251063 This is one of those world war two films that capture every boy's sense of adventure and remains with you into adulthood. It did get a theatrical release in both the USA and o/seas.NBC screened it on TV as has many other networks both in the USA and o/seas.However like many films as they are shown around the world on TV and then on VHS and DVD, the actual running time gets shorten considerably. Once upon a time it was due to commercial breaks but when these shorten versions of the actual film start to turn up on VHS / DVD and now Blu-ray it is very frustrating for the consumer.They are paying top dollar especially in the case of Blu-Ray for an inferior product being the severely edited film. For the first time, Escape Of the Birdmen has been made available on DVD and Blu-ray however it has suffered from the above fate of severe editing or at least poor mastering.The current DVD and Blu-ray release is missing a total of 10mins of crucial footage.The first involves Doug McClure when he consults the engineer "Fitz" played by Tom Skerrit in the library about a book on engineering specifically on flying. the second scene is when the scientist character "Volda" or "Brevick" has a flashback to how his first escape plan from a top secret facility run by the Nazis fails after an attempted rescue by British Commandos.The third scene missing from the DVD / Blu-Ray release is when the blind character called "Davies" an ex British commando has a flashback to the raid on the Nazis top secret facility and how he became blind due to an exchange of gunfire during the failed raid. All three scenes are crucial to the telling of the story and especially the establishment of the relationship by chance between Brevick and Davies.If by some chance you can watch an unedited version of this film based on a true story, you will be pleased.

Barnes848 There is a song in this film which the prisoners sing. It is from the Death Camps and they taunt the Nazis with it when they burn their uniforms. I am trying very hard to get a copy of the film or the soundtrack so that I can have that music....I would be very grateful to anyone who could help me obtain the music.Odd that such an obscure film should have such an affect on so many people so many years later. I think that I saw the movie on TV once (or maybe twice, I am not sure). I have never been able to forget the movie. Some parts that I remember mostly are when the blind pilot insists that they allow the plane to be used by the intelligence operative and the phony officer who is really a nuclear scientist. What a great story! I am very humbled that so many of you admit that the film had such an affect on you. It did on me also. I entered the Service and stayed for almost 24 years active duty in the U.S. Coast Guard. I had some Marine Corps reserve time in college before that.What a wonderful film! I would really like to have that music!Tom Barnes [email protected]

jonwiler I saw this movie in Saudi Arabia in the late seventies with my brother. The other day he asked me if I remembered this war movie about a glider and starring Chuck Connors. Before he could say another word, I started to sing the tune. He was quite shocked that I still remembered. We tried Connors and McClure's autobiography on other websites with no success. This was the first site that I found that has all this information. Thanks a lot. I will now try to get this movie. Maybe my brother and I will get together, watch a movie, and reminisce. I never new if he enjoyed the movie, or even remembered it, as I did. He tried researching for the title to no avail. That is what spurred me on. That song is very catchy.

reinders1 The song that the prisoners sang was "Die Gedanken sind frei" Which roughly translates to My thoughts are free. It told the Germans that although you have my body in prison, you will never imprison have my spirit. This movie is one of my all time favorites. As a kid growing up, I loved movies and songs that showed American ingenuity. The premise of building a glider to escape from prison fascinated me. You can see the German words to the song at the following website: http://www.online.ee/~pikka/voorlaul.html#50 If you want to know what the words mean, copy and paste the test to Google's translation program.