Almost completed my chapter on ‘The Dambusters’ film for my forthcoming book but have one further query. It concerns the scene where the Lancs are flying low over the sea heading for the Dutch coast with the sun behind them which is reflecting off the water. In his book ‘Flying Film Stars’ Mark Ashley claims the position of the sun relative to the aircraft proves that they are flying in the ‘wrong’ direction. However I think there is an even more obvious goof here. During the actual raid the first Lanc took off from Scampton at 9.28 p.m. on 16 May. By the time the aircraft were flying over the North Sea it would be dark – certainly the sun would be below the horizon by then.
My contention is that the film makers may have shot footage of the low sun but it was supposed to be standing in for the moon as there was a full moon the night of the dams raid . This is a common technique in film making -to use a low sun as a substitute for the moon. What do you all think?
Best Wishes,
Colin
By: Black Knight - 11th April 2016 at 01:45
David Morgan said in an interview that The Sound Barrier was filmed with x-ray film for the flying scenes so the sky looked near black at 40,000 ft though he never flew above 5000.
By: DazDaMan - 10th April 2016 at 23:14
“Day for Night” was also used extensively in the old Hammer Dracula movies (among others).
It’s also used in a fairly small indy movie about a giant man-eating shark….!
By: Malcolm McKay - 10th April 2016 at 07:41
Just looking at that scene and it appears to be a day for night attempt but sort of ruined by the fully sunlit sea as the shot swings around to point aft of the aircraft. It’s funny the things that one misses until they are pointed out but as a much younger edition of myself I can say that the position of the sun was the last thing on my mind. The film The Dambusters really is an icon of it time – a modern remake could never capture that feeling.
By: colin.barron - 10th April 2016 at 07:18
Just checked sunset times for Skegness. On May 16, 2016 sunset is at 8.52 p.m If Britain was on double summer time in 1943 then this would be 9.52p.m on the night of the raid ,24 minutes after the first Lanc took off so I reckon showing a low sun as the Lancs flew towards Holland is incorrect and it must be supposed to be the moon in which case it is in the wrong place if the various paintings of this stage of the raid are correct (paintings show moon on starboard side of aircraft as they flew towards Holland).
Colin
By: colin.barron - 10th April 2016 at 07:09
According to the various ‘Dambusters’ specials produced in 2013 the first Lanc took off from Scampton at 9.28 p.m. If Britain was on Double Summer time in 1943 then it is just possible the sun would be setting as they flew over the North Sea as sunset would be about 10.15 p.m so the depiction in the film is accurate although the sun is in the wrong position relative to the aircraft. All the paintings of the aircraft flying towards the Dutch coast produced by various artists show darkness and a full moon.
By: David_Kavangh - 9th April 2016 at 16:13
Remember in WW2 Britian operated on Double Summer Time (BDST), GMT plus 2. It was light in the evenings for a lot longer. You have to be careful when times are quoted.
By: J Boyle - 9th April 2016 at 14:51
The “Day for Night” term is well known among film buffs…in fact it’s the name of a famous Truffaut film.
The French call it “American Night” because of its early use in Hollywood.
By: slicer - 9th April 2016 at 13:34
You can always spot the day for night filming…vast areas of lovely cumulus in the “moonlit” skies.
Particularly seen in b/w cowboy films!
By: charliehunt - 9th April 2016 at 13:23
Night shooting for real was often used but was complex and expensive in terms of crew and lighting. Day for night was used for convenience and to save costs.
No – spare us a a Spielberg Dambusters please!!:rolleyes:
By: AlanR - 9th April 2016 at 13:16
I remember back in the 60’s, seeing part of a film (Fury at Smugglers Bay) being shot on a beach in S.Wales.
Shot in Daylight, but night time when shown at cinema.
By: SADSACK - 9th April 2016 at 13:10
Its a great movie, but details were withheld until the early 1970s. Apart from a dam being busted by a squadron of Lancasters, theres little accuracy in the film! And absolutely right, can you imagine being accurate and shooting the entire thing in pitch black!
For some reason I thought they departed at 20.20 hours, will double check my references.
By: trumper - 9th April 2016 at 11:59
This is a common technique in film making -to use a low sun as a substitute for the moon. What do you all think?
Best Wishes,
Colin
If they were making the film so realistic you would be sitting there for many hours in almost total darkness 🙂 ,filming technology was alot more limited then as to now.It would be interesting to see what they could do with todays cgi and technology.Personally i would love to see a really good detailed series to the standards of the Band of Brothers.
When they made the film in the 1950’s i be they didn’t think it would still be looked at and now seen as a piece of history in itself. 🙂
By: bradleygolding - 9th April 2016 at 10:49
The term you are looking for Colin is “Day for Night”. It uses lots of filters and low exposure times.
Cheers
Steve
Sign In
April 9, 2016 at 10:39 am