THE GREAT ESCAPE (1963) | FIRST TIME WATCHING | MOVIE REACTION

[@robertdurning6641]

Donald Pleasence (Blythe) was actually in a POW camp during WW2. He said in an interview when the movie came out that he had to walk off the set from time to time because he would start to get flashbacks from his time in a camp.

[@timh3576]

Mr Pleasence is the man!

[@neildiamondo6445]

Lucky he wasn't a prisoner of the Japs lol

[@Spiqaro]

@@neildiamondo6445 Lucky he didn't have a masked stalker.

[@maxwellharris507]

Stalag Luft I was the camp he was in

[@cajunsushi]

@@neildiamondo6445 wow, some people still use that word. Very classy sir.

[@ammaleslie509]

"Can they really make alcohol from potatoes?" When I think of the things that used to be common knowledge that astound the youth today, it makes me feel very very old

[@AndrewZajac-ok2fq]

Channing Tatum owns a vodka distillery in Idaho because his nutritionist told him to stop beer and switch to vodka for the role of Magic Mike. The vodka is made from Idaho potatoes.

[@terrortorn]

She is very blonde. "They are making full shelters down there".....?

[@craighanson-rc1md]

yes potatoes & other things can be used to make alcohol how do you think they drink in prison. LOL

[@Beerman111980]

A lot of good vodka is made from potatoes

[@Ron-d2s]

@@terrortorn I haven't even started but I'm sure she will be worried about a love story.... and there are no women on screen until the last 15 minutes.

[@janescribner8258]

There was an episode of the "Antiques Roadshow" where a family found a box with pictures and telegrams of a soldier who had been shot down, assumed killed, but then found out to be a prisoner in Stalag Luft III. Turns out that the picture was of the best friend and fellow inmate of the soldier mentioned in the telegrams. It's very touching because someone watching the show that night recognized the picture and got in touch with the Antiques Roadshow. Long story short, the soldier in the picture was one of the "50". The best friend survived the camp and named his son after the soldier in the picture. Heartbreaking.

[@carlchiles1047]

And a few of these were also in The Magnificent Seven….later that year..?Bronson..Coburn..McQueen.

[@craighanson-rc1md]

why was it heartbreaking? It was a leisure camp compared to most POW or concentration camps around europe at the time. They had a 400 person theater for shows had hockey & a bigger then olympic pool for swimming which when winter camp was used for the hockey. I took a tour of the Stalag Luft III site & saw an episode of grand tour where the guys took a tour & was more informative then when my family & i went through it lol. I agree & acknowledge that for a variety of reasons even though it's nice you would want or need to escape & agree that as a pow especially when your enemy is truly evil you have a duty to escape but let's not exaggerate calling the camp heartbreaking.

[@janescribner8258]

@@craighanson-rc1md A rose is a rose by any other name. A prisoner of war camp is a prisoner of war camp under any other guise. Naming your son after your best friend who was shot for trying to escape is, to me ... heartbreaking.

[@Mellowcanuck33]

When you find out Charles Bronson actually had claustrophobia. He USED it to get the performance he did. Those scenes were really him trying to hold it together. Dude committed.

[@MrBelmont79]

Can you recognize Mr. X ? His name is Richard Attenborough who appeared as the head honcho in Jurassic Park. He did a superb performance in the original film The Flight of The Phœnix. Everyone who knows movies can recognize Steve McQueen, Charles Bronson, James Garner…and so many more. This film had so many stars that you needed a Hubble Telescope to find them all. Great movie choice ✋🏻

[@kurtlichtenstein2325]

A very powerful moment is in his first scene when the Gestapo man leaves the room, and Bartlett visibly relaxes. Says so much without saying it.

[@sanhestar]

not only Richard Attenborough, but also a very young David McCallum who is still famous as Ducky from NCIS.

[@ravenmasters2467]

Oh yeah! Cassie knows her ofc from JP but obviously didnt recognise him. I bet she'll be thrilled when she finds out. i hope she sees your comment.

[@RayLukard78]

The Forger is Donald Pleasance, Dr. Loomis in Halloween

[@superfitme4695]

Also santa

[@TheRealSiberD]

My Father was captured when his plane went down over Yugoslavia and was sent to that prison camp two months after this escape. He spent 18 months there until the camp was liberated by allied forces. Thanks for your service tail gunner Army Air Force Staff Sergeant Ronald Mackey.

[@lawoftheuniverse8089]

God Bless your Dad...Men like him were the Real Heros...!!!

[@clarenceartman7487]

Wow

[@anzebeton1869]

Do you know which part of Yugoslavia ??

[@TheRealSiberD]

No, I'm afraid not. Just that he was shot down on April 12, 1944 .

[@IMeMineWho]

My relative that I never got to know because he perished after he was captured and hung in a pow camp so he did not get to see my birth and meet me. He was a young Jewish serviceman and specialist. Hitler did not like young Jewish American serviceman who had special skills. Even the Luftwaffe treated Jewish allies cruel.

[@Greybeardmedic]

This has got to be one of the best ensemble casts of all time. Just spectacular!

[@Earthrush]

Or Victory with Stallone .it has alot of pro football players in it

[@dennisshaper4744]

Not even close

[@MsAppassionata]

@@dennisshaper4744 What are you talking about? The cast of this film is spectacular.

[@SubduedPenguin1]

Wally Floody, the real-life "Tunnel King" who was a Canadian miner in Ontario before joinging the Royal Canadian Air Force was transferred to another camp just before the escape, served as a consultant to the filmmakers, almost full-time, for more than a year.

[@jethro1963]

Floody was suggested by Paul Brickhill (author of the book) to be the consultant as Brickhill wasn't able to do it. As a Canadian I was always disappointed how little of a Canadian presence there was in the movie as they had played such a big part in the real life escape.

[@TheLeprechaunjm]

@@jethro1963 I'm Canadian, and agree entirely with you. Nine (9) Canadians escaped, 6 were killed, 3 survived but were caught. Of the three escapees who successfully evaded captured, two were Norwegian, and one was Dutch.

[@GVoodoo]

​@@jethro1963 suddenly feel like watching the devil's brigade

[@jethro1963]

@@TheLeprechaunjm And I wasn't even thinking of the escapees I meant the people working on the escape. You can read a fair amount in the Google preview for the following book (The Great Escape: A Canadian Story). Based on his original interviews, research, and assembly of memoirs, letters, diaries, and personal photos, Ted Barris reveals that many of the escape’s key players - the tunnel designer, excavators, forgers, scroungers, security and intelligence personnel, custodian of the secret radio, and scores of security “stooges” and sand-dispersal “penguins” - were all Canadians.

[@shuggiemcg1]

Almost every actor in that film was a leading man! So many top notch actors in the movie

[@robertsnare1411]

The moment you said “I suppose the only reprieve is that if they don’t make it they’re not going to kill them”, my heart sunk, knowing that for 50 of them, that’s exactly what happened.

[@marleybob3157]

To be fair, the Germans did tell Bartlett "If you escape again, you will be shot" when he was initially brought to the camp.

[@_WillCAD_]

I had the same reaction.

[@robertsnare1411]

@@marleybob3157 True, but many things are said that should never be followed through, especially when they are in breach of the Geneva Convention. However, at least the perpetrators were hunted down, and dealt with, after the war.

