A memorable Fourth of July
[Bumped up once again: Happy Fourth!!]
Here’s one you might remember. I certainly do:
Fans of the movie “The Great Escape” (and I must confess that I’m one, big-time) will recognize the above as the Fourth of July celebration scene, featuring the incomparable Steve McQueen playing the flute and James Garner with the drum.
Anyone who hasn’t already seen the classic 1963 action movie should rent it immediately and settle in with some popcorn for the long haul. I was a teenager in 1963 when I first saw it on the widescreen, a stirring combination of male pulchritude (not a female in the cast, and what a cast!), suspense, wit, ingenuity, and tragedy.
Although the film’s script merges a number of real people into single characters, and takes a few liberties with time (and invents the fabulous motorcycle chase in which McQueen gets to strut his formidable stuff), it’s historically accurate in the extreme, especially for a Hollywood flick. Oliver Stone, it ain’t—fortunately.
The makers of the film were dedicated to making it as true to actual events as possible. The screenwriter had been a prisoner of war in a Japanese camp, and a former prisoner and expert tunneler from the prison camp depicted in the movie worked as an adviser to the director. Follow the link to read just how much of the film was actually true to life.
Donald Pleasence, who played the rapidly-going-blind forger Blyth, had been a prisoner of war in a German camp during WWII. Hannes Messemer, the German actor who managed to bring an extraordinary humanity to the role of the Kommandant of the camp (a person who in real life was apparently well-liked and respected by the prisoners), had been a prisoner of war in a Russian camp, as had several of the other German actors in the film (these facts are to be found here).
“The Great Escape” was one of the first films I ever saw that defied my sanguine expectations. There was so much humor in it, so many likable characters, and so much Hollywood-type action that I assumed it would likewise have a Hollywood-type ending, in which all turned out well. It doesn’t.
But the Fourth of July scene is delightful. And I wish you all—wherever you are and whatever you choose to do to celebrate today—a wonderful Fourth.
[NOTE: This is a slightly edited version of a post that appeared on this blog in 2005. I’m not sure why the video is so scrunched and makes everyone look skinny (maybe they’re on the Atkins diet?), but I can’t seem to fix it.]
I think Steve McQueen was the most pulchritudinous male who ever lived.
I loved this movie when it came out, but having read Paul Brickhill’s book prior to seeing it, I knew it wasn’t going to have a happy ending.
The movie was remarkably faithful to the book, with differences apparently introduced only to keep the story line from becoming unwieldy (e.g., amalgamation of several individuals into one character, and of course the ending, which actually took place one or two prisoners at a time, rather than en masse.
What the hell ever happened to Hollywood?
The picture is distorted because it was projected through the wrong lens for the video transfer. It needs a lens that stretches the 35mm film frame to the wide screen format.
See anamorphic widescreen, if you care for the technical details.
1. Have a glorious Fourth, Neo and all.
2. This incomparable nation gave my parents refuge from totalitarianism and spared me the oppressed existence of a class enemy.
3. Almost two hundred years ago, Shelley looked tothe future and wrote (boldface mine):
The world’s great age begins anew,
The golden years return,
The earth doth like a snake renew
Her winter weeds outworn:
Heaven smiles, and faiths and empires gleam
Like wrecks of a dissolving dream.
…
Another Athens shall arise,
And to remoter time
Bequeath, like sunset to the skies,
The splendour of its prime;
And leave, if nought so bright may live,
All earth can take or Heaven can give.
…
Oh cease! must hate and death return?
Cease! must men kill and die?
Cease! drain not to its dregs the urn
Of bitter prophecy.
The world is weary of the past,
Oh might it die or rest at last!
4. God bless America.
Happy 4th of July, It’s always a great day to be an American!
As they say in the clip they are celebrating the “revolution”! Happy Independence Day!
Happy 4th to all. Big party today at the local American Club, with burgers, hot dogs, bbq chicken, and the rest. I’ll be there, with probably 1,000 or so of my best friends, mostly Americans, but other expats as well. Good chance to rub it in on my British buddies, who never seem to miss a chance to drink beer, whatever the occasion:-).
I first saw The Great Escape when I was a kid, and just liked it as an action flick. I saw it several times when older when I “got” the subtle humor and plot intricacies, and liked it even more. Great movie, although the ending is always a downer.
I love a parade–I feel more conservative already. This clip reminds me of one of my favorite 4th of July memories at sea. Operating with NATO we invited some folks from the Brit frigate over to share our celebration. Good stuff. Happy Fourth everyone.
My recollection is that there were few if any Americans in the camp at the time of the escape. The Nazis has moved them to a different facility.
Here’s a passage from a great speech to remind us it is Independence Day, which just happens to be on the 4th of July, that we are about to celebrate:
“Some years ago a writer, who happened to be an avid student of history, told me a story about that day in the little hall in Philadelphia where honorable men, hard-pressed by a King who was flouting the very law they were willing to obey, debated whether they should take the fateful step of declaring their independence from that king. I was told by this man that the story could be found in the writings of Jefferson. I confess, I never researched or made an effort to verify it. Perhaps it is only legend. But story, or legend, he described the atmosphere, the strain, the debate, and that as men for the first time faced the consequences of such an irretrievable act, the walls resounded with the dread word of treason and its price–the gallows and the headman’s axe. As the day wore on the issue hung in the balance, and then, according to the story, a man rose in the small gallery. He was not a young man and was obviously calling on all the energy he could muster. Citing the grievances that had brought them to this moment he said, “Sign that parchment. They may turn every tree into a gallows, every home into a grave and yet the words of that parchment can never die. For the mechanic in his workshop, they will be words of hope, to the slave in the mines–freedom.” And he added, “If my hands were freezing in death, I would sign that parchment with my last ounce of strength. Sign! Sign! If the next moment the noose is around your neck, sign even if the hall is ringing with the sound of headman’s axe, for that parchment will be the textbook of freedom, the bible of the rights of man forever.”
