it has become one of mine.
In the reality, as in the film, the commandant of the camp was arrested by the Gestapo and sent to the eastern front. He survived the war and in the 1960s he was invited to England by the veteran club for the survivors of the camp to a traditional gathering. The former POWs celebrated the former Commandant as a very decent officer and a gentleman.
As a Scot this one is even more exciting because of all the Celts in the cast: James Donald (Ramsay - the SBO), David McCallum (Askley-Pitt - Disperal), Gordon Jackson (MacDonald - Intelligence) and Angus Lennie (Ives- the Mole). Though nobody would ever know the first two were Scottish.
Directed by the great Billy Wilder (The Apartment, Double Indemnity, Some Like It Hot, Sunset Blvd). PLEASE start watching the Billy Wilder movies, guys!
Excellent choice!! This is a lifelong favorite of mine-I cannot remember how young I was when I first saw it on tv, sometime in the 1970s. Seeing David McCallum here then on NCIS will give one whiplash, though.
Red sky at night… is a multi-millennia-old adage. It applies in most parts of the world, as typically weather comes in from the West. When you have higher pressure air systems to the west it affects the way light travels through the air. Instead of the blue we see from Rayleigh Scattering during the day we get blue depleted colours like oranges and reds (orange is opposite blue on the colour wheel). If the high pressure is East in the morning in most places it means you’re in a low pressure system and chances are that you might get rains and/or storms. You see the pressure difference in the morning by red sky at dawn.
Always happy to see someone reacting to this epic. It's been one of my all-time favorite movies since I was a little kid, and I used to look forward to its TV airings with the same excitement that I did the annual showings of "The Wizard of Oz."
This was one of my Dad's favorite movie when it came out. I remember every time it was on TV he was parked in his recliner watching it. I watched it fairly often back in the day.
@@Madbandit77 Haha I saw what you did there. But seriously it was a good show. It's also how we got Stuart Margolin in The Rockford Files. Though by 72' he was doing Love, American Style.
@@brucechmiel7964Margolin, who passed away last year, earned two guest Emmys as squirrel-brain con man Evelyn "Angel" Martin on "Rockford". The execs at NBC at the time didn't like him, but Garner fought for him.
Something that's easy to miss is that even a failed escape was a successful part of the war effort. 76 of them made it out of the camp but it took a couple hundred German troops to track them down and bring them back. That meant those troops were not available at the front. Getting home would have been perfect for them, but keeping the Germans busy was what they could do for the war effort.
Another fun movie from his late career is "Sunset" (1988) which co-stars Bruce Willis. Garner plays Wyatt Earp who actually wound up working as a consultant for Westerns in early Hollywood.
@@paintedjaguar I saw Sunset when it came out and your comment about it here made me realize that Garner played Wyatt Earp twice, in Sunset and in Hour of the Gun (1967).
It was The Great Escape because even though most of the men were recaptured, the sheer number of escapees tied up a lot of German troops that could have been on the front lines.
Hi TBR and Samantha, I love this movie so much, I read the book. It is amazing how these prisoners were able to solve so many problems. The forgers literally drew the letters by hand that a typewriter would make even to the point of making typos. To make a rubber stamp for various paperwork to look official, they used the rubber from the prisoner's boot heels, of all things.
Glad you got to this one. As the opening text said, everyone’s name was changed for the film, so here are the real names of the fifty airmen executed: F/L Henry Birkland (age 26) (Canadian) F/L Gordon Brettell, DFC (age 29) (British) F/L Leslie ‘Johnny’ Bull, DFC (age 27) (British) S/L Roger Bushell (age 33) (British) (he was the inspiration for Attenborough’s character) F/L Michael Casey (age 26) (British) (he’d been in captivity the longest - since fall 1939) S/L James Catanach, DFC (age 22) (Australian) F/O Arnold Christensen (age 21) (New Zealander) F/O Dennis Cochran (age 22) (British) S/L Ian Cross, DFC (age 25) (British) Lt Halldor Espelid (age 23) (Norwegian) F/L Brian Evans (age 24) (British) Lt Nils Fuglesang (age 25) (Norwegian) Lt Johannes Gouws (age 24) (South African) F/L William Grisman (age 29) (British) F/L Alistair Gunn (age 24) (British) F/L Albert Hake (age 27) (Australian) F/L Charles Hall (age 25) (British) F/L Anthony Hayter (age 23) (British) F/L Edgar Humphreys (age 29) (British) F/L Gordon Kidder (age 29) (Canadian) F/L Reginald Kierath (age 29) (Australian) F/L Antoni Kiewnarski (age 45) (Polish) (he was the oldest prisoner executed) S/L Thomas Kirby-Green (age 26) (British) F/O Wlodzmierz Kolanowski (age 30) (Polish) F/O Stanislaw ‘Danny’ Krol (age 28) (Polish) F/L Patrick Langford (age 24) (Canadian) F/L Thomas Leigh (age 25) (Australian) F/L James ‘Cookie’ Long (age 29) (British) F/L Romualdas Marcinkus (age 36) (Lithuanian) Lt Clement McGarr (age 26) (South African) F/L George McGill (age 25) (Canadian) F/L Harold Milford (age 29) (British) F/O Jerzy Mondschein (age 35) (Polish) F/O Kazimierz Pawluk (age 37) (Polish) F/L Henri Picard (age 27) (Belgian) F/O John Pohe (age 29) (New Zealander) Sous-Lt Bernard Scheidhauer (age 22) (French) (he was Bushell’s escape partner; he’d grown so used to speaking English in captivity that he was still tripped up by the trick used in the movie) P/O Sotiris Skanzikas (age 22) (Greek) Lt Rupert Stevens (age 25) (South African) F/O Robert Stewart (age 32) (British) F/O John Stower (age 27) (British) F/O Denys Street (age 22) (British) F/L Cyril Swain (age 32) (British) F/O Pawel Tobolski (age 38) (Polish) F/L Arnost Valenta (age 31) (Czech) F/L Gilbert ‘Tim’ Walenn (age 28) (British) (he was the inspiration for Pleasance’s character - the forging, not the eye problems) F/L James Wernham (age 27) (Canadian) F/L George Wiley (age 22) (Canadian) S/L John Williams, DFC (age 24) (Australian) F/L John Williams (age 26) (British) The last man out of the tunnel was S/L Len Trent, a New Zealander; after the War he received a Victoria Cross for the mission that got him captured.
