James Garner credited as playing...
Hendley 'The Scrounger'
- Colin: [walking into his room and meeting Hendley for the first time] Oh, hello. My name's Blythe.
- Hendley: Hendley.
- Colin: [holding a container of water] For the birds.
- Hendley: Oh, I used to do a little hunting myself.
- Colin: Oh, not hunting. Watching.
- Hendley: Oh, uh... birdwatcher?
- Colin: Yes, that's right. Watching them, and, uh... drawing them. I suppose you have birdwatchers in the states.
- Hendley: Yes, we have some.
- Colin: Tea?
- Hendley: I only drank tea once, in a hospital.
- Colin: [looking around] Where's your kit?
- Hendley: [pointing to the small amount of things in his cabinet] This is it. The rest was confiscated in the last shakedown. The goons didn't appreciate some of my more... personal items.
- [pulls out a Swiss army knife]
- Hendley: Such as.
- Colin: You're the scrounger.
- Hendley: Yes, that's right.
- Colin: I'll need a camera.
- Hendley: What kind?
- Colin: A good one. A 35mm F2.8 with a focal plane shutter should do all right.
- Hendley: All right.
- Colin: And film, of course.
- Hendley: Oh, of course.
- Colin: [making tea] Afraid this tea's pathetic. Must have used these wretched leaves about twenty times. It's not that I mind so much; tea without milk is so uncivilized.
- [Hendley gets a can of milk]
- Colin: Ooh, splendid!
- [pours the milk into the tea]
- Hendley: Blythe, what are you doing here?
- Colin: Oh, I'm in photographic aerial reconnaissance interpretation. Went for a joyride to see for myself, it's my own silly fault. The aircraft bought it; got shot down. Terrifying.
- Hendley: No, I mean, what do you do here?
- Colin: Here? Oh, I'm the forger.
- Colin: [after talking with Roger about the escape] You know, he's right. He's right. I really shouldn't go. My eyes have been getting worse and worse. I think they call it progressive myopia. I can see things up here.
- [looks at pin]
- Colin: yes I can see it well, but, you're just a blur.
- Hendley: I know. Ah, Hell, we'll make it in great shape. Colin, do you have any tea?
- Colin: Yes, of course.
- Hendley: Let's have some.
- Colin: Splendid.
- Bartlett: Gentlemen, no doubt you've heard the, uh, immortal words of our new commandant: "devote your energies to things other than escape, and sit out the war as comfortably as possible."
- [Sedgewick gives a derisive laugh]
- Bartlett: Well, that's exactly what we're going to do. We're going to devote our energies to sports and gardening, all the cultural pursuits, as far as they're concerned, in fact, we're going to put the goons to sleep. Meanwhile... we dig. Now, even a superficial look at the compound shows us that Huts 104 and 5 are closest to the woods. The first tunnel goes out from 105, directly east under the vorlager, the cooler, and the wire.
- Willie: But that's over three hundred feet, Roger!
- Bartlett: Did you make a survey, Dennis?
- Cavendish: Only a temporary one, sir. I make it just over three hundred and thirty-five feet.
- Bartlett: Let me know when you've got an exact one. Willie, this time we'll dig straight down thirty feet before we go horizontal. That'll rule out any question of sound detection or probing.
- Willie: All right, Roger. But did you say "the first tunnel"?
- Bartlett: I did. There will be three. We'll call them Tom, Dick, and Harry. Tom, as I said, goes out directly east from 104. Dick goes north from the kitchen, and Harry goes out parallel to Tom from 105. If the goons find one, we'll move into the other.
- MacDonald: How many men do you plan to take out, Roger?
- [a beat]
- Bartlett: Two hundred and fifty.
- [Everyone stares in shock]
- Bartlett: There will be no half-measures this time, gentlemen. There will be identification papers and documents for everyone. And Griff, we'll need outfits for the lot.
- Griffith: Two hundred and fifty?
- Bartlett: Mostly civilian clothes.
- Griffith: Yes, but, um... okay, Roger.
- Bartlett: Mac. Maps, blankets, rations, compasses for all the walkers, and timetables for every train.
- MacDonald: Right, Roger.
- [Blythe enters the room]
- Colin: Sorry I'm late, Roger.
- Bartlett: All right, Colin. Sit down. We're going to tunnel.
- Colin: Splendid.
- Bartlett: Willie, you and Danny will be tunnel kings. Danny, you'll be in charge of traps, and I'll work out the exact location with you tomorrow.
- Danny: Good.
- Bartlett: Sedgwick, manufacturer. Griff, as I said, tailor. Nimmo and Hayes, diversions. Mac, of course, will take care of intelligence. Hendley? We haven't met. Scrounger?
- Hendley: Right.
- Bartlett: Dennis, maps and surveys. Colin, you'll take your usual job. Eric, have you thought how you're going to get rid of this dirt?
- Ashley-Pitt: Yes, I have. The usual places. I hadn't anticipated three tunnels, but we'll manage.
- Sorren: Roger, who's going to handle security for all this?
- Bartlett: You are. I want a system of stooges covering this compound from front to back, checking every goon in and out. I want a signal system so perfect that if ever a ferret gets within fifty feet of any of the huts in which we're working, we can shut down without a sign. Well... I don't think there's much point in discussing any more now, I'll meet each of you in turn on the exercise circuit, and we'll... pound out the details. Nothing else, is there, Mac?
- MacDonald: I shouldn't think so, Roger.
- Ramsey: [Everyone has been returned to the camp] What happened to Blythe?
- Hendley: [sadly] He didn't make it, sir. Roger was right about that.
