History Funny / TheGreatEscape

* A scene that was in the book, though not in the movie. At one point, a German officer visits the camp and heads for the camp head's office. His driver wants guards to to keep the [=POW=]s away, but the officer says "Oh, let them get a look at some good German engineering!". The poor driver is then subjected to the [=POW=]s practically crawling all over the car, constantly distracting him, and removing almost everything that wasn't attached to the car. The tone of the scene gives you the feeling that if you had given them long enough, the prisoners would have eventually stolen the entire car piece by piece.

* The 'Fourth of July' party.

--> (''Ives off to the side blows a loud raspberry at von Luger. Strackwitz and von Luger glare at Ives who smiles sweetly at them'')

* The first conversation between Hilts and von Lugar perfectly sets the tone for pretty much the whole film.
--> '''von Lugar''': Ten days isolation, Hilts.

--> '''von Lugar''': [[DiggingYourselfDeeper Twenty days.]]

* Hilts explaining to Big X how he and Ives are going to attempt to escape by digging a tunnel out of the camp like a mole. Cut to them re-captured and brought back to the cooler after being covered head to toe in dirt. Causes MoodWhiplash when Ives breaks down alone in his cell. Originally director John Sturges was going to show the actual escape but the sight of Creator/SteveMcQueenActor and Angus Lennie got such a big laugh in the projection room so Sturges decided not to bother filming it.

--> '''Sedgwick''': Love you!? What bloody good is that!?!

** The whole thing's [[HilariousInHindsight even funnier in hindsight]] because [[spoiler:Danny and Sedgwick ''do'' successfully escape, making their half-assed attempt here that much more entertaining.]]

* A scene that was in the book, though not in the movie. At one point, a German officer visits the camp and heads for the camp head's office. His driver wants guards to to keep the [=POW]=s away, but the officer says "Oh, let them get a look at some good German engineering!". The poor driver is then subjected to the [=POW=]s practically crawling all over the car, constantly distracting him, and removing almost everything that wasn't attached to the car. The tone of the scene gives you the feeling that if you had given them long enough, the prisoners would have eventually stolen the entire car piece by piece.

* A scene that was in the book, though not in the movie. At one point, a German officer visits the camp and heads for the camp head's office. His driver wants guards to to keep the POWs away, but the officer says "Oh, let them get a look at some good German engineering!". The poor driver is then subjected to the POWs practically crawling all over the car, constantly distracting him, and removing almost everything that wasn't attached to the car. The tone of the scene gives you the feeling that if you had given them long enough, the prisoners would have eventually stolen the entire car piece by piece.

--> '''Hendley''': (''tasting the moonshine, then speaks in a hoarse tone'') Wow!
--> '''Hilts''': (''tasting the moonshine, then speaks in a hoarse tone'') Wow!
--> '''Goff''': (''tasting the moonshine, is wracked with coughing and weakly says while still coughing'') Wo! Wow!
--> '''Hilts''': ...WOW...
** Note that Hilts and Hendley take cautious single-finger tastes of the trickle of moonshine. Goff gives them a contemptuous look and sticks his entire hand under the stream, resulting in the aforementioned comeuppance.

* Besides Danny and Sedgwick above, Ives and two other prisoners try to escape by jumping onto trucks carrying cut wood and hiding themselves in the cargo. Strachwitz is having none of it however and starts randomly stabbing at the wood with a pitchfork till Ives comes out. He is then about to check the other trucks when Ives whistles and the others come out themselves. Strachwitz then comes out with this gem:

** The funniest part is that in this whole scene, Strachwitz looks extremely bored. He has clearly seen these exact escape attempts many times already and can spot them a mile away.

* The scene where Strachwitz looks through his prisoner profiles to find the one on Ives.
--> '''Strachwitz''': Ives... Ives... Oh, yes. Archibald Ives. Scot. The photograph doesn't do justice.

---> '''Strachwitz''' ''(to Sedgwick)'': Out. [beat] Out!

---> '''Strachwitz''': Oh, your friend, eh?

---> '''Strachwitz''': And who vouches for ''you'', Lieutenant Willenski? Get out, Sedgwick!

--> '''von Lugar''': Hilts, cooler, ten days.

