More Mantz and Tallman Madness (vidcaps)

[beaky]

When last we left Mickey Rooney and Buddy Hackett, they were bravely trying to control a willful Beech whilst its owner snoozed in the back. Let's see how they make out...

They finally establish comm. w/the tower, and some big-shot tries to talk them in. "You're doing just fine, men..."


He doesn't tell them they've got the firefighting crew standing by...               Yes, it's-


Another pass... this time the guy's outside the tower; the plane zooms very close by, and he falls over the rail, getting tangled in the cables in the process.  This is not a rear-projection or matte shot, as far as I can tell. That plane is really that close. Wild.


Another spectacular stunt from the fevered minds of Mantz and Tallman: swooping through a hangar!!


Finally, Mickey's had enough; he starts messing with things, and manages to "land" the plane. Doink!


Taxxiing is one of the most difficult skills in aviation; these pictures are proof...



That's it for the Beech, but there's more of an old Jenny that I may post later, if MGM's lawyers aren't already descending on SimV HQ (I wonder if they know none of MGM's DVDs seem to be coded to prevent duplication?).      If any of you have never seen this movie, rent it. It's hilarious and features a cast of comic legends, along with some great car and plane stunts with some fine vintage machines. Enjoy!!  :D

[Hagar]

I remember seeing that film years ago. Can't say it left a lasting impression so perhaps I should watch it again. To be honest, a lot of Hollywood comedy is too forceful for me but that's just me. I prefer the subtle stuff.

Those flying sequences look pretty good though. I know they're only hunks of metal but I always thought it a shame they need to smash up a nice old aircraft (or vintage car for that matter) just to get a laugh.

Wasn't it Paul Mantz who was killed while filming the Flight of the Phoenix?

[beaky]

Subtle it is not (although clever), Hagar, although that one brief glimpse of the Stooges is probably the most subtle thing they ever did, and it's one of the funniest parts of the film. And it's got good old Terry-Thomas, single-handedly representing England amongst a legion of American stars. And as slapstick goes, it's a masterpiece, I think. Besides, it's worth seeing for the flying and driving, and it's fun identifying all the stars as they come and go (even Buster Keaton appears briefly).
 You're right about Mantz, and it's a weird story: Tallman was supposed to fly the "Phoenix" for that last sequence (just a touch-and go in the desert, it wasn't made to land on anything but a paved runway), but he fell down while pushing his son's go-cart and shattered his kneecap, so Mantz took his place. During the touch-and-go, a wheel supposedly hit a very hard clump of dirt, and the plane crashed, killing Mantz instantly (apparently the engine crushed him). But Tallman wasn't exactly lucky- his injury got infected, and he wound up having the leg amputated...
Anyway, Mantz's story ended much like that of Heligoin and Mallet: he was 62 and had been having a ball flying his whole life, and went out while doing it. Not a bad way to go.
 I should've noted the URL, but I did find a site with a lot of Mantz info, including stills from footage of that crash (not used in the final cut, out of respect)... in the first still, you can see the tail break right off the plane, just aft of the wing, as the wheel hits. It's hard to believe a dirt-clod would do that, but that's how it goes. The plane did actually get an FAA sign-off, so it's not that it wasn't sturdy...
  I know what you mean about trashing beautiful machines just for a laugh, but I admit it's a guilty pleasure of mine. I really am awed by stunt flying and driving, especially from "back in the day", there was more skill than tricks back then. And if it helps, remember that at least in "Mad", they didn't trash the planes, they just abused them a little. Everything that Beech hit was breakaway stuff; it was probably fine afterwards. The Jenny (which I'll show later) was probably destined for scrap anyway, from the looks of it, but who knows...

[jimclarke]

I remember the scene when they're flying along in the Jenny and see the cars on the highway going faster than the plane is

The Beech flew through a sign.  I read somewhere that the sign was made from styrofoam and the cockpit was reinforced somewhat just in case something went wrong.

Jim

[Hagar]

Subtle it is not (although clever), Hagar, although that one brief glimpse of the Stooges is probably the most subtle thing they ever did, and it's one of the funniest parts of the film.

The odd thing is that the Stooges never appealed to me when I was younger. I can't explain why, yet on my last visit to the US my brother & I were in constant hysterics watching Stooges TV. Figure that out.

the plane crashed, killing Mantz instantly (apparently the engine crushed him). But Tallman wasn't exactly lucky- his injury got infected, and he wound up having the leg amputated...

I remember reading about this some time ago. A very tragic turn of events. If it was in a novel you would find it hard to believe.

[beaky]

I remember the scene when they're flying along in the Jenny and see the cars on the highway going faster than the plane is

LOL, yes; and the pilot informs them that if they give him more money right then and there, he can use a little more gas to go faster...

The Beech flew through a sign.  I read somewhere that the sign was made from styrofoam and the cockpit was reinforced somewhat just in case something went wrong.

 If you look closely at that Beech, it definitely looks like they added some support to the windshield frame... those guys may have been crazy, but they weren't stupid