The Great Escape (Steve McQueen) - fiction
 

No Americans took part in the famous Great Escape (as depicted in the movie).


http://storage.wellandtribune.ca/v1/...=1441294845521

Ted Barris guesses he has done about 250 speaking engagements for his 2013 book The Great Escape: A Canadian Story. And they all start the same way: Hollywood duped us.

Steve McQueen on a motorcycle and all that American chest-thumping played well in theatres back in 1963, but history told a different story. For one thing, says Barris, there were no Americans involved in The Great Escape. This astounding act of stealth was undertaken by British and Commonwealth airmen, including many Canadians, being held as prisoners of war at the Stalag Luft III camp.

"I begin my talk by kicking Hollywood," says Barris, who speaks at a meeting of the Lundy's Lane Historical Society Thursday at the Victoria Avenue library.

"They got it wrong! But the small print is, were it not for Steve McQueen, John Sturges, who made the film, and all the cast of Hollywood greats?I wouldn't have nearly the attention drawn to my book as I do."

Despite being a fascinating story on its own, Barris says Hollywood's embellishments brought the great escape to the world, and in many cases prompted people to seek out the real chain of events.
"Hollywood tends to focus us, even if the story's wrong, on the great events of human history," he says.

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Go Canuks :thumbsup

wait wait wait.... so there was a guy that really ate 50 boiled eggs? :winkwink:

My childhood was a lie. :(

no surprise, many historical hollywood films add americans for added draw for the home audience. it was one of the major jokes of the film "Churchill - the Hollywood years"

still a good movie.

To be fair, anyone that uses Hollywood movies for history lessons is not exactly the sharpest knife in the drawer.

Hollywood movies are not historical documentaries. They are created for one thing, and one thing only: to make money for their investors and the studios. Writers take an idea, and construct scenarios around carefully crafted plotlines and character development to attract people to spend money. Some are better than others.

If this same movie were created in Japan, they'd probably have a Japanese focused hero. Or in Britain, or in Canada, etc. When in Rome, cater to the demographic where you can turn the greatest profit. :)

That's very true - but the world is populated with a LOT of dull knives that are easily confused and propagandized.

I'd imagine if you polled a hundred people - the majority would think quite a lot (if not all) of the movie was somewhat historically accurate.

Great Movie and will watch is again next time I see it playing

Does it make it more real though knowing Steve McQueen did his own motorcycle stunts in the film?

I think it should.

We are talking McQueen here. He invented cool and pretty much set a standard by which all others must stand judged and not quite worthy.

There are not and never have been any Canadians as cool as Steve McQueen.

yep, doesnt change that fact