Memphis Belle, for the four zillionth time, I'm slow....

Thu Dec 23, 2004 1:34 am

I just caught the ass end of Memphis Belle the movie on cable. I've never seen the movie before, and I'm not very versed in Memphis Belleology. From what little I know, they all made it out. Did they really come smoking in on one engine on their last mission?

A couple of extra questions........

Are there any B-17F's flying?

Does David T actually own the plane? I've heard his name and the Memphis Belle together, is it the Memphis Belle, or a plane being called that?

I'm sorry about the lack of knowledge, it's just that whenever MB comes up it's like I'm charlie brown in class, waa,waa,wa,waa,wa,waa,wa. I guess since I've heard of it since I was a fetus, I've never bothered to look. That was, and is a mistake.

Thu Dec 23, 2004 2:06 am

No they didn't come out smoking with the plane all shot up and folks wounded. The tail gunner, John Quinlan was the only one ever hit and he described it as a 'pin scratch' if memory serves.

Needless to say in true Hollywood fashion, they took what was a great story and overdramatized it to the point of overkill.

Dan

Thu Dec 23, 2004 2:11 am

The movie has no real relation to the actual MB story other than the title, setting and the type of plane. The 25th. mission the real Belle flew, they came home without any real incidents, only one crewman was ever hurt and it wasn't on that mission.

I believe the last flying F model is "Boeing Bee", B-17F 42-29782 N17W, housed at the Museum of Flight, Seattle, Washington. If I'm not mistaken it's seldom, if ever, flown anymore.

Tallichet owns a B-17 named for and painted as "Memphis Belle" but it is a B-17G converted to B-17F configuration. It appeared in the movie. The real Memphis Belle still exists and is currently under restoration in Tenn., but the USAFM is ready to take it back for their collection.

Of the original crew of the Memphis Belle only one man survives. The pilot, Robert Morgan, died earlier this year.

For more info:
http://www.memphisbelle.com/

Thu Dec 23, 2004 8:03 am

It is my understanding also that "Boeing Bee" will not have day light under its wheels again. :cry:

Sad and to think The National Warplane Museum almost got her (the Geneseo NWPM that is). She was a site, even in those ugly Forestry Colors.

Thu Dec 23, 2004 9:19 am

O.P. check www.warbirdregistry.org/b17registry/b17-4483546.html for info about Tallichet's plane and please dont be sorry about the lack of knowledge in this area. Thats why we are here! Have a great holiday.

Thu Dec 23, 2004 9:28 am

Dan Johnson II wrote:Needless to say in true Hollywood fashion, they took what was a great story and overdramatized it to the point of overkill.

True... The only thing in common between the movie and reality was the title. However... if you set aside the name it is a fairly decent representation of what bomber crews faced on each mission, most just didn't have all of that stuff happen on just one mission. Mid-air collisions and near collisions in bomber streams were not unusual. The nose of a plane being blown off did happen. The stress and fear leading to people going off the deep end did happen. The movie is fairly good and true to reality of life for a bomber crew, just not the Mephis Belle crew.

Anyone agree? I am not a historian, just a hobbiest historian.

Mike

Thu Dec 23, 2004 9:47 am

I'll agree Mike
It seemed to me they took the highlights of dozens of combat missions and rolled then into one mission, like Hollywood does so well. Who want to watch 8 hours of freezing Borden interrupted but a few minutes of pure terror? Doesn't make a sellable movie.

Just try getting your wife/ girlfriend to sit through “Das Boot”. I love them move, but....

Thu Dec 23, 2004 12:16 pm

TimApNy wrote:It is my understanding also that "Boeing Bee" will not have day light under its wheels again.

I don't think this aircraft is presently at Boeing Field, so it may fly once more, albeit a very short flight.

Thu Dec 23, 2004 12:27 pm

bdk wrote:
TimApNy wrote:It is my understanding also that "Boeing Bee" will not have day light under its wheels again.
I don't think this aircraft is presently at Boeing Field, so it may fly once more, albeit a very short flight.

It is looking good for me to have an opportunity to check on that in the first week of January. I might have some time in the afternoon of January 3rd to do so.

Mike

Thu Dec 23, 2004 12:37 pm

Thanks everyone! I only caught 20mins of the movie, but you guys are right, they packed quite a lot of stuff in for one flight.

Pat: Thanks! That is one good looking plane. Our NY bro's are lucky. Does it fly very often?

Tim: Das Boot is a non issue and a no questions asked kinda thing around me. I gonna watch the whole thing straight through. If she, or anyone else don't want too, thats cool, just do me a solid and bring in another beer every thirty minutes or so. It's the best Boat movie ever made.

Well, I guess the Swamp Ghost could get the paperwork/money issues cleared out one of these days, heck, it's Festivus. anything can happen!

Thu Dec 23, 2004 1:04 pm

Is that what is keeping Swamp Ghost in the swamp, the movie thing?

I hope they do a better job showing the recovery them Ballard has done with the coverage of the USS Yorktown find and every other special he has made. They all have been a bit of a let down for me.

I can't wait to see Swamp ghost recovered.

The Belle does fly often, which is really nice. Now if you Fuddy Duddy would get around more too.

Thu Dec 23, 2004 1:10 pm

I'll agree as well, Mike. If nothing else the movie is good as a primer for what did happen to bomber crews during the war. I actually managed to get my 14 year old daughter to sit and watch the last 30 minutes with me and she admitted she learned alot from it, that alone was worth five times the price I paid for the tape.

As far as Das Boot, my girlfriend totally refuses to see it again, swears it is the most depressing movie ever produced, so I have to go with Tim there. I'll admit she's a trooper though, she sat through both Saving Private Ryan and the Band of Brothers series with me without making a comment! :wink:

Thu Dec 23, 2004 1:18 pm

Locobuster wrote:...she sat through both Saving Private Ryan and the Band of Brothers series with me without making a comment!

I am impressed!!! But then... ...are you sure she wasn't in shock? :wink:

My father-in-law was getting into the Band of Brothers and found it quite interesting. Then came the Bastogne epside... when it saw the medics pulling the splittered piece of tree out of the guy's bloody leg... well that was it. We switched over to another movie!

Mike

Thu Dec 23, 2004 1:35 pm

Have you guys ever seen the famous photo of the finished B-17 "Five Grand" sitting at the end of the production hangar? well...Boeing Bee is sitting in this very spot...having made her final flight. She is in the process of being pickled for display. After all the years they let it sit out in the rain they are going back through her and re-restoring her interior. The MoF B-29 is sitting right behind her...and she is looking spectacular as well.

I think the Memphis Belle movie brought the air war to a whole new generation. While it is a technical flop...people still know the movie and pose many questions to us about our 17 and how true or not true it really was.

Thu Dec 23, 2004 2:03 pm

JimH wrote:...Boeing Bee is sitting in this very spot...having made her final flight. She is in the process of being pickled for display. After all the years they let it sit out in the rain they are going back through her and re-restoring her interior. The MoF B-29 is sitting right behind her...and she is looking spectacular as well.

Is this up at Payne field at the restoration facilities? Or did Boeing provide some space at Boeing Field?

Mike