description The Great Escape Screenplay Overview
James Clavell and W. R. Burnett wrote the screenplay for the 1963 war film The Great Escape, adapting Paul Brickhill's nonfiction book. It dramatizes the efforts of Allied prisoners of war held at Stalag Luft III, a German camp, to organize a mass escape during the Second World War.
The screenplay focuses on planning, tunnel construction, concealment, cooperation, and the differing responsibilities of prisoners who participate in or support the operation.
help The Great Escape Screenplay FAQ
How historically accurate is The Great Escape screenplay?
James Clavell and W.R. Burnett adapt Paul Brickhill's nonfiction account of the mass escape from Stalag Luft III during World War II. The screenplay preserves the three-tunnel plan but changes or combines characters for a more concentrated ensemble story.
Why are the tunnels called Tom, Dick, and Harry?
The prisoners name the tunnels Tom, Dick, and Harry so construction and communication can continue even if one is discovered. In the film's climactic escape, Harry is the tunnel that reaches beyond the camp perimeter.
Was Virgil Hilts a real prisoner?
Steve McQueen's Virgil Hilts is a fictional character created to represent the many escape-minded Allied prisoners in the camp. His motorcycle jumps and repeated escape attempts are cinematic additions rather than a direct biography of one real prisoner.
What happens to the escapees in the screenplay?
The escape succeeds for a limited group, but many prisoners are recaptured after the tunnel exits are discovered outside the camp. The screenplay also depicts the murder of 50 recaptured men, reflecting the historical execution that became known as the Stalag Luft III murders.
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