Historian and Pilot Break Down “Memphis Belle” WWII Movie (1990)

[@bobs1728]

My son-in-law's grandfather survived 25 missions over Germany as a B-17 tail gunner. A few years before he passed away he got a chance to ride in one of the few remaining B-17s still air worthy. The crew asked him to autograph one of the bomb bay doors. Very cool.

[@ReelHistory]

Much respect to him.

[@wayfaerer320]

1990's Memphis Belle shredds Masters of the Air. It's not even close too. Every scene in Masters of the Air looks like some over-the-top Call of Duty video game trailer. That's the best way to describe every single action sequence in the air in Masters of the Air - none of it grabs you the way Memphis Belle does - it all just plays out like a video game trailer about WWII bombing runs with 8,000 tracers, explosions every 2 seconds, and virtually zero time for any sort of artistic cinematography (the way Memphis Belle nails it). It's really hard to put into words, but anyone like myself who grew up watching Memphis Belle on VHS 3 times a day would understand where I'm coming from. And I'm glad you guys called out the RC models (which Nolan also used in Dunkirk) and how much more realistic they look (with the camera speed slowed down and a little trickery) than CGI. It's not even the fact that CGI was used - it's just that it was over-done. The things that really stand out to me about Memphis Belle (that Masters of the Air lacks) are the emphasis on NO MUSIC during the actual action sequences in the air - all you hear is radio chatter, thundering radial engines, machine gun fire, and the whizzing and droning of enemy interceptors trying to take them down. Battle of Britain (with the exception of one scene) also does the same thing - they focus on the chaos of the battle - the sounds and the sights of men, machines, and the sky - it's absolutely terrifying when you watch it. Masters of the Air has none of that. Every Star Wars Death Star run action sequence is obscured further by orchestral instruments like you're watching some 1920s silent film. And for the record, I wanted to love Masters of the Air - I had been waiting for it for years (like all of us), but it film making wise, it just lacked substance and nothing about it grabbed me emotionally like Memphis Belle did.

[@ReelHistory]

The practical effects truly speak.

[@leivhuns]

Well written ! Totally Agree !!

[@pjny21]

This was one of the films I remember watching with the whole family almost any time it was on. A truly great film.

[@freddycurtis5611]

Thanks for getting Jadon Capra on to review. Beach City Baby is a flying museum in itself! Great guest!

[@paulas2218]

I’m so glad you covered this movie! It’s one of my favorites. My father was a WWII veteran. He was in the Army Air Corps 318 Troop Carriers Squadron Commandoes. They flew into Japan and liberated POW camps. There is very little history on them due to records being lost to a fire, I believe. You would probably know about it-I understand a great many military records were lost to it.

[@jsmutny]

This film has a special place in my heart. I was a teenager working at the Museum of Flight in Seattle during the B-17’s 50th Anniversary celebration. 3 of them were in attendance, CAF’s Sentimental Journey, Tallichet’s B-17 and “Swage” Richardson’s F model (now in the Museum of Flight). There were thousands of B-17 crewmen there, many bomb groups had their reunions in Seattle that weekend. A few years later when this movie came out, with Tallichet’s and Swage’s airplanes as stars, it brought back memories of the hours of stories I heard and men I met that weekend. Including the ball gunner from the All American. (Look that plane up.) Even now, when I watch that movie, those weekend memories come back. Happy to say, I recently qualified as a loadmaster on Sentimental Journey and hope to keep their memories alive as their numbers dwindle. Great work!

[@mattblom3990]

One of my all time favorite movies. Still delivers for action and some good performances...The "letters scene" still brings me to tears. Parents raised me to treat real life footage and dramatic ("pretend") footage very differently and I remember growing up them stressing real people are dying in those moments.

[@parkeydavid]

I showed this to my Great-grandma, my Dad's Grandmother, when it came out on video. She had six children, two boys and four girls, Leonard was the oldest and William Earl was the youngest. Leonard was a crew member on a B-26 and he was KIA on December 9, 1944. Sadly, William Earl was KIA during the Vietnam War. Leonard McDonald and William Earl McDonald R.I.P. heroes.