[@TheLeprechaunjm]

Also, the guy wearing the German uniform... the rule is, if you're wearing the uniform of your enemy behind enemy lines and get caught... the rules of war allow the person to be executed.

[@daveheesen9174]

@@TheLeprechaunjm that uniform was his own uniform dyed and re-tailored...does that count?

[@codybarnes1531]

Its so heart warming to see new viewers watch the older movies and get the enjoyment out of it that so many others have. Steve McQueen is great in any movie he is in.

[@crush41gb]

As a kid, the first movie of his I saw was The Bounty Hunter I think? Still remember him shooting the guy with a bean bag gun or some reasonable facsimile lol.

[@glennwisniewski9536]

He was the coolest dude ever.

[@Jon.Cullen]

My father was a POW in this camp, Stalag Luft III. Although he was not there at the time of the events portrayed in the movie, he arrived shortly after, and obviously got to hear of what happened. Another tunnel was being dug, and he did his bit distributing soil down his trousers, but the tunnel was never completed before the evacuation of the camp in January 1945. There were no USAAF personnel in the British compound, as they had a separate compound, so the character played by Steve McQueen could not have been there, but his part is based on a real person, William Ash, who was a Texan flying for the RCAF, having volunteered by relinquishing his US citizenship, crossing the border into Canada, and joined the Royal Canadian Airforce. Bill Ash was a regular escaper, and did indeed spend a few times in the cooler, and was also at Stalag Luft III. His book, Under the Wire, is well worth a read. There was a difference in the treatment of POW's by the Germans. The Luftwaffe ran the "Luft" camps, and generally treated the POW's better than the army camps. The other escape from this camp worthy of mention is the story of "The Wooden Horse", which took place before the events in this movie. Also turned into a movie, it is a less well known story, but was a successful escape. Richard Attenborough played Roger Bushell, or Big X, and was a real character, who had been shot down in May 1940. Richard's brother is Sir David Attenborough. After the war, most of the Gestapo men who shot the prisoners were tracked down and hanged.

[@JayM409]

He was also shot down in North Africa, but he and his crew evaded capture and were picket up by a Long Range Desert Patrol.

[@Jon.Cullen]

@@JayM409 I'm not sure who you are thinking of, but Roger Bushell was shot down on 23rd May 1940 in France, and never flew again. He escaped from POW camps a couple of times, but never made it back to the UK.

[@forbin1185]

true the germans had built a separate area for Americans but, before the germans discovered the first tunnel before The Great Escape. there where Americans also working on tom, dick and harry. they separated them shortly after the discovery.

[@thorthorson9926]

You should also see "The Dirty Dozen," which stars Telly Savalas, Donald Sutherland, Charles Bronson, Lee Marvin, Ernest Borgnine, and others. It's another WW2 film that's a must-watch.

[@martinhavlik3316]

An amazing true story from WW2 .what a great cast of McQueen Garner Bronson Coburn! Great memories of watching this with my dad.

[@TheImaginator972]

My dad actually used to play the videogame based on the movie on his Xbox since the 2000s.

[@Pupda]

Not really true, but loosely based…. For example, no Americans, no stolen plane, no motorcycle, let alone motorcycle jump, etc. All done to appease American audiences…

[@gawainethefirst]

@@Pupda there were Americans serving in the RAF, but they were usually housed with the other Americans in the American part of the camp.

[@alucard624]

@@Pupda That was done because of Steve McQueen more than anything. His star power guaranteed the movie's success. Notice he's on the forefront with all the advertising for the film then and even now.

[@Pupda]

@@alucard624 Obviously. As in, selling to the US market. It’s no accident that they wrote in a part for James Garner either. But that doesn’t change the fact that this movie is at best, “true-ish”. Great movie, definitely not a documentary.

[@TequilaToothpick]

Incredible movie. The final scene is so powerful. Even though 50 of them were murdered and only three escaped you can tell that they may be down, but they aren't out. Hilts continuing to bounce that ball just shows that these men will never be broken.

[@dukewellington3174]

That was from an Order from Hitler to shoot escaping POW's towards the end of the war - The number they came up with was 50 -Some were fortunate not to be on the list to be executed because of their surnames - Churchill and Haig were surnames of 2 of the 73 re-captured. They figured the only reason they survived was because of this - Unbeknownst to the Germans they were not related to Winston Churchill or General Haig (British supreme commander of British forces on the Western Front in WW1)

[@danc1897]

@@dukewellington3174 I heard the same thing although I believe from previous sources I have read that it was the great escape that this movie was based on which caused Hitler to give this order because he was so enraged by it.

[@peterdemkiw3280]

Another A-merican rewrite of history. Q.How many A-mericans were involved in the Great Escape? A, none, not one, and why, because there wasn't any A-mericans in that camp, the A-mericans had their own camp a few,miles up the road and they never tried an escape.

[@TequilaToothpick]

@@peterdemkiw3280 Actually there were Americans in the camp who helped with the escape, they were just moved from the camp before the escape took place.

[@byrontowles2018]

Cassie: two other under-the-radar war films for you are 1966's "The Sand Pebbles", starring Steve McQueen (3hrs, but worth it!), and 1953's "Stalag 17", starring William Holden. Both excellent war dramas.

[@tlewis171]

Indeed; this showed how the various air force officers were treated, 'Stalag 17' shows how the rest of the captured air crew faired.

[@cthulhucollector]

Stalag 17 is one of my favorites.

[@clutchpedalreturnsprg7710]

@@cthulhucollector I loved " Animal's " shoes.

[@davehoward22]

I used to love sand pebbles as a kid...The bit where his asian friend gets sliced up on the beach was grim though.

[@williammassey8939]

@@clutchpedalreturnsprg7710 LOL... GREAT MOVIE!!!

[@cayminlast]

The camp was for air force officers (pilots, air crew) taken prisoner of war. The Red Cross were involved with the POW officers and sent regular care packages, the Geneva Convention was kind of followed in some camps. Based on true events. Yes, always a good idea to read up and learn about history ect. Thank you, great reaction.

[@claireroberts4279]

Apparently the Great Escape tunnel is still their

[@lelandvaughan4429]

Came here to clear that up too. What Cassie is used to seeing is the plight of the Jews during the Holocaust. POWs were treated much more humanely than them, but the Nazis still did things against the Geneva Convention that they thought they could get away with, like gunning down recaptured prisoners. Violating the 'Rules of War' so to speak, constitutes War Crimes or Crimes Against Humanity, which unlike other crimes, can see punishment dealt up the chain of command to those who ordered the Crimes. Look up the Nuremberg Trails for more info on the conviction of the Nazi leaders after the war.

[@lelandvaughan4429]

Ok so I got some facts wrong like the names and breakdown of the system of justice they use, but here's a great video with a lot of information on it! kzbin.info/www/bejne/rKraeI2wl56Caq8

[@hiuto2]

The Germans treated officers, non hated races and professions much different in camps.

[@BubbaCoop]

That's where they got the Klim cans to light the tunnel

[@greggweaver6031]

my uncle was a prisoner of this camp at the time of the great escape. He was pilot of a B-17 shot down over Germany he was the last man to exit the plane and broke his back landing. He was an invalid and one of only 3 prisoners who were American in this camp. The bellows shown in this movie was fashioned from a pig skin that my Aunt used to wrap medicine and food in. The Red Cross packages were allowed in by the Luftwaffe. He verified the truthfulness of the events portrayed : he was a guest of the Luftwaffe for 804 days he remained in the airforce to retire as a Lt. Cornel.