One of the best movies ever made. I can't even count how many times I've seen this. There have been multiple days where I'd put it on watch it through then immediately start it over again. There's really not much to say. It's about as perfect a movie there is.
The thing I find curious, is the amount of wood they are trying to scrounge and then when they shut down the other two and focus all their efforts on Tom including the wood, and then Tom gets discovered. CLEARLY they can’t get back into Tom. Otherwise they would’ve continued it and as such, they can’t go salvage that wood so all of that wood is wasted so now that they have to abandon Tom and open up Harry where the heck do they get the wood for that tunnel since they put everything in Tom
If anything the real story behind this is even more amazing, and devastating. They made it outside the wire surprisingly often; one guy even made it into Switzerland, but because the border wasn't clearly marked, he walked through the safe zone and was picked up on the other side and sent back!
In WW2, each country had prisoners segregated by branch of service and guarded by their counterpart service, so navy prisoners were in camps run by the german Kriegsmarine, air force prisoners in camps run by the Luftwaffe, and army prisoners in camps run by the Heer. This is a Luftstalag, so all of the prisoners are British, Canadian, or American air force personnel. German Uniforms are easiest to distinguish by looking at the rank insignia on their collars. The camp guards have between 1 and 4 wings on each collar, the commandant has wings inside a wreath, etc. These are Luftwaffe personnel. The collar patches are different colors to denote different areas of training: Yellow for flight personnel and paratroopers, red for Air defense. The SS and Waffen SS have different patches: one side is 2x Old Norse "sig" runes (letter "S"), and the other side is a series of pips or oak leaves and pips.
I remember the first time I watched this movie. When they escaped, I thought that was the end, and I was like “Wow, what a great, feel good movie.” Then they basically all got caught or killed and I was depressed lol
I might have the numbers slightly wrong, but if I remember correctly - in real life 76 escaped, 73 were recaptured and 50 were summarily murdered on Hitler's personal
order. One of the fifty murdered was my grandfather on my mom's side, Flight Lieutenant Patrick Langford. R.I.P. grandpa.
Thank you for sharing. ♥️
Your grandfather was a genuine hero!
@@SPEEDPAINTER1 not so much for me, but I wish my mom could have gotten to know her own father. He enlisted in the royal Canadian air force in Dec. of '39 when mum was 4 years old.
Sorry for your loss.
One of the parts of the movie that bothers me is the almost total lack of representation of the Canadian involvement in the escape and misrepresentation of the American involvement. Canadians played a big part and were nowhere to be seen in the movie aside from one small mention at the beginning. Wally Floody (who acted as a consultant for the movie) was in charge of the tunnels. He was recommended as the consultant by the book's author Paul Brickhill who was unable to do it. Brickhill was also a prisoner there.
Three of the actors, Steve McQueen, James Coburn, and Charles Bronson, are in the western The Magnificent Seven. One of the greatest westerns ever made. It's directed by John Sturges who directed this film. It also has music by the same composer for this film, Elmer Bernstein. Definitely one you should watch.
Seven samurai
@@S_047 Also the basis for Battle Beyond the Stars. At least The Magnificent Seven mentions Seven Samurai in the credits.
Must watch
I wholeheartedly agree. The magnificent seven is a great movie! The great Escape and the magnificent Seven are 2 of my favorite movies.
Oh yes! The one from 1960. 🤠
Stephen King loved this movie so much, he made a tribute to it in Shawshank by making Andy dispose of his wall the same way they disposed of the dirt in the Great Escape.
but thats the part which detroys the movie. you have around 60.000kg of dirt per tunnel. Thats 3 Truckloads of dirt. and they had to 60000 times empty their trouthers. And that only per tunnel. I dont know how they didi it in reality. But try to dump 150 t somwhere withou anybody noticeing it.
@@eve-llblyat2576 they had a bunch of ways they hid the dirt. But the trouser thing was absolutely one of the ways they did it so I'm not sure why that "destroys the movie"
They were also hiding dirt in the attics of the buildings.
This is one of the greatest films of all time. An absolute gem and a stellar cast
I was about to comment that. Bronson, McQueen, Garner, Pleasance etc. HOF cast
I clicked immediately. ...
Do a bridge to far next. Also star stud cast.
@@MrJholshouser41 Don't Forget McCallum Who 60 Years After This Film Was Made, Still Has A Starring Role On NCIS...
Youve got what, a third of the Magnificent Seven in here :)
Hint…you should do that next:)
At the beginning of the movie Donald Pleasance- Collins, the guy who went blind- made a few suggestions, and the director told him to just do his acting job and keep his suggestions to himself. Then it was revealed that he had actually been in a German POW camp during WWII.
"Colin" is the character's first name, like Colin Firth or Colin Kaepernick. His last name is "Blythe".
And yes, Donald Pleasance is always amazing. Did you ever see his episode of "The Twilight Zone"?
Feels similar to how Sir Christopher Lee corrected Peter Jackson on the LotR set where he told people exactly what sound people make when they stabbed, because he was a liaison officer for SOE in WWII and knew the sound.
@@Jessica_Roth You should see his role as Himmler in The Eagle Has Landed (1976)
@@davidekstrand8544 Ohhh, I forgot that. I love the film (and the book), I forgot Pleasance was in it. Thanks.
It would be great if they did that one, too.
Hey guys! I wanted to add a bit of history that hopefully no one else has mentioned. The reason the relationship between the prisoners and guards was because they were all pilots so there was mutual respect between the German Luftwaffe officers and British, American and polish airmen.
Another thing that is interesting to me Is the surprisingly atypical portrayal of the German camp kommandant, who wasn't a fan of Hitler. The Luftwaffe was the least nazified of germany's armed forces.
And they were adhering the the Geneva Conventions, which affords POWs who are officers special privileges that enlisted men didn't get (besides Russians), a major one being no forced labor (which would be a major plot point in another amazing, classic WW2 movie Bridge on the River Kwai. But there was also this old fashioned "gentlemen mutual respect" between pilots of opposing armies that carried over from WW1. Crazy times.
Actually at the trails after the war, many of the surviving POWs testified on behalf of the guards to aqcuit them of war crimes
@@chimpymcmonkey5402 This was true to life. The real commandant was so horrified about the executions he allowed the prisoners to build a memorial to the Fifty that still exists in Poland. The prisoners later testified in his defense at Nuremberg.
