Can our fine group of aviation film historians here help me fill in some of the blanks in the use of B-17’s in the film ,”The War Lover”. I remember reading some where that one of two were scrapped after the filming due to some sort of legal problems ? Can anyone supply the right information here…believe avaition writer Martin Cadin (?) wrote a book about this ? Questions…Questions !!!!!! Thanks !
BlueNoser352!
By: Black Knight - 27th January 2018 at 09:45
They were taken at Bovingdon.
By: Propstrike - 27th January 2018 at 09:24
WIX forum has thrown up a couple of new photos. Manston or Bovingdon ? I say Manston……probably…
Also some rare colour shots definitely at Bovingdon (photographer unknown)
By: J Boyle - 16th April 2010 at 02:55
When I was assigned to RAF Bentwaters, I suggested to “the powers that be”, that Mr. Freeman be invited to the base for a talk (he lived just on the other side of Ipswich so it wasn’t a big trip for him).
I was pleased and a bit surprised by the turnout, a few dozen A-10 pilots…along with a lot of other base personnel…came to hear his presentation.
I had him autograph my copies of The Mighty Eighth and Airfields of the Eighth…. They have a special place in my library.
It was a preasure to meet the man, very knowledgeable and gracious in the style of older English gentlemen.
By: BlueNoser352 - 16th April 2010 at 02:39
Wow ..that’s an old topic from back in 2004 !
That’s one from the past for sure……… I wanted to buy that Cadin book but just rich for my bank account ! 12 O’Clock High still the best film ever on The Mighty Eighth. Its getting harder than ever to find a Eighth veteran where I live.. time has moved on so quickly and those men are passing fast. I do miss the work of Roger Freeman , who’s wonderful well researched book are a thing of beauty. I have most of them and what a tresure trove of info on all aspects of life in the Eighth ! His efforts did much to ensure the history of the Eighth will not be forgotten. I always wanted to shake his hand and thank him for this efforts.
BlueNoser352!
By: J Boyle - 15th April 2010 at 21:18
Guess before the days of the FAA , things like this took place very often.
BlueNoser352!
No, not really.:rolleyes:
Remember, before the FAA (circa 1960) there was the CAA beginning in 1927.
Watch The Great Waldo Pepper, the feds are the bad guys.
The only times B-17s legally flew that low, post war, was during fire fighting operations, and in aerial spraying. In Peter M. Bowers’ Putnam Book…Boeing Aircraft, there is a great shot of one flying at rooftop level in Lansing, Michigan spraying for gypsy moths.
The plane was one of the sprayers based in Alabama.
Don Lykins and Ed Maloney from the Air Museum flew N3713G (44-83684) for the low-level buzz job at Santa Maria, California, for the 1000 Plane Raid sequence. Tallman was involved with that production with the Tallmantz B-17G, N83525, and Aircraft Specialties with N17W (42-29782).
No, the Final Cut book says the Air Museum B-17 was not airworthy or flown in The 100 Plane Raid. (The Air Museum B-17 was used…but not flow…for the 1960s 12 O’Clock High TV series. All aerial shots in that series were stock shots from the USAAF or earlier Hollywood films).
The Tallmantz B-17 was the only B-17 used for the new flying shots in The 1000 Plane Raid.
By: ashforth - 15th April 2010 at 19:41
War Lover Aircraft
I found this article regarding the B-17’s used during the filming of “The War Lover”:
http://www.pbase.com/easystreet/notes_on_the_filming
The pilots from Film Aviation Ltd did a terrific job with those planes. One of the pilots proposed flying a B-17 through the hangar, but was denied permission due to risk.
It was great watching them film.
Herb
RAF Bovingdon, 1960-1962
By: Flat 12x2 - 26th December 2009 at 17:34
Heres the scenes of the low pass in the film including from the cockpit.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ewi-bPXFo_M
By: WJ244 - 26th December 2009 at 15:32
Planetrace:
The mere thought of two rare B-17’s going to way of the scrap heap is a bit hard to take. To bad the warbird restoration movement & Duxford wasn’t around then. Might have saved those airplanes for future generations to enjoy. BlueNoser352!
