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The Great Escape

  • 1963
  • Approved
  • 2h 52m
IMDb RATING
8.2/10
250K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
2,058
84
Richard Attenborough, Steve McQueen, and James Garner in The Great Escape (1963)
Allied prisoners of war plan for several hundred of their number to escape from a German camp during World War II.
Play trailer3:09
9 Videos
99+ Photos
AdventureDramaHistory

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.

  • Director
    • John Sturges
  • Writers
    • Paul Brickhill
    • James Clavell
    • W.R. Burnett
  • Stars
    • Steve McQueen
    • James Garner
    • Richard Attenborough
  • See production, box office & company info
  • IMDb RATING
    8.2/10
    250K
    YOUR RATING
    POPULARITY
    2,058
    84
    • Director
      • John Sturges
    • Writers
      • Paul Brickhill
      • James Clavell
      • W.R. Burnett
    • Stars
      • Steve McQueen
      • James Garner
      • Richard Attenborough
    • 439User reviews
    • 126Critic reviews
    • 86Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
  • Top rated movie #150
    • Nominated for 1 Oscar
      • 3 wins & 11 nominations total

    Videos9

    Official Trailer
    Trailer 3:09
    Watch Official Trailer
    The Great Escape
    Trailer 2:42
    Watch The Great Escape
    The Great Escape: Ives' Escape Attempt
    Clip 1:59
    Watch The Great Escape: Ives' Escape Attempt
    The Great Escape: Twenty Feet Short
    Clip 1:25
    Watch The Great Escape: Twenty Feet Short
    The Great Escape: Baseball
    Clip 1:56
    Watch The Great Escape: Baseball
    The Great Escape: Cooler
    Clip 1:36
    Watch The Great Escape: Cooler
    The Great Escape: Motorcycle Chase
    Clip 1:26
    Watch The Great Escape: Motorcycle Chase
    The Great Escape: Idea
    Clip 1:35
    Watch The Great Escape: Idea
    'The Great Escape' Anniversary Mashup
    Video 1:01
    Watch 'The Great Escape' Anniversary Mashup

    Photos194

    Steve McQueen in The Great Escape (1963)
    Steve McQueen in The Great Escape (1963)
    James Garner in The Great Escape (1963)
    Charles Bronson in The Great Escape (1963)
    Steve McQueen in The Great Escape (1963)
    Steve McQueen in The Great Escape (1963)
    Steve McQueen in The Great Escape (1963)
    Richard Attenborough in The Great Escape (1963)
    Donald Pleasence and James Garner in The Great Escape (1963)
    Steve McQueen, James Garner, and Jud Taylor in The Great Escape (1963)
    Steve McQueen in The Great Escape (1963)
    Richard Attenborough, Donald Pleasence, James Garner, and Gordon Jackson in The Great Escape (1963)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Steve McQueen
    Steve McQueen
    • Hilts 'The Cooler King'
    James Garner
    James Garner
    • Hendley 'The Scrounger'
    Richard Attenborough
    Richard Attenborough
    • Bartlett 'Big X'
    Charles Bronson
    Charles Bronson
    • Danny 'Tunnel King'
    James Donald
    James Donald
    • Ramsey 'The SBO'
    Donald Pleasence
    Donald Pleasence
    • Blythe 'The Forger'
    James Coburn
    James Coburn
    • Sedgwick 'Manufacturer'
    Hannes Messemer
    Hannes Messemer
    • Von Luger 'The Kommandant'
    David McCallum
    David McCallum
    • Ashley-Pitt 'Dispersal'
    Gordon Jackson
    Gordon Jackson
    • MacDonald 'Intelligence'
    John Leyton
    John Leyton
    • Willie 'Tunnel King'
    Angus Lennie
    Angus Lennie
    • Ives 'The Mole'
    Nigel Stock
    Nigel Stock
    • Cavendish 'The Surveyor'
    Robert Graf
    • Werner 'The Ferret'
    Jud Taylor
    Jud Taylor
    • Goff
    Hans Reiser
    • Herr Kuhn
    Harry Riebauer
    • Strachwitz
    William Russell
    William Russell
    • Sorren
    • Director
      • John Sturges
    • Writers
      • Paul Brickhill
      • James Clavell
      • W.R. Burnett
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      In this movie, several Americans (including Hilts and Henley) were amongst the escapees. In real life, American officers assisted with the construction of the escape tunnel, but weren't amongst the escapees, because the Germans moved them to a remote compound just before the escape.
    • Goofs
      Timbers 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.
    • Quotes

      Sedgwick: Danny, do you speak Russian?

      Danny: A little, but only one sentence.

      Sedgwick: Well, let me have it, mate.

      Danny: Ya vas lyublyu.

      Sedgwick: Ya ya vas...

      Danny: Lyublyu.

      Sedgwick: Lyubliu? Ya vas lyubliu. Ya vas lyublyu. What's it mean?

      Danny: I love you.

      Sedgwick: Love you. What bloody good is that?

      Danny: I don't know, I wasn't going to use it myself.

    • Alternate versions
      Some TV versions edit the scene in which Ives is shot and killed for trying to escape over the fence.
    • Connections
      Edited into Return to 'the Great Escape' (1993)

    User reviews439

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    Great Movie
    This film does take a few libertys with facts, there were no Americans involved in the escape, though some helped plan it, and where transferred to another camp at the last moment.This film though is about heroes and the spirit of freedom.T he film belongs to McQueen who is just fantastic to watch the camera loved him and I believe one day he will jump that fence.The rest of the cast are particurlarly good, the scene where the forger is told he can't escape is moving especially when James Garner volunteers to look after him.The James Garner character is roll model for me I always try to scrounge things.Simply watch and enjoy a truly great movie you will laugh and then feel down. I give this movie 8/10
    helpful•26
    6
    • toonnnnn
    • Dec 30, 2003

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    FAQ9

    • What is 'The Great Escape' about?
    • Is this movie based on a book?
    • Is this a true story?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • July 4, 1963 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Languages
      • English
      • German
      • French
      • Russian
      • Spanish
    • Also known as
      • Gesprengte Ketten
    • Filming locations
      • Füssen, Bavaria, Germany(motorcycle scenes; Gestapo agents chase Bartlett and MacDonald)
    • Production companies
      • The Mirisch Company
      • Alpha
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $4,000,000 (estimated)
    • Gross worldwide
      • $228,178
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      2 hours 52 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Aspect ratio
      • 2.35 : 1

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