@@chimpymcmonkey5402 In real life, when rumors of the Allies mistreating German prisoners led to calls for reprisals in the form of executing Allied prisoners, the real life commandant, Col. Von Lindeiner, held a confidential meeting with his deputy commandant, Maj. Simoleit, to discuss what to do if they received orders to kill prisoners as reprisal. Simoleit said "If I should receive such a dreadful order I would refuse to obey. I prefer to be executed for military insubordination and would not try to save my miserable life by obeying." Von Lindeiner shook Simoleit's hand and told him "We both know what we have to do."
Von Lindeiner donated to building a memorial for the 50 escapees who were killed by the Gestapo. After surrendering to the British, he testified in the Allies' investigation of the killings. Von Lindeiner's former prisoners actually came forward to testify in his defense, saying that he adhered to the Geneva Conventions in his treatment of POWs and that he had earned the respect of the prisoners. He was repatriated in 1947 and died at the age of 82 just months before the theatrical release of "The Great Escape."
Now that you've seen "The Great Escape," you've completed the prerequisite to watch the critically acclaimed "Chicken Run."
Chicken Run, you say? I just went to Amazon and ordered it. Thanks!
Chicken run while a little bit derivative is not a bad flick itself, it's actually a childhood favorite of mine
I think Chicken Run is on Netflix now!
Have you seen Free Birds?
😂
My Grandfather was in a POW camp in Zell Am See in Austria, he escaped by hiding under a train for 1000 miles to Girona, Spain. He never talked about the war, but after he passed away we found a diary from that period. Unfortunately, he wasn't exactly Hunter S Thompson, so even though a crazy story, I don't think with entries like "it was cold and wet today" and "ate a raw potatoe for lunch" he'll ever get his own movie.
But he was a hero....
What a treasure! Maybe you could get a writer to do a book from the diary! At the very least, it's a news-worthy story!
Might not have been a wordsmith, but he was a brave man and a hero! Should think of letting someone fill in the blanks and write his story. Hell I'd be tempted to have a go at it. Either way, your grandfather was a hero
fact is rarely as exciting as fiction. Even the most historically accurate films are still 100x more exciting than the real thing due to Academy Award winning screenplay writers and the dialogue.
The Great Train Escape! :0)
"Stalag 17"is another good prisoner camp movie. Lot's more comedy. It was also an inspiration for the "Hogan's Heros" TV series.
Stalag.17 comedy? Two pies shot dead right away, fear of a spy within the POW's, one prisoner only caring about himself.
It's a lot more like king rat.
Interesting fact: the guy who created “Hogan’s Heroes” was the same guy who produced and got “The Godfather” made. A fantastic series was made of the story of the making of The Godfather called “The Offer”, which you can see on Paramount+
@@craigplatel813
Thinking that myself, if Lm remembering the right movie, with Willam Holden right?
@@craigplatel813 maybe not a 'comedy', but certainly a 'lighter' film. Plus, Harry and The Animal were definitely comic relief.
Yes, William Holden was in Stalag 17 (I believe he won an Oscar). And, because it’s directed by the legendary Billy Wilder, there are moments of levity with Richard Strauss and Harvey Lembeck. William Holden is an early cinematic “anti-hero.” I’ll say no more, except watch this movie!
“That Henley actor guy” is James Garner. If you get the chance, you should check out two of the classic series he starred in, “Maverick” and “The Rockford Files.” You won’t be sorry. He was also a major movie star, something was rare at the time for a TV actor. The guy had it all: charm, believability and the ability to play drama and comedy.
"You must be the dumbest lookin ape I ever seen. I didn't think anybody would be ridicules enough to try and follow me in a big red Cadillac convertible. But there you where chrome rims and all."
Absolutely! Don't forget his surprise 1970 hit, "Support Your Local Sheriff"!
@@glawnow1959 And its "mirror" film "Support Your Local Gunfighter."
He could do drama and comedy. He aged fairly well too...had a hit in the 80s with Sally Field 'Murphy's Romance' IIRC.
Also plays grandpa in 8 simple rules
Fun Fact: Steve McQueen (The Cooler King) was also a stunt man and an excellent motorcyclist. During his big chase scene, he's actually one of the German soldiers chasing HIM.
Fun Fact #2: "Big X" is played by Richard Attenborough, the guy who says the iconic line..."Welcome to Jurassic ParK."
Fun Fact #3: Danny, "Tunnel King" is played by Charles Bronson, later known for films such as "Death Wish" (Another film you should react to :)
Fun Fact #4: "The Forger" is played by Donald Pleasance, known for his role as Dr. Loomis in the original "Halloween"
Came to say the thing about Steve McQueen chasing himself too lol.
Am today years old learning fact #2.
@@S_047 In that case, I wish you a happy birthday. :)
Wow I never knew that that Steve was playing 2 roles riding the bike. Thanks for the intel
Some might also recognise Ducky from NCIS playing Ashley-Pitt, James Garner from the Rockford Files as The Scrounger. James Coburn (the Manufacturer) and James Garner appeared together in the 1994 Maverick film with Mel Gibson.
Richard Attenborough was never a movie star like James Garner, Steve McQueen, or even Charles Bronson, but he absolutely steals the show in this movie.
He was a well known and respected actor in Britain.
@@MsAppassionata Perhaps I should have said "Hollywood movie star."
I love it when stars from other countries can steal every scene they're in from the Hollywood elites lol. As if to say "Show them what real acting is, not the Hollywood hype....."
YES!!!
One of the greatest true stories ever made!
Steve McQueen, James Garner, Richard Attenborough, Donald Pleasance, James Donald, Charles Bronson, Angus Lennie, David McCallum, Gordon Jackson, John Leyton, and James Coburn star in this WWII epic.
True story , but movie is highly inaccurate , by last survivor of the escape team ,Jack Lyon , died in 2019 at age 101 , shots were fired before he could get in to the tunnel.
76 escaped , 73 were recaptured , 50 were executed by order from Adolf himself , only 3 men were able to get away , Per Bergsland , Norwegian RAF pilot , Jens Müller, Norwegian RAF pilot and Bram van der Stok , Dutch RAF pilot ... Per and Jens did go to Sweden and Bram , via France to Spain , so that part was accurate .
