BofB film questions – sorry Wombat

If anyone’s interested, there’s a Battle of Britain movie group on Yahoo (plug over!)

Gee, wonder who set THAT one up!!! 😀

During the recent BBC programme on the Guinea Pig club, there was a shot of the long gone Classic Cinema in East Grinstead. That weeks film the Battle of Britain.

The cinema frontage was totally decked out with large bill boards and models. I will try to post a photo taken from the TV, but the quality may be too poor.

Septic.

Having counted the late Robert Rudhall a friend for many years, and Sceptic likewise, I am full of BoB Film trivia.

One:
The Radio controlled models were blown up using a condom full of explosive, electronically triggered – yes, they don’t look like real size a/c coming apart. (But then a condom going off is a bit odd too!)

Two:
The Heinkels in Spain had to retain Spanish roundels on the wings as they were flying in Spain, and were still part of the Spanish Air Force – there may have been a concern about them being needed for air force work! and there were issues over a complete repaint. So not a shoddy job that you can see the wing roundels, but that they had an editing challenge. This didn’t apply to the two a/c owned by Spitfire Production, mostly filmed later.

Cheers

little error in film

Having an afternoon off work I decided to watch BOB once again and only just noticed in the scene where the Heinkels are taxiing across the grass for their first attack as one of them passes across the screen you can clearly see a roundel on its right wing,I assume its a Spanish one but no colour can be seen but a bit of a shoddy cover up job by the film people.

Thanks guys for the info

You can see pictures and etails of the actual models on this site, as well as models used in other films too

http://shipofdreams.net/pinewood/index.htm

Dave

The Stukas (and all the other models, for that matter) had fibreglass fuselages and wooden wings.

That last shot will be one of the models that was made up for the radar station attack sequence.

“It’s like shooting rats in a barrel!”

The model Stukas “exploding” in mid-air certainly do not look full size to me. They have a distinct plastic kit look tothem when they break up.

That Swastilka on the tail fin of the He 111 in the shot from “Patton” is WAY too big.

Dave Homewood, a belated response to your questions about the fate of the Ju 87’s used in the B of B. They seem to have been full-sized models, and judging from this print (Given to me by one of the camera crew) , they suffered for their art ! Next stop, the skip, I should imagine.

And here’s another – both He 111’s this time

Patton

Yes, Patton was the first movie on my list. here’s a shot from the film

Pearl Harbor Heinkel

Here’s a shot from Pearl Harbor, yes, looks like Jumos

Actually, now that you mention it, weren’t there a couple of Heinkels used in the movie Patton?

Haven’t seen the movie in ages, and only seen it once at that, but I’m sure there were a couple of them strafing tanks or troops in the desert…

I don’t think it was, actually, Dave. IIRC the Heinkels in the movie had Jumo engine cowlings. Also, I don’t ever recall the Heinkel being listed as one of the aircraft used.

I know Pearl Harbor was about as accurate as, well, something inaccurate, but I don’t think the CGI blokes would have spent much time in changing the cowlings.

If I can find an image somehow, I’ll post it up.

I just remembered that Heinkel 111’s also appeared in Pearl Harbor. I assume that was the CAF one duplicated over and over, or was it all CGI?

The amount they stuffed up in that film, I’m surpised they didn’t have the Heinkels flying over Pearl Harbor!

Dave

The muc-lamented CAF Heinkel was seen in episode 3 of Piece of Cake, as was the former Aces High aircraft which showed what happened to the CAF machine after Hornet Squadron got to it! 😀

Thanks guys. I should really have read my Mosley book again, but I knew it would be quicker and easier to simply ask those questions here.

However, (sorry to re-iterate), but no-one has been able to add to the Heinkel movie appearnces. Have they not been in any other films or TV?

My list was:
Patton
Dad’s Army (1971 film)
Adolf Hitler – My Part in His Downfall

And, had the Spanish Heinkels or Buchon’s been in films or TV before BofB?

Dave

Originally posted by DazDaMan

They built a couple of replica Stukas using Percival Proctor aircraft, and they were generally known as “Proctukas” on set. One flew, but they couldn’t use them for the film scenes as the wings would have pulled off in a dive-bombing attack.

From a while ago…Proctuka pic – Nermal

I believe that WG Foxley was a Navagator, or Wirless Operator on Wellingtons, I will consult the books when I get home tonight and let you know for sure.

Steve.

The Fat Man himself.

I’ll try to answer a few!

They built a couple of replica Stukas using Percival Proctor aircraft, and they were generally known as “Proctukas” on set. One flew, but they couldn’t use them for the film scenes as the wings would have pulled off in a dive-bombing attack.

Yes, it was WG Foxley who played Tom Evans in the movie – he was seen in the last episode of “Spitfire Ace” as well, back in January.

Berlin scenes (in fact, ALL the German-based scenes) were filmed in Spain!

I think Goering did have blonde hair – his may have been like mine in that it appears dark in some photos!

Piece of Cake featured numerous out-takes from the movie, as did the brilliant Dark Blue World.

As it happens, I set up a Yahoo-based Battle of Britain movie group which, since it was set up, has never been used! 🙁 It has about 6 members, though! Really must extract the digit and work on the website, too!