Warbird Information Exchange

"The Big E" would make an epic movie encompassing nearly the whole Pacific Theater(Of Course, the Navy would have to cough up a couple of TBDs to make it REALISTIC )

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I never said the jokes were Good, they're just Free! You gets whatchyas pays for!

YESSS...

Doc in a movie

Rob in a movie!

Yes, yes...the Colonel goes to Hollywood...

It's all about a fellow who starts a new restoration shop--put it in the Lone Star State--who's on a personal vendetta to prove that radials must dominate over the V-12's at Reno. The title, of course, would have to be...

"The Best Little Rohrhouse in Texas"

Sorry 'bout that.

I must cast one more vote for the 8/1/43 raid on Ploesti. Consider:

The idea that "This could shorten the war..."

The botched turn during the approach to the target

B-24's weaving through the smoke(stacks)

5 medals of honor earned (plus automatic DFC's for everyone else)


My only fear is having Affleck and Cruise battling for the affections of the Romanian peasant girl they meet after rolling their Liberator into a ball.

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It was a good idea, it just didn't work.

Hi all--

Replying to Damien, actually, a while back...You pretty neatly outlined the plot of Spencer Dunmore's "Ace" that I mentioned earlier. Even the bit about the romance with a French woman who winds up being sent to a concentration camp is in Dunmore's novel. Wonder whether Mr D wrote the book with a movie in mind...

S.

How about a movie about the lost squadron of Rabaul? It was the last squadron that had to put together a squadron from wrecked planes after the main forces left Rabaul for Truk. That would be very good. Kind of like the Blacksheep Squadron, but more realistic. Also from the enemy's point of view.

You could use all the flyable Zeros for it. Planes of Fame A6M5, Blayd A6M2, David Price/CAF A6M3, Washington Heritage A6M3, Evergreen A6M3 (when it's done), and Tischler Ki-43s.

Then for the American side, muster all of the Corsairs, P-39s, Wildcats, and F6Fs you can find. No computer generated planes. No corny script. It would make lots of $$, and would be very cool. Directed by warbird flyers.

I vote for DamienB's idea. I've always thought that would be a neat movie to make. You could use Adolf Galland's book "The first and the last" as the bases for the story/script.

Starting by being fed all this nonsense about the master race and how in the beginning everything seems to be proving to be true. Then slowly realizing that less and less of it makes sense..

Everything you know is being leveld by unending masses of bombers day and night. There seems to be nothing you can do about it. But even so you are to take the blame for it. The one wepon that could possibly stop the madness is the ME 262 BUT, no one is allowed to develop it..

And in the end having your "Fatherland" being overrun with wize cracking, gum chewing yahoos from one side and masses of Russian pesants from the other.. Makes one's skin craw just thinking about it.

THAT would be a great movie!

Well, at least I think so..

-jim lee

Pretty much sums up Heinz Bar's wartime exploits......

First to last ace, first victory in Sept.39 - 220th and last in April 45 with a 262.
Highest scoring NCO pilot in the Battle of Britain.
One of the earliest recipients of the swords, 90 odd victories on the Eastern Front. Shot down behind Russian lines and injured, spent a few days evading capture before making through the German lines - all with a broken back
Posted to North Africa, ending up with maleria as well, but still managed to be in the top 3 scorers in North Africa and the Med.
Back to defence of the Reich against the USAAF and added to his Western front score before becoming a 262 test pilot and ending up as boss of JV44 after Galland was injured.
Probably the Jagdfliger's best Experten, and should have got the Diamonds, which he was nominated for on 3 occasions, but due to Goerings dislike of Bar, it was not going to be awarded.
Post war became a sport aircraft test pilot, before crashing to his death during a demo display in 1957.

Probably got most elements for a darn good film there.

And then there's the turning of Erich Hartmann's biography into film, now that does have everything Hollywood wants, combat, love story, 10 years of imprisonment by the Soviets, post war the only Diamonds winner to re-join the West German airforce etc.,etc....

I think a lot of Hollywood's current movies feature jugs quite prominently already. Oh....you meant P-47s?

