The Great Escape (film)
1963 American war film / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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The Great Escape is a 1963 American epic war suspense adventure film[2] starring Steve McQueen, James Garner, and Richard Attenborough and featuring James Donald, Charles Bronson, Donald Pleasence, James Coburn, Hannes Messemer, David McCallum, Gordon Jackson, John Leyton, and Angus Lennie. It was filmed in Panavision, and its musical score was composed by Elmer Bernstein. Based on Paul Brickhill's 1950 non-fiction book of the same name, the film depicts a heavily fictionalized version of the mass escape by British Commonwealth prisoners of war from German POW camp Stalag Luft III during the Second World War. The film made numerous compromises for its commercial appeal, including its portrayal of American involvement in the escape.
| The Great Escape | |
|---|---|
_poster.jpg) Theatrical release poster by Frank McCarthy | |
| Directed by | John Sturges |
| Screenplay by | |
| Based on | The Great Escape by Paul Brickhill |
| Produced by | John Sturges |
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Daniel L. Fapp |
| Edited by | Ferris Webster |
| Music by | Elmer Bernstein |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | United Artists |
Release dates |
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Running time | 172 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Languages |
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| Budget | $3.8 million[1] |
| Box office | $11.7 million |
The Great Escape was made by The Mirisch Company, released by United Artists, and produced and directed by John Sturges. The film had its Royal World Premiere at the Odeon Leicester Square in London's West End on 20 June 1963.[3] It was one of the highest-grossing films of the year, received critical acclaim worldwide, and is now regarded as a classic.[4] The film is also noted for its motorcycle chase and jump scene, which is considered one of the best stunts ever performed.[5][6][7]