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Biography & Personal Stories
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The Man Who Lived the Escape but Wasn't 'Heroic Enough' for the Movie
WWII POW Peter Butterworth helped orchestrate the famous 'Wooden Horse' escape from Stalag Luft III. When auditioning for the 1950 film adaptation, he was rejected for a part because the casting director felt he didn't look 'heroic or athletic enough' for the role.
In the annals of Hollywood irony, few stories are as poignant or as telling as that of Peter Butterworth. To millions, he was a beloved, bumbling character actor, a familiar face in the British 'Carry On' film series. But before the slapstick comedy and comedic roles, Butterworth was a Royal Air Force officer, a prisoner of war, and a key figure in one of the most audacious escapes of World War II. Yet, when the time came to bring that very story to the silver screen, he was told he simply didn't look the part.
From Cockpit to Captivity
In 1940, Fleet Air Arm Lieutenant Peter Butterworth's plane was shot down over the Netherlands during a reconnaissance mission. He spent the remainder of the war as a prisoner in German POW camps, eventually landing in the infamous Stalag Luft III—the very same camp that would later host the 'Great Escape.' It was here that Butterworth's resilience and creative spirit flourished. He and his friend Talbot Rothwell (who would later become the head writer for the 'Carry On' series) formed a comedy and entertainment duo, performing in camp shows designed to boost morale and, more covertly, to distract German guards during escape preparations.
The Audacity of the Wooden Horse
Butterworth was an integral part of the ingenious 'Wooden Horse' escape. The plan involved constructing a wooden vaulting horse, which was carried out to the same spot in the compound each day. While prisoners feigned gymnastic exercises, a man hidden inside the horse would dig a tunnel. Butterworth was one of the vaulters, using his physical activity and loud encouragement to create a diversion, covering the noise of the digging happening just feet below. He helped conceal the tunnel's entrance and distract the guards, a role that required immense nerve and teamwork. The plan was a success, with three men eventually making it to freedom through the tunnel he helped conceal.
Hollywood's Hero Problem
In 1950, the story was adapted into the film 'The Wooden Horse.' Having lived the real-life drama, Butterworth naturally auditioned for a part. He was, after all, not just an actor but a primary source. The outcome was a cinematic rejection of brutal irony. The casting director turned him away, with the explanation that he...
...didn't look convincingly heroic or athletic enough.
The very man who had risked his life, whose real-world actions were the definition of heroic, was deemed visually unsuitable to portray it on screen. Hollywood had its archetype of a hero—tall, chiseled, and stoic—and Peter Butterworth, an ordinary man who did extraordinary things, did not fit the mold. The incident perfectly encapsulates the chasm between the messy, unglamorous reality of heroism and the polished, idealized version manufactured for audiences.
A Different Kind of Legacy
While he may not have fit a casting director's narrow definition of a war hero, Butterworth went on to become a national treasure in his own right. His career spanned decades, and his warm, affable presence made him a beloved figure in British comedy. He proved that his true 'look'—the one deemed not heroic enough—was perfectly suited for winning the hearts of the public. The man who lived the real story may have been denied a role in its retelling, but his legacy serves as a potent reminder that true courage rarely looks like it does in the movies.