Best War Film Part 2

[BFMF]

Never seen that one either

[RichieB16]

Has anyone seen the movie 'Memphis Belle'???

I saw a couple minutes of it at a friends and i wondered if it was any good

I saw it and I liked it a lot.  I know that the only truth behind the movie is the name of the plane and their accomplishment, besides that-the mission they portrayed was totally fiction, even the missions target (it wasn't Bremin).  But, I thought it was a good movie non the less.

If you want a really good B-17 movie, go rent "Twelve O'Clock High" starring Gregory Peck (1949).  All it usues are real B-17s (including a real "belly-landing" done for the movie).  But, besure to get it in the original b/w-it just looks better.

[BFMF]

I'm just gonna have to watch it since everybody seems to like it.

Also, what's so special about that particular B-17???

I've heard of it before and i've seen small models of the 'Memphis Belle', and it's the most well-known B-17, but why that one? There were a lot of other bomber crews

[RichieB16]

It was the 1st B-17 in the 8th Air Force to complete a 25 mission tour of duty, thats why its so famous.

But, what many people don't know is that she was actually the 2nd B-17 to fly 25 missions.  The bomber "Hell's Angels" completed it's tour before shortly before the Belle but it was in the less fanous 12th Air Force.  Therefore, history has sort of forgotten it.

[Scorpiоn]

I'll just drop by and give my cent and a half on the flicks I've seen (mostly modern):

Good:
1)Saving Private Ryan
2)Black Hawk Down
3)We Were Soldiers

Iffy:
Tora Tora Tora!
Patton
Platoon
Behind Enemy Lines
Pearl Harbor

Bad:
Hart's War
The Thin Red Line
Windtalkers

The movies in the good are there because they're what I think'd be realistic.

[Hagar]

[quote]I saw another oldie a couple of weeks ago, just remebered it. A Pommy one, made during the war. It's a true account of an RAAF crew who bail out over Holland. Kind of a Doco really. "One of our Aircraft is Missing". A couple of players are the actual blokes playing themselves.....interesting!

It goes through how they manage to get in contact with the Dutch underground and get channelled back to England.

Remember that one?

[Hagar]

Hey, look what I found folks. This should revive those flagging memories.
http://www.coastcomp.com/av/fltline2/avmovie.htm

Here's what it says about The War Lover which I mentioned earlier.

The War Lover
1962 *v
USAAF- Steve McQueen; 8th AF B-17's. Rivalry between "normal" co-pilot and macho pilot who loves combat. A lot of moody black and white footage of Forts.

Filmed in England with with 3 B-17G's: 2 PB-1W's, both scrapped after filming, and a CB-17G/VB-17G (now N9563Z Fuddy Duddy). Shot at ex-RAF Bovingdon. TB-25J Mitchell camera ship from Aero Assoc (44-30861).

The studio B-17 fuselage had actually been one of the 3 famous Isreali B-17's, bought after being broken up in Isreal.

One of the parajumpers drowned during filming. John Crewdson flew the terrific B-17 beatup at Bovingdon.

RAF Manston was used as well. They slso used stock footage from "Memphis Belle" and and "12 O'Clock High". Watch for the Spitfire attacking the B-17 in several scenes!

I found the site while searching for Crewdson Aviation Services, the company my friend worked for. It was based at Gatwick in the old days & handled most film aviation consultancy work in the UK at that time. Mention of that low flying sequence reminds me of a well-known pic published in the aviation press. Wish I had it now. It was taken from the control tower balcony while Captain Crewdson was rehearsing it. The camera was actually looking down on the B-17. Some witnesses swore he was only 10 feet above the field.

[HawkerTempest5]

Unfortunately Hagar mate, there are no airworthy Mosquito's anywhere in the world right now. There is one under rebuild in Canada, but no time frame for a first flight, could be five years. Kermit Weaks in the US brought an airworthy Mosquito in the UK and had it flown to the States some years back but that is now grounded because of delamination of the plywood.
Sad when you think that those in 633 Squadron only cost about

[DougC-3]

Hey, look what I found folks. This should revive those flagging memories.
http://www.coastcomp.com/av/fltline2/avmovie.htm

Thanks, Hagar.  It amazes me how you come up with these sites.  This will be a good one for checking out the aircraft in a movie before watching it, so we'll know what to look for.  Or for trying to figure it out after viewing.

For example, I saw Flying Tigers a few years ago and was surprised to see a plane with three vertical tail fins and two (or 3 ?)horizontal tail planes.  At the time I thought maybe it was a fanciful model, and I've never seen anything like it before or since.  I was thinking it was a passenger plane.  I wonder if it could have been the bomber mentioned below:

From http://www.coastcomp.com/av/fltline2/avmovie.htm,

Flying Tigers
1942 *v
USAAF- John Wayne; Almost all P-40 mock-ups, stock American Volunteer Group footage, Spitfire footage from "The Lion Has Wings", and "Air Force". Some air footage was shot around the Curtiss facility in Buffalo with pre-delivery repainted P-40's.

Apparently the set was an authentic reproduction of the AVG facility, but set on a California studio ranch. The very odd bomber is the the only Capelis XC-12 'Safety Aircraft Transport' built. Current tape version of "Flying Tigers" is now colourized

[Hagar]

[quote]
Thanks, Hagar.

[Blade]

the best one is the Hunt for Red October

[HawkerTempest5]

the best one is the Hunt for Red October

The film was good but the book is excellent!

[Professor Brensec]

The film was good but the book is excellent!

I think the book was better also. I read it before I saw the film. The film was a bit drawn out.  ;D

I've been busy the last couple of days so haven't been online since Friday (Sydney time). Much discussion has gone on in many forums in which I participate.

One film I want to mention on this one I, unforunately, don't recall the full name. It's not unlike the one that Hagar was describing earlier. More of a love story than a war film, but still some good action sequences.
It's a Pommy film made in the '80's, I think, called "something Street". Stars Harrison Ford and Christopher Plumber. Ford falls for Plumbers wife and the two men end up going on a secret mission together.
I liked the film. Does anyone recall the full name.  ;D

[BFMF]

I watched 'Windtalkers' lastnight and watched 'Memphis Belle' just a while ago.

'Wandtalkers' was ok, but i was rather dissapointed with it.

As for 'Memphis Belle', i really liked it...

[DougC-3]

[quote]
Hi Doug. Glad you like the site. It should be an invaluable resource for film buffs like us.