This Great Escape

by Andrew Steinmetz

  The speed of this train is magnificent. I feel it may have mystical healing powers. Excuse me, but this is more like The Fucking German Way, surely. Engineering.

  Under a cloudless sky, Deutschland drifts by like a silent movie. The giant canvas lit by heroic sun, the scenery generated by successive wind farms outstretched on the far hilltops—the garden of steel stamens and bright blades work precisely to rotate my panoramic view from rolling country and gentle, sloping pastures to the urban exteriors and the frozen frame of the next station.

  It is much faster than the train the film crew leased from DB for several weeks in the summer of 1962, and considerably faster than the original trains from 1944. Nobody in their right mind—not a Hollywood stuntman, not even an escapee—would jump from this train. You’d be sucked underneath, sliced into ribbons and spat out. The ice is top-notch.

  1 Read to the dead: Here is a growing market publishers ought to explore within the shrinking marketplace for books, and a fresh angle for booksellers. Even a so-called writer like myself can see the potential: the in-store table piled high with volumes and the neat sign ‘Especially for the Dead: Rudolf’s Picks’. Or maybe the idea has already been taken to town by clairvoyant retailers and national radio hosts.

  2 I wonder what Steiner would have done with Skype. It’s not my cup of tea, Skype, but then I’m not nearly the social networker Steiner seems to have been.

  Stateless Person Of

  Undetermined Nationality

  A Review of the Evidence

  ** Important—Avis—Wichtig **

  Spoiler and Plot Summary Alert

  AUSTRIA (1935 to 1938)

  Ages one to three are spent in Vienna.

  Status: Refugee.

  Activities: Birth, breastfeeding and potty training.

  Physical Characteristics and Identifying Features: The boy is blond.

  Emotions: Experiences feelings of loss (during weaning) and tingling of the power of the will (anal retentiveness).

  Accomplishments: Michael quits his oral and anal phase reluctantly, and cuts his teeth early, learning to walk and talk. Object permanence.

  Reason for departure: The post-Anschluss party in Austria that tore the skin off Vienna.

  Method of departure: Hide and seek over and across the Alps.

  Things Michael hates: Too early to tell.

  Michael needs: Mother.

  Favourite question: ‘Why?’

  SWITZERLAND (1938 to 1946)

  Ages four to eleven are spent in Zurich.

  Status: Displaced person.

  Activities: Waldorf School. Michael learns a bit of French and about The FSW.

  Physical Characteristics and Identifying Features: Pudgy.

  Emotions: Experiences (more) feelings of loss (parents separate, his father leaves).

  Accomplishments: Michael locates his erogenous zone.

  Reason for departure: The end of the Second World War.

  Method of departure: Train.

  Things Michael Hates: Travelling.

  Michael needs: His father.

  Favourite question: ‘Am I good or bad?’

  GERMANY (Part I: 1946 to 1949)

  Ages 11-14 spent in the Russian sector of post-war Berlin.

  Status: Stateless.

  Activities: Black Market. Spying.

  Physical Characteristics and Identifying Features: Still blond, still a round face.

  Emotions: Hidden.

  Accomplishments: Survival.

  Reason for departure: Failure to thrive.

  Method of departure: Airlift.

  Things Michael Needs: Siblings or Friends.

  Michael loves: Romeo (German Shepherd).

  Favourite question: ‘Where am I going?’

  CANADA (1949 to 1956)

  Ages 14-21 spent in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario and in Montréal, Québec.

  Status: Undetermined Nationality.

  Activities: Immigration to Canada, Clarinet, Basketball, Theatre.

  Physical Characteristics and Identifying Features: Tall and handsome.

  Emotions: Insecurity.

  Accomplishments: Attends Sault Ste. Marie Collegiate Institute and McGill University. Tonsillectomy. Falling in love.

  Reason for Departure: Debatable. He wants a career in acting (absolutely). He misses Germany (perhaps). He seeks reunion with father (likely).

  Method of Departure: Airplane.

  Things Michael Needs: Self-confidence.

  Michael loves: Practical Jokes.

  Favourite questions: Questions of Self.

  GERMANY (Part II: 1957-1967)

  Ages 21 to 32 are spent in Germany, primarily in Munich, Berlin, Bremen, and Hamburg.

  Status: Actor.

  Activities: Insomnia, narcotic yearning, and death.

  Physical Characteristics and Identifying Features: His emptiness. An outline without core.

  Emotions: Doubt, self-doubt, despair.

  Accomplishments: The ability to fool himself. Falling in love (again).

  Reason for departure: Debatable. Difficulty of being. Complications of childhood. Untenable father–son dyadic syndrome. Pure exhaustion.

  Method of departure: Also debatable. Untenable lifestyle. Accidental overdose. Suicide. A misaligned heart and scars to myocardium.

  Things Michael Hates: Himself, and reviews of himself.

  Michael Needs: Spiritual rehabilitation.

  Favourite question: ‘How shall I live?’

