The Great Escape

(1963)

AFI Top 100 / Classic / Drama / Epic / War

172 minutes

Directed by John Sturges

Cast:

Steve McQueen as Captain Virgil Hilts USAAF, 'The Cooler King'
James Garner as Flight Lieutenant Bob Hendley RAF, 'The Scrounger 
Richard Attenborough as Squadron Leader Roger Bartlett RAF, 'Big X 
James Donald as Group Captain Ramsey RAF, 'The Senior British Officer
Charles Bronson as Flight Lieutenant Danny Velinski'RAF, 'The Tunnel King 
Donald Pleasence as Flight Lieutenant Colin Blythe RAF, 'The Forger"
James Coburn as Flying Officer Louis Sedgwick RAAF, 'The Manufacturer'
Hannes Messemer as Oberst von Luger, 'The Kommandant'
David McCallum as Lieutenant-Commander Eric Ashley-Pitt RN, 'Dispersal' 
Gordon Jackson as Flight Lieutenant Sandy 'Mac' MacDonald RAF,'Intelligence'
John Leyton as Flight Lieutenant William 'Willie' Dickes RAF, 'The Tunnel King'
Angus Lennie as Flying Officer Archibald 'Archie' Ives RAF, 'The Mole'
Nigel Stock as Flight Lieutenant Denys Cavendish RAF, 'The Surveyor'
Robert Graf as Werner, 'The Ferret'
Jud Taylor as First Lieutenant Goff USAAF
Hans Reisser as Kuhn, Gestapo
Harry Riebauer as Hauptfeldwebel Strachwitz, 'The Security Sergeant'
William Russell as Flight Lieutenant Sorren RAF, 'Security'
Robert Freitag as Hauptmann Posen, 'The Adjutant'
Ulrich Beiger as Preissen, Gestapo
George Mikell as SS-Obersturmführer Dietrich
Lawrence Montaigne as Flying Officer Haynes RCAF, 'Diversions'
Robert Desmond as Flying Officer 'Griff' Griffith RAF, 'The Tailor'
Til Kiwe as Frick, 'The Ferret'
Heinz Weiss as Kramer, 'The Ferret'
Tom Adams as Flight Lieutenant 'Dai' Nimmo RAF, 'Diversions'
Karl-Otto Alberty as SS-Obersturmführer Steinach

A group of allied prisoners flee from a POW camp. The first part of the movie is full of jokes and laughter where the prisoners confuse the German guards working in the prison by digging their escape route.  After they escape, it is full of action where they use boats, planes, and trains to escape Europe. Based on a true story.

The Great Escape trailer