** It's mentioned early on that Hilts, Hendley, and Goff are ''the only'' Americans in a camp filled with either British or Commonwealth airmen. Them staging a celebration for American Independence Day is so audacious [[ActuallyPrettyFunny that even the Germans seem to appreciate it a little bit.]]

** It's mentioned early on that Hilts, Hendley, and Goff are ''the only'' Americans in a camp filled with either British or commonwealth airmen. Them staging a celebration for American Independence Day is so audacious [[ActuallyPrettyFunny that even the Germans seem to appreciate it a little bit.]]

-->'''Colin:''' Well, it isn't Napoleon brandy.

--> '''Bartlett''': In the (''long recitation of exact time'') that I've been in the bag, that's the most extraordinary stuff I've ever tasted. It's shattering! (''both he and Ramsey are clearly overwhelmed by the stuff'')

* The end when Hilts got placed in the cooler for the umpteenth time. While the ending was mostly bittersweet, it seems the guards are used to him so much that, one actually waits till he hears the sound of Hilts bouncing the baseball off the cooler walls, before walking away.

* Hilts has just taken some boards out of all the bunk beds and Cavendish walks in after singing.
--> '''Cavendish''': 5 golds rings, 4 calling birds, bloody singing, hi Hilts.
--> '''Hilts''': Denys, wait...
--> '''Cavendish''': 3 french hens, 2 turtle doves and a partridge, alley-oop! (''jumps on to the top bunk and falls through all three'')

--> I will not take action against you now. This is the first day, and there has been much stupidity and carelessness... (''looking over at his men'') on ''both'' sides!

* Besides Danny and Sedgwick above, Ives and two other prisoners try to escape by jumping onto trucks carrying cut wood and hiding themselves in the cargo. Strachwitz is having none of it however and starts randomly stabbing at the wood with a pitchfork till Ives comes out. He is then about to check the other trucks when Ives whistles and the others come out themselves. Strachwitz then addresses all the escapees including Danny and Sedgwick with this gem:
---> I will not take action against you now. This is the first day, and there has been much stupidity, on ''both'' sides!

:::(''Goes over to Danny and wordlessly takes the tool he's carrying from him, then takes off the cap Danny took from one of the Russians and puts it back on the owner's head. Danny quietly takes off his borrowed coat, returns it, and walks out of the queue.'')
---> '''Danny''': Spasiba. (''Thanks.'')
** The whole thing's even funnier in hindsight because [[spoiler: Danny and Sedgwick ''do'' successfully escape, making their half-assed attempt here that much more entertaining.]]

--> '''Danny''': I don't know, I wasn't going to use it myself.

** ''All three men are in a German prisoner-of-war camp. They're ''already'' "locked up."''

* The tasting the moonshine.

* The 'Fourth of July' party!

--> '''Bartlett''': In the (long recitation of exact time) that I've been in the bag, that's the most extraordinary stuff I've ever tasted. It's shattering! (Both he and Ramsey are clearly overwhelmed by the stuff)
--> '''Mac''': I think it's rather good! (seems almost unaffected).

* Near the end, when the still escaped Sedgwick was at a French cafe, members of the Resistance have to get him away from some German soldiers. It takes him a second to realize why the people who called him over to the bar were suddenly hiding under the bar, and his reaction to the aftermath taken in classic Creator/JamesCouburn style.

* Hilts explaining to Big X how he and Ives are going to attempt to escape by digging a tunnel out of the camp like a mole. Cut to them re-captured and brought back to the cooler after being covered head to toe in dirt. Causes MoodWhiplash when Ives breaks down alone in his cell. Originally director John Sturges was going to show the actual escape but the sight of [=McQueen=] and the other actor got such a big laugh in the projection room so Sturges decided not to bother filming it.

--> '''Random POW''': What the hell have you got in there, a piano?

--> '''Random POW''': Sedgewick, you won't get this thing through.

** And.

** If you're a fan of British science fiction, you'll notice the Random POW happens to be [[Series/DoctorWho Ian Chesterton]].

* Near the end, when the still escaped Sedgwick was at a French cafe, members of the Resistance have to get him away from some German soldiers. It takes him a second to realize why the people who called him over to the bar were suddenly hiding under the bar, and his reaction to the aftermath taken in classic Coulburn style.