I wouldn't mind seeing a more realistic portrayal of the Black Sheep to hit the big screen. Think about it...the Black Sheep and Boyington area already famous names and would help draw people to the movie. It would fit into the current trend of re-making older movies and TV shows for a newer audience. Those two factors would help "sell" the idea to a studio. And there are enough airworthy corsairs to make the filming viable. Plus, it might help set the record straight a bit for those who felt the Black Sheep were portrayed badly in the TV series. Just an idea.

Otherwise, as someone already mentioned, the Polesti raid would be a great idea if B-24 weren't so few and far between.

I suspect a B-29 movie would be somewhat difficult to sell, as history revisionists have pretty painted the American bombing camping (up to and including the atomic bombings) on Japan as being a bad thing. I'd hate to see how they'd end up painting those evil American pilots.

Well with 5 P-47's flying at Chino last weekend...how 'bout a remake of "Fighter Squadron". Only use REAL 109's instead of P-51's painted funny.

I would still pick the Poliesti raid (without the Aflack Duck or that Cruise guy...but leave the stacked Romainian resistance fighter!) or a story about Pappy Gunn.

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Rob

May I suggest that one movie that should be made is about the 77th AVG flying P-39s in Russia. see: http://777avg.com/unithistory/

Regards

"Serenade to the Big Bird" by Bert Stiles..would be a great film.
Young college student with dreams of becoming a writer..in fact he already had magazine articles published. Joins the USAAF becomes a co-pilot in B-17s flying out of Bassingbourn. His is a very persal look at war, he talks about everything from going to London to the fear he and his friends felt.
The book ends as he ends his tour in 17s.
He did become a noted writer, but the book was published postumatly... In real life he stayed in the UK, volunteered to fly Mustangs with the 339th FG. He was killed just after downing his his Fw-190.

Thinking about the "Hollywood' angle, any one of a number of "heartthrobs" could play him...Ben Afflack or someone of that ilk....and there are sufficent B-17s and Mustangs around to make it look real.

BTW: While reading the excellent biography of Stiles..."Seranade to the Blue Lady, the story of Bert stiles" by Robert Floyd Cooper, I noted he was a copilot in "Shoo Shoo Shoo Baby", now preserved at the NMUSAF. I got a chance to go in the plane and purposely sat in the right seat. There, I took a momnet to remember Stiles and all the other men who died far too young.

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Remember the vets, the wonderful planes they flew and their sacrifices for a future many of them did not live to see.

Hi Everyone,

thought I would nominate a few, how about some movies based on the following:

a) Combination of the books 'Big Week by Glenn Infield and The Schweinfurt - Regensburg Mission by Martin Middlebrook' and before anyone says oh this has been done, I suggest you get a copy of each and read them carefully, cos no justice has been done to these Airmen yet.

b) An Australian perspective - Air Battle for Morseby. Very liitle is known about some of the early resistance put up against the Japanese air might by the RAAF.

c) I like the Russian Female Fighter Pilots theme, I have read a few articles about these 'gals' and whatever you think the fellas had to go through, these girls had to endure ten times worse, from their own and from the enemy.

d) Last but by no means the least, A really good, historically correct movie about the air battle over Guadalcanal. Yeah I know so much has been written and already filmed about it, but if you research it properly you'll be amazed at some of the amazing things those guys did!

thats my two cents worth........

cya

Digger

Hello,,

Saw the posts on this topic so I decided to respond. I've been working with a screenwriter about a B-24 aircrew from the perspective of one of the crew.

I'd like to see something along the lines of an aerial "Saving private Ryan'" or "Band of Brothers"--something that pulls no punches and doesn't treat war as some glorified, "Rah-rah" adventure but rather something tough, ugly, and costly to all involved.

As for a specific story, how about the first Ploesti raids, or something that follows a fighter squadron from it's formation until the last day of the war. one that deals with the losses of men and how that changes ths survivors who get through the war by a simple desire to get home. Mustangs, P-47's, or Mosquitoes.

N.

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"Live to Fly; Fly to Live"