Directed by: Billy Wilder
Starring: William Holden, Otto Preminger, Don Taylor, Peter Graves, Robert Strauss
Plot hole: If both Schulz and Security pulled the lightbulb down after they had exchanged their piece, who tied the lightbulb back up?
Plot hole: A tunnel is used for escape in the opening scene. Based on the massive effort exhibited in The Great Escape, how did they dig such a tunnel w/o access from the barracks? Where did they deposit the dirt? Effort to dig such a tunnel would require massive time, effort, and wood. All that effort for only 2 guys to escape.
Continuity mistake: When William Holden is laying on his bunk and first notices the shadow of the hanging electric bulb, he turns around to look at the bulb, but there is no light source beyond the bulb to cause such a shadow.
Duke: What'd you give the Krauts for that egg?
Sefton: Forty-five cigarettes. The price has gone up.
Duke: They wouldn't be the cigarettes you took us for last night?
Sefton: What was I going to do with them? I only smoke cigars.
Trivia: Although it is difficult to tell for sure because the movie is in B&W it appears that the Commandant & guard staff are members of the Wehrmacht(regular army). Due to the extensive bombing campaign there was intense anger toward allied flyers many of whom were immediately killed upon capture; therefore POW camps containing fliers were guarded by the Luftwaffe(air force). It was felt fellow airman would be more empathic and treat the prisoners better.
Answer: The cast would have received copies of the script but with parts of the last scene omitted. They would be given the missing pages during the last days of the shoot, in which time they learn their lines, rehearse, then film the ending. Considering the time involved in filming a movie, actors do not necessarily memorize the entire script beforehand, but do so as each scene is shot. Also, it's questionable as to whether or not any of the cast did not know the ending as the movie was based on the Broadway play.
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