The Blue Max – some movie trivia

You’re not getting confused with the late Manx Kelly who used to fly with the Rothmans Aerobatic Team in the 70s, later killed in a flying accident(?) are you?

I’ve never heard of Manx Kelly, so I’m not getting him confused – not sure if anyone else is.

By the way that post of mine was meant to read D1ck Smith, damn anti-swearing device! He flew round the world solo in a helicopter (first man to do so) and filmed a brilliant documentary all the way, by himself. He’s the only man I’ve heard of who was an aerial camerman and pilot at the same time. 🙂

You’re not getting confused with the late Manx Kelly who used to fly with the Rothmans Aerobatic Team in the 70s, later killed in a flying accident(?) are you?

Wasn’t he an associate of Stephen Grey’s?

It seems from IMDb he was actually an aerial cameraman, not a pilot. I doubt he did both at once did he (although **** Smith did)

You’re not getting confused with the late Manx Kelly who used to fly with the Rothmans Aerobatic Team in the 70s, later killed in a flying accident(?) are you?

Wasn’t one of the cameramen on BofB missing a leg as a result of a helicopter close-call??

Yup John Jordan, see previous post…. 😉

I worked on a film in Scotland with Bill Walker who was of the era of the 1960’s war films – he mentioned that a camera man fell out of the bomb bay of one of the B-17’s
in what I believe was ‘The War Lover’.

I wonder if he meant John Jordan, who worked with Skeets Kelly on the Battle of Britain amongst many others, including War Lover IIRC. Jordan lost part of his leg when it was chopped of by the rotor blades of a helicopter he was filming on one of the 60’s James Bond films. At the time he was filming hanging in a para harness dangling under another helo being flown by John Crewsdon I believe. Legend has it that he still managed to get the whole incident on film…. 😮

Jordan was killed when he fell from a B-25 during aerial filming of Catch 22.

I haven’t seen Zeppelin for donkey’s, but even when younger I wasn’t entirely convinced by Michael York! :rolleyes:

Delving back up the thread a wee touch … has anyone here got any comments about Zeppelin? I followed Dave’s link and see that although the plot sounds pretty interesting (double agent, divided loyalties, a Zeppelin bombing raid) it comes out as a 5/10 in reviews. Too much left unsaid/unanswered apparently and maybe a bit melodramatic. Any “reviews” from folks here?

Back in my university days, the school would show recent films on Friday nights for a very small fee.
(I particularly remember seeing “Tora, Tora, Tora!” being shown on December 7. My date was a lovely fellow student from Hawaii of Japanese ancestry, rather un PC I thought, but I digress…) :diablo:

One night they did show Zeppelin.
Plot and acting aside (which were okay but not great) I was very impressed with the visual effects. They really captured the size an majesty of the airship. The ship itself ooked pretty good and I think it would hold up well today…IMHO a good model often looks better than cheesy CGI stuff.

Recently I caught part of it on TV and was less impressed.
Like a lot of films, I think seeing it on a big screen added a lot to it.
The airship looked much less impressive.

Delving back up the thread a wee touch … has anyone here got any comments about Zeppelin? I followed Dave’s link and see that although the plot sounds pretty interesting (double agent, divided loyalties, a Zeppelin bombing raid) it comes out as a 5/10 in reviews. Too much left unsaid/unanswered apparently and maybe a bit melodramatic. Any “reviews” from folks here?

I recall reading that most (all?) of The Blue Max was filmed over/at the Irish Air Corps base, Baldonnel Aerodrome, near Dublin.

Many Air Corps pilots actually piloted some of the planes during filming.

(I must look for the book/reference to this).

Panther.

Wasn’t one of the cameramen on BofB missing a leg as a result of a helicopter close-call??

I worked on a film in Scotland with Bill Walker who was of the era of the 1960’s war films – he mentioned that a camera man fell out of the bomb bay of one of the B-17’s
in what I believe was ‘The War Lover’.

Melvyn. You are nearly right about the poles, but they were actually placed in the river ( or some at least ) . These aquatic installations were performed by Joe Austin, who worked for PPS. On a tangent, it was he who rebuilt the Booker Lysander, and converted ML417 from a twin to a single seat Spit.

Joe can be found at the end of the bar at White Waltham, most lunchtimes, and for a small fee (glass of scotch) will recount these, and many more tales.

My information came from Joan Hughes and then I also heard Derek PIggot tell the story at a lecture. Can’t remember exactly if he said they were in the water (although it makes more sense if they were) but I had always thought they were in a field.

MH

Derek Piggott’s son taught me history, and also gave me a cactus named George Truscott after the gardener at Lasham. Now there’s a pointless tale!

Adrian

P.S. twenty years on, the cactus is still going strong!

Melvyn. You are nearly right about the poles, but they were actually placed in the river ( or some at least ) . These aquatic installations were performed by Joe Austin, who worked for PPS. On a tangent, it was he who rebuilt the Booker Lysander, and converted ML417 from a twin to a single seat Spit.

Joe can be found at the end of the bar at White Waltham, most lunchtimes, and for a small fee (glass of scotch) will recount these, and many more tales.

LOL. You’re probably right. I was thinking of Hindenburg 😮 :rolleyes:

I really need to get some sleep 😉

SE5a Replicas in “Zeppelin”???

Pretty sure it was.

Yes, I seem to recall a shot of a square-nosed biplane struggling up to reach the Zepp as it climbed away, so I assume it was meant to be an SE5/5a.

SE5a Replicas in “Zeppelin”???

And while I was posting that Dave pops up and proves it!

MH

I take it this would be the collision with one of the SE5a replicas?

It seems from IMDb he was actually an aerial cameraman, not a pilot. I doubt he did both at once did he (although **** Smith did)

And while I was posting that Dave pops up and proves it!

MH