Also the whole camp hold nearly 11 000 POWs , in 10´ x 12´ huts , in movie its tiny camp with bigger barracks .
Truish
These people are legends. Im not sure they can understand who is Charles Bronson, James Garner, James Coburn.... These guys are bigger stars than any movie actors today.
@@pete_lind also no mass machine gunning, they were shot individually at different locations for the most part
not really true story
James Garner was one of the coolest dudes ever.
Yep. Watched reruns of The Rockford Files on cable in the 80s.
He was great in that show.
Smart, funny, likeable... as cool as they come.
@@mrkelso I'd always remember this story of James Garner from Gerald McRaney.... ruclips.net/video/ZRhiLvfsa4c/видео.html
But it's Steve McQueen who is known as Mr Cool😎
@@dannytse8767 That's awesome!
James Donald, who played the British senior officer, seemed to be in virtually every other British war film made from 1940 to 1964, including “The Bridge on the River Kwai.”
Wasn't he I Laurence of Arabia too?
@@J4ME5_ No, because David Lean took against him on Kwai. "He's defied me, I'm going to torture him."
Gordon Jackson is the same
He was also in "Conduct Unbecoming" with Richard Attenborough, Trevor Howard, Stacey Keach, Michael York, Susannah York.
He was also in the 1958 film The Vikings with Kirk Douglas
“What camp are they going to?”
Bartlett: “Welcome… to Jurassic Park!”
As crazy as it is, Charles Bronson actually grew up in a coal mining town and worked in the mines as a child. He would regularly be subjected to cave-ins. He really was claustrophobic and dealt with it his whole life.
I'm a big time Charles Bronson fan...he was a real bad ass in real life too.
@@aztecgold8997 My favorite western is Once Upon a Time in The West. Magnificent Seven is obviously incredible too! Bronson was such an amazing man! Guy survived the Great Depression, coal mines, WWII, was wounded and decorated during his time in the war, made it in movies, and was just an overall badass.
I wonder how many people realize it's the same actor.
And he's the UKs most dangerous prisoner
This, Kelly's Heroes, and Where Eagles Dare are some of my favourite classics.
I would add The dirty dozen to your list also
YES! PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE watch Kelly's Heroes.
Woof woof woof!!! :)
Canons of navarone is also a missed classic
Guns of Navarone
@@bwhitetemp I can't believe it's 2nd to last on that Patreon war movie list, it's the best one on there apart from The Great Escape. :-)
Back in the 90s, I met a veteran who had been a prisoner at Stalag Luft III. He took part in the early planning for the escape but, along with the rest of the American POWs, he was transferred out of the camp before the breakout took place.
There was no Americans at this camp read your history there is many prisoners that cant stand this inaccurate pretrial of this all where from the east canada UK
@@lynnkernighan yes, there were American POWs at Stalag Luft III that were transferred out before the escape took place. Specifically, they had worked on "Tom" while they were still there. By the time "Harry" was ready, they had been moved to camps specifically for American prisoners.
What a story to hear!
When James Garner (Hendley) starred in the TV series "The Rockford Files," there was an article about him in TV Guide that started with the line "James Garner is like Sara Lee. Nobody doesn't like him" (referencing the Sara Lee dessert company's popular commercial jingle "Everybody doesn't like something, but nobody doesn't like Sara Lee"). He was always known for that likable, "regular guy" persona.
loved the rockford files, great series
He was beautiful.
My mom bought that TV Guide when we were grocery shopping. She saw his picture on the cover and thought it looked so much like my dad that she had to get it (she never bought magazines). She kept it for years 🙂
@@yepimheretoo2270 That cute!
Yet one of the most infamous pieces of footage of him is that moment in that racing film where he lost the rag with someone. And yes i know from reading about him he was well liked and popular but imagine once in your life having an off day and it gets captured for posterity.....
Also it's awesome how Donald Pleasance cane be one of the most lovable characters and one of the most notorious Bond Villains ever.
and of all the actors in The Great Escape, he actually was a surviving RAF POW who was at Stalag Luft 1
"Stalag 17" and "Bridge On The River Kwai" are also great WW2 movies that take place in prisoner of war camps.
King Rat also
2 British POW films I like are "The Colditz Story" and "The Password Is Courage"
Kwai is a great movie, but its pretty much fully fiction.
Stalag 17 never impressed me. Yes, Holden is good, but much of the movie seems more like the play from which it was derived. Billy Wilder made some great films, but Stalag 17 is not one of them, IMO.
The Japanese using forced labor for construction projects that killed thousands is a historical fact.
It’s amazing how many not only recognizable, but famous actors appear throughout this entire film. A good approximate depiction of what really happened in WWII, and great filmmaking. Thanks for watching it. I haven’t finished the reaction, yet, but it takes a great director to make you wish a film as long as this one wasn’t over when it finishes. Thanks, guys.
Well, considering practically all of the actors in the film were themselves war veterans of WW2, I'll take their 'approximate' portrayal.
And Josh Randall.
Great reaction as usual. Another fantastic war movie is the The Dirty Dozen (1967). Stellar cast including John Cassavetes (Rosemary's Baby). I know you consider him a top villian in your movie reactions. His character (Franco) will not disappoint. Highly recommend!
The Dirty Dozen is fantastic!
The Dirty Dozen is a must watch👍
Charles Bronson is in that one too.
I always liked The Devil's Brigade more than The Dirty Dozen.
Kelly's Heros,..... Where Eagles Dare.....
Have you seen that this movie don't have a lot of blood, but the characters are so endearing that their deaths or failures are really hard to see? This is the signature of a movie that wraps you into the story.
Great reaction you guys
I'm so happy to see more RUclipsrs reacting to this absolute classic!
'Where Eagle's Dare' . . . 'The Dirty Dozen' . . . . 'Kelly's Heroes' - should be next on the list.
Henley was James Garner, one of the most likeable human beings in Hollywood - I've never heard anybody say anything but what a great guy he was. Of all the movies he was in, Garner's personal favorite was The Americanization of Emily with Julie Andrews, but he was in other highly rated movies as well. He also had a major TV career - he first became a star in a 1950s western series called Maverick, and later starred in a very successful detective series called The Rockford Files (1970s). The Rockford Files ran during the years I was in high school and was my absolute favorite show at the time - still worth checking out.
