Heads up – Dambusters re-release this Tuesday

Unfortunately the story and the film of the Dambusters is not very well known in the states even by some of the so called aviation experts.

A friend of mine who lives near LA refused to believe that we had 5 ton bombs that bounced along the water until one year i bought a laptop and DVD of the film with me and all i got was ‘gee i did not know that!!’ as a reply.

Shame though as there was American crew in the raid!!, but as for it the cinema in the states it was was probably viewed as a bit of a lark 😡 or even worse pure fantasy.

Oh and i also noticed another line that George Lucas borrowed from the film for Star Wars while watching the film on the big screen (i will have to find out if i am right though).

curlyboy

Had heard so much about the movie but it was never shown here in the USA on television..

It probably depended on what film library service your local TV stations had (back in the days when local TV stations used old films for late night and weekend material).
I saw the film several times on U.S. television.

I would like to see it on the big screen..along with the BoB.

Remake of Dambusters on DVD!

Great news and will have to get a copy right away.. what a great idea to show the film on the big screen across the UK. I envy the experience you all must have had when seeing the film again on the big screen after watching it on a small television screen. Not sure if any cinema here in the USA would offer to show this outstanding film. I remember my very first trip to the UK and trying to find a copy on VHS in London. Had heard so much about the movie but it was never shown here in the USA on television..finally got a copy in the early 80’s. Great to see they have offered a new version now on DVD. Now the great thing about dvd and all region recorders & players…. we all can add those vintage British WW II films to our collections.
Great to see this WW II classic now out on DVD….are there any extras included in the dvd??? I would be nice to get an interview with Richard Todd about his thoughts on the films along with so of the real veterans and a documentary about the actual mission itself ! Very brave men indeed !

A salute from:
BlueNoser352

I have’nt seen the re-mastered film, it sounds well worth it from your comments, I’ll have to check whether it’s on in Braintree.
Just a question, have they digitally re-mixed the soundtrack to produce surround sound and if so, whats it like.
The problem with cinemas is that sometimes their sound systems are poor and it’s also difficult to find the right spot. The best sound system I heard in a cinema was in Blackpool of all places, as a tenous but related link I saw Star Wars there, it sounded amazing.
The best sound track ever for me was a special version of ‘The Longest Day’.
It was shown on release at the Nottingham Odeon in 64 and they installed a special 6 track sound system just for that film. Fortunately, my old man booked us to sit half way up in the middle and the effect was amazing, the aircraft flew right overhead, but the most impressive feature were the shells from the ship bombardment which started from the back of the cinema and passed overhead. Being a D-Day vet himself, I expected the old boy to put on a steel helmet and prepare to vacate the landing craft, but he told me that it was incredibly realistic and loved every minute of it.

I think one area where the new film will improve on the original in particular will be the sound. In the original you didn’t quite get the wonderful noise that 4 Merlins generate when on the ground, as anyone whom has stood beside PA474 or ‘Just Jane’ when running will testify.

Stamford Arts Centre could only have had ten or so seats spare from it’s 160 capacity…

🙂

I can’t comment on this film in particular, but I seem to remember from a TV programme about the Ealing Studios some years ago that they often used to film during the day with blue filters to simulate darkness on B/W films.

A lot of colour films did this, too. One I can think of, certainly, was Jaws, for the sequence at the start and some of the night sequences later on…..

Hammer Horror did something similar for their Dracula films – albeit none too convincingly! :diablo:

I saw “The Dambusters” many years ago in a Belfast cinema; I would love to see it on the big screen again!

By the way, why are we so apologetic about the dogs name is there a taboo on using it on this forum?

Eric

Absolutely brilliant.

Count the rivets on the Lancasters.

…as an aside, during the performance to a near capacity house and at a tense and quiet point where they are waiting at Bomber Command for news, somebody lost control of an empty popcorn tub. It ceremoniously rolled slowly step by step, plonk by plonk, down the central aisle steps. On coming to rest a wag at the rear called.

“Bombs gone”.

Mark

Absolutely priceless. Best laugh I’ve had in ages.
Cheers

I always assumed that the filming was done in daylight, with filters. However, there is a scene where Lancasters fly through a searchlight belt and they are clearly illuminated, which made me wonder if this was done at dusk, maybe?

Does any one know if the night scenes were shot with special film as they just looked great on the big screen ?

I can’t comment on this film in particular, but I seem to remember from a TV programme about the Ealing Studios some years ago that they often used to film during the day with blue filters to simulate darkness on B/W films.

Watched it at Cineworld in MK (same as TEXANTOMCAT?) last night and it was fantastic, and i am sure there was a few bits in there that are not on the current dvd (will have to check!!) but still awesome.

I must say though that even though i have seen it on VHS, DVD etc there is no beating the cinema for that ‘wow that is what 3 flying lancs sounds like!’

Still they should do some more of the old films in the cinema as to see it last night was £2.50 over the normal £6 for the new hollywood tosh.

curlyboy

Saw it in my local Odeon in Southend in one of their “Digital screens”.
The picture quality was impressive apart from one of the flying shots with a bad scratch that must have been on the master negative as there isnt any film in a digital presentation.
No problems with the dogs name here either, screen was about two thirds full, mostly the middle to upper age bracket.