And then it is said he fell back exhausted. But 56 delegates, swept by his eloquence, signed the Declaration of Independence, a document destined to be as immortal as any work of man can be. And according to the story, when they turned to thank him for his timely oratory, he could not be found nor were there any who knew who he was or how he had come in or gone out through the locked and guarded doors.”
— Ronald Reagan, January 25, 1974 in the keynote speech at the first annual CPAC convention.
Happy Indepence Day weekend.
If you rent this pick up Stalag 17 as well.
“The film was well received[1][2] and is considered, along with The Great Escape and The Bridge on the River Kwai (also starring Holden), among the greatest World War II Prisoner of War films.”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stalag_17
Thanks for reminding me of this wonderful film from my youth. I was 16 and my date was a blonde Iowan farm girl. We loved the movie.
“I think Steve McQueen was the most pulchritudinous male who ever lived.”
Lean, mean when necessary, and a kind heart surrounded by gristle. He projected a striking presence on the silver screen.
“The Bridge on the River Kwai (also starring Holden), among the greatest World War II Prisoner of War films.”
Along with China Town, LA Confidential, To Kill a Mockingbird, and A Man for All Seasons; Bridge on the River Kwai is one of my 5 all time favorite movies.
It is almost Independence Day. I wish all neo-neocon participants a joyous declaration of personal independence. On the 5th we are heading to the UP where on the shores of Superior we will spend 5 days with children and grandchildren. All of us, young and old, will dive under those majestic cold waters and come out cleansed. Long may we all live and prosper.
A Happy Fourth to all. Let’s celebrate our independence, our attempt to maintain our freedom by blunting creeping statism and let us remember all those who gave everything they had and everything they ever would have to allow us the privilege of doing so.
Re: The Great Escape it’s always been one of my favorite books and movies. Even in the sixties I was impressed by what these men accomplished. Under the most restricted circumstances they were able to produce identity papers that looked like they came from a govt office and clothing that doubled for uniforms all the while they were digging three tunnels. Those who have never read the book should do so to find out just how these escapees were treated and understand the risks that they took to do so. It is a remarkable story of human endurance, creativity and dedication.
Steve McQueen was a skilled off road motorcyle racer who did most of the riding in the chase scene including being one of the Germans chasing him. The 60 foot jump scene was done by Bud Ekins an accomplished off road racer and stunt rider. The “German” bike McQueen rode was a 650 Triumph, which is a British brand.
Happy 4th to all
As a teenager, I saw this movie when it first came out with my father and my uncle, his older brother. They’d been in the Lodz ghetto and then luckily shipped to an engineers camp where they built stuff for the Nazis. They loved the bootleg liquor scene. One day a freight train had been bombed by the RAF close to their camp and there was a boxcar of sugar that the commandant had managed to salvage. They, along with several other inmates were given the job of making vodka(?) from the sugar. There were a lot of drunks in the camp for a while.
Your mention of Hannes Messemer reminds me of another terrific movie in which he appeared, General della Rovere, directed by Roberto Rossellini,and starring Vittorio de Sica.
This is the imdb link for more details:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0053856/
Happy 4th. I’m off to visit my favorite Czech immigrants. We’ll smoke a couple stogies and swish down a little Scotch. They’ll probably have a new development to show me that they’ve added to their house. Last time it was a toilet up on the roof where there is a guest room, a general hang out place, and a arboretum. It’s just amazing and refreshing to observe how they value freedom and what they have done with it.
There was a documentary about the escape done for TV (History Channel?) in the recent past. They went to the site of the original prison camp and used an excavator to locate the position of the tunnel. I was amazed how deep the tunnel was (around 20 feet IIRC).
I have a WWII book where life in a prisoner of war camp was described. Conditions were much harsher, particularly toward the end of the war, than is depicted in movies. Starvation, poor medical care, cold…etc. Treatment of Russian prisoners was even worse.
Actually the documentary was done by PBS. Worth a look.
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/greatescape/
Hey Gang,
This is way off topic, but has anyone seen this? Love to get Neo’s take on it. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304584004576415940086842866.html?mod=WSJ_hp_LEFTTopStories
Fascinating documentary about the making of “The Great Escape,” with an emphasis on the effort to make it as accurate as possible:
http://youtu.be/7_hg0BoGqVA
In addition to featuring a stunningly high-powered cast, and resisting the seemingly uncontrollable urge to add romance and female eye candy, the film also features one of the greatest scores:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EYjnMfgzgcM
I usually don’t comment on film clips because they can’t be shown in Germany. This comment relates to the Atkins Diet question. Debby Witt at the Corner linked to this site that might give a more accurate picture of WWII diets as well of those in other eras.
http://cookit.e2bn.org/historycookbook/index.php
Great movie. When we were kids we all had the poster of Steve McQueen on that motorcycle on our walls.
He was The Coolest Guy Ever.
http://tinyurl.com/3zwytak