Kathy, some interesting facts about the motorcycle scenes from "The Great Escape" (one of my favorite "guy" movie scenes, right up there with the car chase in "Bullitt")

Contrary to many of the urban legends associated with films, Steve McQueen didn't do that stunt himself. He was one hell of a motorcycle rider, but Bud Ekins (the same man who drove the Mustang in the "Bullitt" chase scene) was the man who tried to make that Triumph fly...and it was a STOCK Triumph with some minor cosmetic modifications to try and make it look like a BMW or Zundapp German military bike. Ekins had to make that 500 pound pig of a bike try to fly over the first fence and land gracefully, and I've read an interview with Bud where he said that was one of the greatest stunts he's ever pulled off. Nowadays, that stunt would have been done using a heavily modified bike with a dirtbike suspension.

Now if Steve had managed to steal a Bultaco Pursang or Yamaha XT500 from that German soldier, he would have cleared both fences with ease.

As we are introduced to the characters, it is explained that all of the "troublemakers" in Luftwaffe prison camps have been placed here, where there has never been a successful escape. Charles Bronson and James Coburn try to sneak into the group of Russian prisoners that go out to cut wood. They are recognized just before the gate and caught. Two other guys have attempted to bury themselves in trucks carrying tree limbs (one by jumping off a barracks roof), but the Germans check them with a pitchfork, and they surrender themselves. This is all background so we can see how thorough and vigilant the Germans are at this camp. Then the main British character is brought in. His motives are questioned because he seems to be obsessed with escape to the point of recklessness. He then proceeds to outline his plan to break out 300 men using three tunnels. And we're off!

A-bloody-HA!

Thanks Chris!

Actually Steve McQueen chased himself in that scene. As Russ said, it was Bud Ekins who jumped the bike, but McQueen couldn't stay out of the scene, so he put on a German uniform and ended up as one of the Germans on the mototcycles chasing himself. Make sense?

I actually knew that, Steve. He was the only one who could do some of the stunt riding over the fields, etc. He really did know what he was doing when it came to bikes.

Another interesting piece of McQueen trivia is his willingness to tell the studio insurance-weenies to go get stuffed. The studios kept insisting that McQueen stop riding competitive motocross races, so "Steve McQueen" stopped registering in competitive races - HOWEVER this guy named "Harvey Mushman" suddenly appeared on the motocross circuit. He rode like McQueen, sounded like McQueen, and looked like McQueen...he even slept with McQueen's wife! The motocross community was cool about his secret identity, and didn't narc him out to the studios. The Elsinore Grand Prix in Southern California was one of McQueen's favorite races, and even today some riders register & ride under the name "Harvey Mushman" in honor of the late movie star.

If you want to see footage of Steve McQueen screwing around & having fun on his bike, rent "On Any Sunday". It's a documentary with a semi-annoying (OK, really annoying) early seventies soft jazz pseudo-pornfilm soundtrack, but it's got a fascinating viewpoint into several disciplines of motorcycle racing & recreation. Bruce Brown, the man who made the film, also made "Endless Summer", the surfing documentary from '66, I think. The coolest part of the movie is the scenes near the end where Steve McQueen and two of his competitive friends go dune & trail riding for fun.