American cinematographer (Jan-Dec 1963)

LOOKING DOWN ON the German prison camp set between takes. The huge Chapman DAN FAPP (sitting behind camera, wearing cap and glasses) boom (shipped from Hollywood) with camera platform lowered, may be seen in discusses upcoming shot with operator James Knott while center of picture. Prominent also are several M-R Brutes which furnished booster Director Sturges, right, watches preparation of scene for illumination for the extensive scenes photographed here. the camera. Day was one of few when sun shone brightly. A cloudy day over Tunisia in March, 1943, a burst of fire from a Messerschmitt 109 shattered the tail of the Spitfire flown by Paul Brickhill, wrecking the controls. Brickhill parachuted to the ground in the middle of a mine field, was captured by the Germans and transferred to Stalag Luft III, a prison camp in Germany. There he joined organ¬ ization “X” on the project he would one day write about as “The Great Escape.” “The Great Escape” is the story of a great ad¬ venture — an impossible scheme that was conceived and carried out by an indomitable group of Allied prisoners of war who refused to stay captured and insisted upon causing confusion among the enemy even after all their weapons — except for their in¬ genuity, imagination and sense of humor — had been taken away from them. The event is considered the largest and most effective mass breakout of POW’s in military history. John Sturges, who produced and directed “The Great Escape” for The Mirisch Company first read the story several years ago and subsequently ar¬ ranged for its acquisition. To photograph it, the Mirisch Company engaged Daniel Fapp, ASC, who previously had photographed two pictures for them: “One, Two, Three,” and “West Side Story.” The picture was shot entirely on authentic loca¬ tions in Europe. A fictional complete camp resem¬ bling Stalag Luft III was built near Munich, and all compound exteriors were filmed there. Exteriors for the escape sequences were shot in the Rhine Country and areas leading toward the North Sea. All interiors were filmed at the Bavaria Studio, near Munich. Asked why he was shooting the picture in Ger¬ many, John Sturges said, “Because this is where the story happened. I wouldn’t shoot a western in Spain — I shot ‘Magnificent Seven’ in Mexico because the story called for that locale.” Filming on-the-spot in Germany proved a decided asset, however, when it came time to round up au¬ thentic World War II German military equipment, available nowhere else in the world. Countless ve¬ hicles, many of 1941 vintage — trucks, cars and cycles — were resurrected from automobile grave¬ yards and put into running order as efficient rolling stock of the German Army. Shooting in Germany and especially at the Ba¬ varia Studio in Munich was nothing new to director of photography Daniel Fapp, who just a year before had photographed much of “One, Two, Three” there. Also, he had the benefit of a substantially Hollywood technical crew — the producer having sent over 27 in all from Hollywood, among them camera operator James Knott, camera assistant Hugh Crawford, and still photographer Jack Harris. The company also brought along from Hollywood almost all equipment except lights, which were ob¬ tainable in sufficient numbers in Germany. But the Mitchell camera, Panavision lenses, two Chapman cranes, and miscellaneous grip equipment were shipped on ahead of the company’s departure from Hollywood. Photography was in 35mm Eastman col¬ or in the Panavision wide-screen aspect ratio. AMERICAN CINEMATOGRAPHER, JUNE, 1963 337