His Polaroid camera commercials with Mariette Hartley were fun too.
He was a great guy, made me proud to have him be from my hometown of Norman, Oklahoma.
He could handle a racecar too. Apparently the pro racecar drivers who were consultants and did some stunts in the racing movie "Grand Prix" were hugely impressed by Garner's natural talent as a driver. Garner did all his own driving for that movie. I used to watch The Rockford Files, one of my favorites. What a guy!
Since your "favorite character" was played by James Garner, I want to recommend "Support Your Local Sheriff", a western/comedy.
Absolutely must watch. Garner had such charisma
Damn, there's a lot of us Garner fans in this comments section! Hey, he was that appealing.
One of those films that get better and better the more you watch it. Its a broad comedy but still has little comic touches sprinkled throughout the film that it takes multiple viewings to get them all.
Watching "Maverick", "Illya Kuryakin", "Paul Kersey", and "Our Man Flint" in this star studded classic is a great set of memories.
And Santa Claus! 😁
Younger watchers know Illya better as Ducky.
And Jurassic Park's Mr "we spared no expense" himself ;)
And Blofeld. 🙂
I guess you aren't old enough to know "Josh Randall".
I love, love, love, love this movie so much. One of my absolute all-time favorites, and the movie that made me think Steve McQueen was the coolest person ever.
I love that you are now James Garner fans! He is just so fantastic-his best work was starring in The Rockford Files on tv. His other great film, IMO, is alongside Julie Andrews in Victor/Victoria, which is hilarious.
Rockford is the classic 1940s LA private eye thing, updated for the 1970s. A dependable hour of entertainment for me, every week growing up.
The Americanization of Emily (1964) with Garner & Julie Andrews is worth catching. Also 36 Hours (1964) with Garner & Eva Marie Saint. Both of these are set in WW2.
Yes to all of those, plus the classic Western Comedy, "Support Your Local Sheriff".
You can't mention Garner without recommending Maverick. Lots of fun and a great cast.
@@paintedjaguar I really like The Americanization of Emily. Wonderful film and an excellent script.
One of the Best war movies ever made, with a stellar cast, and a theme tune that will stick in your head for life. Also, a good novel by Paul Brickhill.
They did have to bend the story a bit by including Americans among the major cast but I think this was forgivable. Without McQueen, we wouldn’t have had the mad motorcycle dash.
@@TheTerryGene Yeah, sure, understood. But it was worth it for the theatrical effect. The closing motorbike chase/jump is cinematic masterpiece.
As a lifelong bibliophile i would say in 999 cases out of 1000 the book is always better :D
I wouldn't call it a "novel". I mean, it's a true story.
@@wwoods66 it Is a novel, based on true events. That was how it was advertised on the cover of the copy i owned, so, ....
@@LordEriolTolkien Maybe it was, but... I mean Paul Brickhill was **there.** It's as much a history as Stephen Ambrose's book, _Band of Brothers._
"Brickhill became involved with organizing the camp's escape, initially as a lookout or "stooge", before volunteering to work as a digger on the "Tom" tunnel.[10] ...
Following the announcement of the murder of the escapees who had been recaptured following the Great Escape, Brickhill became determined to document the event. ... As prisoners were forbidden from writing anything other than letters and postcards, they collected every piece of paper they could find and, writing in as small a hand as possible, they collected stories and hid them from the guards." en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Brickhill
Next up: ‘Stalag 17’. Won’t be disappointed.
William Holden won the Oscar for Best Actor.
My uncle was a prisoner in a German POW camp during WWII so this movie has always been one of my favorites.
A couple of other old great war films to check out are "The Guns of Navarone" and "Where Eagles Dare."
Danny, the one who digs the tunnel, is the great Charles Bronson, I recommend: "Once upon a time in the West" by Sergio Leone, a great Western movie, in which Charles Bronson is the protagonist. Film that is a classic and one of the best westerns in history
Yes, and James Coburn (the "bicycle guy") starred in the next Leone movie: "Duck, you sucker!" aka "A fistful of dynamite" - lesser known Leone movie, but also a recommendation.
Steve McQueen, James Garner, Charles Bronson, Donald Pleasence, James Coburn, Richard Attenborough ("Jurassic Park") are all veterans. Donald Pleasence was a German POW. Charles Bronson was claustrophobic, having spent several years as a coal miner.
And if I'm remembering correctly, James Garner was a scrounger in a POW camp during the Korean War
My mother had a big crush on James Garner (Hendley). She would act like a silly schoolgirl when she’d see him in a movie.😍
Same with my sister. She was working at a golf club/hotel where he was staying and he called her "honey" when he made some reservations on the phone. She told that story for years.
So for a similar WW2 prison camp movie, but from the Japanese side of the war, try "Bridge Over the River Kwai". It's another based on reality movie with a stellar cast.
Donald Pleasance (Colin) was an actual POW in WWII, he was a wireless operator in the RAF and flew in over 60 missions before his Lancaster bomber was shot down in 1944. He said that the set was a very accurate depiction of a German POW camp.
Charles Bronson (Danny) was a coal miner before becoming an actor, and advised the production on the actualities of digging underground. Similarly to his character in the film, Bronson developed claustrophobia from his experiences as a coal miner. Unlike his character though, Bronson was fluent in Russian having spoken it as his first language from childhood.
James Garner (Hendley) based his "scrounger" character on his own experiences as a "self confessed scrounger" during his military service in the Korea War.
Rip David McCallum. I do believe he was one of the last surviving cast of this masterpiece. They are all having a cuppa in heaven with the real escapers. God bless all those guys. Heroes all
John Leyton(Willie) I believe is the only one left
James Garner (Henley) - star of the TV series "The Rockford Files". He was also the original "Maverick" and again starred with Mel Gibson in the remake of "Maverick". See him also in "Support you local Sheriff"
And Support Your Local Gunfighter. Hilarious the both of them. "Pooberty."
Support Your Local Sheriff is an excellent western spoof. Gunfighter not quite as good but still worth watching.
You're favorite guy James Garner is in "Support Your Local Sheriff" which is an awesome comedy western that you should definitely check out.
The person who wrecked the escape was the Surveyor. It was his job to measure the length of the tunnel and he was 20 feet short !!!
