I was 8 when I fist saw (some)of the movie. I remeber up until I saw it I used to always wonder what it would’ve been like for a prop plane to have to slug it out with a jet. Anyway me my Dad and one of my plder brothers sat down to watch it and well to make this long story short it was my bed time right when Capt. Yelland ordered the Zero’s to be splashed…
It wasn’t until I was around 11 that I was able to see it all of the way through.
As much as I love the movie I still have yet to buy it on DVD. I have the sound track on CD though…
“A Guy Named Joe” is on TCM today at 2:00 EDT. I’ve never seen it, but apparently has a lot of P-38 scenes in it. Also, I remember when ‘Always’ came out, Steven Speilberg mentioned it was among his favorite movies.
How about the Black Sheep Squadron. Where they real Corsairs and Zeros.Some times they would throw in some real footage. They would also have a P-38 in some shows
Good thread and some old memories coming back from the past!!
In my earlier post, I forgot to mention those helicopter gunship scenes from “Blackhawk Down” on their night runs with miniguns blazing - fantastic action!
The ABC (that’s the Australian Broadcasting Commission) made a mini-series called “Half a World Away” (or something similar) about the MacRobertson Air Race, which featured some nice footage of 1930’s - 40’s aircraft. Admittedly, the main players were a replica DH-88 (and an RC model), a DC-3 standing is as the KLM DC-2 “Uivver” and an Avro Anson standing in as Roscoe Turner’s Boeing 247. There were also a few Stearmans, Tiger Moths, etc posing as period aircraft, but the footage was nice regardless - at least they were REAL aircraft!
The ABC also made a documentary about Sidney Cotton’s covert operations before and during WW2 called “Last Plane Out of Berlin”, which had some nice shots of Lockheed twins.
Getting back to original question though: Yes, the “BoB” inspired the development of hobby! I first saw it when I was about 6 or 7 years old and those beautiful winged machines with a fan up front provided years of modelling inspiration. “Tora Tora Tora” made me pester my parents to buy me a Frog Zero kit; “Baa Baa Black Sheep” inspired a fascination with F4U’s, resulting in the build of the Matchbox kit; “The Great Waldo Pepper” and “The Blue Max” inspired an interest in biplanes; and so on over the years…
My most recent modelling inspiration is an interest in modelling Air America machines, which came primarily from being based in Laos for work and subsequently reading Christopher Robbins’ excellent books, “The Ravens” and “Air America”. I also recently picked up the DVD of the “Air America” movie which whilst not a great film, has some lovely flying shots over beautiful scenery.
Childhood memories realted to this… going to local Pizza place, with my dad, that had films during the evening hours on a smaller screen/projector as young boy… seeing “the Blue Max” I guess thats where my indoctrination started… later gowing up in So Cal near Orange County Airport, I often saw the aircraft used to film Baa Baa Blacksheep flying home after the days shoot to Talmanz Aviation facility there… oh those radials still sound great in my memories.
Did anyone mention the John Wayme film with the F-86 and the Russian chick pilot (who was the actress - (Maureen O’Hare?)). I think the film was titled “Jet Pilot”, but I do not remember for sure. There is a lot of good footage of the F-86 and even a T-33. I seem to remember F-84s being used to represent Russian aircraft. I think this was the first film that this was done in IIR. What a way to work a female actress into a film. As best I can remember this was about a mid 1950s movie.
Wasn’t there a Steve McQeen movie with B-17s (The War Lover?)
The film in question was indeed “Jet Pilot,” with Ms. O’Hara (I think, or Grace Kelly) as a Russian test pilot whom the Duke persuades to defect with the latest secret Commie secret weapon (the all-black prototype F-89 was used, I think).
The 1954 film was not allowed re-release until the 1980s (The film was produced by Howard Hughes, and may have been tied up with his will). Some say it was because The Duke had the rights and hated it so much – and except for the flying scenes and neat aircraft, it was nothing but Cold War propoganda woven into a treacly love story. But it sure looked good since the prints were still like-new when it was first re-released. Definitely worth a look.
Rangerj the russian aircraft was the prototype XF-89 Scorpion in “Jet pilot”. The female Russian pilot was Tony Curtis’ wife, Janet Leigh. It was filmed at Edwards AFB, and Victorville AFB in California. Chuck Yeager was also a stunt pilot for the film. there are also a B-36B, a B-50, F-94, F-86, and T-33’s. The film was completed in 1950, but not released until 1957. The Bell X-1 Was also a Russian parasite fighter in the film.