Waynes movies to be released in the spring.

[oldebloke]

Just read that John waynes movies'The high and the mighty"and'I
sland in the sky " to be released,enhanceD?,on DVD in the spring.....
Cheers...:ok:

[PPRuNe Pop]

If that is true it is indeed great news. After BEags I will try and get the second copy! ;) ;) :ok: :D

In fact I will go into HMV first thing in the morning. :p

[BEagle]

The hell ya' will...

[PaperTiger]

Hang on there, pilgrim...

This was announced back in September with a (US) availability of May 2005 (Paramount now owns most of JW's films). I might even have to buy a DVD player now :\

[oldebloke]

Paper tiger's right, although I missed the earlier release info..
TV Week(dec25th)page 6 stipulates that Paramount Home Video to release 'restored' 'Hatm'(54)(filmed I believe in panavision),and shortly after to release'Island in the sky'(53),based on the O'conner incident? Labrador....
Cheers....
:ok:

[pigboat]

Yep, High and the Mighty was in Panavision.
Lake O'Conner, alas, is no more. It was drowned in the La Grande Reservoir with the construction of the James Bay hydroelectric project.

[20driver]

What was the O'Conner incident?

[PPRuNe Pop]

One of the best rescues of a great aviator from a frozen lake in Labrador.

It is detailed in Ernest Gann's "Fate is the Hunter" - don't ask me where you get a copy - they are rarer than hen's teeth.

PT. I think you will find that the Wayne family own the two films in question, and negotiations have been going on for years to get them released.

[ramsrc]

Shouldn't be that difficult to get PPRuNe Pop - Amazon have them for dispatch within 24 hours.

[PPRuNe Pop]

That is good to hear. They must know a good reprint when they see one.

Just as an aside. I passed Amazons premises whilst on a train recently and they are most impressive. Huge would be a gross understatement. 4 enormous warehouses plus offices.

[20driver]

Just bought a copy at Borders - not allowed to read it till christmas.

[PaperTiger]

Pop, you're confusing your Gann ;) (drop and give me 10).
Island in the Sky and Fate is the Hunter are two different books, the former is the Lake Conner story the latter about a DC-4 crash.
FitH was filmed with Glenn Ford as the investigator and a weird Hollywood concoction as the "DC-4".

[PPRuNe Pop]

Ah well I stand corrected.

Bit of a co-incidence in the names - which led me to think that. You are obviously a bit of a buff on this so expound a bit if you will. Let people get the flavour before they buy the DVD's.

I'm suprised I didn't get me butt kicked by BEags! :ouch:

[PaperTiger]

I do have most of Gann's books, but can't comment on the two films in question because like just about everyone else, I haven't seen them. Gann did do the screenplay for Island in the Sky but how faithful it is to the book I don't know.

You can find reviews via the web and I have to say they are not very complimentary, but probably not written by a Gann/aviation fan.
High and the Mighty seems to get a better reception.
Fate is the Hunter was OK on the whole IMO, allowing for the inevitable Hollywood 'touches'.

I got excited a while back when I learned someone was collecting DC-3s to film Band of Brothers, but it turned out to be the Stephen Ambrose book of course, not Gann's (which should have required a Ju52) . Good series anyway.

And speaking of films, what ever happened to the "Candy Bomber" (Berlin Airlift) project ? Two DC-4s were ferried from California to North Weald and then... nothing :confused:

[oldebloke]

High and the Mighty with wayne,robert stack Bill campbell(as the 2 F/o)and a high cast(robert newton,Claire trevor.etc)was well recieved in54,and as Gann says in his book( hostage to fortune) 'a good flying movie".....
"Island in the sky'was the first Gann film(B/W)described in some circles as semi documentaryWayne,LLoydNolan James Arness Andy devine..As stipulated based on the Oconner story from 'Fate is the Hunter"as stipulated a terrible fiasco of a film,very loosely around the book...(where did they get that DC6/9 crash from???
Cheers...:ok: