In May 1943, the crew of the Memphis Belle, a Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress of the US Army Air Force, are grounded in England while their aircraft is repaired. [8] The film score, by George Fenton, was nominated for a BAFTA award for Best Original Film Score in 1991. Dearborn aborts the initial bomb run and orders the formation to circle around for a second attempt, which frustrates the Belle crew who have had to endure the ongoing attacks from the Germans. Audiences surveyed by CinemaScore gave the film a grade A on scale of A to F.[13], The film earned £4,924,000 in the UK. [14], This article is about the 1990 film. The film stars Matthew Modine, Eric Stoltz, and Harry Connick Jr. (in his film debut). In a 1944 color film, Footage from the Belle’s second to last mission was used as a … Parents Guide. Once corrected full power on all engines was resumed but the aircraft swung right. The legacy and story of the Memphis Belle not only lives on within the museums, but also amongst film. The movie follows the 10 men that crew the Memphis Belle, a Boeing B-17 long range bomber. After this mission they will be rotated back to the US on a marketing drive. It's May 17, 1943; the day before the Memphis Belle's, a B-17 bomber, 25th and final mission. It's May 1943 at a US Army Air Corps base in England. Synopsis Knowing that the aircraft was capable of being operated from grass landing strips, the pilot opted to continue the takeoff; however, after 400–500 yards and at an airspeed of 90-95 mph the aircraft swung right and its course was obstructed by a tree which was hit by the left wing and a pile of gravel which was hit by the number 4 propeller. "Despite its good intentions to highlight the risks and heroics of the brave men who flew dangerous bombing missions deep into enemy soil during World War II, the one thing which you can't miss about Memphis Belle is that it is a cliche commercial production. In the 8th Air Force is a B-17 bomber whose crew are about to complete their 25th mission, the first to do so. The ground crew and a humbled Lt. The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack album was recorded at Abbey Road Studios, CTS Studios, and Angel Recording Studios in London, England. Absent any such restrictions, these materials are free to use and reuse. ", "Original print information: Memphis Belle (1990). Finding the target – an aircraft assembly plant – becomes difficult as bombardier 1st Lt. Val Kozlowski (Billy Zane) can't see the target because of a smokescreen the Germans have created. THE COLD BLUE is a meditation on youth, war and trauma, and stands as a tribute to one of the world’s great filmmakers and the men of the 8th Air Force who flew mission after suicidal mission in the Second World War. Derringer informs him that it's his job to show this to the American public as a means of getting their support. The attacks continue, blasting a hole in the fuselage, tearing off a large chunk of the tail, and setting the number four engine on fire. The film stars Matthew Modine, Eric Stoltz, and Harry Connick Jr. (in his film debut). via Wiki Commons Background. It is variously known to the public as a Memphis Belle poster, a Memphis Belle film poster and a Memphis Belle movie poster. [N 1] As there were no surviving flyable Messerschmitt Bf 109s, Luftwaffe fighter aircraft were represented by Ha-1112s, a Spanish version of the Bf 109 (which were also used to represent Bf 109s in the 1969 film Battle of Britain) in mid-war generic paint schemes. AIRCRAFT: Boeing B-17F-10-BO Flying Fortress, SN: #41-24485, DF*A "MEMPHIS BELLE" UNIT: 324th Bomb. Radio operator Staff Sgt. (T/3) Danny "Danny Boy" Daly (Eric Stoltz), is wounded in the attacks, which puts Kozlowski in a difficult position when the crew enlists his self-exaggerated medical "expertise" to save the injured radioman. The Memphis Belle and her crew. The aircraft's participation in the Bremen campaign occurred in April 1943; the final, 25th mission of the Belle was a month later to Lorient, France before being flown back to the United States. They are soon assembled in formation with bomb group and their escort of North American P-51 Mustang fighters. The commander applied corrective rudder and reduced power to number 1 and 2 engines, but this was not immediately effective and the aircraft left the runway before straightening, parallel to the runway. On May 17, 1943, the crew of the Memphis Belle, one of a group of American bombers based in Britain, becomes the first B-17 crew to complete 25 missions over Europe. The "Memphis Belle" is a World War II bomber, piloted by a young crew on dangerous bombing raids into Europe. Synopsis. Free shipping for many products! Who narrates Memphis Belle? Sq. Memphis Belle is a fictionalization of the 1944 documentary Memphis Belle: A Story of a Flying Fortress by director William Wyler, about the 25th and last mission of an American Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress bomber, the Memphis Belle, based in England during World War II. See Cart Now: If you are looking for specific film posters please send email to posters@filmpaper.com. A human drama set against a World War II backdrop and focussing on thecrew of a US Eighth Air Force B-17 bomber, stationed in England. With weather, nerves, and dreams all playing a part in the finishing of the mission, the crew has to become the lead plane in the squadron and get the job done of bombing a Nazi supply factory, if they get it wrong, many innocent people could be killed. "This human element in the experience of the Memphis Belle crew somehow compensates