From the Internet Movie Databse
A scene of an aerial raid on a German troop train was filmed but not used. It later turned up as part of The Legion of the Condemned (1928).
The first movie, and the only silent movie (in the 20th century), to win the Academy Award for Best Picture.
The entire score was written, composed, and recorded using a Wurlitzer Pipe Organ.
Richard Arlen, whose character is a fighter pilot, had actually been a pilot in World War I (though he never saw combat).
In contrast to co-star Richard Arlen, ‘Charles ‘Buddy’ Rogers did not know how to fly a plane when production began, but he learned how to do so by the end of it. In the close-up scenes where Jack and David (and other characters) are flying, the actors are actually working the planes themselves. To shoot these scenes, the actors had to get the plane up in the air, keep it up, turn on the (motorized) camera and land the plane–and act at the same time.
According to biographer David Stenn, Clara Bow did not like her military uniform, as it did not show off her figure. She kept fighting with the costumers to let her wear a tight belt and show off her curves.
With the thousands of extras battling on the ground, dozens of airplanes flying around in the sky and hundreds of explosions going off everywhere, the only injury on the entire picture was incurred by veteran stunt pilot **** Grace. A plane he was crashing was supposed to completely turn over, but it only turned partly over. Instead of being thrown clear of the plane as was the plan, Grace was hurled against part of the fuselage and broke his neck. He returned to the company after six weeks in the hospital.
I haven’t seen this film in DONKEYS!!! Might have to dig it out 🙂
By: willy.henderick - 5th March 2005 at 10:56
France, Russia and Middle East use SECAM which gives better colour than PAL. There are two families of SECAM (Europe and Russia) and the improved MESECAM for the Middle East. To view the colour you need a video recorder reading SECAM with built in transcoder which allows to view colour on a PAL or alternatively a SECAM video recorder and a SECAM or a dual system monitor. You never loose the sound track when playing SECAM on a PAL video recorder.
The loss of sound track occurs with the bilingual system (two-tone or zweitone in German) used in Germany. Only video recorder built for Germany can read both tracks as against a stereo soundtrack one soundtrack is halved whereas the remaining one is used for the time code in PAL system.If you play a tape recorded in bilingual on a stereo video recorder you get both languages mixed.
There are two different image frequencies used for the US and japanese NTSC. Further the number of frames per second is not same. Finally, in NTSC system, the frequency of the grid (60Hz) is used for the synchronization whereas on the other system, there is a top for the synchro.
NTSC is the worst system in the world and is widely known as Never Twice the same Color.
Let’s go PAL digital.
By: Melvyn Hiscock - 4th March 2005 at 23:25
http://www.486th.org/Photos/Crew3/DGrace.htm
If that’s not him I’ll eat my hat!
Adrian
Hat is safe I think.
I’ll try to remember to scan a pic of him from one of the books I have.
M
By: adrian_gray - 4th March 2005 at 16:11
Melvyn – found the “Crash Pilot” chap!
http://www.486th.org/Photos/Crew3/DGrace.htm
If that’s not him I’ll eat my hat!
Adrian
By: DazDaMan - 19th February 2005 at 15:53
I think it’s the colour. A student from Senegal once sent me a French copy of “Jaws 2” (La Dents de la Mer Deux), and it was in black and white.
By: T J Johansen - 19th February 2005 at 11:43
I’ve a vague memory that the third TV system’s called SECAM.
I’m sure I’ve seen references to PAL/SECAM but whether that implies there’s a similarity I have no idea.
The French system is SECAM. If I’m not mistaken you can play it on a PAL recorder, but you lose either the sound or the color!
T J
By: Melvyn Hiscock - 19th February 2005 at 11:33
I’ve a vague memory that the third TV system’s called SECAM.
I’m sure I’ve seen references to PAL/SECAM but whether that implies there’s a similarity I have no idea.
We had some film of the Flamant on a video form ‘South Today’ and I took that over to France to show the Memorial Flight guys and that came out in black and white and a bit grainy as I remember.
M
By: dhfan - 19th February 2005 at 07:41
I’ve a vague memory that the third TV system’s called SECAM.
I’m sure I’ve seen references to PAL/SECAM but whether that implies there’s a similarity I have no idea.
