I just watched the movie Midway on AMC a few nights ago.
And I’m confused.
During the first air strike on the island, after the Japs leave, one US officer says to the other “At least the airfield is intact.”
Than, they cut to stock footage of a B-17 landing with one wheel on an airfield.
I don’t remember anything about B-17’s landing at Midway during the fight? Didn’t that happen during Pearl Harbor?
There were B-17’s at Midway. Not many, they flew a high-level bombing attack against the “main” force. As is prone to happen against ships this attack was totally ineffectual. I don’t think they returned during the strike. But Hollywood has a way of using whatever footage they have in stock. Accuracy takes a back seat to “drama”.
For a big budget movie, Midway was one of the technically worst WW 2 movies I have ever seen. They used Vindicators to represent Dauntlesses in flight to name one glitch.
“It is well that war is so terrible, lest we grow too fond of it.”-R.E.Lee
If I am not mistaken, I watched Midway the other night and Tora Tora Tora last night. I am convinced there was footage used in the later from the Midway movie. It is the attack on the island and a jeep crashing. All they did, I think, was colorize.
Actually it was the other way around. Tora, Tora Tora came out first and much of the footage of it was used in Midway.
Actually-- a lot of the footage of the attack on the island in the movie was shot at the time of the attack. John Ford arrived there a few days before and took footage right there at the scene. One bomb blast was close enough to knock him unconscious with the camera still rolling.
JF should have stayed unconcious rather than make that movie[:(!]
Long Island Ed.
While neither of those movies may be very historically accurate, they sure are fun too watch [:D].
Darren
There are actually two Midway movies. The original is The John Ford movie that was part of the “Why We Fight” series made during WWII. The other, the one most everyone has seen and refers to, is the Hollywood version that borrowed heavily from “Tora, Tora, Tora.” “Stole” would be a better word, except that the same studio produced both pictures.
In either case, they’re both very entertaining. I suppose I’m kinda wierd in that respect. Yes, it’s sometimes fun to find all of the inaccuracies in a movie, but I mainly watch them to be entertained. Take, for instance, U-571. Great movie, but totally unbelievable. It would have taken them months to learn how to drive that sub!
demono69