Ray Thomas told me that his dad was offered one of the B-17’s for Skyfame at the end of filming but HM Customs and Excise stepped in and said that he would have to pay import duty unless the aircraft was scrapped. As many know Skyfame was run on a very small budget and the funds to pay the duty just weren’t available so thanks to a government jobsworth the B-17 was axed. It must have hurt as Ray still seemed pretty annoyed / upset about it when he told me the story over 30 years after the event.
By: Good Vibs - 26th December 2009 at 14:23
film B-17’s
Willam Wylers original Memphis Belle was shot in color.
The a/c crew was not too sure about having the film crew on board, bad luck on last mission, etc, but the mission turned out to be nothing unusual. It does show the tense situation of the time. Nothing that a new movie can reflect.
The Biggest Bundle of Them All movie was loaded with many famous stars of that time. But there were only two good parts of the movie. The first was Raquel Welch, the second was the B-17 scenes. This was B-17G-85VE 44-8846, which is now flying as the Pink Lady, ex French IGN.
By: JOHN WALKER - 26th December 2009 at 11:17
B17s BELLY LANDING.
TO VIEW WW11 CLIPS FROM MY DVD WHICH I HAVE PRODUCED GO TO YOUTUBE AND THEN TOPCAMERMAN CHANNEL OR GO TO YOUTUBE AND THEN 92NDBOMBGROUP ONE WORD
By: Arabella-Cox - 15th March 2005 at 19:03
You need to read the Article in the Flypast B-17 Special ( September 2004 ), page 44, at the article titled “From the Navy, with Love”.
This is about ex-Navy B-17’s stored at Love Field and what happened to them. Some went on to be used in “The War Lover”.
Steve
By: BlueNoser352 - 11th March 2005 at 05:59
Now that called “mowing the grass” !!
Wow…how low is that pass ? Will have to pop the DVD in and see that sequence again, the props look like they are ready to hit the gound on that pass. Looks like something the great Bob Morgan of the Memphis Bell fame once did here in his home town of Asheville, North Carolina. Upon his bond tour he flew the Belle between the city hall and courthouse , he could handel a 17 with ease! If your ever in Asheville take a look and see for yourself, quite a feat of flying. I heard him once tell our Eighth Air Force North Carolina Chapter meeting this. Guess before the days of the FAA , things like this took place very often.
BlueNoser352!
By: Firebird - 10th March 2005 at 21:21
As in this pic. on an RAF Bovingdon page
Low flying B-17
Great pic from the Bovingdon site.
That’s the first time i’ve seen that angle of the famous John Crewsdon pass over Bovvy, as seen below.
Image credit: David M. Kay
By: Corsair166b - 10th March 2005 at 19:14
Isn’t the bottom one the one that used to be a gas station roof up in the pacific northwest? Forget who owns it, but it’s been taken down and is SUPPOSEDLY being restored to airworthy condition, starting with the nose section, if memory serves…
mark
By: G-ORDY - 10th March 2005 at 09:53
I’m well aware that these three B-17s have nothing to do with “The War Lover” but I thought it was a shame not to share them. Anyone have any further info on any of them?
All shots are early 1970s vintage:
N3509G
N17W
44-85790 – filling station canopy!
By: go4b17 - 7th March 2005 at 09:27
B17’s
Pretty fantastic – I hadn’t seen those before – I look on Airliners for B17’s on regular basis ,glad you opened this thread Bluenoser ! 😉
Thanks Ron
By: Flat 12x2 - 6th March 2005 at 21:50
Pics. of N5232V at Gatwick on arivale in the UK.
B17 at Gatwick
+ the next 2 pics. on Airliners.net of the same plane
By: Flat 12x2 - 6th March 2005 at 21:16
……. Just as an aside the low flying sequence where Steve McQueen buzzes the airfield was actually done, not a camera trick – now that is flying.
As in this pic. on an RAF Bovingdon page
Low flying B-17
By: go4b17 - 6th March 2005 at 11:39
re book
It does seem pricey but I bet its a great book to have
The Flypast B17 special does have some answers to your questions Tom-pretty dammn good article.Did you get the special yet ?
By: BlueNoser352 - 6th March 2005 at 00:24
Martin Cadin book on the B-17’s used in War Lover!
http://www.ffbooks.co.uk/x1/x9113.htm
Have to locate the paperback , look at the price of this book on the flight over of three B-17’s for the film The War Lover. I said a bit pricey……something about old books !
TC
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March 4, 2005 at 7:55 am