  The War on Michael

  THROUGH THE MANY YEARS of the War on Michael, when all had gone suddenly quiet on the front and you could hear a pen drop, I followed the same strategy and launched emails to members of the family, to acquaintances and ex-classmates of his. I asked for reinforcements, for extra help. And usually I got it. From abroad and from within Canada, no postage and at no charge.

  These days my emails are more frequently addressed to scholars and librarians and historians and archivists, though sometimes I hit on casual aides, like my friend The Filmfuehrer. The Filmfuehrer does come up with the most amazing things. For example, to clear up the common misconception spread by commentators that the bike Steve McQueen used in the movie became the Fonz’s in Happy Days, the

  Filmfuehrer writes:

  Though Fonzie drove many bikes, he settled on a 1953 Thunderbird. This is obvious from the lack of rear shocks and huge springs on the saddle of his bike. Triumph went to swing-arm rear suspension in 1954. Rear suspension is a must for stunts like the jump in GE and the bike’s rear shocks are visible. The seats on these bikes had no springs. So Fonzie’s bike was not McQueen’s.

  I feel there is a ‘sit on it’ joke in here, somewhere, regarding The King of Cool, but The Filmfuehrer is not onto it. Instead there is the matter of his own credentials: “I speak from experience of owning four Triumphs, a 1953 21 (350cc), a 1958 TR6 (650cc), a 1966 T120 (650cc) and, in Kathmandhu, a 1972 Tiger Cub (250cc).”

  Once I asked him to recommend a film studies reference text. The rapid turnaround email incorporated the following definition of filmmaking.

  A film is made three times, and each version is different. First version is a script, and this is a compromise with regards to the original story. It’s the document that gets people onside—a sort of prayer. Second version is what is shot by the camera and recorded by the sound engineer of the actor’s efforts on a decorated set—something that may or may not follow the script. Third version is the assembly of what was actually recorded with the camera and sound devices by an editor into the final story—which may or may not be what the director had in mind.

  But I like it. And I like this on film production:

  In his or her mind, a camera operator is seeing, through the eyepiece, the images projected onto a sc
reen in the theatre. The director is seeing, or looking for, an emotional sequence that completes itself within the context of all the other pieces, including both variables of acting technique and constants in script structure, needed to assemble the story. He or she also wants the actor to go to the limits of their powers. Shooting is to a degree an act of harvesting.

  While he often gets his wheels stuck in arcane matter, The Filmfuehrer does occasionally traffic in the unexpectedly poignant aside. Here he is, dishing on border guards and actors, with Michael’s role in the movie forefront in mind:

  You could mention that the power of the border guard is total, within their extremely limited zone of authority. This spatial context is identical to that of a film actor on a set.

  And here he is, on the question of suicide:

  My intuition tells me suicide is important. I have the benefit of an interesting insight into suicide. A psychiatrist told me that in his experience people never committed suicide at the nadir point … it was always when the solution to a long standing problem appeared. i.e. A man tries for years to get the bank to give him money to start a business. He gets it approved, and kills himself. So this fits with Michael.

  Lastly, here he comments on an early draft of the Michael book; apparently The Filmfuehrer is a bit of a literary critic:

  At present, there is far too much light and not enough darkness. And the darkness required is not the thin, easy darkness of the forest at night. It is a dense, difficult-to-traverse darkness thick with the spoor of wandering human souls. Thoughts and ideas are light, details are dark because they must be dug from deep within the story’s soil. Thus I feel a deep need for some detail from Michael’s childhood and/or some detail or idea about the woman he loves.

  The point is that, as well being as a fount of information, The Filmfuehrer can be a tonic when the going gets tough. Frankly, I would not have gotten this far without him. I owe him a great deal. But there are times when even The Filmfuehrer will not do. Times when I need to return to the original battleground and bring the fight back to the making of the movie. Thus when I feel very up for it, I open communication with agents and management groups, the hired representatives of members of the original cast; for example, John Leyton’s management group, JRM Partner, in the UK.

  Subject: Great Escape - Michael Paryla

  Dear Sir or Madam,

  I would like to contact your client John Leyton.

  I am a Canadian writer currently working on a book about Michael Paryla, a family relative and refugee from Nazism who had the part of a Gestapo agent in The Great Escape.

  Michael Paryla was an extra and not credited in the movie, though he had several lines.1 He appears in the movie at ‘Neustadt’ and is in the train scene.

  It is my hope that Mr. Leyton might agree to a brief interview with me regarding his memory of Michael Paryla and his own part in the movie.

  I realize Mr. Leyton may not remember Michael Paryla, but Mr. Leyton might be interested in the fascinating story of Mr. Paryla’s own escape and return to Germany. 2

  Thank you for your time and patience. I hope Mr. Paryla’s story is of interest to Mr. Leyton. An email or telephone conversation about these matters would be of immeasurable value to me, both professionally and personally.

  Sincerely,

  Andrew Steinmetz

  Ottawa, Canada

  And the swift reply:

  Hello Andrew,

  John thanks you for your interest. John never met Michael or was present when the train scene was shot. At that time he was in Munich waiting for the ‘lake’ shot to be filmed. However if you want to send me a couple of questions that you would like John to answer he will be happy to send you a reply.

