John Leyton... unluckiest 1960's actor?...

[Mortiroloboy]

John Leyton, his character banged up in Stalagluft13 in the Great Escape, manages to escape (did he get machine gunned?) only to turn up in an Italian POW camp in VonRyans Express only to be shot again. Talk about type casting

 

[Pete]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't he one of only three guys who get clean away in The Great Escape (the others being Charles Bronson and James Coburn)? All the others get either shot or returned to camp.

So perhaps not all that 'unlucky'...

 

[mondobongo]

Pete your right he was in the rowing boat with Danny (Charles Bronson).

 

[col]

And james coburn nicked a bike didnt he?

 

[mondobongo]

Yep if you read the entry on the Great Escape on Wikipedia it mentions in the fictional parts of the film that stealing a bike would not be advised as it could lead to criminal charges! Just how much more trouble could you get into having escaped.

 

[Mortiroloboy]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't he one of only three guys who get clean away in The Great Escape (the others being Charles Bronson and James Coburn)? All the others get either shot or returned to camp.

So perhaps not all that 'unlucky'...

You're correct, so presumably after getting back to Blighty, he was sent off to fight and was unlucky enough to be re-captured again. But what a great time he had meeting such famous people as Frank Sinatra, Charles Bronson, Trevor Howard et al!

 

[Mortiroloboy]

And james coburn nicked a bike didnt he?

So did Steve McQueen, although his was a bit more powerful than Mr Coburn's.

 

[girofan]

Tell you what Mortiroloboy, if you had heard any of John Leyton's recordings, you would wish he had been shot!
Try "Johnny Remember Me" for teeth grinding banality. If you can find a copy. Maybe your grandparents may have one?