Battle on Britain DVD in N.A.

Don’t know if anyone can help with this, but in the sequence where the Polish training squadron ignores orders and goes into action, the foreground shows three Hurricanes in ‘vic’ formation with other vics behind. In some shots these ‘extra’ aircraft look like Spitfires – but in other shots they look like Buchons… This would make sense as the Buchon is closer in shape to a Hurricane than a Spitfire is, but can anyone confirm which it is? Or is it both? Were there RAF-liveried Buchons used in BofB?

YES!! 😉

There have been numerous photos posted on the forum of RAF-painted Buchons used in that sequence. Have a search and they’re sure to come up (I thought I had them saved on my work PC, but I don’t :()

Ah, the dangers of anecdotal knowledge.

Those are some good pictures. Interesting the pic of the Spit with the 5 bladed prop – watching the film again I was impressed with how well the Spitfires in the foreground all looked like MkIs and IIAs – presumably lots of MkVs with the cannon removed? Normally in productions much after the war there are lots of MkIXs and the like thrown in, but in BofB they successfully seem to ‘trick’ the later marks so they add to the action but not so you would know they weren’t the right model.

Don’t know if anyone can help with this, but in the sequence where the Polish training squadron ignores orders and goes into action, the foreground shows three Hurricanes in ‘vic’ formation with other vics behind. In some shots these ‘extra’ aircraft look like Spitfires – but in other shots they look like Buchons… This would make sense as the Buchon is closer in shape to a Hurricane than a Spitfire is, but can anyone confirm which it is? Or is it both? Were there RAF-liveried Buchons used in BofB?

Holy God, those are some amazing photos! 🙂

Eric Coates did The Dambusters.

Ron Goodwin.

Particularly pleasing for me is the inclusion of the score by Sir William Walton, who as I recall was commissioned to write the score but in the end only one piece was used, which I think was called ‘the battle in the skies’ and provided the superbly chilling soundtrack to the frenetic September the 15th sequence. After watching the film last night with the original score, I stuck the beginning on again, this time with the Walton score – very different in tone to the original (I forget the name of the guy who wrote it, who also did the Dam Busters and 633 Squadron – I want to say Percy Granger but I don’t think it’s him…) and almost like watching a totally different film. I’ll get round to watching the whole thing with the restored Walton score… well, the next time my wife is away.

If you like the picture, I think you will like the photographs in this link:
http://www.fag.es/sevilla/batallainglaterra/batallainglaterra.htm

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The thing that has changed is the cover.. and for me the cover on this new region 1 disc looks great..

I have watched the film at least 2 dozen times,starting with the original at the cinema in 1969, and the only thing that has changed on the various versions are the subtitles.

Re the running times, PAL and NTSC systems have slightly different frame rates with PAL slightly faster ,and both faster than cinema this accounts for the difference in times shown.

Does this help ?

http://www.dvdcompare.net/comparisons/film.php?fid=5069

Re the running times, PAL and NTSC systems have slightly different frame rates with PAL slightly faster ,and both faster than cinema this accounts for the difference in times shown.

The subtitles in the film especially for the german side were laughable and missing in the two vhs and one of my dvd copies, the new two discer has most of the subtitles but the only time i saw all of them was when it was shown of tv once.

According to the usually reliable imdb the original running time was 133 mins (151 mins for the uk version) but the region 2 dvd runs for 127 mins ? but i cant remember anything missing ?

curlyboy

Hmm… this warrants investigation! I seriously do not recall seeing anything missing from it since I first saw it in 1991! :confused:

The subtitles in the film especially for the german side were laughable and missing in the two vhs and one of my dvd copies, the new two discer has most of the subtitles but the only time i saw all of them was when it was shown of tv once.

According to the usually reliable imdb the original running time was 133 mins (151 mins for the uk version) but the region 2 dvd runs for 127 mins ? but i cant remember anything missing ?

curlyboy

Hello

The first region 1 battle of britain was edited, hopefully the region 1 two disc has’nt been.

curlyboy

Ummm… it was? I have seen (and own) several versions, and with the exception of the subtitles in various scenes, they are all the same. :confused:

Hello

The first region 1 battle of britain was edited, hopefully the region 1 two disc has’nt been.

curlyboy

that review of the b of b dvd release

It is always a shame when a reviewer gets facts muddled with myth.

In this case he wrongly states that the film Heinkels were former Luftwaffe then used by the Spanish. As far as I am aware..from memory…they were actually CASA licence built with Merlins.

I do understand that he would not realise that an actual Stuka was positioned at Henlow for the film and not used, also not used were the converted Stuka look alikes from Proctors.

Click for a full review of The Battle Of Britain or A Bridge Too Far Collector’s Edition Region 1 DVD http://www.dvdtalk.com/dvdsavant/s1793brit/html

Yes and you can add the two disc edition of “A Bridge Too Far” to that list as well here in the USA. Got both last week at Wal-Mart ( Where Else ???) for $19.95 each. Both both copies last year in London and have enjoyed them greatly. Hoping to see the release of the old ABC-TV Network series ” 12′ O’Clock High ” soon here in the USA. Based on the film of the same name, about a Eighth Army Air Force bomb group in England during the early days of WWII. Now that “COMBAT” had hit the DVD market here in the USA I hope we will see this fine aviation series out soon for newer generations to enjoy. During the middle to late 1960’s saw several outstanding World War II series air here in the USA, now with the ability to order and play DVD’s from all over the world the market is now opening up to all who have a keen interest in history of WW II. Not sure if our friends in the UK, Canada or Australia has similiar series on their television scene then? “12 O’Clock High” is an outstanding series and hope one day it will be out there for all to enjoy.

A salute from :
Gen Frank Savage
918th BG ( H)
Archbury

The documentary “Battle for the Battle of Britain” is worth the price alone!