Steve McQueen Motorcycle Jump in The Great Escape

[mikesbaron]

Interesting fact: the barbed wire fence in this scene was actually rubber band strands twisted and knotted to look like actual barbed wire. Just another safety precaution in case they didn't make a clean jump.

[ratsayjp]

いまはこんな綺麗なカラーで表現できるんだな。

映像技術てすげーよ。

[megastoobs]

No unfortunately he comes off the bike and lands in the barbed wire and is taken back to the prisoner of war camp

[ComfortableLate]

The ending is not shown so I assumed he made the jump into Switzerland and lived happily ever after.

[TahreyUK]

a minute of him riding back and forth before going for it, then the clip fades halfway through the jump itself.

well done guys, nice editing.

[bobodd5]

@but a good actor

[delavalmilker]

Today's "actors" can't hold a candle to Steve McQueen!

[Pitfeder]

Bud Ekins ist gesprungen..!

Friend and Stuntmen.

[BuckNekkid3000]

That wasn't Steve McQueen; it was Bud Ekins. I thought everyone knew that. RIP Bud.

[cuauhtemocmeratovar]

Que barbaro el señor, siempre en sus películas impregnadas de aventura y acción, era un tipazo!!!

[MrV1C7OR]

I love the soundtrack of this film, Because it makes a very sad history about prisoners of war turn into a somekind of parody about the nazi germany POW camps !

[TheGoldcountry]

@MrV1C7OR If you watch the movie, it doesn't parody their lives at all. It makes it clear that they were aware that their efforts might come to nothing, but would still have meaning. The fact that this particular scene has great music, and is a great action scene (which holds up against modern sfx movies) doesnt diminish that fact

[nofearman251]

Bud Ekins did the actual jump

[

[BuyBenco]

WAAAAAAAAAAEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!­!!!!

[kadelnaentou]

Did Steve McQueen jump over the barrier or it was a stuntman?

[stephenthebassist]

@kadelnaentou That was about the only stunt in the movie he didn't do. He wanted to, but insurance wouldn't cover him, he was worth too much. Interestingly though, he was too fast for the stunt riders dressed as german soldiers who chased him earlier in the movie, so several of the motorcycle chase scenes where germans are chasing McQueen is actually McQueen dressed in a german outfit and was overlayed in editing.

[aisapellis1]

Steve McQueen's my favorite actor of all time. James Coburn, who's also in the movie, second. He's credited with turning McQueen on to Ferrari’s, owning 2 of them in the early 1960s, at the same time. One was a Ferrari 250 GT Lusso, the other the Ferrari 250 GT Spyder California SWB. His was the thirteenth of just fifty-six built. Coburn imported the pre owned car in 1964, shortly after completing The Great Escape.

[Gallipoli620]

He didn't make the jump because Switzerland isn't cool enough for him.

[azidiot99]

Steve did NOT make the jump in the movie. The director/producer would not let him.

[DmitryAkaTirpiz]

Fuck MGM

[lostpeoplefinder]

This is one of the best fiction movie clips. There was a Sagan but all of the Americans by the time of the escape had been moved out to other camps. My uncles pilot along with the other officers on his plane where there before the escape and were shipped to Moosberg earlier that year along with most of the Americans. My uncle along with the other enlisted men where all shipped to Stalag 17b another camp that a movie was made of. But both are great films.

[foist101]

@lostpeoplefinder Yup, just google Wally Floody. Since it was made by an American company of course they are going to make the Americans heroes. Either way its still a fantastic movie!

[murda2skater17]

two people are nazis.

[bronxe187th]

a movie that can never be considered for a remake

[fairportfan2]

McQueen didn't do the jump, no - but he was Nazi on the other bike chasing himself...

[spartacusvikinga]

@fairportfan2 You are right. He did not do the jump. It was the stuntman 'Bud Ekins'. born in Hollywood USA.

Source: McQueen. The Biography: Christopher Sandford.

The bike was a 1961 650cc Triumph disguised as a side valve wartime BMW. The twelve foot jump was taken in 4th gear at 65 mph

[t3chm4r1n3]

Steve McQueen did not do this jump. It was a stuntman from New Zealand.

[awsomeoggy]

Too bad he wasn't carrying E.T. around when making that jump.

[MegaFilthyMcnasty]

it always upset me that mqueen didn't get away.

