The Great Escape Overview:

The Great Escape (1963) was a Adventure - Drama Film directed by John Sturges and produced by James Clavell and John Sturges.

Academy Awards 1963 --- Ceremony Number 36 (source: AMPAS)

AwardRecipientResult
Best Film EditingFerris WebsterNominated
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BlogHub Articles:

Cinemallennials: The Great Escape (1963)

By Dave Lewis on Jun 16, 2021 From Classic Movie Hub Blog

Cinemallennials: The Great Escape (1963) For those of you who are unfamiliar with Cinemallennials, it is a bi-weekly podcast in which I, and another millennial, watch a classic film that we?ve never seen before, and discuss its significance and relevance in today?s world. In today?s ... Read full article


The Great Escape (1963)

By Beatrice on Jan 5, 2018 From Flickers in Time

The Great Escape Directed by John Sturges Written by James Clavell and W.R. Burnett from a book by Paul Brickhill 1963/USA The Mirisch Company Repeat viewing/Netflixrental One of 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die I’ve loved this movie since I was a kid. The German Luftwaffe gets the b... Read full article


The Great Escape (1963, John Sturges)

By Andrew Wickliffe on Jul 21, 2014 From The Stop Button

While The Great Escape runs nearly three hours, director Sturges and screenwriters James Clavell and W.R. Burnett never let it feel too long. Part of the quick pace comes from the first half hour being told in something like real time and another big part of it is the aftermath of the escape taking ... Read full article


The Great Escape (1963)

By 4 Star Film Fan on Apr 25, 2014 From 4 Star Films

Based on true events, this film describes the heroic exploits of POWs in a German Stalag during World War II. With extreme heart and teamwork the men take upon the task of making a?massive?escape. Led by Richard Attenbourough, Steve McQueen, James Garner, and Charles Bronson to name a few, they begi... Read full article


The Great Escape (1963)

By 4 Star Film Fan on Apr 25, 2014 From 4 Star Films

Based on true events, this film describes the heroic exploits of POWs in a German Stalag during World War II. With extreme heart and teamwork the men take upon the task of making a?massive?escape. Led by Richard Attenbourough, Steve McQueen, James Garner, and Charles Bronson to name a few, they begi... Read full article


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Quotes from

No Quote for this film.

Facts about

The individual incidents in the film are mostly true, but were rearranged as to both the timing and the people involved. (A note at the start of the film acknowledges this.) For instance, of the 76 who escaped, there were indeed 3 who got away and 50 who were murdered in reprisal, but the murders occurred in small groups, not all at once. (14 Germans were executed after the war for their parts in them.)
During production, Charles Bronson met and fell in love with David McCallum's wife, Jill Ireland, and he jokingly told McCallum he was going to steal her away from him. In 1967, Ireland and McCallum divorced, and she married Bronson.
The shooting of the recaptured escapees was one of the charges at the Nuremberg War Crimes Trial of Hermann Göring and other Nazi leaders.
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Best Film Editing Oscar 1963






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Also directed by John Sturges




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Also produced by James Clavell




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Also released in 1963




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More "World War II" films



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