The Great Escape (1963)

"Where did you get that?" -Roger Bartlett -Big X
"You don't want to know." -Robert Hendley -The Scrounger

"Well, how many are we talking?" -Virgil Hilts-Cooler King
"200-250" -Roger Bartlett -Big X

"Cooler."- basically every German officer.

If you are an avid reader of my blog you might know that basically any movie with Steve McQueen, Charles Bronson, and Elmer Bernstein, I will like.

The Great Escape has all 3. In addition to James Coburn, Richard Attenborough, James Garner, David McCallum, and a superb cast of other inmates.

For the modern movie goer, it is basically impossible to watch The Great Escape and not immediately understand the impact that it has had on virtually every war film since and many non-war films.

"The first duty of any prisoner is to escape." -any movie with prisoners since.

Code names, sacrifice, teamwork, costumes, forgery, theft, scrounging, you name it and The Great Escape likely had a major role in influencing a generation of writers, directors, and producers.

There would be no Hogan's Heroes without The Great Escape.

Very is little as cool as watching Steve McQueen ride a motorcycle and attempt to cross the Swiss-German border. The Cooler King in his cell with the wall the glove and the ball is iconic.

On other notes;  I use this opportunity to learn more about The Great Escape.  This time I looked into the career of David McCallum, aka The Man from U.N.C.L.E. aka Ducky from NCIS. First, I found out that he was a musician and is the genius behind Dr. Dre's Next Episode. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6pG_3jZxzlo  way back in 1967.

Best scores:
Acting: Casting, ensemble, individual, memory, coheions etc. (4.7)
Original Music: (5)
Shot Selection (4.4)
Story arc (4.5)

On a scale of 3 weeks in the cooler to 3 days in the pit of dispair, I give The Great Escape 3.92 out of 5 stars.