The Great Escape is one of Charles Bronson's best-loved movies of his career.  It is the largely based on the true story of hundreds of high-ranking Allied soldiers being held prisoner in Nazi Germany during World War II.  These men are a diverse, well educated, and resourceful group who aren't about to let the Nazis keep them captive without expending lots of resources to do so.  Charles plays "Tunnel King" Danny Velinski who's job it is to actually dig the tunnels day and night for as long as he can stand it.  He's an expert at digging and given Bronson's brute strength, he can dig very fast.

    The action starts when the men come together and decide they've got to quit making half-assed attempts to escape and start making use of each of their special abilities.  They decide their tunnel will be 30 feet deep to make certain they aren't heard on the surface.  They have identification cards forged by one of the men.  They devise an air ventilation system for their tunnel.  They devise an ingeneous way of disposing of tunnel dirt.  They even have clothes made for everyone escaping.  The men fell they are fully prepared for any obstacle that may come their way, and are quite confident of their success.  If you wonder where they get all the materials to do all these feats of human ingenuity, they've conveniently got one man who seems to be able to get anything for them.  He's called Henley a.k.a. "the scrounger".  He gets everything for them including fine foods, and even a camera for fake id's!  He spent half the time in the prison camp wearing a suit better than the nazi generals!  When it finally came time for the escape and journey through Europe I half expected him to have someone carry his bags for him!  But enough about Henley.  ...