My favorite part of Saturday night, a tbr and Samantha upload. I don't comment on every video but I do watch every video. Great movie.
It warms my heart to see so many people recommending Stalag 17. It's been an all-time favorite of mine forever but I haven't met that many people that have seen it.
James Garner, supported Brando in "Sayonara", great in "Support Your Local Sheriff", WWII thrillers "36 Hours" and "The Americanization of Emily"!...🙂
This was Richard Attenborough's best known role for nearly three decades, until it was permanently dethroned by Jurassic Park.
Also a great director who did the masterpiece Gandhi - and his brother is famous nature documentary producer and host, David Attenborough.
He gained a lot of notoriety playing the infamous Reg Christie in 10 Rillington Place. That's one part you don't forget after seeing it.
Their biggest setback was that Col. Hogan wasn’t their commander. Now HE knew how to build tunnels! 😂
I love how you immediately understood the ending. They may have got caught but their spirit will never be broken.
One of my favorite James Garner movie is The Americanization of Emily. He plays another scrounger who works for an Admiral right before D-Day. Also stars Julie Andrews, and James Coburn (who plays the Australian Sedgwick in this movie). Both Garner and Andrews considered it their favorite movies that they made.
Great to see Ducky in this. He may be the last living major actor if this movie ( NCIS)
One of my favourite war films. You should also check out Where Eagles Dare (1968), The Guns of Navarone (1961), The Dirty Dozen (1967), The Desert Fox (1951), and The One That Got Away (1957).
60 years of greatness, cool reaction as always Schmitt & Samantha, you both have a good night
This film is fairly accurate to what happened. Though there was one major difference that was a huge plot point which was the season. The prisoners escaped during winter. It was rather a harsh winter and a lot of them turned themselves in as they were scattered out in the wild and snow freezing to death. Though Hitler wanted them all executed, someone convinced him to only execute 50. One of the escapees did indeed get caught when when a German officer said "Good Luck" to him.
Also the characters were fictionalized although based on true characters, some amalgamations of different people and their roles. There was only one American involved in the escape (and even he was a British citizen before the war and in the British army) and no exciting motorcycle chase, though it made for fantastic action. The ironically named Wally Floody, a Canadian, was in charge of engineering the tunnels and was a tunnel king, serving as a consultant for the film so the techniques used in the escape were accurate. The three men who did go all the way were a Dutchman and 2 Norwegians and they blended in better, being from occupied countries. Despite the historical nitpicks, it still is one of my favorite movies of all time.
Steve McQueen, Charles Bronson (tunnel guy) and James Coburn (bicycle guy) worked together along with Yul Brenner and Eli Wallach (you remember as the Ugly in good, the bad and the ugly) in a really great western "The Magnificent Seven" and should be on your list of must see movies.
I would love to see you guys react to "The Best Years of Our Lives" ,its a story of soldiers returning home after WWII, great film, and also for James Garner that you want to see more of, a great Comedy he is in called "Support Your Local Sheriff", its a western sorta spoof and is my favorite film of his.
"Support Your Local Sheriff" is great fun, and the best blast of James Garner in a single film. (A true shame that "The Rockford Files" will probably fade away... that show is so good.)
Many say TBYOOL is the greatest Hollywood film ever made and was for years near the top of all Top Ten movies lists. Should be reacted to much more than it has, but because of stupid "millennial bias" as it is not HD or in colour, it is rarely seen. The term "millennial bias" came from the reactor herself.
Elmer Bernstein's music score is genius. Movie was partially based on a true story.
The cast for this movie is insane, as a lot of this cast became movie legends after this movie, probably the biggest movie cast of all time. A similar cast today would be Depp,DeCaprio,Pitt,Day Lewis,Jackman,Damon,Hanks,Cumberbatch, Tom Hardy.
The theme to this movie isnt about how many escaped, its about no matter what happens , we are never giving up. NEVER GIVING UP, EVER.
A true classic, the tunnel digging sequence and the escape were hair raising as was the prisoners on the run. Only three of the escapees made a complete getaway.
You guys should react to Kelly's Heroes, starring Clint Eastwood among others. It too takes place during world war two and is an action movie, a comedy and a heist movie all rolled into one.
And I think the officer who captures the guy right at the end might be the same one who's the commander of the German tank in the climax of Kelly's Heroes (not certain, but looks like him).
James Garner (your favorite you said in this picture) starred in a Western comedy titled "Support Your Local Sheriff" you may want to react to.
Fun Great Escape Movie Fact: Steve McQueen performed many of the motorbike stunts himself, sometimes dressed as a German soldier, so at one point during the film, McQueen is actually chasing himself, during the motorbike chase. :)
I'm never not in the mood to watch Great Escape. It's just a perfect lazy Saturday kind of movie for me. Seen it so many times in my life that it's downright comforting to me. Turn it on, take a nap, wake up and i don't feel I've missed a beat.
This has been one of my favorite movies since I first saw it on television. I'm guessing that would have been around 1968 when I was nine years old. When my friends and I would get together and wanted to imitate this movie there was always a small argument about who was going to be the "cooler King". I was one of the ones arguing and sometimes won.
Starting some time around 1970, this was shown on British tv every Christmas (I know) for about 20 years, it became part of our holiday tradition and every iconic scene and phrase was absorbed into our consciousness. glad you liked it too - 'Good luck'. 👍
If you want to check out other great Steve McQueen movies, I highly suggest "Sand Pebbles," (1966), inspired by true events, and "Papillon" (1973) also based on the account of an actual prisoner on Devil's Island, French Guyana. Both films have some all-too-realistic, gut-wrenching moments, but also outstanding performances by McQueen. Some have said that Sand Pebbles was McQueen's only shot at an Oscar.
If you enjoyed James Garner in this you will love him in 'The Americanization of Emily' with Julie Andrews. Great screenplay by Paddy Chayevsky.
Or Victor/Victoria also with Julie Andrews.
He was even better in "36 Hours"
The Americanization of Emily is such an underrated film. Great performances and well thought out characters throughout.
