History Trivia / TheGreatEscape

* ActingForTwo: When Hilts strings a wire across the road to obtain a motorcycle, Creator/SteveMcQueenActor himself played the German motorcyclist who hits the wire.

** Creator/SteveMcQueenActor was in the marines and spent a lot of time in the brink for going AWOL.

* TheCastShowoff: Creator/SteveMcQueenActor agreed to do the film on the condition that he be allowed to show off his biking skills.

* FriendshipOnTheSet: Creator/SteveMcQueenActor and Creator/JamesGarner became friends, bonding over their mututal love of motor racing.
* HostilityOnTheSet: Creator/RichardAttenborough said many years later working with Creator/SteveMcQueenActor on this film was one of the toughest challenges he had ever faced and their on set relationship was not peaceful. [=McQueen=] was not combative but he wouldn't hesitate to let anyone know if things were not as he would wish them to be or believed that they ought to be.

* ProductionPosse: Three of the actors, Creator/SteveMcQueenActor, Creator/JamesCoburn, and Creator/CharlesBronson starred together in ''Film/TheMagnificentSeven1960'', also directed by Creator/JohnSturges and scored by Music/ElmerBernstein.

* StuntDouble: Although Creator/SteveMcQueenActor did his own motorcycle riding, the hair-raising sixty-foot jump over a fence was done by his friend Bud Ekins, who was managing a Los Angeles-area motorcycle shop when recruited for the stunt ([=McQueen=] himself was capable of doing the stunt, but the insurance company refused to allow him to go that far, necessitating a double). It was the beginning of a new career for Ekins, as he later doubled for [=McQueen=] in ''Film/{{Bullitt}}'', and did much of the motorcycle riding on ''Series/{{CHiPs}}''.
* ThrowItIn: Goff's line "No taxation without representation" during the Fourth of July scene was an ad-lib, causing Creator/SteveMcQueenActor to do a DoubleTake.
* WagTheDirector: The motorcycle chase was added at the insistence of Creator/SteveMcQueenActor, who signed onto the film on the condition that he shows off his biking skills. After viewing the rushes, [=McQueen=] decided his part was minor and undeveloped. He was particularly upset that his character virtually disappears from the film for about thirty minutes in the middle so he walked out demanding rewrites. John Sturges admitted the half-hour gap was likely a problem, but with the production already behind schedule due to the heavy rain, he felt he couldn't take time out to do rewrites and reschedule. James Garner said he and Creator/JamesCoburn got together with [=McQueen=] to determine what his specific gripes were. Garner later said it was apparent [=McQueen=] wanted to be the hero but didn't want to be seen doing anything overtly heroic that contradicted his character's cool detachment and sardonic demeanor. At the same time, [=McQueen=] never really liked his character's calm acquiescence to his time in the cooler or the famous bit with the catcher's mitt and ball. Sturges considered writing the character out of the story altogether, but Creator/UnitedArtists informed him they considered [=McQueen=] indispensable to the picture's success and would spring for the extra money to hire another writer, Ivan J. Moffitt, to deal with the star's demands. [=McQueen=] returned to work.

* InMemoriam: "This film is dedicated to the fifty."

* ProductionPosse: Three of the actors, Creator/SteveMcQueenActor, Creator/JamesCoburn and Creator/CharlesBronson starred together in ''Film/TheMagnificentSeven1960'', also directed by Creator/JohnSturges and scored by Music/ElmerBernstein.

* StarMakingRole: Creator/RichardAttenborough already had a big following in the UK, but this was his first big Hollywood movie. This would remain his best-known film for three decades until it was dethroned by ''Film/JurassicPark''.

* WagTheDirector: The motorcycle chase was added at the insistence of Creator/SteveMcQueenActor, who signed onto the film on the condition that he show off his biking skills. After viewing the rushes, [=McQueen=] decided his part was minor and undeveloped. He was particularly upset that his character virtually disappears from the film for about thirty minutes in the middle so he walked out demanding rewrites. John Sturges admitted the half-hour gap was likely a problem, but with the production already behind schedule due to the heavy rain, he felt he couldn't take time out to do rewrites and rescheduling. James Garner said he and Creator/JamesCoburn got together with [=McQueen=] to determine what his specific gripes were. Garner later said it was apparent [=McQueen=] wanted to be the hero but didn't want to be seen doing anything overtly heroic that contradicted his character's cool detachment and sardonic demeanor. At the same time, [=McQueen=] never really liked his character's calm acquiescence to his time in the cooler or the famous bit with the catcher's mitt and ball. Sturges considered writing the character out of the story altogether, but Creator/UnitedArtists informed him they considered [=McQueen=] indispensable to the picture's success and would spring for the extra money to hire another writer, Ivan J. Moffitt, to deal with the star's demands. [=McQueen=] returned to work.

* ImageSource: BrigBallBouncing

* StuntDouble: Although Creator/SteveMcQueenActor did his own motorcycle riding, the hair-raising sixty-foot jump over a fence was done by his friend Bud Ekins, who was managing a Los Angeles-area motorcycle shop when recruited for the stunt (McQueen himself was capable of doing the stunt, but the insurance company refused to allow him to go that far, necessitating a double). It was the beginning of a new career for Ekins, as he later doubled for [=McQueen=] in ''Film/{{Bullitt}}'', and did much of the motorcycle riding on ''Series/{{CHiPs}}''.

* StuntDouble: Although Creator/SteveMcQueenActor did his own motorcycle riding, the hair-raising sixty-foot jump over a fence was done by his friend Bud Ekins, who was managing a Los Angeles-area motorcycle shop when recruited for the stunt. It was the beginning of a new career for Ekins, as he later doubled for [=McQueen=] in ''Film/{{Bullitt}}'', and did much of the motorcycle riding on ''Series/{{CHiPs}}''.

* AFIS100Years100Thrills: #19.

* PlayingAgainstType: Creator/DonaldPleasence in a ''very'' poignant example.

* StuntDouble: Although Creator/SteveMcQueenActor did his own motorcycle riding, the hair-raising sixty-foot jump over a fence. was done by his friend Bud Ekins, who was managing a Los Angeles-area motorcycle shop when recruited for the stunt. It was the beginning of a new career for Ekins, as he later doubled for [=McQueen=] in ''Film/{{Bullitt}}'', and did much of the motorcycle riding on ''Series/{{CHiPs}}''.

** Creator/RichardHarris was originally cast as Roger Bartlett, but dropped out because filming ''Film/ThisSportingLife'' was behind schedule and he was displeased with the diminished role of Big X after script changes had been made. Creator/JohnMills was offered the role, but turned.

** Tons for the Video game due to a design document for it being released. https://www.scribd.com/document/26619735/Great-Escape-Design

* WrittenInInfirmity: After [[spoiler:the plane crash]], Hendley is seen limping, presumably from an injury sustained in the accident, as he runs after Colin. James Garner actually had a permanent limp; it was necessarily concealed in the rest of the film[[note]]Hendley wouldn't have been allowed to take part in the escape with a permanent disability that could hinder his ability to get away[[/note]], but it worked in that scene so they used it.

* StarMakingRole: Creator/RichardAttenborough already had a big following in the UK, but ''The Great Escape'' was his first big Hollywood movie. This would remain his best-known film for three decades until it was dethroned by ''Film/JurassicPark''.

** Creator/RichardHarris was originally cast as Roger Bartlett, but dropped out because filming ''Film/ThisSportingLife'' was behind schedule and he was displeased with the diminished role of Big X after script changes had been made.

* WritingByTheSeatOfYourPants: According to John Sturges, the screenplay went through six writers and eleven versions, and was still a work in progress during the actual shooting. "I'm not proposing that's a good way to make a picture, but it was the right way to make this one," he later said.

** Producer Walter Mirisch originally wanted Creator/BurtLancaster for Hendley and Creato/KirkDouglas for Hilts.

* ExecutiveMeddling:
** Creator/SteveMcQueenActor walked out demanding rewrites and John Sturges considered writing the character out of the story altogether but Creator/UnitedArtists informed him they considered [=McQueen=] indispensable to the picture's success and financed a new writer to accommodate his demands. This led to a diminished role for Big X, who was supposed to be the main protagonist.
** The most notable of [=McQueen's=] demands was for Hilts to have a scene on a motorcycle, which ended up being one of the most iconic moments of the film.
** Early on in the production, Sturges began receiving memos from distributor United Artists requesting female roles in the picture. One even suggested having [[spoiler:the dying Ashley-Pitt]] cradled in the lap of a beautiful girl in a low-cut blouse. The studio wanted to cast this bit by having a Miss Prison Camp contest in Munich. Sturges would have none of it.

* ProductionPosse: Three of the actors, Creator/SteveMcQueenActor, Creator/JamesCoburn and Creator/CharlesBronson starred together in ''[[Film/TheMagnificentSeven1960 The Magnificent Seven]]'', also directed by Creator/JohnSturges and scored by Music/ElmerBernstein.

* WagTheDirector: The motorcycle chase was added at the insistence of Creator/SteveMcQueenActor, who signed onto the film on the condition that he show off his biking skills. During filming, [=McQueen=] held up shooting by demanding his character be given more to do.

** Creator/JohnMills turned down the role of Roger Bartlett.

* WorkingTitle: ''The Last Escape''.

* ProductionPosse: Three of the actors, Creator/SteveMcQueenActor, Creator/JamesCoburn and Creator/CharlesBronson starred together in ''Film/TheMagnificentSeven'', also directed by Creator/JohnSturges and scored by Music/ElmerBernstein.

* ThrowItIn: Goff's line "No taxation without representation" during the Fourth of July scene was an ad-lib, causing Creator/SteveMcQueen to do a DoubleTake.

* ActingForTwo: When Hilts strings a wire across the road to obtain a motorcycle, Creator/SteveMcQueen himself played the German motorcyclist who hits the wire.

** Creator/SteveMcQueen walked out demanding rewrites and John Sturges considered writing the character out of the story altogether but Creator/UnitedArtists informed him they considered [=McQueen=] indispensable to the picture's success and financed a new writer to accommodate his demands. This led to a diminished role for Big X, who was supposed to be the main protagonist.

* ProductionPosse: Three of the actors, Creator/SteveMcQueen, Creator/JamesCoburn and Creator/CharlesBronson starred together in ''Film/TheMagnificentSeven'', also directed by Creator/JohnSturges and scored by Music/ElmerBernstein.

* StarMakingRole: Richard Attenborough already had a big following in the UK, but ''The Great Escape'' was his first big Hollywood movie. This would remain his best-known film for three decades until it was dethroned by ''Film/JurassicPark''.

* WagTheDirector: The motorcycle chase was added at the insistence of Creator/SteveMcQueen, who signed onto the film on the condition that he show off his biking skills. During filming, [=McQueen=] held up shooting by demanding his character be given more to do.