"THE GREAT ESCAPE" (1963)

barrels through the dawning mist. It is preceded by an open car with many uniformed GERMAN SOLDIERS in it - one stands grimly beside a mounted machine gun which covers the truck. More German soldiers in motorcycle sidecars flank the truck, also guard it warily with machine guns. Following is another open car with another machine gun pointing towards the truck. CAMERA PANS the convoy around to see, ahead, many other trucks also heavily guarded, waiting in a formation area. Hundreds of German soldiers ring the whole area. Machine guns at the ready.

chugs to a halt at a deserted siding. Immediately hundreds of German soldiers, heavily armed, converge as the cattle truck doors are unbolted and a small group of tired, filthy RAF OFFICER POW's jump down and are guided to covered trucks.

The prisoners, massed - just faces and movement - are cursed by grimfaced guards into the trucks under extreme security conditions.

The SENIOR GERMAN OFFICER, tall, jackbooted, gives the start order and immediately engines grind into life, motorcycles take up their positions and snarl into convoy line of march. Each truck swarmed like a queen bee with guards.

joins the convoy. Papers are passed over, and the truck is motioned into line.

grinds into malevolent life. Snatches of white faces of the prisoners. Fatigue. Swarming guards.

The traffic is cordoned off by German soldier traffic cops as a convoy barrels through - watched by silent, curious crowds. Once the last truck - swarmed as always by guards - is passed, the soldiers jump into trucks, cars, etc. and follow hurriedly.

The fifteen foot sentry tower is a little more than a covered platform with an armed - always armed - uniformed sentry. Searchlight. Telephone. Around the SENTRY'S neck is a pair of binoculars. He looks off, reacts.

The convoy approaches through monotonous, desolate pine woods.

immediately blows his whistle. This is taken up by others. Over comes gutteral German commands.

grinds through the barbed gate and begins forming up in the vast, desolate camp area. 300 yards by 300 yards. Dirt. Surrounded by nine foot barbed wire double fences. Impossible to scale. Machine-gunned sentry towers every 150 yards. Fifteen new barrack huts. Hundreds of guards, "ferrets" (Prison spies) converge on the twenty trucks - all heavily armed.

The canvas flap is opened and the POW's begin to get out. All tired. Dressed in haphazard uniforms. Carrying pots, pans, bedrolls, boxes; one has a guitar, another a teapot; some carry nothing; all are RAF officers. They stare around silently, appalled by the extent of security restrictions.

More ferrets and guards get the silent POW's into some semblance of order and line them up to be searched. The first man, EAMES - a young Flight Lieutenant - stumbles, drops his pack, sourly bends down to pick it up.

as he passes a pair of wire cutters to the next in line. The wire cutters disappear...

straightens and allows KRAMER, a German ferret, to search him. Very efficiently. Kramer finds a jack knife, pockets it happily. As he nods for Eames to move out...

the wire cutters are deftly passed over once more - disappear.

grinds through and the heavily armed guards close the evil barbed wire gate with finality.

SUPE: THE GREAT ESCAPE

and intersperse the remaining credits over:

The ferrets searching... officers streaming off to find quarters...

Tiny cubicle rooms - long corridors... officers tapping walls... peering under bunks... into attic traps... settling bedding straight... casing the joint actively and passively...

a Polish RAF officer, chunky, squats on the dirt near the "trip wire" with WILLIE DIX, a young Englishman.

near the trip wire is HILTS, a taut American. He wears a baseball mitt and stares out of the camp thoughtfully. Beside him is GOFF, another American flyer.

a tall, impeccably dressed American, is thoughtfully watching the German truck driver tinkering with the engine.

a small, dark Welshman, is getting his bunk shipshape in the cursing, shoving mass of men. Nearby is CAVENDISH, a strong tall man with a flamboyant moustache.

His age is in sharp contrast to the others. He steeples his hands thoughtfully, watching some pathetic Russian slave laborers tidy the remains of cut-down trees. His hands are strangely twisted, two fingers almost frozen into a perpetual V for victory sign.

An Australian contemplates pots and pans. Then exits.

strolls along with ERIC ASHLEY-PITT, Lt. Commander RN, Fleet Air Arm. As they walk, they scrutinize the camp. Concerned.

A tough professional soldier - STRACHWITZ - escorts GROUP CAPTAIN RAMSEY past the sentries at the gate. Ramsey is erect, dressed in battered RAF uniform, a scarf at his neck; he limps and walks with a stick. Strachwitz leads him to the Headquarters Building just outside the compound proper.

Strachwitz walks up the steps with Ramsey.

is small, very neat, very efficient. He watches from a window then turns as Strachwitz enters, salutes. THE CREDITS END.

Ramsey nods politely and Posen turns, knocks on the door.

holds the door open courteously for Ramsey and Posen.

is a Prussian Luftwaffe officer. Colonel. Immaculate. Many medal ribbons. Some from World War One. Of an age with Ramsey. He stands near a window. Big desk - peerless. Von Luger returns Ramsey's casual salute punctiliously.

Strachwitz stands stiff at attention. Ramsey sits. Posen stands. Von Luger sits behind the desk. On it is a large file. He passes cigarettes. A long silence.

He glances at the file - a photo and a sheet catches his eye - picks it up.

There is a moment's pause as he waits for some response from Ramsey, then --

They stare at each other.

are near the warning wire under the watchful eyes of the sentries and goonbox men. Danny picks up some dirt, lets the sandy soil dribble through his fingers, shakes his head.

Willie is studying the woods beyond the fence.

They stroll along.

stand huddled under guard in a group near the Vorlager, morose and dirty. Some wear long Russian Army greatcoats, but most are barely clothed in motley rags. Some carry tools - axes, pitchforks. Some are still finishing their job, tossing branches into the trucks. Merivale joins a group of POW's nearby. Sedgwick, the lanky Australian, is among them.

The POW's react immediately, cover him as he takes off his hat and other identifying clothes, gives them to the men, who put them on.

Sedgwick grabs Merivale's sweater from HAYNES, the man holding it.

Sedgwick hauls off a haymaker and they go at it. Haynes lands an apparently smashing blow on Sedgwick who goes down. Haynes leaps on him and they struggle - other POW's egg them on excitedly. Guards and ferrets come over to break up the fight.

slips in with the Russians, quickly dirties his hands and face.

is lying on his face still being pummelled by Haynes, who refuses to be dragged off by the guards. Sedgwick notes Merivale's strategy with interest.

During all this, IVES, the jockey-sized New Zealander, vaults into the back of the first truck and disappears into the branches.

dive into the next truck, disappear under a camouflage of branches.

Hendley arrives at one of the trucks, snakes open a tool box, whisks out a small wrench and pliers. A Ferret spots him. Hendley quickly moves away. He is joined by Ashley-Pitt and Sandy MacDonald. He immediately switches the tools to MacDonald who hides them on his person while WERNER rushes up.

Werner is a Ferret. While not stupid, neither is he overly bright. The demands on manpower in Germany pre- cluded always having brains and efficiency at the level of a spy in a prison camp.

He immediately begins to search Hendley, patting him all over. He speaks in his earnest way.

Werner is through with him -- turns to MacDonald, but Ashley-Pitt places himself first and Werner begins searching him.

As Werner searches Ashley-Pitt the latter laughs, can't stand to be searched, he's so ticklish.

Under cover of this MacDonald slips tools to Hendley who gets them into his trousers pocket.

They walk away.

stands contemplating the area between the wire and the fences, and their relation to the goon towers. He is oblivious to the uproar of the fight which is now diminishing. His preoccupied slapping of the baseball in his first baseman's mitt stops. GOFF, another American, joins him.

Hilts looks off into nothing for some moments, his eyes glazing as he thinks. Then he snaps out of his reverie, nods his head briskly. First glancing about to see who is watching, he flips the baseball in the air a time or two, then pretending to fumble, deliberately shoves the ball to the place at the fence. No one notices this. Except Goff:

Merivale taps a man in front of him.

The man turns. Merivale holds up two cigarettes, pantomimes he will trade cigarettes for the axe the man is carrying, and the coat he is wearing. The exchange takes place. A German guard suddenly shouts an order. Merivale stiffens, then as the men march off realizes that was the command. As the Russians move along the pass the far corner of a hut. Sedgwick pops from behind the corner, falls in behind Merivale. He too has messed himself up and with his gaunt face looks perhaps more convincing than Merivale.

as they march along.

all eyes are attracted to the marching Russians and the burp gun guards marching with them. Ramsey is entering the compound, stands near Hendley, watching.

Hilts notices the attention paid to the marching Russians. He takes a deep breath and, as Goff watches in horror, steps over the warning wire, saunters out to the ball. At the fence he stands motionless for a moment. The sentries are watching the Russians. It is apparent the goonbox men don't see him, and he indicates this with a gesture to Goff. Then reaches down for his ball to start back. At this moment, the ferret, FRICK, spots him, yells. There is a burst of fire from a nearby sentry, the bullets splattering around Hilts' feet as he dives out into the clear area between the warning wire and the fence.

