The Great Escape Quiz for Experts | Movies

Answer: Paul Brickhill

Paul Brickhill, who wrote the book from which the film is based, was piloting a Spitfire plane that was shot down over Tunisia in 1943. He was taken to Stalag Luft III (which is where the prisoners in this movie are), in Germany, where he helped with the great escape.

Answer: Eric

Eric is Ashley-Pitt's first name. He was first caught near the Red Sea. Escaping three times during his confinement, he sacrifices his life for two friends. They too get killed.

Answer: Blue and Brown

Bartlett and MacDonald get off a train at the railroad station. Bartlett is wearing a dark blue hat with a lighter blue ribbon, and MacDonald is wearing a dark brown hat with a lighter brown ribbon.

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: BYRRH

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

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: Lanius Nubicus

Lanius Nubicus is the Masked Shrike's scientific name. The shrike captures his prey on the spikes of thorn bushes. Black from head to tail, and has a white line over it's eyes, and lives in lightly wooded country.

Answer: The man in the watch tower

Ives walks toward the fence with his metal container, stops for a moment and drops the container. There's a cut screen and you see Hilts dropping his things and starting to run yelling "Ives!". The camera zooms out and Ives jumps over the warning wire.

His cap falls off, the guard starts yelling "Halt!" as Ives starts climbing the fence. An officer points a gun toward Ives, but Hilts jumps on him, and makes him fall over the warning wire. Then another guard comes and hits Hilts in the gut with the butt of his gun, making Hilts fall to the ground.

The camera goes to Ives near the top of the first fence. The guard in the watch tower shoots Ives with a machine gun in and around the chest. Ives starts to lean back, but falls down so he is holding to the wire with his elbows.

The screen cuts to Colin and Hendley, among others, standing up, then to men running toward the scene of the shooting. You see Hilts doubled up, then starting to get up with his arms across his stomach and lower chest. He looks at Ives and one of Ives' elbows gives way, and he turns sideways, kind of dangling there. Hilts gets up, and there's a drum beat.

He gets Ives's cap turns and walks towards Bartlett.

Answer: Walking

Sedgwick walks to get the bicycle, steals it, and rides it for quite some time. Then he gets on a train, goes to a cafe and walks to Spain.

Answer: To cover up oil smears

Cavendish is in Gestapo custody and is being interrogated. He makes up this story so Griffith 'tailor' will not be found out.