Flying Films
 

Whilst reading the post by some knobber wanting to know how quickly we could get AD over London, a few of the replies got me thinking about flying movies.
I have to say, I think that Dawn Patrol, with Errol Flynn and David Niven is still the best ever, superb stunts and poingnant story, doesn't glorify war either. Also liked the one they showed at Cranwell. Anybody else got a fave?
The more the better, coz I might not have seen it.

"the one they showed at Cranwell" - do you mean Twelve O'clock High 'cos that's what they showed when I went thro' Cranwell. All about leadership. Awesome film with Gregory Peck taking over as the staish at an American bomber base in the UK.

Yep, thats the one
Seem to remember that he lost it in the end (Gregory Peck), leadership and humanity, eventually the horror got to him. Superb film.
Anyone know if they still show it at Cranwell or have they replaced it with a film about 'Leadership in a Difficult Health and Safety Enviroment'.

We were shown `hunt for red october` and `braveheart` - to emphasise leadership qualities. good films dont get me wrong, but hardly an air epic like "battle of britain" or "12 o`clock high"! But since then they have to wear hard hats,goggles and trainers to run with pine poles so who knows what they show now. Something pc no doubt with lots of tree embracing going on. :p

So, let me get this straight. Cranwell's idea of leadership is as follows:

1. The Hunt for Red October - Scottish bloke plays Russian bloke who does one with his sub, without any of his men knowing what's going on, and gets a few of them killed - but he's safe.

Er, Loyalty? Comradeship?

2. Braveheart - Australian bloke plays Scottish bloke who paints his face blue, wears a skirt and sends his men into battle against a superior better equipped army - and gets them massacred, and himself hung drawn and quartered.

Dress sense? Ability to count?

What's wrong with The Battle of Britain - we won that one. And that classic line:

"You can teach monkeys to fly better than that".

OK, so I did CFS :)

Just watched Reach for the Sky", the Douglas Bader story. Great film though I can't help thinking about the Chief Ground Instructor at Cranwell from the 80s (Wacky Wheeler, anyone remember him). Beware the inocent youth who said DB was ACE.

The Dam Busters is another classic. Lets hope they don't remake as rumoured and ruin it.

Tonks

(Doo whish eye cud spel)

[ 02 October 2001: Message edited by: Tonkenna ]

We did not get a movie to teach my Flight about leadership, instead it was just a single scene from a film. Leadership qualities of a Royal Air Force officer can now be summarized in the briefing Woody gives to the mutant toys in Toy Story. Next it will be 'To Infinity and Beyond!' instead of 'Per Ardua Ad Astra.'
But it would be cool to have a death laser on your arm!

Tonks

Whacky Wheeler - you have brought it all back to me.

He gave a graphic lecture on 'rubber erosion' or somesuch that was illustrated using a tale from his youth using a WW2 vintage reusable condom, the telling of which made Billy Conolly look like Mother Teresa.

Also the Day 1 b0ll0cking for wearing short sleeve shirts without written permission! :eek:

Two good movies, Memphis Belle and Apollo 13.
Both display great crew co-op in face of adversity and positive leadership from both captains. And why not.
I do remember watching 12 o'clock high at OCTU (RAF Henlow 197..erm) Still a classic and a better flick than Red Oktober or Braveheart. Mind you, one of my fellow cadets recorded in his diary for the week that he had been very impressed by ..er..High Noon!

Oh, Tonks. Wasn't Dambusters remade in 1977! They renamed it Starwars! The final attack on a large ball by the X thingys is a straight rip off of the 617 plot. The only thing they didn't say was "ni88er" when it blew up.

May the Forth be with You.

Max- depends whoch version of Memphis Belle; original had wartime reporter/camera man going on last mission of first US crew to complete tour in europe.

'The Right Stuff' anyone.
I still think that the best bit of the Battle of Britain is when the Me109's come over the fence at the beginning at about 10ft, very impressive even if it is the bad guys.
I mentioned 'Dawn Patrol' in my original post, anybody else seen it?

two films - you babes are probably too young to recall:

Battle Of Britain - for which IIRC they raided the Spanish Air Force of much of their inventory in about '71 ish. Cambridgeshire was awash with great WWII formations for they flew/filmed much of it at Duxford

The Blue Max - early days of effects and excellent scnes of flying under the bridge.

Both films come to mind as having a plot of sorts too!

Reheat On, Battle of Britain was made in 1969 - I went to the premiere in Nottingham. Flying sequences were excellent, so was Susannah York in webbing at the London Hotel! The shots of the Buchons crossing the hedge at nought-foot-six were truly epic. During the movie making, 'Dolfo Galland was given a trip in a 2-seat Buchon (or so I read) and did his famous routine for the first time in 24 years. The old boy loved it and stepped out drenched in sweat!

Dam Busters (preferably not the PC version with fluffy editing) and Reach for the Sky are the true classics though!

But Susannah York in webbing.......!!!!

[ 05 October 2001: Message edited by: BEagle ]

A more apt movie in todays military
climate would be 'One Flew over the Cuckoos Nest' :eek:

Wouldnt "Carry on up the Kyber" be more apt just now ?

The only thing we saw at cranwell was blackadder goes forth. :D

I had the distinct priviledge of meeting Douglas Bader in the 70s and I realised then what a good job Kenneth Moore did of portraying him in 'Reach for the Sky'. Whether DB was right or wrong with his Big Wing Theory, he had amazing charisma and could twist people around his little finger, as demonstrated in the film. This has made subsequent viewings of the film even more enjoyable for me. However, I think 'The Right Stuff' is my favourite, although I do get a real buzz from watching Tom Cruise et al in 'Top Gun' and similar movies with their masks off, shouting through the perspex at their wingies while racking into their 2g turns. Aaaah, Hollywood.

Thanks for that correction Beag's - I must be losing it for I have 2 unaccounted years.... they seem to have passed me b, literaly!

Maybe I am lucky it is only 2!

Coincidentally, I think it was Michael York in The Blue Max IIRC ... but no attraction there ;-)

Are any of these films out on DVD now?

Ah no, Bruno Stachel was played by George Peppard. Michael York wasn't in the film at all - but Ursula Andress certainly was as Countess Kaeti von Klugermann. Nice - but not as nice as the BoB webbing scene!!

'Reach For the Sky' is available on DVD (for example, from Amazon), but not BoB, Dam Busters or The Blue Max......yet??

[ 07 October 2001: Message edited by: BEagle ]