He holds his arms high above his head, rockstill. Every gun in sight is fixed on Hilts though firing is held. Even the marching Russians and their guards halt as all watch. Frick runs to the edge of the warning wire, shouts at Hilts.

Hilts holds up the baseball.

Hilts turns to a goon box machine gunner, holds up the ball.

The Russians are ordered on the march again. Goff stares at Hilts as if he has burst into flames.

watches the approaching Russians. As the guards open the main gate for the Russians and they are going through he calls out.

As the group is halted, Strachwitz walks over to them. Steps directly beside Sedgwick.

Merivale turns to him.

He gestures to the guards who move forward.

As Merivale and Sedgwick are escorted back to the compound, the Russians are marched on out. Strachwitz takes a pitch- fork from them. The trucks carrying the branches approach the gate. As the first truck stops at the gate Strachwitz gets on to it, gently prods the branches. There is a sudden yell. Strachwitz relaxes sardonically.

He emerges from the branches.

The guard begins to prod the branches savagely, making sure no one is there. Ives immediately gives a short double whistle through his teeth which is a signal "the jig is up" and the others emerge from the trucks somewhat sheepishly. Then:

His eyes fall on Frick and the other ferrets near him, who shrivel.

during all of this, Hilts has sneaked to a truck, where he now hangs spread-eagled underneath by his hands and toes hooked into the lower chassis.

turns away from Ives and the others as they exit and goes grimly to the truck under which Hilts is hanging. He orders the driver out with a gesture and takes his place at the wheel. Then throwing the truck in reverse, backs into the camp, then slams it into gear and races into the tree trunk studded appell area. The others watch in horror as Strachwitz drives the truck across the stumps. Hilts flattens himself upward to his utmost as the stumps go by him by fractions of an inch. But he doesn't let go or cry out. Strachwitz stops the truck for a moment. Underneath the truck, Hilts' face is grim, but he doesn't budge. Strachwitz's face flushes with anger and slamming the truck in gear again he takes off, this time violently careening the truck over the highest stumps. Finally he stops, beaten in his attempt to make Hilts give in. He gets out and stands by the truck.

He gives Strachwitz a loud derisive 'bird'.

reacts, notes Ives out of the corner of his eyes, but concentrates on the truck.

Hilts emerges and faces Strachwitz, his eyes cold with hatred as ferrets and guards converge. Hilts lifts up the tab of the collar of his shirt. Under it (as was often done by Americans in combat) is his insignia of rank.

Hilts turns away, under guard, recovers his baseball mitt and ball from Goff and heads off toward the cooler. Strachwitz turns to Ives. Points at him.

Ives goes off after Hilts followed by two sentries. The others watch Strachwitz cautiously. Strachwitz looks them over balefully. Merivale, who has observed all this with professional interest, moves to Goff.

march forward under guard into the cooler.

Detention cells lead off the long corridor. Barred tiny door windows.

as he enters the tiny cement cell. The door slams shut. Footsteps, another cell door clangs shut as Ives too is put into solitary. Hilts jumps, catches his fingers on the ledge of the high single small barred window, and chins himself up for a look. Then he drops to the floor again, where he paces about furiously. Finally to cool himself off, he stretches out on the floor where he methodically begins doing push-ups.

stands near a hut. With him are Danny, Willie, Ashley-Pitt, Merivale and Sedgwick. The Camp is quiet. Hendley arrives, passes the tools he has stolen to Sedgwick.

Danny, watching Strachwitz, speaks in his soft, intense voice.

approaches the Headquarters Building. KUHN, a high ranking Gestapo civilian gets out of the front seat. He is soft spoken, polite, dangerous. Two SS guards - Kuhn's constant body guard - get out of the back seat with a man in battered RAF uniform between them. This is SQUADRON LEADER CYRIL BARTLETT - a big blonde man with broad shoulders and cold intense eyes. He is handcuffed. Kuhn leads the way to the Headquarters Building.

MacDonald, Hendley and the others watch.

He exits. MacDonald speaks quitely to the other men.

They move away in apparent disinterest.

comes out nervously to greet Kuhn.

He exchanges salutes - also with the SS men - sees Bartlett, reacts.

With increasing nervousness, Posen leads the way. Obseqiously holds the door open for them. Bartlett is shoved into the building.

tiredly puts his foot on a stool in the tiny room, studies great lists of typewritten names. There is only one bunk in the room which would normally house four. Rough furniture. Teapot and cup. An excited knock and Ashley-Pitt hurries in.

The door opens without a knock and Kuhn enters with Bartlett and the SS officers, Posen bleakly behind.

Von Luger returns the salute but there is an edge to his manner and his distaste is thinly veiled.

Von Luger holds onto his temper, and signs the necessary form.

Von Luger looks at the key. Posen unlocks the handcuffs.

A silence, then in dismassal, Von Luger nods to Posen.

Bartlett and Posen and a guard exit. Kuhn's two SS men remain.

He exits. Von Luger stares after him.

Among them, Danny, Ashley-Pitt...

Bartlett wearily approaches under heavy guard. Strachwitz watches.

makes no reaction. Some turn away. Some watch casually. As Bartlett approaches closer Ashley-Pitt reacts to his gauntness. He comes through the gate, Ashley-Pitt wanders up.

They exit. Strachwitz stares after them...

waits anxiously. A knock.

Bartlett enters, Ashley-Pitt smiles - leaves the two men alone.

Between them there is enormous camarderie, enormous respect. But held right down.

He turns back to the teapot, pours. From time to time he glances perturbed at Bartlett who sits staring into space, lost in thought.

Bartlett stares at him suddenly alert. Ramsey is concerned.

A long pause.

Ramsey, Merivale, Danny, Willie, MacDonald, Ashley-Pitt, Sedgwick, Griffiths, Cavendish, and Hendley and Bartlett.

There is a silence. Then:

They all stare at him as though he is crazy. The door opens and Blythe comes in.

They look at each other, then once more MacDonald breaks the silence.

They stare at him, knowing that he's crazy. Bartlett starts talking - his magnetism shows.

There is a dead silence. They look at each other, mesmer- ized. Then, Bartlett turns to Griffiths.

In dead silence:

Hendley comes down the corridor thoughtfully, turns into:

enters. There are two bunks, table, chairs. He notices with surprise that there is someone else's gear on the upper bunk. He frowns at it. The door opens and Colin Blythe enters. He carries a hot teapot.

He puts the teapot down, ostentatiously puts on its tea cozy, and begins meticulously to straighten his meager possessions. Hendley reacts as he sees binoculars. He picks them up, glances through them out of the window.

Hendley puts down the glasses, re-studies Blythe.

Blythe raises his eyebrows slightly, then busies himself pouring a cup of tea.

Blythe pours the tea, observes its weak color.

Hendley opens his foot locker, produces a small can of condensed milk. Blythe takes it.

Blythe poises the cup at his lips with great anticipation. There is a surreptitious knock. Danny comes in.

The door closes as softly as it opened.

Blythe sips his tea with great satisfaction. Hendley stares at him.

The long beams from the searchlights on the goon towers sweep the darkened compound and huts as the Hundfuehrers prowl with their dogs.

In ranks, being counted by ferrets under Strachwitz. Ramsey is in front of the ranks - Posen nearby. The final man is counted. Strachwitz takes the tally to Posen who nods.

The men stream away to begin the new day.

begins drawing gardening tools. Danny and Hendley are watching.

Merivale comes up.

They exit.

take up various positions strategically chosen so that they can see one another. Hendley and Danny cross to 105 as:

the duty "pilot" establishes himself where he can watch headquarters, and another duty stooge sits down by a small incinerator next to which there is a coal scuttle and an old Red Cross box. He is in clear view of the man near the gate as well as the others around the huts. The man at the gate looks the whole headquarters area over care- fully, then surreptitiously signals the man at the incin- erator who places the Red Cross box to the left of the incinerator and leans the coal scuttle against it. This signal is relayed to a man sitting at Hut 105. He pulls a string beside him that leads into the hut.

enter to join Bartlett, Ashley-Pitt (the lookout at the window), and a few others. The small tin can filled with pebbles, hanging on a string, rattles the "all clear". Then Danny moves the stove away from its tiled base. He carefully lifts the base - which now is fitted to a camouflaging hinged frame - reveals the foundations made out of cemented broken rubble.

Suddenly from outside comes the SOUND of hammering, clattering. Bartlett reacts; goes over to the window.

are grouped around the hut, beating cans and plates into alternate shapes, come decorous, mostly useless. A ferret passes irritatedly, then leaves...

takes out a piece of chalk, writes 73 on the underside of the trap, stares down. Over the hubbub from outside, grimly:

He takes the crude pickaxe adapted from a baseball bat and a steel spike, and starts hacking at the cemented foundation. After pause, Hendley turns to Bartlett:

The CAMERA SHOOTS DOWN the length of the narrow corridor towards the entrance door at the far end, raking along the doors to the individual cells. The guards enter the door in the background with food pails.

