HowardM
Guest
Real life Great Escapers finally see The Great Escape in support of Help For Heroes.
On May 29th at the White Rock Theatre in Hastings, East Sussex the nearly 50 year old feud between the movie The Great Escape and those brave men who took part in the real life Great Escape back in 1944 will finally be laid to rest. Squadron Leader Alfie Fripp and Flight Lieutenant Jack Lyon, who were both wartime POWs in the notorious Stalag Luft III and took part in the build up and execution of the mass escape, will watch the film for the first time since they publically shunned it back on its premier release in 1963.
The stellar Hollywood cast of The Great Escape that included Richard Attenborough, James Garner, Charles Bronson and of course Steve McQueen as the fictional Captain Virgil Hilts, has ensured that the film is still as popular today as it was on first release. The famous Elmer Bernstein theme tune is whistled today by football fans and soldiers alike as a show of defiance and camaraderie. The Great Escape is the perfect film to represent the spirit of Help For Heroes. On May 29th the big screen presentation of the Great Escape will be given the added poignancy of being supported by the contemporary real life heroes of the Band of the Royal Gurkha Rifles.
Squadron Leader Alfie Fripp and Flight Lieutenant Jack Lyon were Prisoners of war in the notorious Stalag Luft III during WW2 at the time of the real life Great Escape when 76 prisoners achieved their mass breakout. Alfie Fripp was a logistics officer in charge of Red Cross parcels which were key to equipping the escapers and Jack Lyon was at number 88 of 220 position in the tunnel ready to escape when the German “Goons” discovered the mass breakout attempt on the night of March 24/25th 1944.
Alfie and Jack worked as consultants on the 1963 John Sturges film The Great Escape and were invited to the premier in Leicester Square. After they had seen the film, they and many of their ex POW comrades swore never to watch it again, they said it was a travesty of their real life experiences. They particularly objected to the fictional Steve McQueen character of Virgil Hilts the “Cooler King” and the way the film handled the deaths of 50 of the escapees who were murdered on Hitlers orders.
Alfie and Jack will be guests of honour at the only motorcycle film festival in Europe and will be involved in a Q & A session which they hope will finally bury the hatchet between themselves and The Great Escape. Due to their age, they are both in their 90s, This is probably one of the last opportunities they will have. This event is in support of Help For Heroes and also includes music from the Band of the Royal Gurkha Rifles.
Along with the Great Escape there are three other great biking movies at the festival. The very rare and incredibly influential Eectra Glide In Blue, I, Superbiker and the new Harley Davidson sponsored Brit Biker movie Gun of the Black Sun. Other guests at the film festival include Mark Sloper, Director of I,Superbiker and round Africa adventure biker Conway Spencer.
Tickets for individual screenings £9.00 Great Escape / Gurkha Gala £14.00 / All day, all film VIP GOLD PASS £28.00
For further information www.bike1066filmfest.com
There would be something wonderfully ironic about more BMWs than Triumphs turning up considering the well known (mis)use of a 1960s Triumph instead of a Beemer in 1940s Germany.
Look forward to seeing you there.
On May 29th at the White Rock Theatre in Hastings, East Sussex the nearly 50 year old feud between the movie The Great Escape and those brave men who took part in the real life Great Escape back in 1944 will finally be laid to rest. Squadron Leader Alfie Fripp and Flight Lieutenant Jack Lyon, who were both wartime POWs in the notorious Stalag Luft III and took part in the build up and execution of the mass escape, will watch the film for the first time since they publically shunned it back on its premier release in 1963.
The stellar Hollywood cast of The Great Escape that included Richard Attenborough, James Garner, Charles Bronson and of course Steve McQueen as the fictional Captain Virgil Hilts, has ensured that the film is still as popular today as it was on first release. The famous Elmer Bernstein theme tune is whistled today by football fans and soldiers alike as a show of defiance and camaraderie. The Great Escape is the perfect film to represent the spirit of Help For Heroes. On May 29th the big screen presentation of the Great Escape will be given the added poignancy of being supported by the contemporary real life heroes of the Band of the Royal Gurkha Rifles.
Squadron Leader Alfie Fripp and Flight Lieutenant Jack Lyon were Prisoners of war in the notorious Stalag Luft III during WW2 at the time of the real life Great Escape when 76 prisoners achieved their mass breakout. Alfie Fripp was a logistics officer in charge of Red Cross parcels which were key to equipping the escapers and Jack Lyon was at number 88 of 220 position in the tunnel ready to escape when the German “Goons” discovered the mass breakout attempt on the night of March 24/25th 1944.
Alfie and Jack worked as consultants on the 1963 John Sturges film The Great Escape and were invited to the premier in Leicester Square. After they had seen the film, they and many of their ex POW comrades swore never to watch it again, they said it was a travesty of their real life experiences. They particularly objected to the fictional Steve McQueen character of Virgil Hilts the “Cooler King” and the way the film handled the deaths of 50 of the escapees who were murdered on Hitlers orders.
Alfie and Jack will be guests of honour at the only motorcycle film festival in Europe and will be involved in a Q & A session which they hope will finally bury the hatchet between themselves and The Great Escape. Due to their age, they are both in their 90s, This is probably one of the last opportunities they will have. This event is in support of Help For Heroes and also includes music from the Band of the Royal Gurkha Rifles.
Along with the Great Escape there are three other great biking movies at the festival. The very rare and incredibly influential Eectra Glide In Blue, I, Superbiker and the new Harley Davidson sponsored Brit Biker movie Gun of the Black Sun. Other guests at the film festival include Mark Sloper, Director of I,Superbiker and round Africa adventure biker Conway Spencer.
Tickets for individual screenings £9.00 Great Escape / Gurkha Gala £14.00 / All day, all film VIP GOLD PASS £28.00
For further information www.bike1066filmfest.com
There would be something wonderfully ironic about more BMWs than Triumphs turning up considering the well known (mis)use of a 1960s Triumph instead of a Beemer in 1940s Germany.
Look forward to seeing you there.
