The Great Escape Trivia Questions

Answer: Bob

Admittedly, it's heard very briefly, and never heard again after this scene.

Answer: Blythe is going blind

Colin Blythe, the forger, suffers from progressive myopia. He tries to trick Roger into believing that he can see well enough but is caught out. Hendley convinces Bartlett to allow Colin to escape with him, that he will be his eyes.

Answer: rode motorcycles

During their first stint in the cooler Ives asked Hilts if he played baseball in the States. Hilts replies that he went to college and did a bit of bike riding. Ives says 'Bicycles?' and Hilts says no, motorcyles.

Answer: Railroad Tracks

Ashley-Pitt (AKA Eric), is killed by an officer at a railroad station in Germany. He kills the Gestapo officer who has recognized Bartlett. He dies to save Bartlett and MacDonald, who die a little later.

Answer: Australian

One way that we know Sedgewick is Australian because he says "mate" in the movie. Sedgewick is played by James Coburn.

Answer: the war is over

Said by Virgil Hilts. He says this to Colonel Von Luger, clearly expressing that he intends to keep trying to escape. These escape attempts eventually earned Hilts the nickname "The Cooler King."

Answer: train

They rode a train then stole a plane but crashed before they could fly to Switzerland.

Answer: Willie

This was the only job they had in the camp. Danny was from Poland, Willie from England.

Answer: 'The Bridge on the River Kwai' and 'King Rat'

Donald gave two of the best performances of his long career, first as Major Clipton in 'The Bridge on the River Kwai', and then as the weary Dr. Kennedy in 'King Rat'.

Answer: 17

It is the seventeenth tunnel he has started during his time as a p.o.w.

Answer: Captain

The fact that Hilts stresses his rank to the Kommandant prolongs the length of his first confinement in the cooler.

Answer: chess

Blythe and Hendley are playing a game of chess when a venal camp guard named Werner (Robert Graf) enters their barracks. Hendley introduces Werner to Blythe and assures the guard that it is quite safe to speak candidly in front of Blythe. After Werner leaves the room, Blythe declares "checkmate" on his roommate.

Answer: BYRRH

Byrrh, a French aperitif, is a blend of red wine and tonic water. It sold well in the early twentieth century.

Answer: July 4

On that day the Americans gave out "moonshine" to every one in the camp, leaving the huts unattended and allowing the guards to find the trap door to tunnel Tom. That was the day when Ives got killed when trying to escape over the wire.

Answer: 250

Said by Virgil Hilts and Roger Bartlett. Bartlett tries to recruit Hilts into their plan by using him as an explorer so he can find out what's beyond the camp. Hilts thinks the plan is crazy, but agrees to help dig the tunnel.

Answer: He went blind.

He actually was almost successful, but because he was blind he was an easy target to be shot, after the aircraft Hendley stole for them ran out of fuel and crashed. They were still in Germany, and a Nazi patrol spotted Colin and shot him.

Answer: Hilts

Hilts was brought back by car and talked to Von Luger before going to the cooler.

Answer: 76

76 before they were discovered.

Answer: Piglet

Ives' character in the movie was probably very loosely based on Henry 'Piglet' Lammond, who originated the original mole tunnel idea.

Answer: the camp dentist

Werner is telling Hendley about his bad teeth when he makes this less than intelligent comment. He quickly begs Hendley not to repeat what he has said or 'Zzzzt, the Russian Front...'

Answer: see Berlin from the ground and the air

At the end of the film, as the Kommandant is being removed from his command and Hilts is returned to the camp, Von Luger tells Hilts 'It appears that you will see Berlin before I do.'

Answer: a 35mm camera

Hendley is an adroit pickpocket; he lifts Werner's wallet in order to pass identity papers and documents along to Blythe, who then expertly forges them. In a friendly tone of voice, Hendley promises to help Werner locate his "lost" wallet. In exchange, however, Werner must obtain a 35 mm camera with a focal plane. Blythe then uses the camera to take photos of the prisoners in order to make their forged passports look authentic.

Answer: Hendley and Colin

During all of the railroad sequences, an old engine and two cars were rented for the scenes, actors and camera equipment. Scenes were shot on a single rail line, in Germany and a railroad worker had to alert them when to pull over to avoid hitting scheduled trains.
Hendley and Colin jumped off the train because the Gestapo men were checking for passes and they didn't have them. They would have gotten killed if they'd been caught.

Answer: Danny

Claustrophobia is the fear of tight enclosed spaces, and Danny panics in the tunnel when the lights go out. Danny is played by Charles Bronson.

Answer: getting

Said by Collin Blythe to Bob Hendley, just before he dies on the hilltop.