Empire of the Sun – some trivia

Cheers Phil – may save posting til she’s on her c/s –

only have a European DVD Player 🙁 but thanks for the tip!

With MH434 buzzing overhead??

Correct. I’ll write it up when I have time in a separate thread.

Not to mention ‘Black 6’ making a brief appearance, too….

TT I will whizz you some piccies of the zero turncoat

With MH434 buzzing overhead??

Correct. I’ll write it up when I have time in a separate thread.

Did anyone see LANDGIRLS?

Remember the parade in the high street?

With MH434 buzzing overhead??

Did anyone see LANDGIRLS?

Remember the parade in the high street?

Yes I’m waiting for it to come out on DVD – apparently it will be rereleased in the UK this year sometime according to an HMV bod wot i asked….

Then i have to work out how to grab some images of our aeroplane from the disk!

OK, well, I guess we both stand corrected! 😉

It was 100% without a doubt, positivly, unquestionably – RAY HANNA –
I worked for the Old Flying Machine Company many years ago.

however, there is a photograph of Hoof Proudfoot, flying the Fighter Collection Hellcat, at Old Warden and he is waving to the croud during a gear down flypast.

not meaning to name drop but while I was at Chailey last year, I spoke to Ray and he said that it was him in the flyby clip.
I think that its probably my favourite aerial sequence in any film especially the low head on shot flying over the washing line
Does anyone know if there is any plans to bring the movie out on DVD?

An old 1992 itnerview I taped from TV with Ray Hanna when he was in NZ also confirmed Ray is the ‘star’ of the film in the P51D fly-by. Originally it was scheduled to be Mark Hanna, but Spielberg decided to use Ray because he was older and represented a more fatherly figure for the boy character to connect with, it said.

Hello,

An old issue of Warbirds Worldwide (n°2) confirms it was Ray Hanna who did the flypast, at S.Spielberg request.

Laurent

I’m not saying I know WHO it was in the Mustang, I had just always heard it was Hoof who did the flypast waving at the kid….I would think you lot in the UK would know DEFINITIVELY who it was…are you telling me you don’t? No one remembers who it was that was doing the piloting in one of the most memorable scenes in aviation film history? I find that hard….and distressing….to believe…!

Mark

Looks alot like Ray Hanna in the mustang to me.

D’oh! Think you’re right, Mark – I’m probably thinking of Ray doing the same thing at an airshow! :rolleyes:

Thought it was Hoof who did the Mustang flypast…

M

Well, got the video and CD of Empire of the Sun delivered today – the second track of the CD is entitled “Cadillac of the Skies”, from the sequence where Ray Hanna(?) flies past Christian Bale on the rooftop – fantastic, and it really raises the hair on the back of your neck! 🙂

Dave,

Yip I think Sir Tim’s old Zero has been abit of a film star… Empire of the Sun, Tora Tora Tora , and Pearl Harbour. Tim Middleton once told me this Zero was made out of three “Harvards” and still had fully functioning dual controls behind the pilot’s seat !

Are you sure it was in Pearl Harbor? Last time I checked it was three ‘proper’ Zeros….

Dave,

Yip I think Sir Tim’s old Zero has been abit of a film star… Empire of the Sun, Tora Tora Tora , and Pearl Harbour. Tim Middleton once told me this Zero was made out of three “Harvards” and still had fully functioning dual controls behind the pilot’s seat !

You called?!!! 😀

Yep – ours is an ex EoTS aircraft – David is right, she is in an early sequence with Christian Bale int cockpit.

Ours is a T-6 however, the aircraft used (i beleive) were all TEXANs though – not Harvards – but as the Spanish used T-6s some could have come from there – my understanding is that the static aircraft at least came from La Ferte….

our aircraft has officially changed sides now as the USAAF stars were put on her fuselage today!

Thanks to Moondance for the photos….

TT