By: adrian_gray - 18th February 2005 at 11:08
I had a copy and lent it to someone!
M
Not me, worse luck, because I’d like to read the full version one day. Question is once you knew what his job was, would you board a plane with him?
Adrian
By: Melvyn Hiscock - 18th February 2005 at 10:48
That sounds like the chap, Melvyn – book called something like “Crash Pilot” because that was his job!
Adrian
I had a copy and lent it to someone!
M
By: DazDaMan - 18th February 2005 at 10:32
Ahhhh, that explains a ton, Dave! 🙂
By: Dave Homewood - 18th February 2005 at 10:27
It’s available on VHS from Amazon.com, but presumably in American format (or is everyone using the same video format these days? I know NZ does :confused: )
Most countries use VHS, which is just the tape size – but it is the speed that makes the difference – Pal is broadcast at (or plays at) 24 frames per second and NTSC being 30 frames per second.
Despite more frames, NTSC is actually an inferior system. It was introduced as the US standard in 1950 and they have never updated it. Canada, and I think Japan, also use NTSC, I don’t know if anyone else still does.
Pal was developed in Germany and adopted in many countries by the 1970’s. Today it is widely used in places like Britain, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand and some of Europe plus some of the ‘colonial’ countries in Africa and Asia I believe.
I have heard there is a third system developed by the French, I’ve forgotten its name, but it’s quite different again. I guess only they use it but I am not sure if anyone still does. Can anyone enlighten me on this?
For at least three years here in NZ almost all new VCR’s coming on the market are able to play both Pal and NTSC speeds in both SP and LP, so they are pretty versatile. Mine is dual capable. Yey.
By: adrian_gray - 18th February 2005 at 10:17
That sounds like the chap, Melvyn – book called something like “Crash Pilot” because that was his job!
Adrian
By: Melvyn Hiscock - 18th February 2005 at 10:12
I seem to recall that the aircraft are period American fighters wearing black crosses – as to which ones, not sure – P1 rings a bell, but…
I also recall reading a Readers Digest Condensed Book written by a cahp who did some of the stunt flying for Wings – seemed he wheedled his way onto active service on B17s in the ETO despite being well into his forties at the time.
Anyone else remember this, or are the old marbles going?
Adrian
The book is possibly by **** Grace who crashed a number of aircraft for films and, I think, went on to fly B17s on delivery flights.
As for the planes in Wings, according to “The Motion PIcture Stunt Pilots” by H. Hugh Wynne, there were four original WW1 aeroplanes. A SPAD and a DVII were crashed and another SPAD was used in line ups. Another DVII was also used The DVIIs cost $3500 for one and $2000 for the other and one SPAD cost $1500. Additionally Curtis P-1s, Thomas Morse Scouts, DH4s (by that time being built as mail planes) and Martin Bombers were used.
M
By: adrian_gray - 18th February 2005 at 09:40
I seem to recall that the aircraft are period American fighters wearing black crosses – as to which ones, not sure – P1 rings a bell, but…
I also recall reading a Readers Digest Condensed Book written by a cahp who did some of the stunt flying for Wings – seemed he wheedled his way onto active service on B17s in the ETO despite being well into his forties at the time.
Anyone else remember this, or are the old marbles going?
Adrian
By: DazDaMan - 18th February 2005 at 08:56
Can anyone tell me what the aircraft in this movie actually are? I know there’s at least one SPAD and a Foker D.VII (crashing on the ground) in it, but the rest don’t look WW1-vintage (maybe Howard Hughes snapped them all up already for Hell’s Angels??).
I started watching it again this morning (OK, the first ten minutes or so!), and the score that was in it when I recorded it still sends shivers down my spine!
By: dhfan - 17th February 2005 at 09:44
Most modern VCRs can play NTSC tapes anyway, but I think there’s a get-out in the manual for ours about picture quality.
By: DazDaMan - 17th February 2005 at 09:05
It’s available on VHS from Amazon.com, but presumably in American format (or is everyone using the same video format these days? I know NZ does :confused: )
By: Andy in Beds - 17th February 2005 at 08:43
A Great Film.
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February 17, 2005 at 8:35 am