JACKETS IN "KELLY'S HEROES" (1970)

[USAAFAcePilot]

I was watching "Kelly's Heroes" and would like to know some of the jackets that appeared in the film.

Oddball's Leather Jacket (reminds me of an A-2, for some reason) and Kelly's jacket.

http://www.celluloidheroreviews.com/images/kellys-heroes.jpg

I apologize for it being so small.

Thanks guys!

 

[Kid Mac]

Oddball's looks like an ersatz Hollywood "A-2." You can see in the following picture that it lacks patch pockets and has flaps over interior pockets.

Clint's jacket looks like a tanker jacket (hard to tell from picture).

Cheers,

Mac

 

[USAAFAcePilot]

Thanks for the reply! I was thinking that Clint's jacket looked a lot like a tanker jacket.

found another picture....

http://www.opticstalk.com/uploads/3182/KellysHeroes4.jpg

 

[Fiver64]

movie.....

as "off" as some of the jackets and gear was, it was still a classic flick! Thanks for posting the pics!

 

[USAAFAcePilot]

as "off" as some of the jackets and gear was, it was still a classic flick! Thanks for posting the pics!

Definitely, man. I LOVED this! It was FANTASTIC!

 

[johnnyjohnny]

oDDball

i recall watching this movie a couple of years ago and wondering what kind of jacket he had on...i was just learning about what was and wasn't an a-2, and knew those unsewn-on epaulets were not ww2...and in fact they seem very much to be a schott motorcycle jacket, the current number being the 184sm...don't know what the model number was back then, but it was being made at the time...

one of my favorite films...

 

[Edward]

Would I be right in saying that it was a fairly radical departure (though I do bear in mid MacQueen's role in The War Lover) to have all central characters be of the anti-hero ilk?

I don't recall ever having seen the whole film, though I caught the last half hour or so on the television a few months ago. I should assume, as suggested above, that this was a wardrobe department 'close enough' jacket that was meant to represent an A2. That said, was Oddball a tank driver or an airman? Seems at least possible to me that it could have been a pp jacket... at least in theory. Most likely it was supposed to be an A2.

 

[rumblefish]

as "off" as some of the jackets and gear was

Always with the negative waves, Moriarty.

 

[Doctor Strange]

This film was made in the wake of Robert Altman's M*A*S*H and was very influenced by its cynicism and not-so-veiled references to the contemporary situation in Vietnam. Hence its antiheroes and questioning of authority. Hey, it was 1970! (Patton was made at the same time, and managed to brilliantly walk the line between being a traditionalist war movie and a giant question mark about military authority.)

And Donald Sutherland's alleged WWII flight jacket was just an off-the-rack contemporary Schott bomber. I think it was - in a small way - a case of deliberately thumbing their nose at history and authenticity.

 

[Edward]

This film was made in the wake of Robert Altman's M*A*S*H and was very influenced by its cynicism and not-so-veiled references to the contemporary situation in Vietnam. Hence its antiheroes and questioning of authority. Hey, it was 1970! (Patton was made at the same time, and managed to brilliantly walk the line between being a traditionalist war movie and a giant question mark about military authority.)

Good point, I hadn't thought about it from that angle... And, of course, wasn't Sutherland also in MASH, as Captain Benjamin Franklin 'Hawkeye' Pierce? Or have I misremembered that?

And Donald Sutherland's alleged WWII flight jacket was just an off-the-rack contemporary Schott bomber. I think it was - in a small way - a case of deliberately thumbing their nose at history and authenticity.

Interesting, wouldn't have thought of that either.... possible.... if so, something of a forerunner of Tarrantino's radical liberties with history in Inglorious Basterds?

 

[Fiver64]

another angle

I think it was - in a small way - a case of deliberately thumbing their nose at history and authenticity.

Interesting hypothesis...... having friends in the Hollywood prop business, I think that no statement was intended other than "close enough for the average viewer." The Tiger tanks were altered T-34s and some of the US troops in the background were wearing post-war field jackets. It just wasn't cost effective to worry about dead-on authenticity. Also, unless you are like us (afficiandos who drive everyone else nuts when watching and picking-apart old movies), these flaws don't detract from the story.

In fact, many tank commanders as well as PT boat captains adopted flight jackets. PT squadrons even had their own leather breast-patches for them just like the flight crews.

I do have a question for the lounge though, since 'Patton" was mentioned. Did Patton have a specially redesigned B-3 with slash side pockets, or was it just a regular B-3 or other model? Patton was another awesome movie with HUGE inaccuracies!

 

[Fiver64]

predictability

Always with the negative waves, Moriarty.

I knew someone would come up with that line eventutally! :eusa_doh:

 

[rumblefish]

Did Patton have a specially redesigned B-3 with slash side pockets, or was it just a regular B-3 or other model?

http://www.thefedoralounge.com/showthread.php?t=35425

 

[Fiver64]

thanks!

Well, that answers that! Thanks!

 

[Stearmen]

Jacket

I had a friend years ago who flew P-38s with the 8th Air Force. He had to make a forced landing in France on our side of the lines. First thing he did, was barrow some tools to retrieve the 8 day clock from the instrument panel. The second thing he did, was trade his A2 jacket for a Luger that one of the tank boys had! Kellys Heros was the reason Clint set up his owen production studio, they messed up so bad he couldn't stand having his name associated with the movie!