[@desertdrifter7288]

I remember as a kid making a waist gunner machine gun out of a cardboard box and a paper towel tube so I could fight along with the belle during the fight scenes. Such and underrated world war 2 movie. Thank you for this analysis. ❤

[@josephtreacy667]

Took my kids to the film studios on the Gold Coast In Queensland where they had all the model B17s plus a large model flight deck. When they activated the large green screen you were flying a mission .

[@phillydelphia8760]

Im sure that if this film was called anything other than "Memphis Belle" for the sake of name recognition, a certain crowd of people would be more forgiving. Personally, I've loved it since being a little kid. Little things like learning these guys could be scared and weren't just these iron willed robots, I'm talking about Phill, the navigator here. It had a big impact on my comprehension on what war actually might be for those fighting it. Glad you're finally getting around to talking about this!

[@ReelHistory]

It's amazing how many youngsters grew up with this film.

[@ZBLDS]

A full hour breakdown... you guys are spoiling me. Great work and a wonderful guest host!

[@ReelHistory]

To paraphrase Lincoln, "Once we start talking, we are too lazy to stop."

[@callsign_scooter9602]

That is nuts! I can't believe we were at the same event for the unveiling of the Memphis Belle at the same time! A VERY memorable weekend for sure. I just can't believe we didn't run into each other....well.....it was extremely crowded.

[@TR00P]

Excellent!! One of my favorites in high school. Looking forward to this one. Edit: Great analysis! I had no idea the movie was fiction.

[@ReelHistory]

Thank you!

[@JonathanRossRogers]

31:08 The accuracy of the Norden bomb sight was greatly exaggerated. In fact, no bomb sight can be that accurate from twenty thousand feet. If one could, there'd be little need for low level bombing or guided bombs, which maybe can reach the pickle barrel standard.

[@jerrystauffer2351]

The Germans and the Japanese both had it and thought it junk and not worth building

[@imthecrabby]

This is my Favourite war movie, and is why I am obsessed with the 8th AF to this very day. Thank you for doing a breakdown on it!

[@TC-andsomenumbers]

Loved this movie as a kid, and it's great to see the plane now in the AF museum at Wright-Patterson

[@ReelHistory]

Great exhibit, isn't it?

[@TC-andsomenumbers]

Great exhibit, great museum

[@douglasiles2024]

The mixing of crews was indeed not uncommon. My great uncle flew on at least 4 different B-17s before he was shot down and KIA. He was originally trained as a flight engineer, but on at least two aircraft he was the togglier, since the plane he was in wasn't the lead plane and thus didn't need an actual bombardier. His last mission was on May 10, 1944, and his aircraft was shot down after bombing Weiner-Neustadt, Austria. In 2006, JPAC returned to the site where his aircraft went down to search for remains, because two of the crew were never located. There's a short video on KZbin about it, in which I will post the link below. At the 3:47 mark of that video is a photograph of my great uncle's body, taken by the Luftwaffe after they sent personnel out to the crash site. In loving memory of T-Sgt Prescott C. Piper, USAAF, and all of the crew of Pete's Playhouse (42-31685), 775th Bomb Squadron, 463rd Bomb Group (H), 15th Air Force. kzbin.info/www/bejne/rou9ZnSBgtJ6eNk

[@ReelHistory]

Much respect to your uncle.

[@TheresaHarris-s2w]

Excellent movie. Seen it several times. Thank you.

[@borninjordan7448]

@40:14. I've been familiar with this film for thirty years and have never realised that the Captain is sitting in the wrong seat in that shot.

[@ReelHistory]

No, we reverse the film footage to skirt copyright problems. He is in the correct seat in the movie.

[@borninjordan7448]

@@ReelHistory Ah, I see.