[@ThomasCorp]

One of the best war movies ever made. Of the characters and plotlines, my favorite is the one with Colin and Hendley. It makes me cry every time I watch this movie both when Hendley has the line, “Colin's not a blind man as long as he's with me. And he's going with me!” and when Colin is killed and he has his last words, “Thank you for getting me out.”

[@glawnow1959]

Garner's expression at that moment...

[@thevictoryoverhimself7298]

Best war movies 1) A bridge too far 2) The Longest Day 3) Black hawk Down

[@cchavezjr7]

Blythe was so gentle and his death really hit hard.

[@davehoward22]

Eagle has landed Bridge on river kwai. Guns of navarone

[@frankbolger3969]

@@thevictoryoverhimself7298 Glad to see A Bridge Too Far on your list. It didn't get much love when it was released, and only a little more since, but it is a terrific, epic film.

[@kylekrudys63]

As serious as this movie should be taken most of the time, the humor is some of the best. Sedgwick and Danny trying to blend in with the Russian prisoners, Cavendish falling through the bunk bed, and Willie, Danny and Sedgwick playing it cool in the shower room. "I'm watching him. I'm a lifeguard." Gets me every time!

[@jamesmoyner7499]

I don’t know what it is, but the scene of the two men in the little row boat having no issue after their escape always cracks me up.😂

[@stevemd6488]

When Colin is talking about the Shrike he’s describing the German guards 😂

[@omaewamoshindeiru616]

OUT!!!!

[@stevesmith9447]

"Now, why didn't anybody think of that before.... It's so stupid, it's positively brilliant!"

[@craigwhip]

Years ago I saw a "making of" of The Great Escape, and they said that the actor who played Cavendish, broke his arm when he fell thru those bunks.

[@dammitspock]

One of the greatest casts ever ensembled. Richard Attenborough, James Colburn, Donald Pleasance, David McCallum, Steve McQueen...legends

[@paulbriggs3072]

Only legends? And here I thought they were real people.

[@nateandnoahentertainment7379]

Can’t forget Charles Bronson!!

[@brucelamberton8819]

@@nateandnoahentertainment7379 or Gordon Jackson

[@marksterner7532]

Since you enjoyed this one so much, Cassie, I suggest you review "Kelly's Heroes". It also is set during WWII. Clint Eastwood, Donald Sutherland, Telly Sevalas, and Don Rickles star with a great supporting cast. It's a story about a group of US soldiers in France during the days immediately following D-Day. They take a German officer captive, and discover from him that there is a large cache of gold bars in a bank in another French town. Kelly (Eastwood) gathers a team and puts together a plan to break in and steal the gold. It is an exciting movie, with outstanding action and great acting!

[@missd9785]

Oh my gosh luv Kelly's Heroes! No negative waves.

[@croftatron]

Brilliant recommendation👍

[@brucechmiel7964]

Also Stewart Margolin Evelyn "Angel"Martin and James Garner is in this movie, starred together in The Rockford Files from Universal 1974/5-1980 there were several made for T.V movies in the 90’s.

[@SNSWoTClan]

One of my favorite movies of all time. Great theme song too!

[@roughmanready]

The Dirty Dozen has this feel to it to.

[@Grillers9]

in high school i had 2 teachers who were pow's. one was in a German camp, one in Japanese camp, one in German camp was an officer and he flew, he said for where he was at, if you didn't show fear or stood up for yourself they would leave you alone, he escaped once but was captured. one in Japanese camp never physically recovered from his years in there. both were awesome teachers and still remember them after 43 years.

[@papalaz4444244]

Grillers9 1 subscriber This channel doesn't have any content

[@Grillers9]

@@papalaz4444244 and? i am not a youtuber. my stuff is private.

[@rovhalt6650]

What a contrast to have two teachers from two different POW camps. The Japanese where after all infamous for their inhumane treatment of prisoners and occupied populations.

[@nickmitsialis]

@@Grillers9 Ignore the troll, Grillers! He's just trying to annoy ya. Me? I had some other Y/T troll trying to rile me up, by telling me how few subscribers I had. I could only laugh because, I have no content, so any 'subscribers' I have must be a total 'fluke'; they must have found my posts either informative or witty.

[@lemorab1]

I had a teacher in 1960, seventh grade history, Mrs. Bennett. She had been in a Japanese POW camp in the Philippines. Most of our time in class was spent listening to her stories, which I later realized were greatly sanitized for us. She was as mean as a rattlesnake and wasn't rehired for the next year. Of course, who knows what she had actually been through, or witnessed. I can still see the permanently vicious expression on her face, as though it was yesterday.

[@toygiants8748]

The young lady reacting to this picture has an impressive memory recalling earlier lines that came into play later in the picture. She's not looking for Internet fame. This woman has something to contribute to fans of classic motion pictures.

[@stevejette2329]

Toy - She is VERY compassionate and kind-hearted. LOVING her videos !

[@GuineaPigEveryday]

I really like seeing this channel pop up becuz she’s not making fun of old movies or reacting for clickbait, she’s genuinely enjoying them and thats exactly the sort of positive vibe we all need in this world. These movies are classics, masterpieces

[@nedworcester4395]

Stalag 17 with William Holden is a favorite of mine. It’s a bit darker than “The Great Escape” but still very enjoyable. Another of my favorites is “To have and Have Not” with Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall. It is also a WWII movie - similar to “Casablanca.”

[@help4343]

The Great Escape is darker

[@w41duvernay]

Highly recommend Popcorn in Bed watch Stalag 17! Some serious drama.

[@AI_Image_Master]

I always thought To have and have not was a better movie then Casablanca. Bogie and Bacall a much better pair.

[@theworldisfascinating]

Stalag 17 has some hilarious moments that The Great Escape has none of. I think The Great Escape is darker given how it all plays out.

[@enriquecarro8413]

When I first watched this masterpiece I was like 13, 14 years old, and my two brothers were even younger. We couldn't sit still. Ives' heartbreaking last walk, (with that 1000-yard stare perfectly played by Angus Lennie), the claustrophobic escape, the tension as the protagonists were recaptured, their horrible murder... The suspense was almost unbearable in some parts. All three of us ended the film sweating. It was a glorious afternoon, that I vividly recall, even more than 30 years afterwards... It's not your channel who needs more classic films. We all need them.

[@stevestoll3124]

I was about six when I saw it on tv with my grandfather. The memories we make with something as simple as a movie last a lifetime. I would not trade them for a thing

[@warren286]

This is absolutely one of my all time favorite movies. So many great actors. And brings back memories of watching it with my father who passed 12 years ago now.

