Dambusting film photo clinched..

[PADDY]

Just won myself a picture of Richard Todd as the famous Guy Gibson, of Dambusters fame. Todd was himself a hero of WWII, serving as an officer with the Airborne Forces and involved in the capture of Pegasus Bridge during the D-Day invasion of Normandy. After the war, he returned to acting. I'm going to get this signed picture framed. Really chuffed about it!!

 

[BellyTank]

Nice one!
B
T

 

[Jake]

Nice aquistion Paddy, I also enjoy collecting autographs of famous WWII fliers etc. I keep my collection limited to those I have met and are written out to me. Pappy Boyinton (Black Sheep), Geroge Gay (Torpedo Squadron 8 Midway), Travis Hoover (Dolittle Raid), Tex Hill & RT Smith (Flying Tigers) Robert Morgan (Memphis Belle) are some of the ones I've collected.

 

[Story]

Peter Jackson to film Dam Busters

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/5301998.stm

 

[silhouette53]

Oh YES !

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/5301998.stm

This is a favourite film of mine - it should be excellent considering the technology available in film making these days compared with the '50s !

The World population of surviving Lancasters currently totals 23, including only two airworthy Lancasters PA474, and FM213 and a taxying Lancaster NX611. Of course, the computer wizards can take just one and have whole squadrons of 'em flying across the screen !!
Lets hope it goes ahead as planned - cant' wait !!!

 

[Twitch]

I wonder how they'll deal with the squadron mascot, Guy Gibson's black lab? His name was the derogatory term for negro. The last time I watched the original movies on TV they had blanked out his name and the poiniant scene that showed his grave marker. Ended up "Here _, here boy." More PC stuff.:eusa_doh:

 

[Haversack]

Some of that PC stuff has been going on since 1917 when news reporters sanitized General Pershing's nick-name to Black Jack. Shows how long the US has been publicly sensitive to that word. Of course, "Other countries, Other customs." Personally, I'm curious how they will deal with the dog's name too. I'm agin' the Bowlderization of history for whatever reason. The past is a different country.

On the subject of Lancasters, (much more pleasant), I once saw one flying over Sacramento back in the early 1970s. It had Canadian Forest Service markings. It was one of the highlights of my Junior High plane-spotting activities.

Haversack.

 

[Harp]

Richard Todd

I recall Richard Todd as being among a handful of the WWII era
actor-veterans whom individually and collectively comprised the
film industry's "Officer Class." Years ago, while a kid private aspiring
to a regular commission; prior to today's easy reach VCR/discs,
I always made time to watch his films. Even "A Man Called Peter,"
in which he portrayed a minister, offered lesson on how a
professional soldier and officer conducted himself.

 

[Story]

I officially bet one beer that the dog's name will be changed to 'Blackie'. :eusa_doh:

 

[Twitch]

Yeah probably. They may not have him in at all coinsidering the weird ways they change stories to make them "better."

 

[PADDY]

Let's hope they do it justice

Actually, the iconic movie with Richard Todd had its flaws too, but it's still a classic (ie: in real life, Gibson was quite a loner and not that approachable, the bombs they used in the movie were not the ones they used in the Dam Bust...), but you can get too hung up on a few small glitches that most folk wouldn't notice. So, a change name for the dog isn't (for me) a major issue!! But historical correctness is (as has been said, let's not have a Pearl Harbor movie style take on this), as this could be such a GREAT movie!!

 

[Matt Deckard]

Sounds like a person i need to know more about. Good aquisition PADDY.

 

[Twitch]

Yeah if it is as accurate as the original that'll be fine. I'm certainly not going to freak out if they use a post-war fuel truck in some scene. I'm simply going to be entertained and enjoy the saga.

 

[Tony in Tarzana]

To be fair to the makers of the original movie, the exact shape of the bomb was still classified when the movie was made.