The Great Escape II: The Untold Story

THe Great Escape II: The Untold Story
Official poster
Written by Walter Halsey Davis
Directed by Paul Wendkos
Jud Taylor
Starring Christopher Reeve
Judd Hirsch
Donald Pleasence
Charles Haid
Ian McShane
Tony Denison
Andrew Bicknell
Theme music composer Johnny Mandel
Country of origin United States
Original language(s) English
Production
Producer(s) Jud Taylor
Cinematography Dietrich Lohmann
Editor(s) Christopher Cooke
Paul LaMastra
Running time 178 minutes
Production company(s) Michael Jaffe Films
Distributor NBC
Release
Original network NBC
Original release November 6, 1988 (1988-11-06)

The Great Escape II: The Untold Story is a 1988 American made-for-television action-adventure drama film and a sequel to The Great Escape (1963) starring Christopher Reeve, Judd Hirsch, Anthony Denison, Ian McShane, and Charles Haid. Donald Pleasence in a supporting role plays a member of the SS (in the 1963 original Pleasence had played Flight-Lieutenant Colin Blythe, 'The Forger').

The Great Escape II is not a true sequel, as it dramatizes the escape itself just as the original film does, although mostly using the real names of the individuals involved (whereas the original film fictionalized them and used composite characters). The murder of the prisoners in this film is more accurate than in the 1963 original, with the POWs being shot individually or in pairs, but other portions of the film are fictional. It depicts the search for those responsible for the murder of the Allied officers, and the subsequent trials. The film features the exploits of Major Johnnie Dodge[1] (played by Christopher Reeve), an American-born British Army officer and cousin of Winston Churchill, and largely follows his journey to freedom after the escape. The second half of the film is based on the post-war investigation into the murders of fifty of the escapees by the Gestapo, conducted by Dodge and two fictional Americans (whereas in fact it was conducted by the Royal Air Force Special Investigation Branch).

Cast

Reception

Awards

The film was nominated for the Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Miniseries or a Special award at the Primetime Emmy Awards

References

  1. ↑ Carroll, Tim (2013). The Dodger, The Extraordinary Story of Churchill's Cousin and the Great Escape. Mainstream Publishing. ISBN 978-1-780-57606-0.


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