Warbird Information Exchange

Hellcat's topic on aviation flicks got me to thinking..what aviation movie would you like Hollywood to make (or re-make?) Obviously we all want something as technically and historically accurate as possible. Since this is just pie-in-the-sky daydreaming, don't worry whether it would be financially successful.

Personally, I'd like to see a film about "Operation Tidal Wave," the low-level B-24 strike on the Ploesti refineries. Granted, you'd have to go with CGI for the flying sequences, since there aren't any airworthy B-24Ds. I suppose you could do some scenes with full-scale mock-ups, or even use the Collings and/or Weeks B-24Js, and give them digital "nose jobs." I'll be very interested to see how well Peter Jackson pulls off his "Dam Busters" remake..it could open the door to a whole new slate of WWII aviation films.

Steve the wannabe movie mogul

Ditto Steve. I read the book on that raid a few decades ago, and reading the book when they are in the "raid" it is so well written that it was like I was there watching the whole thing. The descriptions of the barages, the ships going down, especially the one part where the B-24 slams into a barraks.....mind blowing and very saddening at the same time...every time I see a file film, and watch a bomber go down saddens me...God! If Americans today only have a phathom of any idea just how much we owe the Veteran, regardless of which war they fought in. Thank you is not enough.
I'm done
Would be a great movie though

_________________
Kind Regards,
Gary Lewis
J.A.F.O.

I would love to see a remake of "Baa Baa Black Sheep", but have it based off of reality not fantasy. There are a lot of exploits from the Black Sheep that would translate well and not have to be "embellished". A truthful "warts and all" rendition of Boyington's life, including the alcohol abuse, the infidelity and all the other indiscretions would provide enough "juicy sordid tales" to keep the Hollywood screen writers very happy and provide more than enough fodder for a movie.

Polesti would be a dramatic film.

Biopic of Doolittle - an amazing man and story.

Amiens prison raid.

_________________
James K

"Switch on the underwater landing lights"
Emilio Largo, Thunderball.

www.VintageAeroWriter.com

"WARPATH ACROSS THE PACIFIC" the true story of the 345th B.G.

_________________
Don't make me go get my flying monkeys-

I second that!!!
jerry

_________________
"Always remember that, when you enter the ocean or the forest, you are no longer at the top of the food chain."

There's a few movies I'd like to see made, probably as a miniseries or series like "Band of Brothers" -

1) Something on the Hump. Can either be an overview (i.e. from the standpoint of the planners who were running it) or a personal story (i.e. from the point of view of one crew or one squadron). Also, doesn't have to tell the story of the whole of the Hump, maybe just a couple of the major pushes that were made during the early phases and the early problems with the Japanese they encountered.

2) The story of the 15th TRS during Korea. The story of going from South Korea into China and Russia unarmed during the middle of a full scale war and then coming back only to have to evade your own guys because they didn't know you were out there I think would make for good film.

3) The Slot. I would love to see something that goes into more on the battle for the Slot during WWII. There have been movies that touch on it, but I think the continued operations and problems that the Japanese gave the US after the capture of Guadalcanal going down the slot would be interesting to see.

How about the Marianas Turkey Shoot?

The Battle for the Aleutians.

Hunter Killer Groups in the Atlantic...There are enough FM 2s and TBMs to do that one.

The Capture of U-505. You are right there are enough FM 2s and TBMs and of course the 505 survives as well. I think you could film a ship whose hull could fill in for a CVE. Then film take offs and landings on a simulated carrier deck at a seaside airport and digitally combine the two...

The early Philippines Campaign, the Bataan air ops. Imagine people learning how desperate we were in the early days.

For that matter the early Guadalcanal Cactus Air Force would be good movie too. Not just the Marine component but the whole shoe string operation.

I also think that a film about one of the brilliant and doomed aces would be good maybe Bob Hanson of the USMC or George Preddy of the USAAF or Tommy Maguire or Butch O'Hare....

Don Gentile and John Godfrey would make a good movie.

A film focusing on John Waldron and Torpedo 8's sacrifice woud be good.

From a later era and I can't remember the names but I mentioned it once before the saga of a downed USAAF pilot in Vietnam who was on the run for days while the woman who loved him was working at the same base in Thailand. In the end they married. You could work in almost every angle, men at war, man on the run, boy meets girl, men in crisis and even emphasize some of the politically inspired stupidity of that conflict as well.

From the same war The Black Man and Robin. Chappie James and Robin Olds could be really good.

_________________
"I can't understand it, I cut it twice and it's still too short!" Robert F. Dupre' 1923-2010 Go With God.

I'd like to see a couple movies made from biographies. "Bud" Anderson's book, "To Fly and Fight" would make a great movie, especially if they could do the scene where him and Yeager get to fly the restored P-51s at the end with the narration from the book. I'd also like to see one made about Zemke's Wolfpack. I think "Wolfpack" would be a great title.

I also wouldn't mind seeing something about the Blacksheep squadron or maybe a movie about Douglas MacArthur.

_________________
Matt

The Wrong Way Corrigan Story

Here's one I'd forgotten-
"Into the Mouth of the Tiger" about Lance Sijan who had his F-4 blowup under him due to defective bomb rack wiring, ejected onto a karst ridge with a broken back and crawled on his elbows for over a week (or more) until eventually captured and died in NV captivity.
I understand an oil painting of him hangs somewhere in the USAF Academy in Colorado Springs,
I read the book many, many years ago and admire that brave individuals guts and drive to escape and evade.

_________________
Don't make me go get my flying monkeys-

First Light by Geoff Wellum. One of the finest Battle of Britain pilot biographies I've ever read.

_________________
Cheers

Daz

While not exactly a movie, I would love to see a "Band of Brothers" style drama mini-series about one of the 8th or 9th AF fighter groups. Ideally the 56th (my favorite), but any would do. A great movie could be done about George and Damon Rarey and their connection through art, using narration (think Wonder Years or Stand By Me) and involving Dad's sketches in the story. If only I were rich I would produce it myself!

Zack

_________________
Curator - EAA Aviation Museum, Oshkosh, WI
"Let No Story Go Untold!"
http://www.timelessvoices.org