One of the stars of The Great Escape (1963) to have actually been a World War II prisoner of war (Hannes Messemer, who played Colonel Lugo the camp commander, was a German soldier in World War II and was captured by American troops and held in a POW camp until the end of the war). He was also a POW in Russia. When he kindly offered advice to director John Sturges, he was politely asked to keep his "opinions" to himself. Later, when another star from the film informed Sturges that Pleasence (the Colin/forger character) had actually been an RAF officer in a World War II German POW camp, Sturges requested Pleasance's technical advice and input on historical accuracy from that point forward. (from imdb)
The actor that played Hedley is James Garner . He had a long running tv show called the Rockford Files. Also has done a lot of great movies. Best known for being Brett Maverick. Another war movie that I enjoy is called 36 Hours. Another movie you might enjoy is him,Clint Eastwood, Donald Sutherland, and Tommy Lee Jones in Space Cowboys.
He was also in Support Your Local Sheriff! and Support Your Local Gunfighter Plus everyone seems to focus on Ryan Gosling's part in the Notebook but James Garner had the much more difficult role of dealing with her illness and the heartbreak of reading the story over and over until she remembered him again
@@ArgonTheAware Not to mention racing driver Pete Aron in "Grand Prix".
I just love how this movie balances humor, drama and action. Nowadays it would be overly serious, or a pure comedy, or just over the top and self-aware.
I highly recommend the 1968 action crime thriller BULLITT, where Steve McQueen plays a San Francisco Police Detective who gets ahold of a mob witness/corruption case and won't let go. It has the most realistic car chase in film history. It won the Oscar for Best Film Editing.
Bullitt is a must!
This movie is phenomenal! This movie is in my top 6 war movies and is full of major actors: Where Eagles Dare, A Bridge Too Far, Great Escape, Saving Private Ryan, Midway(70's version), Eagle Has Landed! You are one of the rare reactors who watched this masterpiece! Thank you!
A documentary mentioned that there was a lot of fraternization between the prisoners and guards and showed a photo of one of the guards performing in a show the prisoners had put on to keep themselves entertained while in captivity. One of the former prisoners who was still in the camp when the escape was discovered said the Germans felt incredibly betrayed.
Another Steve McQueen movie you really need to watch is THE TOWERING INFERNO, where a San Francisco fire chief and an architect, (Paul Newman), try to save his girlfriend, (Faye Dunaway), and others,(William Holden, Fred Astaire, Richard Chamberlain, Robert Wagner, Susan Blakely, Jennifer Jones, OJ Simpson and Robert Vaughn,) stuck in a burning high rise.
Absolutely, the disaster movie classic along with The Poseidon Adventure (1972).
If you do another war film poll, another vintage classic you can add is The Bridge on The River Qwai (1957).
At the time of filming, some things were still classified. Among those was the amount of smuggling that happened with Red Cross Packages. Things like special made cardboard, when you take the multiple layers apart, you'll find maps or documents. Magnetized needles (for compassess) hidden inside the edges of the boxes etc.
Great reaction. I'd love to see you guys react to The Train with Burt Lancaster. I watched it for the first time recently and it deserves more attention, it's fantastic.
I whole heartedly second that! "The Train" 1964 is a GREAT movie! Burt Lancaster's circus skills came in handy as he did all his own stunts. Like "The Great Escape" this movie was based on real life events. This was one of my father's favorite movies and it has become one of mine.
In the reality, as in the film, the commandant of the camp was arrested by the Gestapo and sent to the eastern front. He survived the war and in the 1960s he was invited to England by the veteran club for the survivors of the camp to a traditional gathering. The former POWs celebrated the former Commandant as a very decent officer and a gentleman.
Another good 1960s "guys banding together to survive" movie is "The Flight of the Phoenix" (1965).
As a Scot this one is even more exciting because of all the Celts in the cast: James Donald (Ramsay - the SBO), David McCallum (Askley-Pitt - Disperal), Gordon Jackson (MacDonald - Intelligence) and Angus Lennie (Ives- the Mole). Though nobody would ever know the first two were Scottish.
Stalag 17 (1953) is a classic WW2 POW movie based on a play. It laid the groundwork for the 1960s sitcom "Hogans Heroes".
Directed by the great Billy Wilder (The Apartment, Double Indemnity, Some Like It Hot, Sunset Blvd). PLEASE start watching the Billy Wilder movies, guys!
Excellent choice!! This is a lifelong favorite of mine-I cannot remember how young I was when I first saw it on tv, sometime in the 1970s. Seeing David McCallum here then on NCIS will give one whiplash, though.
It's such a great film! I highly recommend watching the documentary, and they uncover the original tunnels. As well as interview the surviving vets.
Red sky at night… is a multi-millennia-old adage. It applies in most parts of the world, as typically weather comes in from the West. When you have higher pressure air systems to the west it affects the way light travels through the air. Instead of the blue we see from Rayleigh Scattering during the day we get blue depleted colours like oranges and reds (orange is opposite blue on the colour wheel).
If the high pressure is East in the morning in most places it means you’re in a low pressure system and chances are that you might get rains and/or storms. You see the pressure difference in the morning by red sky at dawn.
James Garner(Henley) has been in many movies. I'd recommend his Support Your Local Sheriff/Support Your Local Gunfighter movies.
Always happy to see someone reacting to this epic. It's been one of my all-time favorite movies since I was a little kid, and I used to look forward to its TV airings with the same excitement that I did the annual showings of "The Wizard of Oz."
This was one of my Dad's favorite movie when it came out. I remember every time it was on TV he was parked in his recliner watching it. I watched it fairly often back in the day.
James Garner was primarily known for the detective series The Rockford Files.
Only if you're too young to remember the "Maverick" TV show and all Garner's movie roles.
@@paintedjaguar No love for Nichols?
@@brucechmiel7964That was short-lived.
@@Madbandit77 Haha I saw what you did there. But seriously it was a good show. It's also how we got Stuart Margolin in The Rockford Files. Though by 72' he was doing Love, American Style.
@@brucechmiel7964Margolin, who passed away last year, earned two guest Emmys as squirrel-brain con man Evelyn "Angel" Martin on "Rockford". The execs at NBC at the time didn't like him, but Garner fought for him.
Something that's easy to miss is that even a failed escape was a successful part of the war effort. 76 of them made it out of the camp but it took a couple hundred German troops to track them down and bring them back. That meant those troops were not available at the front. Getting home would have been perfect for them, but keeping the Germans busy was what they could do for the war effort.
James Garner was great in just about everything he did. One you should check out is from later in his career... Murphy's Romance, with Sally Field.