[@sreif78]

If I remember my useless knowledge correctly, this was the first film about WW2 made in Germany after the war. And yes, they got care packages, depending on situations and if the Red Cross was allowed to visit. My Dad has letters between his Mother and Father when a prisoner in Stalag Luft VII-B outside Munich. He spoke fluent German and served as interpreter between the camp Commandant and the ranking British Officer. My Grandfather (born in Cleveland, Ohio) being non-British was seen as a ferret by the Limeys because he got better rations and treatment because the guards and Commandant needed him to communicate. My Grandfather be-friended a guard born near the town outside Frankfurt my Great-grandfather was from. The night before the camp was liberated the guard told my Grandfather the guards would all be leaving in the middle of night and he gave my Grandfather his pistol and said "Willy, take this, after tomorrow it will only cause me trouble and might help you." We still have the gun a Belgian made Browning .32 pistol. It was stamped (in German) "Property of the Reich" when Belgium was captured in 1940 and was eventually issued to the guard. My Grandfather brought it home and we still shoot it from time to time. Even have the holster for it. My Dad has the POW tag of his Father, those letters to my Grandmother and family as well as some Red Cross PX currency.

[@sreif78]

@SteinhawkInteresting family history.

[@stvdagger8074]

Nope : Decision Before Dawn is a 1951 American war film filmed in Würzburg, Nürnberg, and Mannheim.

[@glawnow1959]

Steve McQueen was one of the biggest stars of the 60s and 70s. You're going to have fun discovering his work.

[@chrismaverick9828]

He and Coburn were also friends of Bruce Lee. Imagine an evening hanging out with the three coolest men on the planet of their time.

[@beannathrach2417]

One of his famous roles was Bullitt, especially the car chase.

[@hughjorg4008]

@@chrismaverick9828 Coburn and McQueen learned mixed-martial arts from BRUCE LEE, and so did Kareem Abdul Jabbar (NBA top scorer)

[@Manu-rb6eo]

McQueen made a show, wanted dead or alive, it's fun 😊

[@michaels.5878]

McQueen in Sand Pebbles, so good. Also if you liked this movie, check out Chicken Run.

[@UnderDriven17]

A few things: (1) There was no mass execution, the 50 were killed in ones and twos by the Gestapo. Hitler wanted to kill them all, but Goering thought it would endanger German POWs in Allied camps--so they settled on 50. However there were mass killings of Allied soldiers, such as the Malmedy massacre during the Battle of the Bulge (84 American soldiers killed). (2) The Luftwaffe ran the POW camps for airmen. Many Luftwaffe officers believed in 'honorable' warfare, and often were not Nazis (they may have been on the surface to get along, but they were in the Luftwaffe before Hitler and still had a code of ethics). (3) No Americans participated in the escape. Some helped to dig the tunnels initially, but Americans were moved to a different camp months before the escape. However, the producers felt that some Americans were needed to make the film more appealing in the American market (and big names like McQueen and Garner would increase the box office receipts).

[@michellepeoplelikeyoumurde8373]

1960s Braveheart😅😅😅😅

[@davidpost428]

Superb war film with some of the day's great actors: Steve McQueen, James Garner, Donald Pleasance, James Coburn, Richard Attenborough, David McCallum, Charles Bronson and Gordon Jackson, with screenplay by the great novelist James Clavell and produced by Walter Mirisch. So glad that you brought this one out for us to all enjoy!

[@LordEriolTolkien]

Original story by Paul Brickhill, which is worth the read in itself

[@jethro1963]

Gordon Jackson was still several years away from his iconic role Hudson on Upstairs Downstairs

[@vinnygi]

I’ve seen this movie countless times, and I still gets chills when I hear the machine gun bolt sliding into place in that open field.

[@SeanHogan.]

Snap such a great film!!!

[@jethro1963]

In real life they weren't shot in a group but ones and twos that were being transported.

[@airborngrmp1]

If you're interested at all, there was an entire British Intelligence arm called MI-9 that was tasked with aiding the escape of Allied POW's (especially downed airmen) across occupied Europe. Some of the devices they came up with to assist these escapees were the eventual inspiration for James Bond's fictional Q branch (in fact, the office of MI-9 was once referred to as "Q"), although the majority of the assets were focused on building routes and safe houses for hiding escaped POW's trying to get back to England. There's lots of history written about it, and it is absolutely fascinating.

[@accam6734]

Great to see you watching a movie with wonderful James Garner. One of the most overlooked lead actors of the 60's and 70's. You really should check out his great comedy western, 'Support Your Local Sheriff.'❤

[@williammassey8939]

I think they used every character actor in HOLLYWOOD for that film.. Support your local gunfighter is also fun...

[@clutchpedalreturnsprg7710]

" Darby's Rangers "

[@har9020]

Absolutely. Watch that one!

[@pollyparrot9447]

Another good WWII movie with James Garner is 36 Hours (1965), which is based on a Roald Dahl story.

[@glennwisniewski9536]

@@ChicagoDB @Donn Baca It had a great theme song called "Emily" that was turned into a standard by Hall of Fame jazz pianist Bill Evans.

[@rickfortier8664]

Please note: Donald Pleasence who plays the 'forger' was actually enprisoned at Stalag Luft III during WW2.

[@warren286]

I absolutely love Charles Bronson's character bc he embodies true strength. True strength imo is when you are absolutely terrified of doing something, but you suck it up and do what terrifies you anyway.

[@drhkleinert8241]

I remember that Bronson worked in a coal mine before acting.

[@marleybob3157]

This is #4 on my all-time favorite movies list. I hope you enjoy! I showed this to my daughter when she was five or six and it is one of her favorites. A few years later, I bought her a framed, full size movie poster from this movie and it has been her favorite since then. It's not exactly what one would expect to see proudly hung in the room of a teenage girl!

[@tejshah6083]

Out of interest, what are #1, #2, and #3?

[@blueangelsfan4072]

Really sweet memory.

[@marleybob3157]

@@tejshah6083 #1 Kind Hearts and Coronets, #2 Casablanca, #3 Dr. Strangelove. With Cassie reacting to The Great Escape, she adds to the list of films in my personal top 10 (Pulp Fiction, Almost Famous and Casablanca). I wish she would react to Bridge on the River Kwai, Sullivan's Travels, Wag The Dog, Purple Rose Cairo and Being There. That'd make me a happy man :)

[@DiggerPayne1881]

If you want to dive deeper into this story. The book of the same name was written by Paul Brickhill, who was a prisoner at Staley Luft 3. It answers many of the questions you were asking during the reaction. It is a phenomenal read.

[@patmalloy4777]

I remember reading the book in junior high. I was so excited when I learned there was a movie as well

[@David8n]

There's another classic escape film called The Wooden Horse where a tunnel is dug starting from an exercise vaulting horse - it's well worth a watch. The thing is, it's not till you read the book that you realise that the events in The Great Escape and The Wooden Horse are happening simultaneously in different parts of the same camp. It's staggering when you realise. The book's a great read.

[@DiggerPayne1881]

@@David8n Another good read is Escape from Colditz, where a few of the officers from The Great Escape also participated.

[@David8n]

@@DiggerPayne1881 I didn't realize that there was a Great Escape / Colditz connection too 🤯

[@dukewellington3174]

Paul Brickhill was an Australian pilot and along with the Great Escape he also wrote The Dam Busters, Reach for the Sky and Escape or Die. He was initially a digger on the "tom" tunnel but suffered from claustrophobia and was re-assigned and put in charge of security for the forgers. Because of his claustrophobia and the risk that he would panic and block the escape of others behind him, he was not allowed to take part in the mass escape attempt, which is known as "The Great Escape". Most likely saved his life? As you see in the movie Danny "Tunnel King" - Polish Pilot (Charles Bronson) also suffered from claustrophobia

[@naidthd0ddbwpwdhiq9]

A fantastic film. A little know fact is that Von Lindener (Camp Commandant) donated material and a stone for the memorial to the murdered fifty escapees.