[TheMuninn]

He wasn't caught he just went back to get his baseball glove

[lamilumag]

@MegaFilthyMcnasty thanks for the spoiler...

[MegaFilthyMcnasty]

@lamilumag lol this movie has been out since '63 and you haven't seen it yet?

[ZeroGravityGuitar87]

@MegaFilthyMcnasty HE WAS SO FRICKEN CLOSE! By far my favorite character from this great film!

[BoredomSlayers]

@MegaFilthyMcnasty Fuck you for spoining the film!

[MegaFilthyMcnasty]

@BoredomSlayers well if you watched this fucking video then it's already spoiled huh?

[cochranexyz]

@BoredomSlayers Do yourself a favor, kid. Watch this whole film. Be a man.

[BoredomSlayers]

@cochranexyz I did. One of my favorites! I just don't see the point in spoiling a movie..

[KingCast65]

@MegaFilthyMcnasty

Of course he didn't get away... ever see Dirty Mary Crazy Larry.... anyway there is now a replica bike!

Cut paste Google:

28 OCTOBER 2011

Hey KingCast how can I be cool like you and Steve McQueen?

Peace.

[georgetapadbol]

@MegaFilthyMcnasty it always upset me that he didn't perform the jump himself... neither did the driving in the bullit... but hey that's life...

[BeemerTwelve]

@MegaFilthyMcnasty He got away in Papillon.;-)

[Stoviecakes]

I like the part when he jumps the femce.

[kalteich]

I'll bet the motorcycle chase in Indiana Jones & The Last Crusade was inspired by this scene.

[Alexvideoclip]

Great guy, fantastic actor.

[sth892]

i like how he pats the bike out of respect at the end.

[vdelrio999]

@J2MTV Pls don't discriminate against the disabled by using retarded as an insult. Do not take this as an offense, I am asking you as a courtesy. I thank you for understanding and apologize if I have offended you.

[gorillaonrye]

Ekin also rode in the scene where Hilts wipes out into the barbed wire....the film cuts away to the approaching germans, then back to (McQueen as) Hilts in the tangle of barbed wire, which was actually clothes line with pieces of rubber twisted on to simulate barbs.....

[JeffW77]

His name is Bud EKINS. He also drove McQueen's Mustang for some of the shots in Bullitt's chase scene (and was the rider who low sided his bike rather than run into the bad guys' Charger) and also rode a motorcycle up the Delta frat house stairs in "Animal House." I believe he was also the stunt rider for "Then Came Bronson."

[eGREGie1]

In later life Steve said he could handle it, but he was a relative novice at this state.

[madcat303]

They wouldn't let Steve McQueen do this jump. 

[fairportfan2]

@madcat303

Insurance

[ulfy01]

You just can't beat that jump. So badass.

[ejp42]

this is why he is the King of cool

[yaknbo]

The actual jumper is Bud Elkins, a great stunt man and friend of MacQueen's and Sturges. WHAT a movie.

[t3chm4r1n3]

Wasn't Buk Elkins. Was Tim Gibbes from New Zealand.

[songsamsung]

@t3chm4r1n3 I had always believed it was Bud Ekins until I heard the Tim Gibbes story. I was recently living in NZ's central North Island where Gibbes is from and everyone there seems to believe that story. Now I've just watched a clip of Ekins on You Tube talking about his experience of doing the jump. Someone needs to establish the truth about this once and for all.

[songsamsung]

@t3chm4r1n3 Just did some digging on this and found Gibbes' own blog. He says a lot about his experiences and friendship with Ekins and it's clear that they were close longtime friends - but Gibbes says nothing about the jump. In another web forum Ekins is quoted as saying that Gibbes was present when he did the jump - but that Gibbes was only there as an observer. I don't know the truth but I must say that the weight of evidence so far does seem to favour Ekins as the real perpetrator.

[amazingdany]

Makes me wanna take motorbike classes and buy that Kawa Ninja 250 (as it was rated the better one between it and the Honda Rebel 250 by Consumer Reports hihi).

[TheOpinionationer]

@amazingdany if this scene makes you want a bike, then probably the kind of bike you want is a motard or a dual sport rather than a rebel or ninja. Definitely take some classes if you want to street ride and look up some images of motorcycle wrecks to see how you might end up.