Can anyone remind me if the Wimpey T.10 is the same one thats in the RAF Museum…cant remember!

TT

MF328 Vickers Wellington T10 now at RAF Museum Hendon

Martin

Watford had some trouble with the audio synch at the start, but it seemed to settle quickly and I did n’t notice it latter. I was surprised by the diversity of the audience – young kids, OAP’s and more ladies than my wife would have expected! There was considerable consternation when the ‘N’ word came up -it really did seem almost embarrassing to hear it.

It cannot remember seeing on old B&W film at the cinema before, but sitting near the front made up for the lack of widescreen, and you really could count the rivets! I had forgotten many of the one-liners – the bomb aimer saying how dangerous low-flying was! And Lincolns in the background, but I missed the Canberra.

A thoroughly good evening out – only spoilt by the the guy infront with a long lens sitting on a step-ladder 😉

DS

Much the same here in Portsmouth regards the diversity of the audience. The only technical issues we had was a few shaky shots particularly in the air to air shots and at one point I swear the projectionist kicked the projector as the picture nearly jumped off the screen. The dogs name got no reaction here too.

The Canberra is in one of the scenes with the Mossie prior to the test drops

Martin

I saw it in MK last night and thoroughly enjoyed seeing it on the big screen, I noticed the ‘Special’ Lanc in the training scenes too Peter! it taxies pass right to left – never noticed that before, also was studying the background – Late mark Mossie and Anson C.21 (?) in 50s silver scheme with yellow bands was the transport in the background.

Thoroughly recommend Jonathan Falconers ‘Filming the Dambusters’ now it can be picked up for less than a tenner (£25 RRP) from Midland Counties, lavishly illustrated.

Can anyone remind me if the Wimpey T.10 is the same one thats in the RAF Museum…cant remember!

A great night out!

TT

Trailer

p.s. The cinema showed a trailer for the new film Atonement, starring amongst others

Was rather bemused / amused to see a trailer for the “Sound of Music” before the main feature, although admittedly 30 minutes later the hills were alive with the sound of Merlins!! Did you all get that or was it a special treat for us in Aberdeen ????:D

Film looked great on the big screen….Yes, noticed the Canberra and the odd Lincoln here and there….but did it spoil the enjoyment of the occasion….well , no, not for me anyway.

Belting way to spend an evening.

Watched it in a packed cinema in Leicester and thoroughly enjoyed the experience. There was no reaction to the dog’s name up here, I suppose we’re made of stronger stuff ‘up north’!
Saw the Canberra, (through a car window), and the Lincolns. But putting all the technical bits aside it made me realise what a difficult job Peter Jackson’s team will have in telling the new story accurately without it getting confusing. For example, the second wave took off before the first wave and the third wave were coming as the others were going! How do you tighten all that into a good flowing story?

One thing for sure, I can’t wait to sit in that same cinema to see the new version, it couldn’t be in better hands.

Mark Postlethwaite

Watford had some trouble with the audio synch at the start, but it seemed to settle quickly and I did n’t notice it latter. I was surprised by the diversity of the audience – young kids, OAP’s and more ladies than my wife would have expected! There was considerable consternation when the ‘N’ word came up -it really did seem almost embarrassing to hear it.

It cannot remember seeing on old B&W film at the cinema before, but sitting near the front made up for the lack of widescreen, and you really could count the rivets! I had forgotten many of the one-liners – the bomb aimer saying how dangerous low-flying was! And Lincolns in the background, but I missed the Canberra.

A thoroughly good evening out – only spoilt by the the guy infront with a long lens sitting on a step-ladder 😉

DS

Impressed by the quality of the film apart from it being slightly out of synch with regards audio and video tracks. This might have been the cinema’s fault.

At Cineworld Stevenage it was very out of synch and very nearly ruined it. It was however an interesting experience seeing it on a big screen. There were many moments of brilliance and Redgrave’s performance as Wallis I think will probably never be bettered as was Richard Todd’s portryal of Gibson. The flying shots were for the most part realistic as they used real Lancasters but the shots through the bomb aimers window often looked strained and jerky. The film makers were encoumbered by the weapon still being classified secret so any new film will have the opportunity to show it in much more detail and perhaps also cover the activities inside the aircraft prior to the bomb run to get the thing spinning up to speed.

One thing that stood out was the fim makers efforts to try to keep the audiance understanding which character was speaking in the flying shots by having each crew member remove their oxygen mask after speaking so that his face remained visible. Although it worked to an extent I found it became a bit tirsome to watch!

Minor gripes (yes I saw the Lincoln and lots of post war roundels all over the place – was the ‘transport’ an Anson?) but all in all a truly great piece of British cinema.

In conclusion, watching it last night left me with the opinion that a re-make, in the right hands of course, could be a very good thing as the brave chaps who carried out the raid back in 1943 now really deserve a more technologically up to date vehicle for telling their amazing story. If, somehow, convincing actors and performances can be combined with cutting edge CGI then maybe we will get it.