[@zolacfc4963]

The Longest Day is definitely worth a watch, if you haven’t seen it already. It’s phenomenal

[@LordHoth_90]

The first grand gathering of an era’s greatest international stars.

[@tonygreenfield7820]

You could add to that A Bridge To Far (the Arnham campaign) and The Battle of the Bulge (the Ardennes). Both were packed with big name stars.

[@TheLeprechaunjm]

I've watched The Longest Day more often than any other movie... well-over 100 times... WELL-OVER!

[@CSC52698]

Dum dum dum dum....dum dum dum dum....dum dum dum dum.

[@jamesalexander5623]

It's on TCM Tonight!....

[@Editguy68]

So excited to see you watch this. My great-uncle (my mother's uncle) was actually in this prisoner of war camp during WWII. He helped dig the tunnels, but wasn't one of the dozens of prisoners who made the escape.

[@bobblebardsley]

I'd love to know how it worked out for him, if that's not an inappropriate question.

[@dufasaurjoe2899]

I met a man who was also in this camp and made drawings of it. He was one of the forgers since he was an artist. He also was not one of the escapees.

[@Illustrator-dq3nv]

Was this Ley Kenyon? The few illustrations in my copy of Brickhill’s book were done by an artist who was also a “guest” at Stalag Luft 3. @@dufasaurjoe2899

[@BryanAlaspa]

Such a great movie. Steve McQueen is a legend.

[@no2all]

The Cooler King was the King of Cool.

[@randallshuck2976]

Classic war movie from a unique perspective. It was based on an actual event and they actually pulled German troops off of the battle lines to hunt the last of them down. An all-star cast and some great scenery along with an inspiring story. Thanks for venturing into strange areas for your age group. You might consider the movie "To catch a thief" it was a Hitchcock classic filmed all over the French Riviera.

[@lostpompeylad]

It's sad though that most were recaptured, tortured & shot....

[@randallshuck2976]

@@lostpompeylad True.

[@CrashLandon1]

Since you were talking about watching the classic version of "The Magnificent Seven", be sure to look for the names Yul Brynner, Steve McQueen and James Coburn. There's a more-recent remake, and I'd rather that you watch the original. (Yeah, guys; I know it's adapted from "The Seven Samurai", and so it's not really the "original", but you know what I mean.) Happy viewing!

[@chardtomp]

Donald Pleasance, who plays the forger, really was a POW in WW2. He said the camp they built for the movie looked exactly like the one he was in during the war.

[@nealrepetti2396]

JUST to let you know, Steve McQueen did his own motorcycle riding in this movie. FANTASTIC! ! !

[@craighanson-rc1md]

nothing special about his stunts motorcycle or not hardly death defying. He rode a motorcycle oh boy... so exciting.... Again people nothing special about Mcqueen if he alive & still acting even having not aged a day since his "peak" I promise you he wouldn't be anyone specially or doing any worthwhile stunts. I'm not Tom Cruz fan but at least he actually does some of his own actual stunts as does Daniel Craig or Keanu Reeves or Chris Hemsworth or Tom Hardy even Matt Damon have done & been hurt doing their own stunts. Riding around a motorcycle on grassy hills is hardly climbing a building or risking yourself to explosions & such.

[@cryptocat9712]

Definetly one of the best war movies of all time! Such a great cast my dad who past a few years ago at 96 was a WWII Vet . I loved watching this movie with him. Keep the classics coming since your down that rabbit hole more to check out "The Dirty Dozen" "Kelly's Hero's" "Patton" "Paths of Glory" "The Bridge over the River Kwai" so many more! Thanks

[@Glenner7]

Donald Pleasance was also in Fantastic Voyage. That would be a great sci-fi classic for a reaction.

[@trip189n]

Donald Pleasence was in real life a prisoner in Stalag luft 1 when he was shot down while in the Royal Air force. He was also best known for his role as Doctor Loomis in the Halloween series.

[@clutchpedalreturnsprg7710]

" Halloween ", " The Jerusalem File (1972) "

[@lorihagerty7833]

One of my favorite movies. Just love Steven Boyd!!!

[@jodonnell64]

Pleasance also played Ernst Stavro Blofeld in "You Only Live Twice", the fifth Bond film.

[@goldean5974]

The movie took a LOT of liberties with history, to make it palatable to American moviegoers. The American POWs were actually in a completely separate camp and did not participate in the Great Escape (it was 99% a British operation). Hilts was a composite character of several real American prisoners. Bartlett’s character (Big X) was based on Roger Bushell, who really did coordinate the escape in real life. There were indeed three tunnels dug, named Tom, Dick and Harry. 76 prisoners really did escape for a time, and 3 made it all the way to freedom. After the war, the Gestapo agents who murdered the 50 escapees (on Hitler’s direct orders) were hunted down by the RAF and eventually brought to justice. Despite the many alterations, omissions and outright fabrications, The Great Escape is one of the greatest World War II movies ever made and Hilts is one of Steve McQueen’s greatest roles.

[@keithbrown8490]

Director John Sturges worked with many of these actors in multiple movies besides this one and "The Magnificent Seven". He had a long and varied career but is best known for these two. He was nominated for best director in 1956 for the movie "Bad Day at Black Rock" which sounds like a western but is a great suspense thriller set in a desert town right after WWII.

[@0PsychosisMedia0]

Magnificent 7 is based off the 7 Samurai. It's set in the American West whit was comparable to the setting of 7 Samurai. All start cast with Eli Wallach from The Good The Bad and the Ugly.

[@Jazzman0910]

Bad Day At Black Rock is a brilliant film which I’m sure you would enjoy.

[@clutchpedalreturnsprg7710]

It is a Western. A contemporary Western at the time.

[@williammassey8939]

@@Jazzman0910 Bad Day at Black Rock is a FANTASTIC movie.

[@APC3370]

It use to a French tv special every years, sometimes at Xmas, other times at Easter, and mostly during the anniversary of D-day. We were so proud of watching it, and the next days in school we would play it out. It inspired lots of us into professions we never thought of before. We, the French, are so grateful and appreciated of everything you, the free world, did back then. We know how much we owe you guys. Thank you for viewing this classic.

[@rbmtn4879]

Cool you discovered Steve McQueen. I idolized him as a kid. He was my "fashion" idol. One of the coolest actors ever. He was phenomenal in "Papillon." I think his first role was in the legendary B-movie, "The Blob."

[@davestang5454]

"Papillion" was another famous "escape" movie.

[@nicholasnewlin1138]

Even though I was born 32 years after this was filmed and I was only 14 when I watched it, it's an all-time classic in my book. Lots of things to learn from this film. Forgery, tunnel digging, scrounging, you name it.

[@TheImaginator972]

The true story about the Great Escape from Stalag Luft III has remained as my favorite prison escape stories in history even the tragic aftermath as well.

[@theawesomeman9821]

I thought the movie was fiction

[@jethro1963]

@@theawesomeman9821 Based on the book by Paul Brickhill who was a prisoner there. Most of the McQueen stuff was fiction but much of the rest is true.

