The Bridges at Toko-Ri
 

See this film is on Film 4 in about 10 minutes - aren't there supposed to be some good Korean War era flying sequences in that movie?

Yes mostly US Navy though; Grumman Cougars (I think) and an S51 Rescue helicopter piloted by Mickey Rooney.

Grumman F9F Panthers,actually.

Thanks; many of these early 50s Grummans look the same to me.

Panther has straight wings, Cougar has swept wings. There is a very delectable lady in this film, Grace Kelly, later to become Princess Grace of Monaco. [I was in love with her for years.......]

William Holden should have been flying a Sea Fury! Why didn't I think of that?

The best, and shortest, book that Michener ever wrote.

I have the DVD of this movie. I'm sure I remember a scene where Holden's character starts losing his nerve and to regain it, goes below deck, stands at the end of the catapult track and when he doesn't flinch when the shuttle stops inches from his nose, he goes flying! If this scene was in the original it's missing in later releases; or have I got the wrong movie?

I'm sure you're right, I remember that scene....

Agreed. I vaguely remember it being anti-Korea (war) in sentiment and read, somewhere, the movie script was toned down? I think there was a page where Brubaker is being shot at in a ditch of **** and thinking of those at home, probably watching and playing baseball and not one "giving a damn about Korea"......?

Its been so long since I have seen the film that the only scene I can remember is the one in the Japanese bath house. :ok:

I understand that it caused some consternation when the film was released. :eek:

Mickey Rooney's character IIRC was a cigar-smoking helo driver. Some years later, at Valley. we were treated to a go at wet winching in Holyhead harbour in a visiting Kaman Husky. The pilot (Maj. Williams, rings a bell) was a 'dead ringer' for Rooney AND conducted the detail with a large cigar in operation.

Yep!! Janner

Let's not forget Robert Strauss as 'Beer Barrel,' the first class 'batsman' who guided the pilots onto the Carrier deck in the days before the Meatball.

Beerbarrell did not play golf, as was well known to his peers and superiors, but came aboard from each run ashore with an astonishingly heavy golf bag!

For those who do not know, unlike the Royal Navy, all US Navy ships are 'dry.'

It's also worth a mention that in the book, Brubaker is the pilot of a McDonnell F2H Banshee. I assume that for some reason they couldn't use Banshees during the making of the film even though they remained in service after 1954.

test..........

During the Korean war an RAAF Mustang was hit by ground fire and the pilot Sergeant Cec Sly was forced to bale out at low level. He hit the tailplane on the way out. His experience was similar to the scenes in the book mentioned here. He got himself behind a large boulder and prepared to take on approaching Chinese troops with his service revolver. His squadron pilots strafed the Chinese and more aircraft turned up to keep them from catching him. Eventually a US chopper arrived to pick him up but was forced to pull away at the last second when it took heavy ground fire.

Some time later, another chopper was successful and with friendly aircraft providing covering fire, Cec Sly was rescued. Later he was awarded the Distinguished Flying Medal (DFM). I often wondered if this was the incident that was the catalyst for Michener's book?

Cec survived the war to become a Qantas pilot and a Department of Civil Aviation FOI. We instructed together at the RAAF No.1 Basic Flying Training School at Uranquinty, NSW, Australia in the mid Fifties. One of the nicest people I have ever met. He is still around and in his 80's.

Just noticed it is on again at 1445 (Film4) and 1545 (Film4 +1) (UK times) this afternoon

Another good aviation movie with William Holden is "Toward the Unknown". Watched it years ago and have never seen it since. Good footage of the XB-51 in the film.

Did a little googling and found a YouTube piece where Holden talks about the film and how he had a ride in a jet at "810 mph" to get some audio for the film.

Anyone know more about his jet ride? When, where and in what?

The Home of Toward The Unknown

I remember seeing the scene in which the catapult stops just short of Brubaker's nose.

After an excellent landing etc...

We have a Panther in our Warbird Museum that is painted exactly like the one in the movie. In the Michener book, the jets were Banshees. I'm told that the actual mission was flown by Skyraiders.