The Great Escape Movie

The classic 1963 film The Great Escape holds the distinction of having made Steve McQueen a star. Based on Paul Brickhill's nonfiction book of the same name, the film tells the story of 250 prisoners' attempts to break out of Stalag Luft III, one of the most heavily guarded prisons during World War II.

Fast Facts

1. Director: John Sturges
2. Distributor: United Artists
3. Starring: Steve McQueen, James Garner, Richard Attenborough, James Donald, Charles Bronson, Donald Pleasence, James Coburn
4. Release date: July 4, 1963
5. Running time: 172 min.
6. Budget: $4,000,000

The Motorcycle Chase

Many of the events of the film actually happened or were at least based closely on real events—one of the exceptions, however, was the thrilling motorcycle chase that featured McQueen doing most of his own riding stunts. The actor insisted on adding the sequence, which turned out to be one of the most famous action moments of the Sixties film era.

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