[mate540]

Peliculón!! y sin doblajes...

[Bowzer344]

When I was watching this movie on TV and it came to the scene when he fell off the motor bike I said these two works "EPIC FAIL"

[gpglove]

Bud Ekins did the jump its well documented Steve would have done the jump but when youre a star cant afford to have anything go wrong Bud did many famous stunts including the famous bullitt chase him and Steve were good friends. Google Bud Ekins you would be suprised how many stunts in some of the more famous movies he did.

[paulfultz41]

If one guy got away it should have been him. I ride a 2005 KDX 220r and cant imagine trying the stunts he pulled off on bikes with suspesions like that...one of the few actors in this world who actually earned a pay check.

[un1onjk]

Steve did make all of the stunts seen in this movie EXCEPT THIS ONE. The director refused to allow him to do so and had a stunt man come in at the last second. Steve did however do most of the German rider shots in this chase too since he was a better rider than the actors they had portraying them, often you will see Steve ride through in a scene followed by a German/Steve in disguise. He also attended many Motocross events in Europe on the weekends during filming and was quite a contender.

[joshuadoyle7]

@un1onjk that is a lie ... steve mcqueen did the jump stunt ... it was said on a television interview.

[Factnotfictionpeople]

@joshuadoyle7 Sorry, it Was Bud Ekins. :-)

[clivetemple]

@joshuadoyle7 I don't think that's true. Steve McQueen is in this scene playing one of the Germans.

[nealtracy]

@joshuadoyle7 ,,,,McQueen rode the bike for every scene except the jump scene.....which was performed by Bud Elkins.....

[nealtracy]

@joshuadoyle7 In the scenes leading up to the big jump where Virgil Hilts is being chased by the Germans, director John Sturges struck a problem. McQueen as Hilts kept out running the less skilled German riders chasing him. The solution... Steve did his own riding as Virgil, and then donned a German bike helmet and uniform and did the riding for the pursuing German troops. In effect, through clever film editing, you see Steve McQueen chasing Steve McQueen in the final film!

[spartacusvikinga]

@joshuadoyle7 He did not do the jump. It was the stuntman 'Bud Ekins'. born in Hollywood USA.

Source: McQueen. The Biography: Christopher Sandford.

The bike was a 1961 650cc Triumph disguised as a side valve wartime BMW. The twelve foot jump was taken in 4th gear at 65 mph. Read his Biography..page 142,

[transonicbuoy1]

Good comment mate on the model, and I don`t know.

[sniperdario]

@theoldmanlives no ! he want to do the jump himself with his real motorcycle

[TL250Rider]

What No BMW?

[theoldmanlives]

Steve McQueen did not do the last big jump....it was a stunman

[huckstered]

@theoldmanlives No, he didn't make that jump. What are Germans during WW two doing riding a 1968 triumph 500cc motorcycle anyway ? All baloney.

[Thruxton8]

The man that EVERY man wants to be.

A great actor, a superb driver and a fantastic rider, all this wraped up in cool.

You can't learn cool your just born cool, he was and always will be "King of Cool"

I don't think anyone has come close or anyone ever will.

I think he could even fly a plane and being McQueen he probably was great at that as well.

[huckstered]

@Thruxton8 Evil Knevil makes this guy look like a wimp. Evil was the real thing.  McQueen was a wife beater. Knievil was the ultimate gambler

and death was his opponent.

[Factnotfictionpeople]

@huckstered Yeah, I remember when Kneivil 'bottled it' on the Grand Canyon jump - the 'chute deployed before he'd cleared the ramp! lol Still, I wouldn't have even tried it.

[huckstered]

@Factnotfictionpeople Hell no, it was highly likely that ol' Knevel wasn't going to make it, but he did it anyway. Guts and determination over ruled common sense

on that one.

[nateb124]

so sad he didnt get away....

[RenegadeLulu]

Beautiful jump performed on a gorgeous triumph Bonnie, brings a tear to my eye everythime i watch this scene

[noushitaisa]

@RenegadeLulu Not a Bonneville, I'm afraid -- it was a Triumph Trophy. Neither bike was in production in WW 2 times though. Otherwise.. I entirely agree -- it is moving...

[huckstered]

@noushitaisa Couldn't tell if it was a daytona or a trophy, one had two carbs,

the daytona.

[nashnosh]

King of Cool.