The Great Escaper, released today (6 October 2023, is based on the true story from the summer of 2014, where World War II veteran Bernard 'Bernie' Jordan sneaks out of his care home to attend the 70th anniversary commemoration of the D-Day landings in Normandy.
Which is better, the last rifleman or The Great Escaper?
The film makers take some liberties with the story which deviate from true life, specifically around his wife and her death before he departs for Normandy. Having seen the Great Escaper, I found myself comparing the two films and these little differences were annoying. I found The Great Escaper the better film by far.
I found the film to be good. It's a great story which actually happened & a feel good/heart felt sort of film. Michael Caine, at the age of 90 & still acting, does a great job as an old navy war veteran. The other actors do a great job with their roles too.
Is The Last Rifleman based on the same story as The Great Escaper?
The film is loosely based on the true story of British D-Day veteran Bernard Jordan, who left his care home in England to travel to France. Another film based on Jordan's story, The Great Escaper, starring Michael Caine, was released a few weeks earlier.
Mark Kermode reviews The Great Escaper - Kermode and Mayo's Take
How true is The Great Escaper movie on Wikipedia?
It is based on the true story of 89-year-old British World War II Royal Navy veteran Bernard Jordan who "broke out" of his nursing home to attend the 70th anniversary D-Day commemorations in France in June 2014.
He was reported missing – and when the reason for his disappearance emerged, he was nicknamed the Great Escaper, making headlines around the world. The film's director Oliver Parker told Brighton and Hove News that Bernie and Rene had no children and few family members, making it harder to research their life stories.
As is told in a brief message at the end of the film, Bernie died six months after his trip to France, with Irene passing away just seven days later. The Great Escaper is currently showing in UK cinemas.
The story is inspired by World War II veteran Bernard Jordan who, at 89 years-old, sneaked out of his care home in East Sussex, boarded a bus to Portsmouth, got on a ferry to France and made his way to Normandy for the 70th anniversary commemorations of the D-Day landings in June 2014.
The word on the street was that The Rifleman was cancelled after its five-year-long stint on air due to low ratings. But at the same time, rumors were swirling that it was because Johnny Crawford was getting too old and the father-son dynamic was losing its touch with audiences.
A film that is quite emotional as a D-Day veteran 'escapes' the confines (not in a jailbreak sense) of his care home to attend the 70th anniversary in France, causing a media frenzy in the process!
He became known as The Great Escaper, and now their story is told in a film starring Michael Caine and Glenda Jackson, in her final role. Danny Pike caught up with Director Oliver Parker and writer William Ivory. First thing to clear up, why did they use Hastings seafront instead of Brighton? It looks great, but why?
How many cartridges did the Rifleman's rifle hold?
The 1892 rifle with a 24″ barrel held 12 rounds in the magazine and 1 in the chamber. The 20″ barrel model held only 10+1, and the 16″ barrel model held only 8+1.
How many times does the rifleman shoot his gun in the intro?
McCain fires 12 shots from his rifle during the opening credits - seven shots in the first close-up and five more as the camera switches to another view. The blank cartridges are shorter than standard cartridges, so the magazine can hold more of the blanks.
On the first season of the 60s TV show The Rifleman, Lucas Mcain says his small cattle ranch is 4400 acres. On a real life cattle ranch, how many cows or cattle would he probably have? Probably not as many as you might think. The fictitious setting for the McLain ranch is Northern New Mexico.
How many times has John Anderson been on The Rifleman?
1961 The Rifleman (eleven episodes) as various characters, including a memorable performance as Lucas's recovered alcoholic father-in-law Sam Gibbs, who arrives in North Fork seeking forgiveness in S5 E24 "Old Man Running" which aired 3/17/1963.
A true story centring on Bernard Jordan (Michael Caine) – a near-90-year-old who staged a “great escape” from his retirement home in 2014 in order to join his fellow war veterans on a beach in Normandy to commemorate their fallen comrades – the film's layer of sentimentality threatens to give way to a certain schmaltz, ...
Is the new film The Great Escaper based on a true story?
The great escaper is a new release this week and is based on the true story of Bernard Jordan played by the iconic Michael Caine. Whilst living in his care home in Hove, England with his wife Irene played brilliantly by Glenda Jackson (RIP) WW2 veteran Bernie wishes to attend the 70th anniversary D day event in France.
The escape enraged the Germans and a directive was issued by Hitler to shoot all of the recaptured men. In the end 50 were killed, an act that horrified the Luftwaffe. Charles said: "The following day [after The Great Escape] we were kept most of the day on the parade ground.
Irene Jordan, 88, died on Tuesday evening, a week after her husband who famously slipped away from his care home to attend last year's 70th anniversary D-Day events in France.
Out in cinemas today, The Great Escaper details the incredible tale of Bernie Jordan, the 89-year-old Second World War veteran and RNLI supporter. Bernie made headlines in 2014 when he made a dash from his retirement home in Hove to commemorate the 70th anniversary of D-Day in France.
