It’s still a fine film in itself, very entertaining and I have it on DVD, but I object to the film makers simply making up their own characters and heroics and spectacle just to please some Yanks in the audience.
Quite right, however Americans played a big part in the preparation and build up to the tunnels being started, until they were moved to another compound.
The tunneller getting clostraphobia was a nonsense, suggested to them by the actor himself (was it Charles Bronson?) because he had the fear of enclosed spaces himself.
Claustrophobia was prevalent, I don’t have my books to hand, but if I recall correctly Wings Day suffered from it, but managed to keep it from his fellow escapers. OK one of the escapees getting an attack in the tunnel was probably fictional, but it was used to show the conditions that the POW’s were working in and the constant threat of falls etc.
The forger going blind and then getting killed was also nonsense. And the two American characters, Garner and McQueen, were as I understand it totally fictional.
Though no direct comparison it is generally accepted that McQueen’s character was based on a POW called Jerry Sage, and maybe also FLt Mahon of 121 Sqn Eagle Squadron. Garners was possibly based on a POW who insisted on being called Marcel “Axel” Zillessen.
Are real British or Commonwealth characters not interesting enough to make as the lead rather than some faked Yanks?
Not when you are trying to sell a film to a large American audience, don’t forget Coburn played an Aussie escaper !
An interesting true story is one of the 50 murdered escapees was a Maori bomber pilot, how he thought he’d get away through Europe is beyond me and that takes great courage.
Maybe to a NZ audience, but you forget this film is entertainment based on a true story, unlike the programme aired last night it was not made as a documentary. When I met Sydney Dowse ten years ago last September, he told me that he had asked why he the names and characters were changed in the film. Brickhill claimed to protect those who survived and also because is was not made to be an exact documentary of the events, more of a representation.
The whole scenario of how the tunnel was discovered during the mass escape was also fudged.
You’ve lost me there, in what way ? The names of the tunnels were certainly mixed up and the entry routes changed between the tunnels, the film showing the trap being through the floor of the wash room, when in reality this was the entrance for Dick, the tunnel that was never found. The actual discovery of the escapers was fairly close to the real thing, so not sure how you come to the conclusion it was fudged.
My opinion is make it a factual film or a fictional film but not both.
In that case of the Great Escape, it would have been impossible to make a more factual film and keep the audience entertained, why ? Because the construction of the tunnel took the best part of 12 months, much of what went on was boring mundane stuff, to make this film more interesting/entertaining the producer injected events that happened, but not necessarily in direct relation to the escape itself. One criticism made about the film is that is never showed the boredom inflicted on the inmates.
Examples :-
The blitz escape effected by McQueen and Lennie as moles was actually undertaken by Jack Best and Bill Goldfinch, they ended up at Colditz and were responsible for the Colditz Glider.
Several prisoners try hiding in an outgoing lorry loaded with cut tree branches.
The scene where the POW falls through the bunks after the bed boards are removed in based on a true event.
The scene where McQueen finds the blind spot in the fence was based on a true attempt by POW called Toft and Nichols, they were quickly recaptured.
Carol singing to disguise the make of equipment etc, happened and the Germans never picked up on the fact it was no where near Christmas.
There are others but as it has gone mid-night I’m off to bed.
One widely known fact, but I repeat it here out of interest is that Donald Pleasence had been a real-life POW being shot down in a 166 Sqn Lancaster 31 August – 1 September 1944.
Sign In
