No Americans took part in the famous Great Escape (as depicted in the movie).
Ted Barris guesses he has done about 250 speaking engagements for his 2013 book The Great Escape: A Canadian Story. And they all start the same way: Hollywood duped us.
Steve McQueen on a motorcycle and all that American chest-thumping played well in theatres back in 1963, but history told a different story. For one thing, says Barris, there were no Americans involved in The Great Escape. This astounding act of stealth was undertaken by British and Commonwealth airmen, including many Canadians, being held as prisoners of war at the Stalag Luft III camp.
"I begin my talk by kicking Hollywood," says Barris, who speaks at a meeting of the Lundy's Lane Historical Society Thursday at the Victoria Avenue library.
"They got it wrong! But the small print is, were it not for Steve McQueen, John Sturges, who made the film, and all the cast of Hollywood greats?I wouldn't have nearly the attention drawn to my book as I do."
Despite being a fascinating story on its own, Barris says Hollywood's embellishments brought the great escape to the world, and in many cases prompted people to seek out the real chain of events.
"Hollywood tends to focus us, even if the story's wrong, on the great events of human history," he says.
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Ted Barris guesses he has done about 250 speaking engagements for his 2013 book The Great Escape: A Canadian Story. And they all start the same way: Hollywood duped us.
Steve McQueen on a motorcycle and all that American chest-thumping played well in theatres back in 1963, but history told a different story. For one thing, says Barris, there were no Americans involved in The Great Escape. This astounding act of stealth was undertaken by British and Commonwealth airmen, including many Canadians, being held as prisoners of war at the Stalag Luft III camp.
"I begin my talk by kicking Hollywood," says Barris, who speaks at a meeting of the Lundy's Lane Historical Society Thursday at the Victoria Avenue library.
"They got it wrong! But the small print is, were it not for Steve McQueen, John Sturges, who made the film, and all the cast of Hollywood greats?I wouldn't have nearly the attention drawn to my book as I do."
Despite being a fascinating story on its own, Barris says Hollywood's embellishments brought the great escape to the world, and in many cases prompted people to seek out the real chain of events.
"Hollywood tends to focus us, even if the story's wrong, on the great events of human history," he says.
Full story
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