Corrected entry: Most of the film is based on true events. The only fabricated events were the Fourth of July celebration, the motorcycle scenes (which were added at the request of Steve McQueen), and the theft of a German airplane by Hendley and Blythe.
Cubs Fan
21st Sep 2005
The Great Escape (1963)
Correction: Though some were involved in the initial planning and of the escape and the start of the excavation of the tunnels, the last American POW was transferred out of Luft Stalag III seven months before the night of the escape. There were no escapes by motorcycle (and certainly not by a 1960 Triumph 650) or by stolen aircraft and the escape took place in heavy snow. There were no British, Polish, or Australian/New Zealander (hard to tell from that shonky accent) escapees. They were Norwegian - Jens Müller and Per Bergsland - and Dutch - Bram van der Stok. The fifty murdered escapees were shot in ones and twos, not in a single group, and they were murdered by the Gestapo, not the German military. The film omits the involvement of the Canadian prisoners (there were hundreds)... and... like I said, why go on?
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Correction: ARE YOU KIDDING? This film is fiction, almost from start to finish. There were no Americans in Stalag Luft III at the time of the escape. The fifty murdered escapees were shot in small, isolated batches, not taken into a muddy field and machine gunned, and the murders were carried out by the Gestapo - civilians - not uniformed troops. The three successful escapees were Norwegian and Dutch - no New Zealand or other Allied servicemen made it out. Need I go on? This film, entertaining though it is, is full of "fabricated events"!
Respectfully disagree. My father was a B-17 pilot who was shot down and went to Stalag Luft Three with many other American prisoners. (he wore dirt suspenders and dropped the dirt in gardens as seen in the movie). He was in the camp for two years. I have, and read, his POW diary. I'll grant the Mcqueen motorcycle chase was questionable wanna be drama. But, there were three tunnels and our POWs were "shot by the Goons." (his quote).
All Americans were transferred to a different compound before the escape. There were none in the escape.