SPITFIRE BIRD
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 250
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From: Near the watter...
Bizarre coincidence dept.! Whilst I was watching the Spitfire thingy above, I had the TV on as well...and some chap in the Bargain Hunt programme was buying a WW2 gun camera..complete with film cartridge..for £45. It remains to be seen how much it will sell for at auction...
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 3,083
Likes: 253
From: London/Oxford/New York
Lovely combination of 40's imagery and more contemporary music, thank you.
Doubt the authenticity of the R.J Mitchell "Spitfire bird" quotes though. He hated the name and, when told of the naming decision, is quoted as saying
"just the sort of bloody silly name they would choose."
Doubt the authenticity of the R.J Mitchell "Spitfire bird" quotes though. He hated the name and, when told of the naming decision, is quoted as saying
"just the sort of bloody silly name they would choose."
Last edited by pr00ne; 15th May 2012 at 12:30.
Joined: Mar 2000
Aviation Qualifications: ATP+Mil
Posts: 1,428
Likes: 38
From: Long ago and far away ......
"40's imagery" is certainly what it is! I recognised many (if not all) of the scenes as being from the 1942 film, 'The First of the Few', with Leslie Howard playing designer and engineer Reginald Mitchell, and David Niven as a character named Geoffrey Crisp, which some believe to be based on Jeffrey Quill, a test pilot at Vickers.
To it's credit, at the end of the video the movie is acknowledged!
To it's credit, at the end of the video the movie is acknowledged!
Joined: Jan 2012
Posts: 2,173
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From: .
Just found that 'The First of the Few' is available as a free download from
The First of the Few : British Aviation Pictures : Free Download & Streaming : Internet Archive
PS
Just found this little film on that site as well
The Last Bomb : US Army Air Forces : Free Download & Streaming : Internet Archive
The First of the Few : British Aviation Pictures : Free Download & Streaming : Internet Archive
PS
Just found this little film on that site as well
The Last Bomb : US Army Air Forces : Free Download & Streaming : Internet Archive
Last edited by Milo Minderbinder; 15th May 2012 at 14:08.
Thanks, backseatjock. 
Joined: Feb 2000
Posts: 1,995
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From: UK
Might suit the microsecond attention span of today's 'yoof' but I really cannot imagine ANY of those originally involved viewing it with anything but amazed horror - particularly with that mind-numbing background noise - I'm referring to what passes for music nowadays. Awful, awful, awful!!!
Joined: Jan 2012
Posts: 2,173
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From: .
The really ironic thing is that the Motorik beat music style is directly cribbed from 1970's German "Kraut Rock" bands such as Neu! / Harmonia / Can / Kluster
The drumming is a direct copy of Klaus Dinger's style and the tape edit vocal technique from Holger Czukay. The guitar work is much like Michael Rother's as well
Maybe thats why I like it......
The drumming is a direct copy of Klaus Dinger's style and the tape edit vocal technique from Holger Czukay. The guitar work is much like Michael Rother's as well
Maybe thats why I like it......
Last edited by Milo Minderbinder; 16th May 2012 at 19:29.
Joined: Jan 2012
Posts: 2,173
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From: .
Question
That film was released in 1942
To what extent would the knowledge of the design / build of the aircraft be secret by then? How well known was the all metal construction? I just wondered if the closeup of the Hurricane guns firing was an attempt at hiding something they wanted kept secret??
That film was released in 1942
To what extent would the knowledge of the design / build of the aircraft be secret by then? How well known was the all metal construction? I just wondered if the closeup of the Hurricane guns firing was an attempt at hiding something they wanted kept secret??
None but a blockhead
Joined: Nov 1999
Posts: 534
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From: London, UK
Milo - quite so, and quite so. Although it should have gone on for a bit longer to be true to the original.
Bit sobering to realise that there were only eleven years (as far as I can tell) between the last operational Spitfire (running met flights) and the formation of Can.
Bit sobering to realise that there were only eleven years (as far as I can tell) between the last operational Spitfire (running met flights) and the formation of Can.
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 1,488
Likes: 35
From: Hong Kong
Weren't 'live' guns identified by having material stuck over the gun ports & painted red....? So it would have been the same for a Spit or a Hurricane (at that stage of the war)..?
There isn't any detail that identifies that shot of the gun ports being particularly from either 'plane - but does only show two clearly metal ports.
There isn't any detail that identifies that shot of the gun ports being particularly from either 'plane - but does only show two clearly metal ports.
Last edited by Load Toad; 18th May 2012 at 07:21.
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Posts: n/a
For everyone except Cornish Jack, you may be interested to know that the band, Public Service Broadcasting, have an EP coming out, avbl via the tunes of eye on 28th May. It's a 5 track EP done in conjunction with the BFI where they have accompanied 5 film tracks or radio broadcasts from WW2. The EP is called The War Room and you can hear it on their website (might be on FB, forgotten).
Utterley brilliant band and vid.
Thanks McWSO!
Utterley brilliant band and vid.
Thanks McWSO!