There is no response from the cells. The first guard opens the lower trap and the second puts a pail through it. Then the two come down to the foreground cell, pass the second pail through its trap door. Without further word they march off towards the entrance door.

raises the lid of his pail and studies the contents with revulsion. The entrance door is heard clanging shut. Ives squats down at the lower trapdoor, and reaches out through it with his pail.

the pail is tipped over and the contents dumped out. As they gurgle down into the drain, a pail emerges from the far cell and its contents are dumped out.

paces restlessly. Over comes a strange SOUND. A mad- dening, constant plin-plank-plonk-smack. Ives looks at the wall in exasperation, controls himself, resumes his pacing.

is sitting on the floor of the concrete walled cubicle playing a complicated game of rebound with his ball and glove. He is extremely skillful with the various ricochets, which set up a regular rhythm.

(INTERCUT - IVES - HILTS. They have to shout to be heard.)

He commences pacing again. The plink-plank-plonk-smack has come to a stop.

Hilts sits motionless, his eyes glazed and far away. Finally he speaks as if the word has just been invented.

With an effort he snaps himself back to reality. The gardeners have started work outside and the SOUND of their tools is heard. It is a faint sound, but it suddenly gives Hilts a thought.

Hilts jumps up, chins himself on the ledge of the tiny window so that he can see out. The window faces the wire and the woods beyond.

Hilts comes out of his reverie, nods his head briskly, drops to the floor.

The entrance door opens and the guards enter to pick up the breakfast containers. They notice the contents have been poured down the drain.

Hilts considers this for a moment. Then --

He recommences his rebound game. The guards stomp out.

is in a borrowed bunk. Others are sleeping or half- asleep as the ferrets lock the shutters. A stooge is at a spy hole, covering. A wait. Then:

Immediately the team goes into operation. Danny heads for the end toilet-shower. Haynes reaches under his mattress and pulls out a shallow tray. In it is a neat square of concrete. He tests that it's set, turns it out, making sure not to leave telltale marks on the blanket.

is at the eighteen inch grating. He jerks it out and steps back as two other POW's begin to empty the shallow drain with a crude pump into a bucket.

wearily begins to carry the cement flagstone down the length of the hut, holding it with small lugs that have been sunk into concrete.

looks down into the hole. It is about three feet deep and almost dry now. About eighteen inches up one side is a small drain pipe. The opposite whole of the wall in this concrete "box" has been cut away and quite a sizeable amount of earth already removed. Haynes comes in with the slab and Danny gets down into the hole and gently maneuvers it into place. The fit is exact. Now Danny smears soap and cement paste down the cracks.

sweep the bleak area. Soft padding footsteps running. A swarm of soldiers and ferrets converge on 105.

gives the warning whistle. Immediate coverup procedure.

swears as he slams out of the hole, rips off his clothes. Another man throws the pail of water down the hole, another slams the grating into place. Danny turns on the shower.

jerks open. Kramer enters.

The POW's start cursing, delaying tactics. Haynes is not quick enough with the pump. Kramer grabs it.

Other guards start getting the men out of the hut as Kramer still carrying the pump, heads for the Toilet- Shower.

almost has a fit when he sees the pump but he hides his concern.

Kramer is in no mood for backchat, so Danny moves back into barracks. Kramer looks around grimly, looks at the pump, then at the floors.

and ferrets start tearing the place apart. One finds the cement tray. Another a cold chisel.

are on Von Luger's desk. Ramsey, Von Luger, Posen, Strachwitz are looking at the things.

Strachwitz salutes, hurries out.

Von Luger nods, returns Ramsey's salute.

Hilts and Ives have been released from the cooler and the two guards admit them into the compound. Men with a purpose, they head straight for the outdoor kitchen which is deserted this time of day. After looking about cautiously to make sure they are not observed, Hilts snakes out a long steel poker used to fire the big stoves; Ives in turn finds two small tin saucepans with handles, shoves them under the jacket and the two men walk off, Hilts holding the poker tight against his leg.

who, unnoticed by Hilts and Ives, has observed this thievery. He is puzzled.

sits in a chair smoking his pipe. Around him are Bartlett, MacDonald and Merivale. This group is obviously consider- ing some rather serious problem.

The door opens. Hilts and Ives enter.

Ramsey makes introductions. Ives knows the men present. Hilts does not.

There are murmured responses.

Ives remains standing but Hilts warily takes a chair.

Hilts thinks this over, then as he warms to his subject.

There is a long pause as all sit in stunned silence. Bartlett breaks the reverie.

There is a reaction to this. MacDonald looks at Bartlett.

Ramsey looks at Bartlett, after a pause, nods.

Hilts and Ives start for the door. As they reach it Merivale buttonholes Hilts.

Merivale's eyes pop as Hilts nods pleasantly and is gone.

flood the compound, trace patterns throughout the darkness.

eyes are peering out.

pressed to chinks in the walls.

setting up chairs for a better view through the slats of windows.

setting up a "book" on "if they make it - if they don't".

are peering through their window. Hendley has the binoculars.

watch and wait patiently.

are impatient. Willie and Danny hardly hold their excitement.

(The following sequence is played in a series of CUTS and DISSOLVES between the diggers and the silently watching men.

The night activities have started. The goon tower guards continuously rake the compound with their searchlights and the Hundsfeuhrers and their dogs are on their regular patrols. The lights in the prisoners' huts are all out.

Hilts and Ives skuttle out from the shadow of a hut and silently move to a spot near the fence. Kneeling, they begin digging with controlled speed and a minimum of noise.

Bartlett, Ramsey, MacDonald, Merivale have taken up vantage points overlooking the section where Hilts and Ives are working. MacDonald and Merivale are at one window; Bartlett and Ramsey at another.

Hilts and Ives dig the three-feet-straight-down hole. The searchlights sweeping the compound just miss the digging spot time after time. Finally Ives disappears into the hole. Then Hilts. Hilts' hands appear, smooth out the remaining dirt piled around the edges, then disappear.

as time passes, Bartlett returns with tea for himself and Ramsey, starts to hand the cup to Ramsey - freezes as he looks off.

a short distance beyond the hole, the steel rod pushes up through the ground, maneuvers up and down for a few seconds to clear a hole, and then is withdrawn.

Bartlett in his preoccupation spills tea on Ramsey's coat. Absently wipes it clean as he and Ramsey watch.

(We follow the progress of the digging, cutting from the watching faces of the men in the hut to the rise of the rod through the ground at regular intervals as the mole- tunnel moves forward, to unconcerned sentries and patrol- ing guards. Finally it is under the fence and making progress towards the woods. As the night grows colder the men notice that a plume of vapor is beginning to rise from the furthest breathing hole. The searchlights sweep, unconcerned.)

The men react in dismay as a Hundsfuehrer and his dog approach on their patrol inside the wire.

The Hundsfeuhrer's dog becomes aware of the vapor from the hole beyond the fence. He whimpers and begins to edge in that direction. The Hundsfeuhrer, who is half asleep as he trudges along, jerks him back with a muttered exclamation. The dog pulls again in the direction of hole.

disappears from his spot at the window and in a moment, appears -

moves along beside it in the shadows until he is close to the Hundsfeuhrer and his dog. He has improvised a sling shot with a thick rubber band, using thumb and forefinger of his left hand for the braces. He lets go a stone which nails the dog in the rear.

leaps in the air yelping from the impact. The Hundsfeuhrer is startled and angry.

He leads the dog away roughly.

in the window, relax.

It is almost dawn. A definite lightening can be seen in the sky.

wait, tense, aware that time is running out.

the first light of the morning sun moves across the ground, the steel rod appears again, maneuvers, is with- drawn. By now it is moving very feebly and the breathing hole is still far short of the woods.

This is the first time we have seen Ives and Hilts in the tunnel. They are barely visible, illuminated only by the light coming down through the air vent. They are in a bad way; sweating and breathing in gasps. Ives scoops wearily with saucepan, passes the dirt back to Hilts. Hilts makes an attempt to put the dirt behind him, can't. He sags wearily.

With a torturous effort Ives spirals his head around so he can look back. The CAMERA MOVES to follow his look. Hilts is folded up like a jackknife with his knees up under his chin against his chest. He is completely surrounded with dirt which has closed in behind him. Ives takes some time to grasp what has happened, then:

Ives shows horror.

looks about absently, then catching something out of the corner of his eye in the direction of the woods, whirls and sees something that makes his eyes bug in amazed unbelief.

A small mound of earth is rising as if from the work of a gigantic mole.

The goon tower guard yells. Immediately there are shouts from the other towers and all hell breaks loose in the camp with a warning siren going, guards running, etc. The mound of earth breaks open and Hilts climbs out slowly.

As other guards aim their burp guns through the fence, Hilts helps Ives from the hole. Guards are running towards the two men from outside the fence. Ives begins to tremble violently, almost panics and makes a move as if to run for the cover of the woods. Hilts grabs him, holds him.

Ramsey, Bartlett and MacDonald watch in letdown dismay. Merivale turns away from the window and slams his tea cup into the sink - smashing it.

Guards headed by Strachwitz converge on Hilts and Ives.

SOUND of another cell door slamming shut. A moment then this cell door opens, Ives is shoved inside, the door clangs shut, footsteps and gutteral cursing patter away. Ives looks around the cell, abject in panic, desperately trying to control.

hurls himself to the floor, begins grimly doing push-ups to work off the violence of his disappointment.

looks up as MacDonald enters cheerily, puts a large carton on the table, a checkboard under his arm. MacDonald opens the carton - it is full of goodies. Hendley examines them with growing astonishment - three jars of jam (strawberry, currant, marmalade), American coffee, two cans of biscuits, ten packs of assorted cigarettes, six big bars of chocolate. Hendley picks one up with religious awe.

Reluctantly Hendley puts the chocolate back, opens his foot locker, takes out a big tin of Danish butter, places it next to the box.

MacDonald pats the box

He exits. Hendley holds one of the beautifully packaged chocolate bars. Fights temptation, literally drooling. The door opens. It is MacDonald.

He exits. Hendley sighs.

comes out. Bartlett is waiting for him. The two move along past the huts. Bartlett is studying the camp. MacDonald carries a clipboard. Bartlett stops by a stooge.

Bartlett continues on his inspection of the camp from the "X" organization standpoint.

This is Sedgwick's domain and here he and his manufacturers are quietly working. Bartlett and MacDonald enter.

He picks up an apparatus consisting of barracks bags sewn together and cradled in a wooden case.

With this a full chorus of male voices from off scene strikes up a Christmas Carol.

He crosses to a window, pulls aside the curtains. Sedgwick and his men shift the nature of their work. Hacksaws, files and hammers come into play.

MacDonald can be seen looking out the window. Bartlett behind him. A considerable group of men is arranged in a semi-circle around LASSITER, the leader who conducts them as they sing.

MacDonald turns to Bartlett over the tumult:

MacDonald grins as Bartlett turns away.

Werner stands listening to the choral singers and, nearby, Hendley stands speculatively watching Werner. Reaching a decision, he joins Werner.

As the two listen to the singing, Hendley takes a ciga- rette from a pack, puts it in his lips, pats his pocket for matches.

Fishing out a lighter, Werner lights it for him.

Puffing luxuriously, he exhales so that the smoke drifts past Werner's face. Werner sniffs hungrily.

After a brief, futile battle with duty, Werner glances about to make sure he's unobserved and then takes a cigarette from the pack and puts it in his pocket.

Hendley tucks two more in Werner's pocket.

There is a pause.

Werner reacts.

He takes Werner by the arm and they enter the hut.

enters, followed by Werner. He opens his foot locker and searches for the coffee. As he does so he lays various items of food on top of his trunk. Werner's eyes widen at the display of goodies. As the bars of Dutch chocolate appear he murmurs involuntarily:

Torn between fear and greed Werner puts the chocolate in his pocket as Hendley continues searching. Suddenly Werner stares appalled. The can of Danish butter. Shakily he picks it up. The can is stamped in German, "Officers Mess Only".

Werner stares at him - starts out - remembers the chocolate. Takes it out and tries to give it back. Hendley stuffs it back in Werner's pocket, holds him from going.

Hendley suddenly gives up.

He rushes out. Hendley blandly thumbs through Werner's pocketbook which he filched during the scuffle, puts it in his hip pocket. Then he sees the chocolate. Temptation. Hurriedly he shoves it and the other things back in the foot locker.

already has his team of forgers hard at work. Again there are stooges guarding from windows, etc. Six men are bent over papers carefully hand-lettering passes. Blythe is bent over his desk oblivious as Bartlett and MacDonald enter, still inspecting.

this is a gate pass, printed in German. Many seals and imprints. Blythe finishes making a signature from an original.

picks up a rubber heel, turns it over. Now we notice that the bottom is carved into a stamp. Delicately he puts ink on the cast, imprints the paper. Now the paper is stamped as the original. Blythe studies it; brings the paper close to his eyes. Then, he curses:

He rips the paper to pieces.

is wandering around aimlessly. Then suddenly he darts for the library door jerks it open...

is at the blackboard.

Bartlett and Mac and all the others are concentrated on the lecture. Drawing materials in front of them. As the lecture continues, Hendley enters through another door, stops as he spots Kramer.

Hendley heads for the only available seat. Near the door.

Kramer listens a moment -- then exits. Blythe continues his lecture for a few seconds, then two sharp raps on the window are heard. Blythe immediately drops his lecture and crosses to Bartlett. The men in the room put aside their pretense of bird study and get out their real work.

He hands Bartlett a companion document.

He puts them back on the table. Bartlett, impressed, picks the papers up again, studies them.

Hendley comes forward. Takes out Werner's pocket book.

During this Blythe studies the documents hungrily, myopically holds the papers bare inches from his eyes. This isn't noticed by Bartlett or MacDonald who are looking at Hendley.

stares at the virgin face of the thirty foot deep shaft. Behind him is a small "antechamber" and crowded into the area are Bartlett, Willie and Sedgwick. Danny and Willie are almost naked and dirt covered. Sedgwick has part of the air pump installed - measures space.

Danny stares at the face of the shaft, then starts hacking away. Viciously. Bartlett climbs up the ladder into...

is waiting for him. Others are spread about the hut. A stooge guards from the window.

Bartlett leads the way out, then as MacDonald passes a window...

Bartlett follows his glance.

Hilts and Ives are leaving the Cooler, entering the Compound.

They look at each other thoughtfully.

The cookhouse is deserted. Beyond, searchlights sweep the whole area. A few wandering ferrets and guards with leashed dogs. Suddenly a ghost-like shadow. A match is lit surreptitiously. Then the match is tossed into a pan. The dimly seen figure evaporates. Abruptly the pan of fat catches fire - almost explodes. Flames begin to lick the structure...

stares off - gives alarm...

stream cookhousewards to put out the fire...

begins howling.

open the main gate, come through on the double.

fight out of half-sleep, pour out...

in his room hurriedly hides secret papers in a secret wall safe, hurries out.

comes out of his room cursing...

anxiously stop their work, begin to hurry out of the tunnel and shaft...

begin to form a line from the fire pool to the fire...

is burning nicely...

Hilts and Ives come charging around the corner, skid to a stop, look off...

cover this route...

reverse, head around the barrack, seeking another route.

pour across the compound, jerking open doors, getting the POW's out to help fight the blaze...

are climbing out of "Tom" panicked...

a ferret opens it...

appalled, hurls himself at Kramer, barrels him down to cover for the last man coming out of "Tom", and in the general uproar and scuffle, the trap is slammed into place and the stove replaced...

Immediately they all start blocking the door, shoving pushing, covering for the diggers as, frightened to death, they fight into their clothes covering their sand-stained longjohns and others brush away the tell- tale sand...

desperately cleans up from the "sealing operation", replaces the grill. Shouts...

boxed in near the door as POW's cover his view of the coverup operation...

race around the corner, duck under the lee, stare off, then charge for the open gate.

pours through the gate and the gate is slammed with finality. Hilts and Ives almost barrel them over, then in the melee, shake their heads disgustedly, head over towards the Fire Line...

calmly goes up to the fire, starts kicking it out as others toss water, dousing it. Werner amongst the guards. Soon the fire is under control in the shouting melee...

is covered with grime. With MacDonald, Ashley-Pitt looks off irritatedly...

Bartlett is looking at:

are helping to put out the last embers. Hilts goes for a last bucket of water.

as he moves over to join Hilts.

He looks at Hilts for a moment.

Hilts smiles faintly.

part of the fire fighting detail, brushes dirt off his uniform. Then being sure he isn't observed, runs up the steps of Hendley's hut.

has just come into the room. Is brushing off his clothes. Blythe is lying in his bunk. The door bursts open, and Werner rushes in. Distraught.

He stops as he sees Blythe.

Werner nods. He is trembling.

Werner moves forward to help search.

Werner becomes absolutely rigid with fear. His lips move, but no sound comes out.

A spastic twitch appears on Werner's right cheek.

The voices of guards closing up the barracks are heard. Werner starts to speak. Can't. Totters out.

comes down the ladder to the anteroom. Willie is digging the face of the tunnel, a distance of some thirty feet. Then Danny pushes the dirt cart ahead of him. Bartlett watches. Sedgwick is still installing the air pump.

