THE GREAT ESCAPE & THE CINCINNATI KID!

Week #2 of the 5-Week "Virtual Film Festival" on "Friday Movie Suggestion Night" continues with my tribute to Steve McQueen (1930-1980). It's a wonderful project and we are moving chronologically over a 20-year span I've carved out with just 12 out of a total 30 films that showcase the sheer range of this fine actor. Let's move ahead with our second pair:

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Based on a true story, (filmed in 1963) "The Great Escape" deals with the largest Allied escape attempt from a German POW camp during the Second World War. The first part of the film focuses on the escape efforts within the camp and the process of secretly digging an escape tunnel. The second half of the film deals with the massive effort by the German Gestapo to track down the over 70 escaped prisoners who are--at this point---throughout the Third Reich attempting to make their way to England and various neutral countries. The Nazi's concept for rounding up the most dangerous and skillful prisoners likely to escape and housing them in a fortified concentration camp wasn't too brilliant in hindsight. The film is also memorable for the highly dangerous motorcycle stunt wherein Bud Ekins (one of Steve's doubles) handles the actual jump in one attempt. It was Ekins who was responsible for both setting down a motorcycle in "Bullitt" filmed 5 years later, and handling the Mustang GT airborne jumps in that film's famous car chase. Then as here, however, McQueen was an expert motorcycle rider and did handle the driving up to the jump as Nazi's approached. As in "Bullitt", McQueen wanted to handle the stunt himself, however, his insurance coverage provisions prevented this. The film was highly confrontational for McQueen who viewed the rushes only to see handsome James Garner showcased. Enraged, McQueen stormed off the set in mid-production on a motorcycle for two weeks causing considerable delays. Walter Mirisch at one point decided to combine the McQueen role with those of James Garner and "Big X" (Richard Attenborough). The following day, the entire office of the William Morris Agency flew in to the movie location in Munich and brokered an agreement suitable to McQueen. To Mirisch's credit, he said in 2005 that in retrospect, Steve's job was to expand his role and that they really had to respect that. Check out this AWESOME cast! Steve McQueen is Captain Hilts "The Cooler King"; James Garner is Flight Lt. Hendley, "The Scrounger"; Richard Attenborough (before he was knighted)...is Squadron Leader Roger Bartlett "Big X"; James Donald is Group Captain Ramsey, "The SRO"; Charles Bronson is Flight Lt. Danny Velinsky "The Tunnel King"; Donald Plesance plays an unforgettable role as Flight Lt. Colin Blythe "The Forger"; James Coburn is Flight Officer Louis Sedgwick "The Manufacturer"; Hannes Messemer is Col. Von Luger and David McCallum is Lt. Commander Eric Ashley-Pitt "Dispersal". (You have to love how these nick-names revealed the talents of this group!). This really was the break-out role that cemented McQueen's career as "The King of Cool"!

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In 1965, Norman Jewison shot a coming-of-age 1930's picture of the New Orleans gambling world where Edward G. Robinson--in one of his final film appearances--is an unbeatable master of gambling halls who is paired with up and coming Steve McQueen with plenty of intensity. Director Norman Jewison recalled that McQueen's "street smarts" and lack of sophistication with the manner in which he delivered lines irritated Robinson. McQueen would repeatedly look at his shoes before delivering a line and Robinson, the elder actor who spoke four languages fluently found McQueen hard to accept and complained to Jewison. Ann-Margret and Tuesday Weld deliver plenty of sass and sex appeal. In the latter case, Weld really bonds with McQueen as a vulnerable loner who is lost and they play off each other very well. Jewison almost refused testing McQueen because the perception he had was that McQueen "had not done too much" up to that point, despite a television Western series and films such as "Love with a Proper Stranger" (a drama/comedy filmed in black & white in New York City with the beautiful Natalie Wood). Then came The Great Escape". It took America and the world by a storm and was so well received that Jewison took a chance on McQueen's instincts (many were responsible for actions not in the script) and thge result was a brilliant performance. The ending will have you sweating! The Cast: Edward G. Robinson as Lancey Howard; Ann-Marget as Melba Nile; Karl Malden as "Shooter"; Tuesday Weld as Christian Rudd; Joan Blondell as "Lady Fingers"; Rip Torn is William Jefferson Slade; Cab Calloway is "Yeller" and James Weston (whom we'll see in a future film by Jewison with McQueen) is "The Pig". Directed by: Norman Jewison. Another "Classic"! It's worth noting that the vision Neile McQueen and husband Steve had for his image would reach full maturity within the following 36 months! And in spite of the tensions between the young McQueen and a veteran like Robinson, they play together brilliantly here! Later in the festival, I'll share an amusing story about Steve driving over to Norman's home in California to convince him that he should be cast in yet another film Jewison had his doubts about!

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HAVE FUN!