[@nickb1020]

If you like prison escape stories, look up Escape From Sobibor. The full tv movie is up on youtube under said name. Not to take away from the real life Great Escape, but Sobibor's is more riveting, tragic, and wild. Any WW2 person would find it interesting

[@theawesomeman9821]

@@jethro1963 cool

[@alharairah2214]

Love this movie - and yes POWs in WW2 went to a lot of effort to escape, and there were divisions in their home war offices dedicated to developing ways to help them. I remember a documentary that showed how (since the POWs were allowed care packages that were heavily inspected) a board game would have maps hidden within the layers of the board.

[@geraldbizot5770]

The pows got milk from home in cans irony was it was simply labeled klim, milk spelled backwards it confused the germans.

[@danieljuffs9144]

Thank you for watching classic films like this Cassie as not many reactors do. The true story behind this film differs quite a bit but it was harder to make a film containing atrocities of war back in the 60's that it is with later ones like Saving Private Ryan or Schindler's List. Looking forward to your Magnificent Seven reaction which also has Steve McQueen, James Coburn and Charles Bronson

[@mrfantastic407]

You mentioned at several points that every person had a certain skill, and were part of a big team of escape artists. Well, that's the "madness in their method" that Big X was talking about at the start of the film. The Germans, thinking they were "putting all of their rotten eggs in one basket" inadvertently assembled the finest escape team ever created in wartime.

[@oldrocker74]

She asked a question:"Are the Hitler Youth like the Boy Scouts?

[@chrismaverick9828]

@@oldrocker74 Err... kind of? Sort of.... Maybe? Not really. :P

[@JayM409]

They made the same mistake with Colditz Castle.

[@craighanson-rc1md]

That notion is why when the big escape does happen & they are rounded up this time 50 are killed instead of returned & no one seems to understand that fact. Everytime one person has tried to escape generally they were returned to the camp & put into solitary for weeks or months but such a mass escape of some of the best escape artists in the POW camps of Germany & Europe. But such a large escape sends a bad signal to the others & poses issues for the germans as long as their so many out not just because of taking troops away from the lines but in what new issues the escape prisoners could do or stir up. Bombings assassinations other prisoner escapes which would have really impacted germans thus why this time they took it serious & sent a message to the others including Stalag Luft III & replaced the commander of that camp with someone more strict. And why likely the commander of the camp was later likely killed not just sent to prison a hint when saying i believe you see berlin before I.

[@joycegibbs5267]

the theme tune is legendary. What a magnificent film this is, with so many legendary actors.

[@creech54]

Elmer Bernstein's score is a classic and one of his best! He also wrote another classic score for "The Magnificent Seven". Both films were directed by John Sturges.

[@Acme1970]

Sharp eyed viewers might recognize some of the actors from other roles they played later in their careers, Blythe (Donald Pleasence) was Dr. Loomis in Halloween, Big X (Richard Attenborough) was Mr. Hammond in Jurassic Park and Ashley-Pitt (David McCallum) played Dr. Mallard on NCIS.

[@Mansplainer2099-jy8ps]

_"Ashley-Pitt (David McCallum) played Dr. Mallard on NCIS."_ Also Illya Kuryakin of U.N.C.L.E., The Invisible Man and Steel.

[@dondragmer2412]

So sad that Steve passed away at only age 50. He was around so long it seemed he should have been 70 when he died. We were deprived of all the great films he could have gone on making.

[@chrismaverick9828]

All of the greats are like that. What more could Steve McQueen have brought to cinema and cool had he lived? What more could Bruce lee have brought to martial arts had he not been killed? The only thing you can do is think about it and maybe learn from it what you can. Time flows one way, so far, and you cannot dwell in the 'what ifs'.

[@jasonremy1627]

Absolutely one of my favorite films of all time. You're the first reactor I've seen watch it. Thanks for doing the classics!

[@castlew4162]

I'd like to suggest one of my favorite movies from the 60's, "WHERE EAGLES DARE" starring Clint Eastwood and Richard Burton. It was shot on location in Austria: real castle, real snow, real stunts, real explosions, great score, beautiful scenery. Clever story with plenty of suspense, intrique, twists, and action - the original impossible mission. It is based on an Alistair MacLean novel as was "The Guns Of Navarone" and "Ice Station Zebra". Clint Eastwood as Lt. Shaffer: "Major, right now you got me about as confused as I ever hope to be." Richard Burton as Major Smith: “and what a disguise” (about operative Heidi played by Ingrid Pitt).

[@christianemden7637]

There is a minor difference than the other filmed movies, MacLean also wrote the script to where eagles dare, so the story makes it much better onto the screen. I would recommend it as a movie nevertheless, it’s amazing.

[@Krshna28]

You mentioned getting mixed up between Seven Samurai and The Magnificent Seven. Magnificent Seven is a American remake of the Japanese classic Seven Samurai. The director of the original is Akira Kurosawa. Another film of his, Yojimbo, was remade into spaghetti western A Fistful Of Dollars starring Clint Eastwood. All the films are worth watching.

[@blechtic]

There's also another Yojimbo remake called Last Man Standing (starring Bruce Willis), which is probably worst of the bunch. If you had to pick only one of them to watch, I think Yojimbo is the best, as it feels like the most put-together film. As for Seven Samurai, I'd rather opt for The Magnificent Seven.

[@chrismaverick9828]

'The Magnificent Seven' was a good western based on The Seven Samurai. 'The Seven Samurai' was a great film in the Japanese film model. Same basic plot, but different and worth watching for their individual tones and feel. The plot is the only real similarity. They both stand very very strong on their own merits. Kurosawa was a film genius in a way that few directors are.

[@TheImaginator972]

Ohh The Great Escape is one of my most favorite WWII movie, all thanks to two childhood movies "Chicken Run" and "Toy Story 3" which got me into this classic movie.

[@BloodyOffDoors]

Hello Cassie, It was very interesting for me to see a young lady such as yourself react to this story. You showed great interest, empathy and above all respect to the brave men who died during this escape. My Grandfather was in Stalag Luft III. He always told us that he spent his war as an engine driver in North Africa but it was only when he died that we discovered he'd been captured early on in the fighting. I don't know whether he felt shame in that but if so he shouldn't have. He was not one of the escapees and ended up on a death march away from the advancing Red army. Thankfully he survived. Good luck with your channel. It's so nice to see a young person being introduced to films that have been part of my life for so much longer. Kind regards, Simon

[@jimmiegiboney2473]

5:24 Mark! Howdy! 🤠 What Steve McQueen does with a baseball and glove inspired so many boys, myself included, to do the same! In this movie, though, the guards never get trigger happy about it! Compared to parents and grandparents getting belt happy or switch happy, because the thumping on house walls both interior and exterior drove them crazy! 😮

[@brettv5967]

Such a great film with an amazing cast. For WWII movies, I put it right behind Stalag 17 and The Longest Day. I really think Cass would enjoy either one. The Longest Day has such an amazing cast that I really would love to see her react to it at some point.

[@thesoulburger1041]

Stalag 17 is another great WW2 POW story. It's a B/W classic that was made 10 years prior to The Great Escape. Not sure if you want to watch another prison movie so soon but definitely a name you should put on your classics list.

