Production was an ironic affair, because filming took place in one of the small German towns that had historically turned a blind eye to all that was happening around them under Nazi rule this was particularly true of the scenes filmed in the Bavarian forest, an area renowned for its undying support of Hitler's brand of fascism. Although it was impossible to insure McQueen to take on the more dangerous of the chase scenes himself, he did do many of his own stunts, although he played this down when interviewed, crediting his stunt double Bud Ekins with the more daring performances.

Virgil was based on a three different people, and McQueen was considered the stand-out star in a stellar cast of very recognizable actors. It was a signature role for McQueen who won a Best Actor Award at the Moscow Film Festival for his portrayal of maverick airman Captain Virgil Hilts whose constant escape attempts make him the most unpopular prisoner in the camp amongst the guards. A huge success at the time of its release in 1963, the movie is now considered a classic, thanks in large part to the iconic motorcycle chase and escape scene, with Steve McQueen at the helm. The movie tells the story of the mass escape of prisoners from the camp, an escape which was of course run with military precision and also demonstrated how much the arrogant German captors underestimated the strategic planning and the stealth of their prisoners.

Another deviation from history was the almost total omission of Canadian soldiers from the story, although in real life they had played a pivotal role in the success of the escape. This turned out to be a wise decision the characters remained the same as the ones in the book, but their nationality was changed for the screen. In the real-life camp, there were no American prisoners, but this was changed when the book was adapted into a screenplay, because it was felt that including a couple of American characters would make the film more marketable. The Great Escape was based upon a book written by Australian World War II veteran Paul Brickhill his first-person account told of his experiences as a prisoner of war in Stalag Luft III, a prison camp in Poland where the Germans kept British and Commonwealth prisoners until liberation came. We are thankful for their contributions and encourage you to make your own. These notes were contributed by members of the GradeSaver community.

The great escape by paul brickhill