Many similarities with a movie called The Password is Courage

Rating: 9/10 (19 March 2006)

Last night I saw a black and white British movie, on TCM, made I think in 1961,called The Password is Courage. It was the "true" story of a Sgt Major Coward(!), played by Dirk Bogarde, and it too much like The Great Escape to avoid comment. Right down to the bellows in the hole, the cave-in, the fake passports and uniforms made from combed blankets, and the little bags of dirt in everyone's pants, the "Courage" movie would seem to have been among the "inspirations" for the McQueen version. My comment is not meant to denigrate The Great Escape in any way; please consider these lines to be a bit of trivia about the movie, which I hope will enrich everyone's experience in watching it.