[@davehoward22]

Wooden horse is a gòod true pow film

[@drg3712]

I would flip out if Cassie did Stalag 17. It is literally one of the most under appreciated movies of all time.. It is a WW2 movie, it is a prison movie, it is an escape movie, it is a comedy, it is a mystery/whodunit, it is a Christmas movie. It is a classic! Watch it every Christmas!

[@Cadinho93]

The Great Escape is one of the best films ever made. The real story is even more tragic and amazing. Yes it's a "true" story. The Great Escape is a "Hollywood" version of the book by the same name written by Australian writer Paul Brickhill who was actually a POW at Stalag Luft III, helped dig one of the tunnels until he developed claustrophobia and was limited to helping the effort above ground because of his claustrophobia, he didn't participate in the actual escape. Many of the characters in the film were actual people, although there were no Americans that took part. Adolf Hitler was so angry over the escape he ordered those recaptured were to be executed. Some were returnrd to captivity, but 50 were executed. Two other WWII books written by Brickhill, "The Dam Busters" and "Reach For the Sky" were made into movies in Great Britain.

[@JayM409]

He also wrote, 'Escape or Die,' about RAF escapes. It includes a story about BIG X getting captured for the first time in N. Africa, and escaping. I would recommend 'The wooden Horse,' by Eric Williams, about an escape from the same camp as the Great Escape.

[@no2all]

I loved this movie and "The Dam Busters". I will have to look for the third, both in book and cinema form.

[@jaquesshugossen9398]

They did use some creative licencing with this one, just like with the other such war films, as in making one character in the film based on a couple of actual individuals. The Dam Busters, if you are to watch it, please do try and use the original version as there is a censored version of this due to "insensativity" but the original is more accurate and should be treated as such. Not seen "Reach for the skies" so that would be good watch as well.

[@reedlaycook]

Small correction here. There were Americans at the camp. My Grandfather, who was an B-17 Bombardier, was shot down on Oct, 14 1943. As he was an officer in the USAAF, he was imprisoned at Stalag Luft III from 1943 through the end of the war and helped with the construction of the tunnels as a ventilation operator.

[@drg3712]

@@reedlaycook Agreed. And there is a strong Canadian 🇨🇦 aspect as well which is often overlooked

[@christophersmith8316]

There was a camp for repeat escapers in Colditz Castle where the Germans had more guards than prisoners. and escapes had to get around the castle being on a high crag of Rock. Yet they did get men out. The man who wrote the 2 books (he escaped himself at the end of the first) was very critical of the one big escape, he said that it was bound to draw a huge reaction and an atrocity, as it did. One plan they had that was about to go off at the war's end was they were building a glider in the attic of the Castle!

[@ronlackey2689]

Thank you for watching this. This true story and others like it need to be passed down. I'm glad to see you (the younger generation) carrying it on.

[@thedoctor4327]

THANK YOU!!!! One of the best World War II films ever made/films in general but hardly anyone on the KZbin reaction channels reacts to it. You just made my night 🙂

[@docdave15]

Fun fact: I've met one of the actors from the movie. William Russell who plays Sorren (the prisoner you see with a pipe often). I met him at a Doctor Who convention - he played Ian Chesterton one of the first companions ever on the show. Very charming man.

[@thefatman2780]

ABSOLUTELY POSITIVELY BRILLIANT FILM. MANY MANY MEMORIES WATCHING THIS WITH MY DAD. RIP.

[@ironenthusiast]

The most amazing cast in one of the greatest films ever made. Period.

[@helios0074]

In regards to your confusion at the start - Stalag Luft III was built to contain Allied Air Force prisoners in Germany (and a few others from other branches). The idea of the location was that it was far away from easy escape routes so that prisoners would be discouraged from escaping. The SBO (Senior British Officer) and Kommandant were on good terms with each other based out of respect and professionalism. Also, the Luftwaffe (German Air Force) were responsible for running the camp and were far more civil and humanised on how they ran things. Activities like gardening, a camp theatre and access to equipment for sports was provided to encourage the prisoners to focus on activities other than escape. In regards to the SBOs comment about their "sworn duty", it was true. As well as the obvious want to escape home (some of them were captured for three or four years by this point), the idea of escapes was to make the Germans waste as many resources as they had to in order to contain and recapture POWs.

[@tauron17]

If you liked this, I saw someone suggest 'Kelly's Heroes', classic and wonderfully entertaining, also if you haven't seen it, 'Where Eagle Dare', super suspenseful and a classic. Thank you, love your reactions, keep on watching and discovering new film delights and entertainments.

[@dennismanary9839]

The Guns of Navarone!

[@dougclark8219]

I remember watching a video here on KZbin about The Great Escape. They had a number of people involved in these events present as film consultants. To your point about "It was in 1963, were the horrors of WWII..." yeah, pretty much. It took Europe a very long time to recover from WWII. Britain was still on post-WWII austerity measures, trying to recover their economy, right up through the 1970s. IIRC, everything shown in the camp for escape was accurate (again, there were the camp survivor consultants) but by unanimous request of those survivors, there were certain specific techniques and certain specific details *not* depicted because they didn't want those methods compromised just in case people might need to come up with them in the future. When I was born in 1972, there still were a lot of people who were around for, or who fought in, WWII still alive, and I think there was a lot of knowledge they've passed on which of course has started to disappear as those folks have disappeared. @Popcorn In Bed, trust me: if your life, or if you have children, the lives of your children were on the line, you would be amazed the things you absolutely could make yourself do.

[@seantlewis376]

The film was based on a book by one of the survivors. The movie follows the story pretty well, with only a few exceptions, like combining characters, and that sort of thing. The Great Escape is one of the best war movies of all time. I'm looking forward to your review of The Magnificent Seven (1960. Forget about the remake). It was based on the story of The Seven Samurai, which is also a global classic.

[@LordHoth_90]

Remake was ok, it generated renewed interest in Westerns until the lack of interest in good stories returned to the modern audience.

[@jethro1963]

Paul Brickhill was the author of the book.

[@timr4071]

Cassie you should really watch COOL HAND LUKE in your classics lineup. It is a great one with Paul Newman aka the salad dressing guy 🤣

[@lorihagerty7833]

Paul Newman is superb in all his movies!

[@cwdkidman2266]

In a POW movie that came out 2 hrs before this, the prisoners were not unified. When talk of escape started about a third we're against it and wanted to sit out the war in peace and comfort. True story. Based on the memoir of Sgt. Major Charles Coward. When he heard about the opposition to escape attempts, he blew his top. "You're still soldiers of the King! Being in a POW camp changes nothing except where you fight from! If you want to sit out the war, take off your uniforms and hand them over to the Germans and tell them you are now civilian non-combatants with no allegiance to ANY country! Of COURSE some of you might get killed. As soldiers you're still at war! Men die in war! We all saw our friends get killed in combat and guess what? You're STILL in combat! We all are! We're just fighting from inside this camp! If you don't want to help, join the German Army as laborers because you're no longer British!" It was the most stirring speech ever in favor of a duty to escape and should be carved in stone somewhere, right next to Lord Nelson's message to his fleet just before the battle of Trafalgar ( British naval victory) that said "England expects every man to do his duty." Which they did, but more for Lord Nelson, who was the most beloved military leader in British history. Trafalgar was a huge British victory, destroying the combined fleets of Napoleonic France and Spain. Yet because Lord Nelson was killed by a French sniper during the battle, it became a day of National Mourning in England rather than a day of celebrating an astounding British victory. That was how much England loved him.