Willie digs and fills the cart. Danny pulls it back to the anteroom. Suddenly without warning the whole works collapses on Willie and he is buried in the fall of sand.

Danny turns, shoots forward to the face. Just Willie's feet and ankles are showing. With one tremendous heave Danny pulls him out, sits him against the side of the tunnel.

Willie's face is covered with sand and sweat. He spits out a mouthful of dirt, comes back into the anteroom.

supervises as all the boards behind the bookcases are stripped off the wall, the filled bookcases slid back to cover the bare space. A hatch to the attic is open. Hendley calls into it.

A rafter comes down out of the hole.

enters wearily. He pauses by his bunk (the top of a three tierer) then; as always like a prima ballet dancer, he launches himself to his bed, flattens as before, but this time he and the mattresses crash through the bunks to the floor. He lies there momentarily more shocked than stunned. Looks up at the split bedboards in the bunks, half of which are missing. Across the aisle Ashley-Pitt looks up from his book, hesitates then goes back to his book.

is loaded down with bedboards. Whistles happily. He takes every other one from the bunks.

A dirt disposal man is filling the hoist bucket. Beside him, Sedgwick supervises a man pumping air. Near the face, Hilts is handing another bedboard to Willie who happily sets it into place. Perfect fit.

and dirt disposal men are looking down the shaft.

The hoist rises with a load of dirt. As it is being placed in the carrying bags --

The men are busy digging up their plots. Hilts appears pushing a wheelbarrow of dirt. He dumps it in Ramsey's plot.

Hilts begins to turn - looks off, reacts.

Von Luger appears from the headquarters building and starts across the road headed for the main gate of the compound. He is accompanied by Posen and Strachwitz who carries a clipboard, and is followed by four security guards who have been waiting. The gates swing open. The stooge system relays warning. Sorren is the "Duty Pilot".

rattles. Moving like lightening, Willie, Danny and other diggers pour out of the shaft, slap the sand off their longjohns and, as the trap is closed, jump into their regular clothing like firemen. Others clean away the smallest grain of sand.

the dirt disposers cover their work and separate as the word "goons" is passed along.

Ashley-Pitt ambles up to Ramsey who is working his plot. Hilts is raking his "new" earth into the plot. Von Luger and his entourage approach studiously ignoring their presence, move past them. Von Luger stops, looks off at a tower guard. There is something about the condition of his machine gun.

As the tower guard complies, Posen speaks to Strachwitz.

Strachwitz makes a note on his clipboard as Von Luger turns toward the gardeners, some of whom have paused to watch.

Turning to Ramsey, who is right next to him, he speaks as if he had just seen him. There is a subtle difference in Von Luger's manner. Although he is cooly polite there seems to be an ambiguous tone to all he says.

Von Luger's face is impassive. There is a long beat.

Another beat then begins to exit. He stops near Hilts.

He turns away and moves on. Posen and Strachwitz follow.

as Ramsey casually returns to working the ground. Ashley-Pitt stares off after Von Luger.

heads on inspection, then abruptly changes course to Sorren the "Duty Officer" stooge who sits beside the trash can and Red Cross box. Uneasily Sorren gets up, salutes.

Sorren hesitates, Von Luger's eyes grow flinty. Sorren hands the list over. Von Luger smiles, glances at the list of his guards and ferrets - the times of entry, times of departure. He glances at his watch, enters his own name under "out" and the time, hands the list back. Pleasantly:

Nods politely, moves the Red Cross box into the all clear position, exits. In his nervousness, Sorren almost salutes his eye out.

is open. Sedgwick is passing down some sections of bedboards and other wood.

at the bottom of the shaft, Hilts and Ives get the boards, begin stacking them in the mouth of the shaft and "ante- room". Now the tunnel is sixty feet long - shored - and, at the far end, the dim light of a margarine lamp flickers.

pouring with sweat, filthy dirty, eyes red rimmed with tiredness, hacks away dully. There is hardly enough room to lie down, let alone sit.

He scrapes the sand into the trolley, mumbling all the time, laboriously starts crawling back as Ives hauls the trolley.

empties the trolley, Hilts helping, into the growing pile of sand. Hilts calls down the tunnel to Danny.

The shaft is now carefully shored with bedboards. Sedgwick is peering down from the floor of the hut.

Ives turns away to clean away the sand. There is a sudden sharp crack. Ives and Hilts look up, startled. They see the shaft shoring boards tremble nervously, then they twist out of place. Sand begins cascading...more boards begin to buckle.

react with horror, fight their way out of the tunnel, out of the choking, blinding mass of air-sand in the shaft.

surge forward to help. Among them, Willie who was asleep.

race up the ladder. Danny last. Danny slips, is almost immersed in the sea of sand as it fills the shaft with horrifying rapidity. He tries to fight free. The sand begins to drown him - the whole shaft collapsing. Ives and Hilts turn and drag Danny out just as the sand is sucking him to certain death.

lie on the floor of the hut gasping for breath in the horrified silence. Hilts is not a little affected by the near miss, wipes the sand out of his face.

gets up shakily, stares down into the shaft, now almost completely full of loose fine sand, suddenly begins swearing incoherently in Polish, weeping with impotent rage. Willie compassionately tries to comfort his friend.

and a loader burrow forward. The work begins again.

is joining bottomless-topless condensed milk cans into yard length tubes with adhesive tape. Other workers carefully unsolder the bottoms of other tin cans...

are doing the shoring. Patiently. Filthy longjohns. Sweat stained...

Stooges stand guard as an arm comes out of the drain with a pail of dirt and another man hurriedly empties it into disposal bags. The arm disappears. Muffled voices...

making careful searches. POW's watch grimly as Strachwitz efficiently oversees...

is using the air pump. Sand dribbles from the shored ceiling making him cough and curse. Another worker uses a hack saw to repair digging implements...

always cursing, always sweat stained, are laying one of the lengths of "air pipe" connecting it with the pipe already layed under the floor of the tunnel. Then he attaches the nozzle, which projects up six inches, then covers the air pipe with earth and fits a new floor board into position...

is at appell. Numbering off while guards and ferrets search huts in the background...

patrolling...

inspecting...

as anxious diggers pour out when a sudden search begins...

relaying messages. Strachwitz glaring at them...

are acting very strangely. They are adding some raw potatoes to an already large haul. Obviously, to them, this is a most important, and most secret operation. Hurriedly Hendley hides the spuds under his bunk, covering, as Blythe enters.

The tunnelling proceeds well. Not as thoroughly shored as "Tom" - the work of art - but well enough. Men curse and fight the dirt into pails and loading bins.

is supervising dirt being strewn carefully over the floor of the attic. Everyone is grimy, sweaty. The rafters are already covered with dirt. There is a loud creak - work stops momentarily...

pause in their work, look up at ceiling. Lights hanging from the ceiling vibrate slightly. Muffled curses. The door opens and Hendley enters, crosses to Blythe who is the only one engrossed in his work.

Colin takes his time to look up, sees Hendley, smiles. Hendley passes over a small camera.

He looks up startled as there is another loud crack.

are strolling, apparently aimlessly - around the circuit. Just inside the warning wire. They stop to light a cigarette.

Bartlett glances off, reacts. The others look off too.

are wheeling a barrow load of spuds toward their hut.

watch Hendley and Hilts thoughtfully - a slight glance between them. Ramsey grunts.

Bartlett has been pondering, surreptitiously estimating the distance to the trees. Then decisively:

As they look at one another.

almost naked, happily bores through the sandy soil. Ives is the loader, cleaning up. The tunnel stretches behind them well lit with lamps every 50 feet or so. A shallow tray on wheels on wooden railway-lines trundles backwards as Ives jerks the signal rope. Hilts stops for a moment, stares at the new dirt.

Laboriously Ives works his way around to look at the dirt Hilts has just cut out, then he anxiously shoves past to the face. Then slowly he stares back at Hilts horrified.

One of them is yellow - the other ordinary dirt color.

Bartlett, MacDonald, Willie, Danny, Hilts and Ives stare down at them worriedly. Hilts picks up a little, examines it.

The door opens, Ashley-Pitt enters carrying a blanket.

They stare at him blankly.

Ashley-Pitt lays down a blanket, steps onto it, then, almost shyly, undoes his pants, steps out of them. Down each leg is a long thin cylindrical bag with a string attached to the bottom of each. Like a magician performing his magnus opus, he pulls the strings with a flourish and dirt cascades out of the bottoms on to the blanket. They all roar with laughter.

are no longer worked. They appear almost desolate. CAMERA WHIRLS AWAY as there is the sound of marching men. Hilts is drilling a group of moth-eaten POW's.

