1943, in Germany, in a prison camp. The spectacular escape of a hundred Allied prisoners..
Steve McQueen is upset. He has just watched the first rushes of The Great Escape, and the actor who is on the rise (he exploded three years earlier, in 1960, in The 7 Mercenaries by the same director, John Sturges) does not appreciate the virtual disappearance of his character for around thirty minutes, in the middle of the film. The role of the cool captain Virgil Hilts fits him like a (baseball) glove, and this scenario, inspired by the true story of Allied officers escaping from a German camp in 1942, is the perfect vehicle to establish his popularity.
So it requires rewriting: a standoff begins with John Sturgestried to delete his character. But the filmmaker capitulated to the United Artists studio, convinced that McQueen was essential to the success of the film. A screenwriter will respond to the wishes of the actor, who will win the legendary motorcycle chase scene, iconizing him forever. Steve McQueen is a star, and the rest is history.
Tonight at 9:00 p.m., until is rebroadcasting this cult film, rich in spectacular sequences. Inspired by real events, The Great Escape has become an undisputed classic of the genre.
FRANCIS LÉGER