[@chickensmack]

My wife's grandfather was shot down over occupied France in WWII. He was a POW for 3 years. He said the conditions were rather harsh, but they got worse after Germany surrendered and the German soldiers left. The Russians took over manning the POW camp (they were our allies at that point). He said their treatment got worse at that point and that they would likely not have survived, if not for local citizens sneaking food to them through the fence. He eventually escaped in a carriage, taking the trash out of the camp.

[@davestang5454]

Doesn't sound like you have your facts straight. Depends on the nationality of the prisoners in question (that you don't mention). The Germans "Surrendered" where and when in this story? Use proper context.

[@chickensmack]

​@@davestang5454 Apologies. I may not have my facts straight. I've not done a lot of research on this. My wife's grandfather passed away before she was born. Everything I've heard about this came from my mother-in-law and now deceased grandmother-in-law. He was from Texas, but initially went to Canada and joined the RAF in order to join the war effort. Once the USA had engaged, he returned to enlist and fly for the USAC. So he was an American prisoner in a German POW camp. In searching his name, just now, I found a page on him. It doesn't shed a lot of information, but it does have the POW camp name in it Stalag Luft 1, outside of Barth, Germany. (I've made a few attempts at this reply and I think the URL is blocking it, so I took it out.)

[@smigoltime]

oh a classic :D Steve McQueen in his prime

[@dougb.2722]

Keep in mind, this not a "Concentration Camp", but a prisoner of war camp, which is completely different.

[@dougsdiscourse8939]

James Garner was the father in Mel Gibson's Maverick. He was also the original tv Maverick. He did a Romantic Comedy with Julie Andrews right after the Great Escape. It's called the Americanization of Emily. It's set in World War Two leading up to D Day. I highly recommend it for both you and Carly. Also Big X, Roger was played by Richard Attenborough. He was the Grandfather/creator of the theme park in the movie Jurassic Park.

[@trip189n]

James Garner was great in the movie Tank.

[@JayM409]

Richard Attenborough was also the director of A Bridge Too Far.

[@jodonnell64]

@@trip189n I also liked him in "The Rockford Files".

[@davgat79]

David McCallum(Eric) sadly passed away this week.

[@matthewchapman3507]

One of the greatest war movies of all time. "This picture is dedicated to the fifty," is so iconic.

[@69coolchris]

One of my favourite war films. I think you may also enjoy, Where Eagles Dare (1968), The Guns of Navarone (1961), The Eagle Has Landed (1976), and The One that Got Away (1957).

[@samgroll3605]

Very enjoyable reaction, Cassie! I'd also like to point out, in the beginning of the video, Damian Lewis actually played Steve McQueen in "Once upon a time in Hollywood". Damian Lewis also played Richard Winters in "Band of Brothers". And another familiar face, Blythe was played by Donald Pleasence. Donald Pleasence also played Dr. Sam Loomis, Michael Myers' doctor in "Halloween".

[@frankbolger3969]

Lewis was fantastic for that brief time he was on screen.

[@alienlv426ify]

And Ernst Stavro Blofeld in You Only Live Twice.

[@thehighguarduk4820]

If you're looking for more amazing classics set in WW2 with great plans, missions and schemes playing out, I highly recommend The Guns of Navarone (1961), Where Eagles Dare (1968) and The Heroes of Telemark (1965). All incredible WW2 films you will love. 👍😁😎

[@dukewellington3174]

Guns of Navarone was Kerry Packers (Australian Media Mogul) favourite movies. You knew he was at his home on a Saturday Night as it would be screened on the TV station he owned- He would request it to be shown- one year it was shown about 6 times.

[@GuineaPigEveryday]

YES! I was going to mention these too, those first two are a perfect double feature, not an ounce of fat on those films just adventure action drama and thrills all the way. The third one is a lot harder to get a hold of nowadays

[@thehighguarduk4820]

Watched Heroes of Telemark on ITVX a few days ago if your still looking for a way to watch. @@GuineaPigEveryday

[@lantose]

Great reaction! I was just 8 when this came out in “63 and it’s amazing how attentive you had to be back in the days before recording movies at home, as all we had were antennas on the roof or in the attic! Mom and dad would always have to interpret scenes and strategies in movies during commercials! What a cast of characters in this show…..all were favorites!

[@rebeccabailey527]

How were they getting outside stuff? The red cross. The nazis allowed the red cross to send pows all sorts of things. But they also sent buttons that were actually compasses, maps hidden in monopoly boards, and all manner of other escape aids.

[@jazzmaan707]

I saw this movie as an 8 year old, and it's been one of my favorite movies since then. The actors in this movie are outstanding. I always thought, that if Steve McQueen could have done a British accent, that he would have been a great James Bond, after seeing him with his charm in The Thomas Crown Affair. The closeups of him and Faye Dunaway playing chess, even made me blush, and they are just playing chess.

[@frankbolger3969]

I saw it on TV as a ten-year-old, and I can tell you that every ten-year-old in 1964 was tooling around on his bicycle like he was escaping from a German POW camp.

[@no2all]

Another historical fact of the original "The Tomas Crown Affair"...it was the first time that studios noticed that the moviegoers were actually cheering on the bad guy (or at least the anti-hero) getting away with it.

[@totomomo18]

Great movie one of the best classic movies. I would also highly recommend Judgment at Nuremberg 1961 and Birdman of Alcatraz 1962

[@susanpeters5392]

I loved Burt Lancaster in Birdman of Alcatraz ...6 years ago i visited Alcatraz from England my life long dream I was in awe

[@totomomo18]

@@susanpeters5392 Just watch is amazing speech on Judgment at Nuremberg

[@eenalley]

The story Bythe tells Hendley is what really happened to Donald Pleasence. He adlibbed the line and it was kept.

[@brianhoward9336]

An absolute Classic. And based on a true story an excellent choice for Veterans Day. Happy Veterans day to all my Brothers out there.

[@michaelvincent4280]

I've loved this movie since I was a kid. Dad took me to see it in the theatre. Years later it was shown on B&W TV and I recorded it on a reel-to-reel tape machine, so I could listen to it while building model kits in our basement. Years after that I finally got to own my own print of this film on Laserdisc, which I still have and watch it in. Just grew up differently. Glad you liked the program.

[@jamespfp]

9:40 -- RE: Donald Pleasance; It is refreshing to see Donald in something where he isn't playing a bad guy. John Carpenter consistently gave him good guy roles.

[@raymacdonaldcreations505]

Speaking of great escapes, you need to react to Papillon (1973, based on a true story...) staring Steve McQueen and Dustin Hoffman.

[@markcasson3358]

One of my favorite films. The best story from the production was that they had an actual survivor of the escape show up on set to check authenticity. He was inside their makeup tunnel. He called them up the next day and said he'd had nightmares during the night so they must be doing it right

[@lukebarber9511]

Note about the camp conditions: keep in mind that this is a prisoner-of-war camp, not a concentration camp; Germany was generally proper in its treatment of western prisoners, and the guards were from the regular military (air force in this case), not the SS.