Yellow sand streams from pants legs in the central section of marchers. Following feet scuff the sand into the dirt. And now the feet have passed... the compound dirt is as it always was...

are joined by other "full-dirt carriers" and the "empty- dirt carriers" judiciously depart for further supplies. Beyond them is a volley ball match. Cheers.

surveys the scene expansively.

is going apace. Crowds of excited watchers roar and cheer their team on - or curse the opposition...

Yellow sand dribbles constantly from many pants legs - and other feet pound it into the dirt...

like a cheshire cat, watches happily as dirt comes out of "Tom" and is funnelled into the carrying bags.

proceeds. Carriers deposit their treasure, feet scuff it into oblivion. Contentedly Ramsey turns away, reacts as there is a sudden warning and everyone goes into cover tactics. Strachwitz wanders up from the north compound area.

on which the carriers are 'loaded' is shaken clean down the shaft - the tunnelers disappear underground - the trap is closed and the stove set on top and fired in one smooth, well trained drill. Ashley-Pitt checks everything care- fully, then exits...

continues with gusto, no sand disposal. Strachwitz watches bleakly for a moment, well aware of the watchful stooges through the area. He turns on his heel, begins to exit.

amble out. Forty yards away Strachwitz is crossing to the main gate. He glances at them casually, looks away...

A thin stream of yellow sand begins trickling from a defective leg bag.

walking, oblivious of the slight, though screaming trail of yellow sand. Nimmo glances down, reacts, stops, bends down to pretend to tie his shoe lace. Haynes reacts too, covering - grimly conscious of Strachwitz's near presence...

glances at them casually, glances away and continues his walk toward the guardhouse.

wait until Strachwitz has disappeared. Ashley-Pitt ambles up, cautiously he obliterates the trail.

is on a "half-bed" awkwardly using both compass and footage marking twine. CAMERA PANS him around as he changes "half- beds", starts on second leg.

nervously checks and double checks his calculations.

approaches. As his head pokes into a new ante-chamber CAMERA reveals that Willie and Danny and Cavendish are waiting for him. Just enough room for them to crouch. The tunnel has ended with finality. An anxious moment while MacDonald checks his calculations. No one speaks. A drip of perspiration splatters the paper he is working on. At length:

MacDonald wipes the sweat off, looks at the dirt ceiling.

They look at one another. The sweat drips.

He exits, trundles away on a half bed. Willie follows. Now Danny is alone. A slight crack startles him. A thin trickle of sand. No danger. He exists hating the close- ness. Fearing it.

Almost no movement. Only goons guarding sleepily. Some guards come yawning out of the guardhouse with the wrapped flag, march over to the flagpole, attach the flag, haul it up...

They are quiet. No sound. Then a door opens and Hilts sneaks cautiously, ducks around the lee of the hut to a garbage can. He looks around to see no one is watching, lights a match on his pants, tosses the match into the can, replaces the lid, walks off unconcerned towards Hendley's hut...

are anxiously carrying out bottles, jam jars, crocks, full of colorless liquid, placing them near the steps of the cookhouse. Hilts turns a far corner, then covered by the guardhouse runs behind the back of the cookhouse disappears. Hendley comes back with more bottles, then he and Goff hurry back into his hut. A pause then Hilts races up - disappears inside Hendley's hut as noiselessly.

glances off, reacts.

a homemade "Stars and Stripes" flutters proudly.

suddenly explodes. The lid careens into the sky on the plume of smoke.

react, burp guns ready.

jerked from their sleep...

pop up...

poke out...

pour startled out of barrack huts...

stare off stunned.

as the "Spirit of '76", come around the corner, head out into the center of the compound. Makeshift costumes. Hendley is the Old Man with the bloody bandage around his head - he beats the drum; Goff carries a makeshift revolutionary flag, leans into an imaginary gale; Hilts stiff-legs it along, playing off key Yankee Doodle on a flute, a large jug under his arm.

half dressed, stares off...

covers his fright, begins to laugh...

pour out of barracks in various stages of undress, begin to roar...

near MacDonald, looks off blankly. Cavendish's mouth is opened...

weave around. Hendley calls a halt. Now we notice they are half crocked. Ceremoniously Hilts passes the jug, and they all take another belt. Dynamite. They shudder then gamely strike up the march once more...

watches. A grim smile sets on his face.

moves out of the march, stops in front of Ramsey, salutes with a flourish.

He salutes once more and almost falls...

laughing, roaring converge on the cookhouse. Hilts and Goff, almost crocked, start ladling out the firewater...

Ashley-Pitt smiles, toasts Goff.

He drains the half glass. Pause. A slight shudder.

Others are milling about, getting their drinks. Ashley- Pitt wanders over towards Ramsey...

His eyes suddenly glaze as the rotgut hits him. He stag- gers, then grimly forces himself erect.

He sees Ramsey, salutes.

Ramsey laughs. Turns to Bartlett.

thoughtfully sniffs the liquor, then sips, then drinks. He frowns, nods contentedly, takes another. Then another. No effect.

is sitting on the stoop, flushed and happy, as Goff reels up.

He half gets up, then discovers that his legs won't work.

Ashley-Pitt is bending Ramsey's ear. Ramsey is carefully sipping the liquor... token drink.

as the alcohol speeds through their systems, helped by empty stomachs...

form around the piano. A song fest starts with Sedgwick thumping the piano...

including Hendley, Hilts, Goff form a snake line and begin weaving around the dirt...

and ferrets sneak into the hut under cover, close the door carefully... The hut is empty. Strachwitz signals guard to be silent and keep away from the windows, then motions them to start a minute search of all floors...

is weaving around. Laughing, roaring men.

is passing along the outside road. He looks off, stops, begins to gawk...

The whole camp. POW's laughing, fighting, like a lunatic asylum...

weaves around. Hilts is near the head of the reeling snake...

stops transfixed, stares off...

and the curious guard...

ambles over toward the warning wire...

cocks his burp gun ominously...

is playing "Over the Waves" with the upper register - plink, plink - as though he is Heifitz/Beethoven/Stravinsky all rolled into one...

stops just inside the warning wire, obviously admiring the motorcycle...

is obviously not a little proud of his sparkling machine. He is about thirty feet away from Hilts. He smiles, very friendly: "Hands across the wire."

smiles back, friendly. "Hands across the wire."

INTERCUT:

Neither of the men speak a word but both pantomime the following:

GERMAN: Nice motorcycle, eh?

HILTS: Pretty good. How many speeds forward?

GERMAN: Four.

HILTS: That's average. I've got a motorcycle at home.

GERMAN: So?

HILTS: (points at the Stars and Stripes) Across the ocean in America.

GERMAN: Ah!

HILTS: How fast does yours go?

GERMAN: (with fingers) Eighty.

HILTS: (snorts) That's pretty sad.

GERMAN: (bristling) How fast does yours go?

HILTS: (with fingers) A hundred.

GERMAN: Ridiculous. Big mouth American!

HILTS: (with Heil Hitler salute and holding his nose) German stuff stinks.

GERMAN: Up yours.

HILTS: Up yours.

sourly kicks the start pedal. It won't start. Kicks again.

gives him a horse laugh...

seething, kicks again, now the engine fires - sweet note - and he roars away...

turns back from the warning wire. Faint piano music. The sudden trance - then Hilts' head nods, he exits.

grimly replaces the safety.

continue to ladle out the liquor. A few unconscious, seraphic bodies around. Men carelessly step over - or on - them as their whim takes them...

is strangely quiet after the roistering tumult, which inside the hut is muted. Strachwitz is near the stove. He looks around angrily. Kramer comes from the shower area.

Strachwitz pushes pass to investigate the shower area, wearily Kramer looks around the hut. On the stove coffee is steaming. The aroma tempts him. He forces away his need, once more begins a careful search of the floor areas.

are almost completely crocked. Sedgwick plonks away. Milling mass of people. Merivale, half crocked now, suddenly lifts up his arms, waist high and calls out:

Immediately two POW's get either side of him as instantly an opposing "scrum formation" gets together and the two sides lock, Merivale the "hooker" on one side, MacDonald the other. Miraculously a rugger ball appears and the scrum half tosses the ball into the writhing mass of struggling bodies.

turns and watches in a drunken stupor. Hilts enters and heads for the piano. He stares into its guts. Then, as Sedgwick is momentarily distracted, Hilts whips out a pair of wire cutters, cuts some of the piano wire strings, wraps them up and walks away contentedly...

a packed jammed mass of shouting, laughing, fighting men...

crawls from under the swirling mass and heads tiredly for a chair. Sits. Now we see he has the ball in his lap. He smiles seraphically as over comes shouts:

turns back from the melee, starts playing again. When he gets to the upper register, "plunk plunk", there is only a dull "thud thud". He frowns, tries it again. The same. He shrugs, continues playing - always including the "thud thud"...

heads toward the fire pool, Bartlett and Ramsey watch amused. Rather than change course, Hendley leads the column into it. The shallow end... deeper... deeper... deeper... then they all scramble out. Now a body remains in the water, floats face down...

stop. See the body, study it with interest. Ramsey watches with Bartlett.