  Best regards. Steve

  Wow! How do you like that, Garner? Some primary research material at last, which my therapist and a fictional list of publishers have been begging me for! For ages! This potentially is Book-Deal-clinching. Considering the value of the information I stand to gain, it is surprising how ‘unprofessional’ my response is to Leyton’s agent Steve, which I’ve thrown off in the wind-tunnel of compulsive hen-peck finger-typing:

  Hello Steve, and Hello Mr. Leyton

  Thank you for your very generous reply. And thank you for your time. Before getting to my questions, BLA BLA BLA BLA BLA BLA tell you a little more biographical BLA BLA BLA. Michael Paryla was also in Munich at the film studio, and I know for certain he met Charles Bronson. Mr. Paryla had a house in Munich near the film studios. There are many eerie coincidences that link his private life to the film. For instance, BLA BLA BLA BLA BLA BLA BLA BLA BLA BLA BLA BLA BLA BLA BLA BLA BLA BLA BLA BLA BLA Michael’s father BLA BLA BLA Bertolt BLA BLA BLA BLA BLA the same city where the British tried the war criminals responsible for murdering the 50 escaped prisoners BLA BLA BLA buried BLA BLA BLA BLA BLA BLA BLA BLA BLA Waldfriedhof Cemetery, very close to the Bavariafilmstadt. Hamburg and Munich are important BLA BLA BLA BLA BLA BLA BLA BLA BLA BLA BLA BLA.

  While I have had some good luck tracking down biographical details, I am considerably less experienced at digging up documents related to the film. For example, I’m told Mr. Paryla’s contract and casting audition files should rest with Stalmaster-Lister & Co. I’ve not been able to contact to Stalmaster-Lister & Co.

  Here now are my questions …

  I have precisely eight, which I formulate on the spot. I list them and send my overwrought and long-winded reply to his first reply away. And then the long wait. There are no more emails for quite awhile. I have asked for too much. Obviously, I’ve been overexuberant. Obviously, they must have caught my scent or the spoor of my wandering human soul and were scared off. There’s nothing coming my way from across the big pond. One day, months later, I compose a third, more restrained, email. I ping Mr. Leyton’s agent and immediately get a response. Here are my questions to Mr. Leyton, followed by his answers.

  Q1. From my reading I was able to find out that many of the fictional characters in the film were based on historical people. Was your character—Willie, Tunneller—based on a historical character, and if so, as an actor, how did this influence your performance?

  A1: We all knew that The Great Escape was a true story and I knew that the character I was portraying was based on a real person who was in Stalag Luft III. I don’t know exactly who it was as there were several tunnellers. We did not meet any of the original POW’s during filming but the fact I was portraying a real character in a film that was a true story involved research and understanding of what the POW’s went through.

  Q2. Could you share with me any details about your experience on set filming the lake or river scene with Charles Bronson?

  A2. The river scene was the very last scene to be shot. Saying goodbye was quite emotional as Charles Bronson and I had worked together on the film for six months. Sadly we never met up again.

  Q3. Looking back, what is particularly very difficult about ‘becoming an actor’? Becoming an actor when you are the son of an actor?

  A3. Acting is a very precarious profession, which is the first thing that any aspiring young actor must realise and accept. Being in the right place at the right time plays a huge role in an actor’s career and finding the right representation is crucial. Following in the footsteps of a famous father makes it very difficult, as there are bound to be comparisons and criticisms. Frank Sinatra, who I appeared with in Von Ryan’s Express, is a prime example. His son was a fine singer but was never going to escape from his father’s shadow. He even had to cope with the same name, Frank Sinatra Jr.

  Q4. Many of the actors in the movie had wartime experience and were former prisoners of war. Some of the German actors were prisoners of the Americans, for example. Was this kind of thing — an actor’s previous wartime experience — discussed on the set?

  A4. To my knowledge no previous wartime experiences by either Americans, Germans or Britis
h were ever discussed on the set.

  Q5. Can you describe the mood and relationship between the German actors and the rest of the crew (from USA and England) on set?

  A5. Everybody got on well. Hannes Messemer (who was a POW in Russia) and Robert Graf were very friendly. Unfortunately I never had the pleasure of meeting Michael Paryla as he was not involved in any of my scenes.

  Q6. Do you remember how the film was received in England when it was released? Do you have an idea about how it was ‘received’ in Germany, whenever it was released there?

  A6. It was received very well in England and the USA. There were a few ex-service men who complained about the American involvement, particularly as it was billed as ‘A Glorious Saga of the RAF’. I have no idea how it was received in Germany. 3

  Q7. Americans were not involved in the actual escape, and yet the movie included the heroic acts of the All-American Steve McQueen. Was this kind of thing ever discussed on set? Historical inaccuracies?

  A7. Historical accuracies were never discussed on the set. There were a few elements of the film that didn’t adhere to the facts, such as the American involvement. However at the end of the day we were making a commercial movie and I think it was inevitable and acceptable that a bit of ‘Hollywood’ should be allowed to creep in. After all, what is the first thing that everybody remembers from the film—Steve McQueen on the motor bike and the jump over the barbed wire. That’s Hollywood!