This week’s Movie Music Monday features a classic theme from a classic movie – The Great Escape. The film was released on July 4, 1963. It starred an amazing line up of stars. They include James Garner, Richard Attenborough, Charles Bronson, Donald Pleasence, James Coburn, and the legendary Steve McQueen.

The film is based on the 1950 book of the same name, which is based on an historical even that began on this day in 1944. On March 24, 1944, 76 Allied Prisoners of War began to break out of the German camp Stalag Luft III. The film accurately represented many details of the escape, including the layout of the camp, the different escape plans employed, and the fact that only three escapees successfully made it to freedom. The characters are fictitious, but are based on real men.

It was the amazing Elmer Bernstein who composed the music for the film. In composing the score, he gave each major character his own musical motif based on the Great Escape‘s main theme. The theme was so popular that Elmer lived off the royalties for the rest of his life!

Critics have said the film score succeeds because it uses rousing militaristic motifs with interludes of warmer softer themes that humanizes the prisoners and endears them to audiences; the music also captures the bravery and defiance of the POWs.

The movie is also known for Steve McQueen’s motorcycle chase scenes.