These exploits were well publicized in the press, so many people assumed the star executed the jump in "The Great Escape." It became a part of his legend, and he never felt great about this because, well, this was a rare occasion when he did not perform the stunt.

Who made the motorcycle jump in The Great Escape?

Provide previously untold insights into the 1962 film epic that came to immortalise the real 'Great Escape' and the iconic motorcycle stunt performed by Bud Ekins, doubling for Steve McQueen, which has become ingrained in film history folklore.

Did Steve McQueen actually do the jump in The Great Escape?

Steve McQueen performed all of his own motorcycle stunts in The Great Escape with the exception of his characters final jump over a 6ft barbed wire fence. The final jump was performed by his stunt double, Bud Etkins [1].

What make of motorbike did Steve McQueen ride in The Great Escape?

The motorcycles used during chase scene in film The Great Escape were 1961 Triumph TR6 Trophy models disguised as German BMW R75 motorcycles. The star of the movie, Steve McQueen, did much of the riding for the film himself, although Bud Ekins performed the famous jump scene as McQueen's stunt double.

Who was Steve McQueen stunt double in The Great Escape?

Bud Ekins was Steve's stunt double. Given that McQueen was professional level motorcyclist, he might well have been able to do all of his own stunts, including the spectacular fence jump, but put yourself in the Producer and Director's shoes.

Steve McQueen - The Great Escape (motorcycle scene)

Who did the stunts in The Great Escape?

Who was the highest paid actor in The Great Escape?

Watch the trailer for The Great Escape (1963)

By then, Steve McQueen was the undisputed big name, but he was actually paid $87,500, to James Garner's $150,000. During filming he had become powerful enough to threaten to walk off the project if he wasn't given a bigger role, and he made various other ego-driven demands.

How many motorcycles did Steve McQueen own?

For McQueen, racing cars and motorcycles was his way of clearing his mind. McQueen owned around 200 motorcycles. Some of these vintage bikes included: 1951 Triumph Thunderbird, 1933 Matchless Silver Hawk, 1912 Harley-Davidson X8E Big Twin, 1970 Husqvarna 400 Cross, 1915 Cyclone Boardtracker and more.

How much did the motorbike from The Great Escape sell for?

The motocross machine fetched $186,500USD. Powered by a 396cc single-cylinder 2-stroke, the Husqvarna 400 Cross was originally purchased in 1971 by McQueen's company Solar Productions. It was then sold in 1984 by the estate of The Great Escape star and has not been ridden since the actor's death in 1980.

Was Fonzie's motorcycle used in The Great Escape?

In later seasons, it was a mildly 'bobbed' Triumph Trophy 500. As he could not ride, Henry Winkler says that he learned on the same Triumph 650 6T ridden (and jumped) by Bud Ekins in 'The Great Escape' and ended up stuffing it under a truck.

How much of The Great Escape was true?

The Great Escape plays as much like a heist as a prison break. For the most part, however, it's a broadly accurate retelling of how, in March 1944, 76 POWs tunnelled their way out of Stalag Luft III. According to historian Guy Walters, author of The Real Great Escape, it's the tone that's wrong.

Who actually got away in The Great Escape?

There were three successful escapees: Per Bergsland, Norwegian pilot of No. 332 Squadron RAF, escapee #44. Jens Müller, Norwegian pilot of No. 331 Squadron RAF, escapee #43. Bram van der Stok, Dutch pilot of No. 41 Squadron RAF, escapee #18.

Did Steve McQueen actually race?

Steve McQueen 1976 Inductee Steve McQueen avidly participated in off-road motorsports long before he became involved with some of the first organized off-road races. He drove and raced many types of off-road vehicles including motorcycles, the Baja Boot and Chevy Pickups.

Did Steve McQueen do his own driving in The Great Escape?

It featured an unprecedented (and endlessly imitated) car chase through San Francisco. Although McQueen did the driving that appeared in closeups, his was about 10% of what is seen in the film's car chase. The rest of the driving by McQueen's character was done by stunt drivers Bud Ekins and Loren Janes.

Did Steve McQueen really jump the fence in The Great Escape?

Ekins, acting as stunt double for Steve McQueen while filming The Great Escape, was the rider who performed what is considered to be one of the most famous motorcycle stunts ever performed in a movie.

What happened to the motorcycle from The Great Escape?

The bikes used in those scenes were modified Triumphs and one of them used in the film has resurfaced after many years. The bike will be on display at the Blenheim Palace's Salon Privé Concours d'Elegance near Oxford, England. McQueen was known as a hands-on actor often doing his own stunts in his films.

Did Steve McQueen do all the motorcycle stunts in The Great Escape?

Steve McQueen performed all of his own motorcycle stunts in The Great Escape with the exception of his characters final jump over a 6ft barbed wire fence. The final jump was performed by his stunt double, Bud Etkins [1].

How much is Steve McQueen's motorcycle worth?

That Husqvarna motorbike - which is mechanically very similar - was also sold by Bonhams at auction four years ago, reaching $230,500. While this examples didn't quite live up to that fee, its $186,000 winning price was well above the $130,000 lower estimate and even exceeded the top pre-sale prediction of $180,000.

Where was the motorcycle scene filmed in The Great Escape?

Sedgewick stealing a bike scene in The Great Escape

Ebersberger Strasse, located in Markt Schwaben, is a bustling street in the Bavarian region of Germany and is home to various establishments, including shops, restaurants, and residential buildings.

Who inherited Steve McQueen's money?

His pups—Juice, Callum and Minter—were included in his suicide note and had even walked the runway with him. He left the same amount of money to his godson, nieces, and nephews, as well as each of his two housekeepers. McQueen's two brothers and three sisters will each receive $410,000.

Did Steve McQueen own an Indian motorcycle?

The American Motorcycle Association (AMA) Hall of Fame entry for Steve McQueen delivers the story in a similar manner: “His first motorcycle was a 1946 Indian Chief. In a 1971 interview in Sports Illustrated, McQueen recalls that he was smitten by motorcycling from the start.

What was Steve McQueen's favorite bike?

The 1966 Métisse Mk3, despite its French-sounding name, was built by British brothers Derek and Don Rickman and was already a hugely accomplished motocross model when McQueen started to customise his.

What were the mistakes in The Great Escape?

Factual errors

The airmen did not pack overnight bags for their missions. The film shows the executions being carried out by uniformed German troops using a Spandau machine gun. In reality, the executions were done by Gestapo agents who used pistols at close range.

How old would Steve McQueen be today?

Today, March 24, 2023, would have been Steve McQueen's 93rd birthday! The popular '60s and '70s actor died at just 50 in 1980 after undergoing some unorthodox cancer treatments.