Hendley and MacDonald move closer.

No one makes an attempt to pull the man out.

He staggers into the pool, turns the body over. To his immense disgust...

smiles happily - unconscious.

drag Goff out, begin to give him artificial respiration...

looks down at Goff disgustedly.

He weaves over and picks up a blanket someone has dropped and drapes it over his shoulders, staggers to the edge of the pool. Like a prophet, he raises his arms over the water.

And he calmly walks forward, disappears.

calmly watch.

coughs out some water, opens his eyes, looks off, focusing with difficulty...

floats face downwards...

can no longer resist the aroma of the coffee. He pours a quick half-cup, carelessly burns himself, drops the coffee, hurriedly grabs a rag to clean up the mess.

stares down shocked. There's no mess. The coffee has disappeared. He gropes around. A thought. He gets the coffee, carefully pours some on the base of the stove. This, too, disappears. Frantically he rushes for Strachwitz. Whispered conversation. Strachwitz and Kramer carefully move the stove off the base plate. A moment... then "Tom's" false trap is opened and the purity of its shaft revealed.

wind around laughing...

is hauled into the scrum. Sedgwick still plays. Over the din comes whistles, shouts of guards...

run into the camp at the double. Beyond, Posen approaches at a run...

start to quieten. Gradually a sickening pall spreads as they realize what has happened...

massed. Stony. Vast depression.

appalled...

paralyzed with misery. Ives totally affected...

appalled...

grim. Stone sober - ashen.

dripping. He forces the alcohol away - sickened as he realizes what has happened...

cool, grimly amused, exultant...

impassive. Only his eyes scream his anger.

dead silence. All POW's motionless. All stare at 105. Only guards and ferrets converge with exultant shouts on "Tom's" birthplace.

The entire complement of POW's are in appell formation under a lowering sky. Searchlights already floodlight the massed ranks. Rain drizzles in the miserable half-light. Gloom. Ramsey stands alone in front of the ranks. Von Luger a few paces away, staring at the ranks. Kuhn and SS guards are there. The only movement is Kuhn ambling along the front rank...

taut with misery.

all staring off. Depressed. Rain trickles down their faces...

looks off. Taut, angry. Albeit victorious...

grim, white, impassive. Controlled hatred...

Ives is strangely different. Not overly noticeable - but a weird set to his eyes. Twitch of a face muscle. Brood- ing, half-unconscious stare. His hands mold themselves, almost absently. His lips move - no sound...

Hatred - cold vast hatred - in his eyes...

stands motionless in the doorway looking in...

is staring down the shaft. Another ENGINEER comes up out of the shaft carefully uncoiling insulated wire, continues laying the wire down the length of the hut out into the compound. The Engineer closes the trap, then heads out.

stand at doorway.

Strachwitz nods, then walks down the steps, heads for Von Luger. Kuhn still strolls along the front rank...

a deadly smile on his face. He stops in front of Hendley.

Hendley stares at him. Kuhn half-smiles, moves on, stops again.

He moves on again. Stops in front of Danny, bypasses Hilts without a second glance. Softly:

beside himself with rage. Almost on the verge of an insane attack. The SS guards have their hands on their holstered guns. Only a touch from Willie keeps Danny from going beserk. Kuhn strolls on, passes Ives, passes many POW's. He is looking at Bartlett.

Bartlett stares back at him, cold, beside himself with frustrated rage.

is joined by Strachwitz who salute smartly.

Von Luger nods, still looking off screen, almost completely covering his disgust of Kuhn.

is finishing attaching the wires to a detonation device. Then he snaps the handle up, stares off screen...

stops in front of Ramsey.

Ramsey stares at Kuhn stonily. Behind Kuhn, Von Luger approaches.

Von Luger nods, turns and nods at Strachwitz who signals. "Detonate".

is depressed...

shudders...

rumbles...

as the subterranean explosions wreck the tunnel and a thin snake of earth forms a depression...

reacting. Misery. Sickening hopelessness.

suddenly laughs. In the dead silence.

suddenly snaps. Wire happy. He breaks ranks and races madly for the fence, screaming incoherently...

appalled.

break from the ranks and hare after Ives...

appalled...

frothing, mouthing charges over the warning wire and, hurling himself at the barbed fence, madly tries to tear it to pieces with his bare hands...

cover Ives and the two men as they try to pull him off, but do not fire. Obviously Ives has gone mad.

suddenly shrieks, furiously.

Immediately an SS man jerks his burp gun.

sprays bullets off screen.

hesitates, fires a token burst...

crumple as the bullets cut them down - pock mark the dirt...

stares off appalled.

appalled - quickly covered.

horrified. The SOUND of firing cuts as abruptly as it started.

cold hard, shaking with anger.

stir in their ranks ominously. Tension. An animal like rumble of men at the breaking point...

react nervously...

senses the tension, steps back in front of the ranks.

Dead silence. Hairbreath from a lunatic riot. A hand goes up in the air...

has his hand up. Others are staring off at Kuhn. Any instant -- any sudden movement - will precipitate the riot. Kuhn walks opposite Hilts.

Hilts suddenly and savagely belts Kuhn flat on his back. Not bravado on Hilts' part - just an instinctive battle- bloodlust movement. A fantastic silence.

jerk their guns into fire position, ready to spray Hilts and, if necessary, the whole rank...

readies for suicide rush, careless of consequences...

ashen.

hold their positions, Still ready. Kuhn gets up, shaking with rage, the blood pouring from his mouth, he spits out two teeth. Beside himself with fury, grimly looks at von Luger.

have their guns at the ready. The SS men look around nervously. While all guns cover the POW's there is the faintest suggestion that von Luger's men are also covering the SS men. Kuhn notices this too - he controls his absolute fury.

looks back at Hilts who is almost still in his "battle- coma" - longer time at all the POW's including Ramsey - then he turns and stops near von Luger. The same look - a promise of vengeance to come. Then he stalks away followed by the silent SS men.

relaxes slightly, but is still grim and dangerously cold.

Strachwitz turns, immediately gives the necessary orders, as:

He looks off at Hilts who is now out of the "battle-coma".He stares back. There is a moment between the two men.

Immediately two guards converge on Hilts who calmly begins to walk between them.

He glances off as there is the beginning of an under- current. Yankee Doodle Dandy being softly hummed. By many men. Very soft. But quite clear.

being marched off. The humming is timed to his march.

watching, the hum seems to come from nowhere - softly, so softly.

He walks away, Strachwitz falling into step beside him, heads for main gate as:

But unlike before, instead of streaming away, the men stay where they are. Then slowly move into smaller groups, watching Hilts enter the cooler - the guards carrying the bodies back. Undercurrent - waves of anger. Bartlett and Ashley-Pitt converge on Ramsey. Cold, angry, brooding violence. The rain patters.

Bartlett looks off at Strachwitz and the pathetic bodies. His face closes.

They stare at him and the enormity of the idea hits them. Bartlett turns and exits purposefully. They look after him.

is marching out of the compound. The faces of the guards are grim, cold. The detail passes, heads for the opening gate, Strachwitz near it. Last in line is the Artful Dodger, blatantly marching out with the Germans, heading out of the gate.

purple with fury. Grabs him:

Immediately three guards converge, the Dodger walks off whistling. Strachwitz stares after him:

is digging with controlled ferocity. Behind him Willie is shovelling the dirt into a loading "half-bed".

rake the compound. Many more ferrets. Many more guards amble aimlessly, then suddenly converge for a snap inspection...

being shoved outside while ferrets rip the hut apart.

and the other tailors shut up shop in a hurry. Nimmo -- half fitted -- rips off the civilian suit, stashes it. Uniforms, sacking pieces of odd material are the makings of the "costumes".

plays with the baseball - grimly.

in his cell watches the search from the tiny window, then paces restlessly.

are as thick as the ferrets...

are untended...

is unoccupied. Group of silent POW's walk around...

is sewing a suit of civilian clothes. Others show others how to adapt uniforms and make them look like civvies...

is working the new air pump. Behind him, in the ante- chamber others are cutting boards to size with makeshift tools. Some are making...

is added to the growing pile of ersatz cap badges, belt buckles, etc.

wipes his eyes tiredly, then grimly goes back to lettering, Others work grimly. A sudden signal and all work disap- pears and a ferret enters. Blythe is already lecturing...

exits from the opening tiredly. Sudden warning! He galvanizes into action. The next man, Danny, hurriedly ducks back into the tunnel as the slab and grating are slammed into place and the water poured into the trap.

