While Steve McQueen performed most of his own stunts, the only stunt he didn't perform was the 60 foot jump over the Austrian-Swiss border fence. The jump was performed by stuntman Bud Ekins, who later doubled for McQueen in "Bullitt."
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When Hendley and Blythe get into the German aircraft first, the cockpit is tiny and cramped, like you'd expect. However, when they cut to the studio-done flying scenes, it suddenly becomes much larger, nice and roomy. See more...
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The Great Escape (1963) - 10 trivia entries
Directed by John Sturges, starring Charles Bronson, David McCallum, Donald Pleasence, James Coburn, James Garner, Richard Attenborough, Steve McQueen (add more)
While Steve McQueen performed most of his own stunts, the only stunt he didn't perform was the 60 foot jump over the Austrian-Swiss border fence. The jump was performed by stuntman Bud Ekins, who later doubled for McQueen in "Bullitt."
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.
Paul Brickhill, who wrote the novel the film is based on, was a member of the X organization which planned the escape.
In the scene following Hilts' theft of a German motorcyle, he rolls into a German town, where he is stopped by a police officer; the officer says something to Hilts, who then kicks him away and rides off. He was asked for identification papers he didn't have.
Jill Ireland was married to David McCallum at the time this film was made. She later married Charles Bronson.
The motorcycle used by Steve McQueen is the same motorcycle Henry Winkler used on "Happy Days."
The actor Steve McQueen was no stranger to "cooler life"; he had a criminal record as a youth and while in the US Marines spent 41 days in the brig.
While it is implied the camp commandant was arrested for allowing the escape to happen, he was actually arrested for his involvement in a black market operation.
Donald Pleasance is the only actor to appear in both this film and the 1988 TV movie "The Great Escape II: The Untold Story"; here he plays one of the would be great escapees, and in the sequel, he played a member of the S.S.
Steve McQueen, James Coburn, and Charles Bronson previously starred together in another John Sturges movie, "The Magnificent Seven."
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