[@jlhillmann79]

Great video! Learned a lot about one if my favorite movies from my youth. Your inclusion of the line from the british woman about not being able to get any meat made me chuckle. This movie came out when i was 9ish, and at the time I was very interested in WWII history. But her comment in the movie made me interested in experiences on the home front (being a kid, i had been interested mainly in the battles and vehicles up to that point) and it ultimately expanded my understanding of the war as a whole. In english class we had to write a "paper" (or at least what counted as one in 5th grade) comparing/contrasting something we researched. I chose rationing in the UK and US during WWII as my subject (yes, i was THAT kid in class) due to the timing of the assignement aligning with this personal interest I had been reading about. Fast forwad about 12 years, and I move to Memphis for an internship during college. I lived on Mud Island, and visited the Memphis Belle memorial there. I hadn't seen the movie since i was a kid, so i went and bought it on DVD. My roommate (another intern) and i watched it one evening, and when she said that line I busted out laughing because that was the moment I picked up her double meaning of the "meat" that she wasn't able to get. I found it absolutely hilarious (and still do) that that line inspired a genuine interest in a historic subject because I was too innocent to understand what she really meant.

[@LudwigKessler]

Hi, I live in East Anglia, Suffolk to be precise. I remember when this was being filmed. The aircraft used to fly over our house and I clearly remember hearing the dogfights going on from all the clattering of the machine guns. As a child in the '70s we used to walk around the old airfields and pick up objects, especially .50 cal rounds. They were laying everywhere. Once at my local airfield, Great Ashfield I found the remains of a crashed and burnt out B17, that had crashed on take off. Amongst the tangle of burnt hydraulic hoses I found the sole off an airman's boot and the large D ring for a parachute rip cord. Those were the days when there were old huts etc still standing, not much these days unfortunately. Love your video and I still love the film "Memphis Belle".

[@84brooksy]

Ohhhhhh! Amazing stories ( The Mission) ! I remember that episode as a kid when the ball turret gunner draws the wheels. I need to see that again.

[@MetroplexAerials]

28:49 interesting that this is probably reversed footage based on the backwards codes on the fuselage.

[@darthmong7196]

I live in the heart of East Anglia - they flew B17's from many airfields within a few miles of my town -there was a crash site about 3 miles away that was excavated a few years ago. I saw Sally B fly over my work TWICE a few weeks ago. I was lucky enough to go aboard her as a teenager. I remember being ridiculously hot - admittedly there were no open windows and it wasn't at 20,000 feet. One inaccuracy that irks me is that the crippled Belle is supposed to struggle to get back to Bassingbourn. This airfield is 50 miles beyond the coast. There were some 60 airfields across the country, 75% of which would be quicker to make an emergency landing at - and that's just 8th Air Force.

[@chrishewitt4220]

Great episode. Well done. As a history teacher, I always go through film as history and point out what the difference is between historical truth and storytelling.

[@nolanpeters5462]

I deeply love this channel. Thanks for your work.

[@ReelHistory]

And we love you tuning in!

[@jerrystauffer2351]

In the book, Four Years in the Stonewall Brigade, the confederate veteran author said the men who say hard fighting weren't as full of vitriol as the ones in rear positions, draft evaders and those too young to fight.

[@napluvr4173]

My grandfather was a flight engineer/top turret gunner with the 483rd BG out of Foggia Italy. I watched this movie with him a number of times, and 2 thing that he said that I distinctly remember him saying are that, they would not be discussing a target or mission information over the telephone. And that all the preflight tasks like fuel, bombs, ammo, and maintenance would all be done long before the crew got to the planes. but i get it, it's a movie, you need the visuals. I still love this movie.

[@mg_claymore8611]

i see the b17 'sally b' flying alot here in Kent, south east England. See alot of Supermarine Spitfires too around my way. Just had an RAF officer who died in a crash recently who crashed in a Spitfire. He was part of the RAF Battle of Britain memorial flight. RIP. I got the opportunity to fly in a Tigermoth biplane trainer at Headcorne aerodrome. Flying over the beautiful green rolling hills of south east England, looking down on the ruins of an old castle and seeing the English channel in the distance is gorgeous. One of the things i love about my country. Saw a few other planes as well. A Dakota, a Boston/Texan, a Hawker Hurricane, and a few others. The Avro Lancaster is grounded now i think.

[@Fireguy723]

He was just in my hometown in Maryland!! Awesome!

