Steve McQueen in Great Escape
Next post: Cary Grant
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This picture is obviously from the set of The Great Escape. Here’s an interesting Steve McQueen fact. Mr. McQueen did all of his own motorcycle stunts and would only ride Triumph motorcycles. If you’ll remember, he steals this bike from the Germans and jumps the fence. Notice the bike, it’s a Triumph. You say, “but wait, the Germans used BMW bikes.” You’d be right. Steve McQueen, however, gets what Steve McQueen wants.
Let’s remember this: the Cary Grant and Steve McQueen who we admire from movies were the facile creations of Hollywood. In real life, both of these men struggled with the dissonance between their public images and their real selves. I’m not saying that either was a bad guy; they were not. But let’s choose our heroes from those living among us, not from those up on the screen.
@William T. McIntyre, McQueen liked and rode all kinds of motorcycles, In addition to several Triumphs, he owned Indians, Husqvarnas, and Hondas to name a few.
And while McQueen did many of his own stunts, the most dangerous ones were performed by his friend and fellow racer, Bud Ekins.
For a great read about McQueen’s cars, motorcycles, stunts, and racing, try /McQueen’s Machines/ by Matt Stone.
Jason,
You beat me to it. Steve McQueen is one of my personal heroes but he did not do the motorcycle jump scene in TGE; Bud Ekins did. Ironically, the motorcycle was done up to look like a German military machine, but was actually a Triumph. The bike still exists.
Sorry to say that Mc Queen did not do the jump stunt in “The Great Escape”
I believe it was Bud Atkins
Steve said… “The bike still exists.” That is a common misconception. You’ll see various quotes on websites that both confirm and contradict that. The truth is that the 4 bikes that Bud Ekins and Kenny Howard made for the movie came back to Sherman Oaks were put back stock and sold. Dave Ekins, Bud’s brother just recently confirmed that.
Really nice pic, I really love his movies
He is the coolest old school actor
Do you know if the fabricators on the bikes in this movie got any help/parts from a fabricator with the last name of Chastain? Thanks!