[QUOTE=Dave Homewood]
I did a bit of a study into the two Memphis Belle films for a university project two years ago. Apparently more than one, I think from memory three of four, camera crew were lost in various aircraft during the making of Wyler’s film.

Thanks James – this was most interesting reading your explanation of how the original was made and sad to know cameramen went down with the B17’s .I guess they had all the risks explained to them .I didn’t know Lithgow was based on William Wyler

Thanks for the great read …Ron – go4b17

TheMemphis Belle

I’d rather they just remade it all again 😀

Anyone need extras?

Did you want it making again to see the Assembled Warbird fleet or did you think the script was untenable , personally I found parts of the Script awful – where Billy Zane was doing CPR on Danny and also where a sign was pinned to the back of one of the waist gunners , a friend of mine who was a Waist Gunner with the 100th BG said that would NEVER happen in combat , mind you he did say he found his Radio Operator asleep once on a mission and gave him one almighty slap on the back to wake him up. I guess Hollywood had to over dramatize this to ensure they had Bums on seats !

But I think the script generally went down BADLY with Veterans

I was Lucky enough to watch the ORIGINAL MEMPHIS BELLE DOCUMENTARY at Mud Island Memphis where the original B17 was housed . I watched it with a B17 crew and they all enjoyed it and said it reminded them of combat and those times , Amazingly my friend who was the waist gunner said he had never watched that documentary up to that time in 1993 , we were attending the 100th BG Reunion in Little Rock Arkansas and stopped at Memphis for a visit

for Mike J

Any more Memphis Belle shots Mike ? 🙂

couple more

I have realised one thing about this topic – the 17’s look so much better taken in the air or air to air . I wonder if Chateau de Verneuil hadn’t crashed at Binbrook where she would be now , probably in the US or Israel .

Here’s a couple more

go4b17

Memphis Belle

Thanks Mike – how long did it take them to knock that dent out of the tailplane ? or did they find a replacement – I heard they used an engine out of Mary Alice ? to replace the blown cylinder . I guess not easy to find B17 cowling covers , tailplanes at the drop of a hat

any more shots appreciated , they are sooo interesting

Thanks Ron

go4b17