[@JPSkinner1945]

I was 8 years when this movie came out in 1990, and my dad rented first time, and couldn’t stop watching it. The next year near Rochester, NY, my late grandfather and my dad took me to the Geneseo Air show, in which, I saw the a B-17 and B-24 for the first time. All of us really enjoyed at that airshow. My grandfather wasn’t a WW2 vet due to his age born 1912. However, a veteran of the CCC camps in the Western USA. He worked at the Curtiss-Wright factory in Buffalo, NY towing aircraft. As a result, I’ve always enjoyed WW2 aircraft. Most recently, I was at the Castle Air Museum at Atwater, California. Where I saw a Norton bomb site and a Medal of Honor for Gen Fredrick Castle. Finally, thank you doing this video. I found really interesting. PS: I wasn’t until year later I finally figured out what that crewmember and women were doing in the aircraft when she found the wrench under her bum… Thank you so much!

[@jackmcgonegal8728]

I was stationed in Germany when this film came out and was on a ski trip to Garmisch with my boys when we saw a German cinema downtown was showing the movie in English. It was a surreal experience to watch this movie in Germany. Robert Morgan used to vacation where I grew up (Sea Island, GA) and a couple of years after the movie came out I had a chance to ask him what he thought about the film. I can't repeat exactly what he said but he was not a big fan. I think he hated the portrayal of his character and he especially didn't like the way the crew in the film acted in flight. He said his crew never behaved like that. My response was that despite its faults, the film had renewed an interest in the contributions of the B-17 during the war and that was the key point.

[@jamesomaha5330]

For this movie they recreated parts of the aircraft and indeed they placed it on a gimble. Photographs of this behind the scenes have been published an aircraft magazine. They were made by an automotive firm specialized aluminium forming. This firm also made parts for the flying B17 to change them into the correct type.

[@walshy3533]

Great video. Saw this in the theatre when it came out. Think I'm do for a re watch.

[@ReelHistory]

Enjoy!

[@denisdaly5200]

I loved this film so much as a child, my sister used to cry when it would be aired on TV (we only had one television in the house and two channels, gotta love 90's Ireland) For all its flaws it is one of the contributing factors to my love of WWII aviation. Roald Dahl's "Going Solo" was another. I will always love watching it.

[@AndrewColombana]

The Hangar scene is completely true. In fact, at RAF Mildenhall up until the early 90's, the base sent Air Force Bluebird buses into the town for British ladies to get on and be delivered to the NCO Club for dances every Friday and Saturday night.

[@mattallen6162]

Regarding the ball turret gunner hanging out of the turret, there was a documented incident of a ball turret gunner hanging from his feet in the turret foot controls when part of it was shot away. And being hauled back in by his fellow crew mates. So there is a precedent for this. Awesome talk through and a favourite movie from my childhood.

[@blakerh]

Excellent video. Thanks!

[@chrissauter7501]

My grandpa, served in the Wehrmarct, took me to the 65th D-Day anniversary. I saw comradery that transcended nationalities/sides of the war among almost all of the veterans.

[@AndrewColombana]

The B-17 in 12 O'clock high that was dragged at the end of the movie to look like a crash landing was refurbished and put on static display on Offutt AFB which started out as a Martin B-17 bomber plant.

[@SKPanda1915]

Saw this in the theaters at 8 yrs old for a friend's birthday party. The can of soup always gets me lol

[@ReelHistory]

Was it an aviation themed party?!

[@SKPanda1915]

@@ReelHistory I don't think so, but I remember him always wearing his granddaddy's bomber jacket. So he definitely was a fan of bombers lol.

[@teddybitner3302]

I first saw the movie on our flight back to Ft. Bragg from Desert Storm. The flight crew asked me what movie we should watch, and gave me several choices. I thought Memphis Bell was appropriate given the end of mission theme and hope of returning home.

[@leemarohn7496]

I'm lucky to be able to see the B-17 called "Aluminum Overcast" flying around quite a bit, as I live near its home at the EAA Museum. It's damn cool to see in the sky.

[@ReelHistory]

We've been on it!

[@leemarohn7496]

@@ReelHistory It's an awesome piece of history. My son and I were lucky enough to get inside the EAA's de Haviland Mosquito (on the ground) because of several friends who work there, but we haven't taken a flight on the B-17. Yet. AirVenture is going on right now. Hundred of Warbirds in the sky every day for the next week! "Fifi" the B-29 is here too. She's a beast (AND a beauty) to see in the sky.