Another fun movie from his late career is "Sunset" (1988) which co-stars Bruce Willis. Garner plays Wyatt Earp who actually wound up working as a consultant for Westerns in early Hollywood.
Nah, you gotta check out Space Cowboys with Clint Eastwood, James Garner, Tommy Lee Jones and Donald Sutherland to see James in one of his last roles.
@@Falcun21 Nah? 🙄Me, I'd watch all three of those movies, they're all entertaining.
He earned an Oscar nomination for Best Actor for that film.
@@paintedjaguar I saw Sunset when it came out and your comment about it here made me realize that Garner played Wyatt Earp twice, in Sunset and in Hour of the Gun (1967).
It was The Great Escape because even though most of the men were recaptured, the sheer number of escapees tied up a lot of German troops that could have been on the front lines.
Hi TBR and Samantha,
I love this movie so much, I read the book. It is amazing how these prisoners were able to solve so many problems. The forgers literally drew the letters by hand that a typewriter would make even to the point of making typos. To make a rubber stamp for various paperwork to look official, they used the rubber from the prisoner's boot heels, of all things.
Glad you got to this one.
As the opening text said, everyone’s name was changed for the film, so here are the real names of the fifty airmen executed:
F/L Henry Birkland (age 26) (Canadian)
F/L Gordon Brettell, DFC (age 29) (British)
F/L Leslie ‘Johnny’ Bull, DFC (age 27) (British)
S/L Roger Bushell (age 33) (British) (he was the inspiration for Attenborough’s character)
F/L Michael Casey (age 26) (British) (he’d been in captivity the longest - since fall 1939)
S/L James Catanach, DFC (age 22) (Australian)
F/O Arnold Christensen (age 21) (New Zealander)
F/O Dennis Cochran (age 22) (British)
S/L Ian Cross, DFC (age 25) (British)
Lt Halldor Espelid (age 23) (Norwegian)
F/L Brian Evans (age 24) (British)
Lt Nils Fuglesang (age 25) (Norwegian)
Lt Johannes Gouws (age 24) (South African)
F/L William Grisman (age 29) (British)
F/L Alistair Gunn (age 24) (British)
F/L Albert Hake (age 27) (Australian)
F/L Charles Hall (age 25) (British)
F/L Anthony Hayter (age 23) (British)
F/L Edgar Humphreys (age 29) (British)
F/L Gordon Kidder (age 29) (Canadian)
F/L Reginald Kierath (age 29) (Australian)
F/L Antoni Kiewnarski (age 45) (Polish) (he was the oldest prisoner executed)
S/L Thomas Kirby-Green (age 26) (British)
F/O Wlodzmierz Kolanowski (age 30) (Polish)
F/O Stanislaw ‘Danny’ Krol (age 28) (Polish)
F/L Patrick Langford (age 24) (Canadian)
F/L Thomas Leigh (age 25) (Australian)
F/L James ‘Cookie’ Long (age 29) (British)
F/L Romualdas Marcinkus (age 36) (Lithuanian)
Lt Clement McGarr (age 26) (South African)
F/L George McGill (age 25) (Canadian)
F/L Harold Milford (age 29) (British)
F/O Jerzy Mondschein (age 35) (Polish)
F/O Kazimierz Pawluk (age 37) (Polish)
F/L Henri Picard (age 27) (Belgian)
F/O John Pohe (age 29) (New Zealander)
Sous-Lt Bernard Scheidhauer (age 22) (French) (he was Bushell’s escape partner; he’d grown so used to speaking English in captivity that he was still tripped up by the trick used in the movie)
P/O Sotiris Skanzikas (age 22) (Greek)
Lt Rupert Stevens (age 25) (South African)
F/O Robert Stewart (age 32) (British)
F/O John Stower (age 27) (British)
F/O Denys Street (age 22) (British)
F/L Cyril Swain (age 32) (British)
F/O Pawel Tobolski (age 38) (Polish)
F/L Arnost Valenta (age 31) (Czech)
F/L Gilbert ‘Tim’ Walenn (age 28) (British) (he was the inspiration for Pleasance’s character - the forging, not the eye problems)
F/L James Wernham (age 27) (Canadian)
F/L George Wiley (age 22) (Canadian)
S/L John Williams, DFC (age 24) (Australian)
F/L John Williams (age 26) (British)
The last man out of the tunnel was S/L Len Trent, a New Zealander; after the War he received a Victoria Cross for the mission that got him captured.
One of the best movies ever made. I can't even count how many times I've seen this. There have been multiple days where I'd put it on watch it through then immediately start it over again. There's really not much to say. It's about as perfect a movie there is.
Except for Warner Bros' doing their usual crappy uniformed grading job on a classic movie, it looks like awful colorization now.
The thing I find curious, is the amount of wood they are trying to scrounge and then when they shut down the other two and focus all their efforts on Tom including the wood, and then Tom gets discovered. CLEARLY they can’t get back into Tom. Otherwise they would’ve continued it and as such, they can’t go salvage that wood so all of that wood is wasted so now that they have to abandon Tom and open up Harry where the heck do they get the wood for that tunnel since they put everything in Tom
If anything the real story behind this is even more amazing, and devastating. They made it outside the wire surprisingly often; one guy even made it into Switzerland, but because the border wasn't clearly marked, he walked through the safe zone and was picked up on the other side and sent back!
In WW2, each country had prisoners segregated by branch of service and guarded by their counterpart service, so navy prisoners were in camps run by the german Kriegsmarine, air force prisoners in camps run by the Luftwaffe, and army prisoners in camps run by the Heer. This is a Luftstalag, so all of the prisoners are British, Canadian, or American air force personnel. German Uniforms are easiest to distinguish by looking at the rank insignia on their collars. The camp guards have between 1 and 4 wings on each collar, the commandant has wings inside a wreath, etc. These are Luftwaffe personnel. The collar patches are different colors to denote different areas of training: Yellow for flight personnel and paratroopers, red for Air defense. The SS and Waffen SS have different patches: one side is 2x Old Norse "sig" runes (letter "S"), and the other side is a series of pips or oak leaves and pips.
James Garner later starred in one of the great TV shows of the 70's The Rockford Files.
and Maverick before that
I remember the first time I watched this movie. When they escaped, I thought that was the end, and I was like “Wow, what a great, feel good movie.” Then they basically all got caught or killed and I was depressed lol