- Ramsey: I'm afraid Roger didn't make it either. I've just posted the list: they shot 50. The Gestapo murdered them.
- Hendley: [horrified] 50? MacDonald? Ashley-Pitt?
- Ramsey: Yes.
- Prisoner: Danny and Willie?
- Ramsey: No, they're not on the list.
- Dai Nimmo ('Diversions'): Haynes?
- Ramsey: Yes. I'm sorry. Roger's idea was to get back at the enemy the hardest way he could: mess up their works. From what we've heard here, I think he did exactly that.
- Hendley: Do you think it was worth the price?
- Ramsey: That depends on your point of view, Hendley.
- Hendley: Well, what do you think, Navy?
- Ashley-Pitt: I must say it's an interesting first twenty minutes.
- Willie: I'd say we made fools of ourselves.
- Bartlett: [Bartlett has told Colin that he cannot participate in the escape] I hate these last-minute letdowns, but I've only just been told. It's too risky for you.
- Hendley: Don't you think that's Colin's decision?
- Bartlett: No, I don't.
- Hendley: Come on, Roger. We all know the score here, at least... most of us do. Your idea of this escape is to... start another front, to foul up the Germans behind the lines. All right, that's fine, that's fine. But once we get past that barbed wire, once we have them looking all over Germany for us, that mission is accomplished. Afterwards, we have some ideas of our own.
- Bartlett: You mean getting home? Back to your family and children?
- Hendley: That's right.
- Bartlett: Good God, man. Do you really believe I haven't thought about that, too?
- Hendley: I'm sure you have. I know Colin has. And Roger, I have, too. We think we can make it all the way.
- Bartlett: Not Colin. He'd be an appalling hazard to the whole escape, that must be my decision.
- Hendley: [annoyed] You want to talk about hazards? Let talk about hazards, lets talk about you: you're the biggest hazard we have, the Gestapo has you marked. No one has said you can't go.
- Bartlett: That's true. And I have thought about the Gestapo. But if you're asking me how a far a commanding officer is allowed to go, or dare go, or should be permitted to play God, I can't answer you. But I can tell you, a blind man is an unnecessary hazard, not just to himself, but to the whole plan, and must therefore be eliminated from the operation.
- Hendley: Colin's not a blind man as long as he's with me. And he's going with me!
- Bartlett: It's alright with you, Colin?
- Colin: Oh, yes. Quite.
- Bartlett: [bowing his head] Very well. I'll arrange for your escape numbers to be altered accordingly. Good night, gentlemen.
- [Bartlett walks out of the room]
- Danny: [preparing to start the escape tunnel] We're ready.
- Bartlett: Big enough?
- Danny: It's perfect. Right through the middle of the foundation.
- [with his chalk, he writes "17" in the corner of the concrete]
- Bartlett: Good luck to us, Danny.
- Hendley: [quietly, to Mac] Why 17?
- MacDonald: This is the 17th tunnel Danny's started.
- Hendley: [Everyone is celebrating the 4th of July] Gentlemen, you're invited for free drinks at the washdown.
- Hilts: The 4th of July, a little present from the Colonials.
- Goff: [drunkenly] Down the British!
- Bartlett: Here, here!
- MacDonald: Quite right, too.
- Hendley: And a little drink to Tom.
- Hilts: We'll be getting on.
- Ramsey: Very well, we accept. Up the rebels!
- Goff: [drunkenly] Down the British!
- Hendley: Gentlemen, if you care to follow us.
- [the large group of prisoners marches away]
- Nazi investigator: [the Nazis are searching for the prisoners on a train, and encounter Bartlett and MacDonald]
- [Translated: Your passport, please]
- Nazi investigator: Ihre passe, bitte.
- [Hendley and Blythe walk down the train hallway]
- Hendley: [to Ashley-Pitt] Tally-ho.
- [Ashley-Pitt puts on his glasses and starts reading a newspaper; the Nazis are questioning Bartlett and MacDonald]
- Nazi investigator: [Translated: Are you French?] Vous etes Francais?
- Bartlett: Qui.
- MacDonald: [Translated: Me, too] Moi, aussi.
- [a beat]
- Nazi investigator: Merci. Bien.
- [the Nazis walk on to the next row of passengers]
- Hendley: [passing Haynes] Tally-ho.
- [the Nazis are questioning Ashley-Pitt]
- Nazi investigator: [Translated: Are you traveling for a company?] Sie reisen für eine firma?
- Ashley-Pitt: [Translated: Yes. for my...] Ja. Für mein...
- [shows them his passport]
- Ashley-Pitt: [Translated: For my company] Für mein geschäft.
- Nazi investigator: [Translated: Thank you] Danke.
- Ashley-Pitt: [Translated: Thank you] Danke.
- Werner 'The Ferret': What do you do here by the truck?
- Hendley: I'm stealing tools.
- Werner 'The Ferret': For stealing tools, cooler.
- Hendley: I was only kidding. I wasn't stealing tools.
- Werner 'The Ferret': Oh, you're American.
- Hendley: Yes, and you're a German.
- Werner 'The Ferret': Of course. Why do you come to Germany? Why fight for England, your enemy?
- Hendley: Enemy? What are you talkin' about?
- Werner 'The Ferret': In 1812, they burned your capital.
- Hendley: That's propaganda.
- Werner 'The Ferret': It's in the history books.
- Hendley: It's pure propaganda.
- Werner 'The Ferret': I read it! And now, go away from here. If you steal tools, cooler.
- Hendley: Yeah, no tools.
- Hendley 'The Scrounger': [Referring to the moonshine they're drinking] You know what that is?
- Blythe 'The Forger': I'll tell you what it isn't. It isn't Napoleon Brandy... .