Muffled cursing.

ducks down into the ante-room. All the men who were work- ing are motionless. Muffled cursing and movements above. A man nervously drops a makeshift saw. Seemingly a huge noise. Everyone holds his breath.

make a minute search of the toilet room, knocking cement floors. Then they exit into...

are ripping the place apart searching for tools, or whatever.

grimly tosses the baseball against the wall. Again. Again. Then suddenly he stops. Listens intently. He stretches out on the floor, presses his ear against the concrete...

as he holds his breath. For an instant the faintest sound - impression of tunneling. Hilts listens - straining. Nothing more. Perhaps he imagined it - perhaps not.

also in solitary in his cell is also listening. Grimly. He gets up, paces around furiously.

listens, full of impotent rage. Grimly begins doing push-ups.

is supervising the dirt being packed against the face of the tunnel.

pokes his head into the attic, with a flashlight carefully makes sure that there is no dirt there.

look under barracks, making sure there is no extra dirt anywhere. At a window, a stooge guards, his eye pressed to a chink in the slats.

is walking along, looking under huts, searching as the others are searching. Also with his cordon of counter- ferrets. As Werner turns the corner of Hendley's hut, abruptly he hurries up the steps...

is lying on his bunk reading. Blythe is there. Hendley pretends surprise as Werner, white and nervous, shuts the door quickly. He fishes into his uniform and brings out a small roll of film, almost drops it in his anxiety.

stands there, a deadly calm.

Like magic the film disappears into Hendley's sleeve. Werner (back to Strachwitz) is almost paralyzed. Hendley reacts instantly:

Werner shrugs, begins to search - covering his petrifying fear. After a pause:

They exit. Hendley exhales and wipes the sweat off and gives Blythe the film.

But Blythe is preoccupied, carefully examining the film. To Hendley's astonishment, Blythe is holding the film an inch or so away from his eyes; Hendley frowns - says nothing.

is sitting with the camera, takes photo, reveals he is shooting a picture of Hendley dressed in a civilian suit, who heads a line of other POW's dressed in a motley array of costumes. Next in line is Nimmo. Weird windbreaker and pants, beret. He moves into position as Hendley steps aside.

is sitting at his table. Calls out:

The door opens and Cavendish comes in.

Cavendish exits and door opens and Griffiths comes in.

Hilts is bouncing the baseball. Merivale stares stonily out of the barred window high on one wall.

Hilts thinks about this. Suddenly listens intently, presses his ear to the floor.

Merivale looks up from studying his hands --

is tiredly interrogating POW's. Nimmo exits.

Haynes comes in.

Haynes goes out, another man comes in.

is packing earth that is being brought down the shaft by Hilts and others. The tunnel is almost completely full. He shakes his head wearily, tries to pack the earth tighter to make more room. Still the earth comes down the shaft. CAMERA watches up the shaft as the trap is slammed down. DARKNESS.

cover the sky. Sentries stamp their feet. Heavy over- coats. A sharp wind. A Hundfuheurer passes with his German shepherd dog, rests momentarily in the lee of a hut.

is watching Bartlett inspect some men wearing his work. Not a little proud. Bartlett stops in front of Hendley.

Bartlett continues down the line.

is passing out "iron rations" - a four inch square slab (about an inch think) of chocolate concrete - to dubious escapees. Hilts takes his slab, stares at it.

An Escapee speaks up from the rear of the line.

is approaching, lying on the small wheeled "flat-bed" on the wooden railway lines, using his arms to "paddle" himself along. He makes surprisingly good speed.

At the orifice, he gets up and CAMERA REVEALS that he is now in a new shaft. The end shaft. Waiting in this shaft are Willie and Danny, Hilts and MacDonald. He looks up. The shaft ceiling is about twenty-five feet. A firm ladder is tacked to one side. The actual ceiling is only dirt from which roots emanate. Along one side a huge tree root enters the shaft delicately. All talk in whispers, nervous excitement.

Taking hold of his excitement, Danny climbs the ladder, CAMERA FOLLOWING. He carries a small probe and sticks it into the ceiling dirt. He shoves it carefully for eighteen inches, then abruptly there is no more resistance.

and the rest react. Sounds of Danny returning.

Long silence. Then:

A slight crack breaks the silence. They look up. A thin trickle of sand comes from the dirt "roof".

He turns and exits into the tunnel. MacDonald wipes the sweat off. Exits. Then Hilts, Danny and Willie. Now the shaft is empty. Again a little crack. CAMERA goes to the roof. The sand cascades gently.

in it are many slips of paper. Folded neatly. A hand picks one, CAMERA reveals Blythe is holding the slip of paper. Nervously. Men are watching silently, many already have their slip numbers. Behind Blythe are a few more men in line. The last is Hilts. MacDonald is holding the hat, Ashley-Pitt beside him. Blythe opens the slip of paper, glances at it.

The number is neat and big. 28

is impassive as he heads for the door. Another man takes a slip, glances at it, grins broadly. The next opens his slip - re-reads it with growing sadness. MacDonald glances off, frowns.

is near the door. He has taken his glasses off and is peering down nervously at the slip of paper, holding it an inch away from his eyes. He does it very quickly, sure that he is not being observed.

reacts, appalled, as he realizes Blythe's eyes have almost failed him.

The last man, Hilts, takes his slip. Looks at it. Grins.

the number is thirteen.

exits happily. MacDonald stares at the door after Blythe, lost in thought.

They collect the hat, leave. The hut is very quiet. A man exhales as they look at one another or read and re-read their life-death number.

is rechecking some schedules with Ashley-Pitt. Searchlight from the compound splashes through the windowslats from time to time.

Wearily he picks up the schedules, starts for the door. A knock. Ashley-Pitt opens the door, reveals Hilts.

Hilts blinks, then smiles faintly.

Bartlett studies Hilts thoughtfully.

Hilts stares at him bug-eyed:

Hilts stares at him.

Hilts stares at him pop eyed:

Suddenly the air raid siren begins shrieking.

and their dogs react. Abruptly the searchlight vanishes. Hut lights begin to vanish. Only gloom now ...

The barracks lights flicker and die. In the gloom, faces react. Hope, pride.

mixed with just a little fear. On some.

looks up from the book he had been reading. Reacts, grimly satisfied. The siren begins to die.

ever more watchful in the blackness.

and Hilts are listening. The siren dies. Silence. Then faintly but distinctly the sound of bombs exploding, and distant ack ack.

Hilts glances at him, then:

But Bartlett is preoccupied listening -- filled with longing, staring out of a window.

Hilts exits.

straining into the darkness, reacts!

or perhaps nothing!

sprays the "death" area between warning wire and fence, trigger happy.

converge, shouting gutterally, in the general direction.

The goon tower returns the shout, faintly. Strachwitz shrugs, goes back to the patrol.

listens. Over comes the faintest, faintest SOUND of bombs falling. Far away. Grimly amused.

and all the others are listening. Faint sound of bombs exploding - distant ack ack. Excitedly, almost unnoticed, Danny, strangely white and drawn, slips out of the hut.

and the other guards are listening. They react too. Grimly. A dog whines, frightened.

are listening intently...

lies in his bunk watching Blythe who is preoccupied with shaving.

Blythe mislocates a piece of his gear, can't see it, fumbles until he can find it. Hendley notices this, turns his head away, looks up at the ceiling in thought. There is a particularly loud crump of a distant bomb.

Hendley sits up in his bunk.

There is another heavy bomb burst.

notices Danny's bunk is empty. Exits the hut anxiously.

comes out of the hut cautiously. Looks around. Nothing. Then he catches sight of someone crouching in the shadows.

comes up, gasps as he sees:

who stares off, the white of his eyes showing, at the unseen fence. In his shaking hand is a pair of wire cutters.

Willie gasps, ducks down beside him.

He makes a move but Willie grabs him back.

Danny tries to struggle free and Willie, tiny against Danny's bulk, belts him, trying to knock him out but the blow hardly touches Danny. He breaks free. Willie rugger tackles him, crashes him down, drags him under the lee of a hut. Danny stares up petrified at the floor - only a few inches above his head, tunnel-like.

Frightened that the goons will hear, Willie, with super- human strength, pulls him back again and backhands him savagely. To his horror, Danny starts crying.

Suddenly Willie stares off.

A goon sentry is searching with a flashlight - his burp gun ready. Then he sees them - the gun covers them!

crawl out. Willie covering Danny.

Quickly he hurries Danny away - and Danny, pathetic now, allows himself to be led. Nervously the sentry turns away. CAMERA goes to a window. Hilts is there. His shock shows.

are getting ready. Changing into their escape suits.

are fixing gear.

are dressing. Hendley slips out of the door, heads for the John. Blythe closes the door, his nerves are on edge. He finds a pin, sets it on the edge of the table, orients himself carefully then walks forward casually to pick it up. A miss by an inch. He does it again and this time bullseyes on the pin. He gets back into position, waits, sweating with nervousness. Glances at his watch.

are waiting nervously. Someone drops a book. The slight noise makes everyone jump.

is staring into a mirror, brushing his moustache into violence.

quietly paces, up and down, up and down.