for a lack of human dimension in the characters. After a delay due to poor weather over the target, the Memphis Belle and her squadron are airborne. Meanwhile, the bombers have suffered significant losses. Each of the ten has a differing view of Derringer's publicity campaign as well as to the probable success or failure of what will be their last mission regardless, a dangerous one into enemy territory over the skies of Bremen, Germany. While lined up on runway 21 awaiting takeoff, a puff of smoke was observed by a ground engineer from the vicinity of engine three which he conjectured could have been due to an over-boost. | The upbeat version of "Danny Boy" performed by Connick at the party is not found on the soundtrack album; a slower version performed by Mark Williamson appears instead. At a U.S. Army Air Force base in England, the crew members of B-17 bomber Memphis Belle prepare for their 25th and final sortie into enemy German territory. In the briefing before their last flight, the crew discover that the target for the day is Dresden, a heavily-defended city that invariably causes many Allied casualties In rare cases, copyrighted motion pictures are made available by special permission to the Library and may be used only for educational purposes. The plane, the "Memphis Belle", appeared in the 1990 movie of the same name. "Memphis Belle" tells the story of the journey of several brave young Americans through an anthology of aviation movie cliches. But the mission hadn't been flown yet. Five real B-17 warbirds were used in the filming of Memphis Belle, out of eight B-17s that were airworthy during the late 1980s. The officers of the squadron are informed the target for the day will be Bremen, Germany. Stationed in England, the crew had flown 24 heart-pounding missions over Nazi-occupied Europe. The 1990 version was co-produced by David Pu… Detailed plot synopsis reviews of Memphis Belle During World War II in England, the crew of the B-17 bomber Memphis Belle are nearing their 25th mission over Germany. Bomber Capt. The flying sequences were devised and planned under the coordination of Old Flying Machine Company (OFMC) pilots Ray Hanna and his son Mark, who also acted as chief pilots for the fighter aircraft used and flew the camera-equipped fighter and TBM Avenger aircraft during filming.[6]. Memphis Belle is a World War II drama inspired by a 1944 documentary entitled "The Memphis Belle", a documentary made by William Wyler, a Hollywood director before the war, who flew and filmed 5 missions with the crew of the real Memphis Belle. All the extras for the film were obtained from auditions held in the area and included current and former members of the Royal Air Force. Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for The Memphis Belle (VHS, 2000) at the best online prices at eBay! Some are beginning to think daylight bombing is ineffective, while Harriman openly favors it. The German interceptors focus their attacks on the leading aircraft in the formation. Storyline. Memphis Belle. Richard "Rascal" Moore's (Sean Astin) ball turret is destroyed, but he is saved by the safety strap. A Grumman TBM Avenger (with its tail section painted the same olive drab tones used on the B-17s) was used as back-up for a short time when the B-25 became unserviceable during filming. This is their story. An Army publicist, Lt. Col. Bruce Derringer (John Lithgow) is visiting the base, to interview the Belle crew in anticipation of their flying their 25th mission, a requirement to complete their tour of duty. Derringer is eager to use the crew on a war bonds tour stateside. The crewmen of an American B-17 bomber prepare for their final flight before returning home to a hero's welcome. The words of other letters are voiced by those who had written them, over film footage of actual Luftwaffe attacks on B-17s. The whole flight line, tarmac and hangar are bathed with light - on a US Air Force base in East Anglia during the blackout. One of them was the famed Memphis Belle, which was one of the first B-17s to complete 25 combat missions in World War II and inspired the 1990 movie of the same name, starring Matthew Modine, Eric Stoltz and Harry Connick Jr. A B-17 aircraft crashed at Bradley International Airport in Connecticut. [5], The film pilots were warbird display pilots coming from the UK, USA, France, Germany, New Zealand and Norway, the roster changing several times as pilots had to return to their full-time jobs during filming. For the 1944 documentary, see, Memphis Belle: A Story of a Flying Fortress, "Boeing B17G Flying Fortress, F-BEEA 11-89 . The whole flight line, tarmac and hangar are bathed with light - on a US Air Force base in East Anglia during the blackout. Eventually, the escorting fighters, low on fuel, turn away, while the bombers continue alone. They are replies Harriman received from the grieving families of lost airmen to the condolence letters which he had sent, and partway through the first, Derringer is struck by the realization that the colonel had in fact known even the enlisted men who had been killed. During filming, two B-17s portrayed the Belle (one was the movie version of the Memphis Belle (N3703G) and the other was Sally B for scenes requiring pyrotechnics such as smoke and sparks indicating machine gun "hits") while the rest had nose art and squadron markings changed numerous times to make it appear there were more aircraft. Museum Duxford day will be rotated back to the U.S. for their own bond tour 1944! Stoltz, and Harry Connick Jr. ( in his film debut ), see.! 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