[@neilholmes8200]

Great breakdown, always loved this film despite the innacuracies If you took a shot every time Jason says something like "this is one of my favourite parts of the film" you'd be seeing double by the end of this video!

[@Jmiranda70]

I loved this movie growing up, as a history geek I was later disappointed to find out all of the characters were made up and had nothing to do with the actual people who fly the Memphis Belle, but having said that I still love watching this movie!

[@ashleywetherall]

Although the film is a highly fictionalised account of the Bells last mission. ( check out the 40's documentary William Wyler, ) it is in essence a lot better than much of Masters of the air due to its closed structure.

[@ReelHistory]

We saw the restored film on an IMAX screen!

[@myurgil]

I also notice the David Clarks in Band of Brothers. It’s pretty unmistakable.

[@Tsizzle4rizzle]

I'm so happy you guys did a break down of this movie. It's not a perfect movie but I remember watching it with my grandpa and falling in love with the b17 because of it.

[@ReelHistory]

Sounds like a wonderful memory.

[@chris76346]

Memphis belle and full metal jacket, the boot camp scenes, were filmed at the same base

[@timorvet1]

Do you mean the wartime documentary or the the 1990's film? Bassingbourne airfield in Cambridgeshire was the wartime home to the 324th Bomb Squadron of the 91st Bombardment Group and from which the documentary “Memphis Belle a Story of a Flying Fortress,” was filmed in 1943, and Full Metal Jacket in 1987. The 1990s film was filmed at Binbrook a disused RAF station in Lincolnshire, from which Lancaster Bombers operated during the war this was the primary filming location for all ground, takeoff, and landing scenes, with a period control tower, (built for the film but demolished after filming) plus set dressing. Flying sequences were also flown from the famous Duxford airfield.

[@spike11313]

Used to volunteer at a museum b-17 was my favorite. Got to ride in the nose it was a hell of a ride

[@johnbishop3567]

LOVED this. Gotta put in a plug for a "The Rocketeer" break down - obviously, a fictional tale, but there are a lot of real-world connections, particularly with the Walt Disney Company, "Victory Through Air Power," and the constant worry about espionage in 30s-40s LA; nevermind that the Disney Company has low key linked The Rocketeer to Indiana Jones through "Jock Lindsay's Hangar Bar" in WDW.

[@ReelHistory]

The Rocketeer sounds fun!

[@michaelmilitello5644]

Jarrod, my grandfather was a ball turret gunner on a b17, “Satans Lady”. Would love to talk to you about it sometime!

[@neilgin1]

principal photography commenced June 1989 at RAF Binbrook, for exteriors, about a month, there were about 8 B-17's , various owners, some American, there was a French 17, the captain was Jean Pierre, the aircraft belonged to the French govt, it was a working photo recon 17, that was the 17 that lost engines 3, then 4 on takeoff, JP, kept his head and did a 360, belly landng....a few injuries, there were about 6 Me-109's of the spanish variant, and 6 P-51's, and a B-25 served as the camera plane....the interior's were at Pinewood studio's for the next three months, the film collided with geopolitics, as it was released 4 days after saddam hussein invaded Kuwait, at the same time a "small" film "Home Alone" was released. Our fellow citizens had little appetite for a war film, obviously....and finally we were at the cusp of svelte CGI tech, and you can see this shortcoming if i may...that is all....smoke 'em if ya got 'em.

[@BjrnOttoVasbottenbjovas]

I love this movie, watched it when i was very young and very much in my Spitfire period, bought it on youtube while i was waiting for Masters of the air

[@jmw9904]

I have another video yall might want to review and it's the actual Memphis Belle combat footage from 1943 that came out in 44.

[@andrewfischer48]

I was in Memphis a good while ago with my father we were driving around we saw the belle when it was still in mud Island of course that was the one day a week it was closed that did not stop me I have a history of sneaking into closed museums. This time I'm dragging my 80 yr old dad. Once the keepers saw us we got permission. My dad and I had the belle to ourselves.

[@donbrown3599]

I would like add something. I talked to a bomber crew member, he said sometimes the Germans would hear the preflight on the ground and calculate when our planes would be over a spot. The Germans would be waiting for us.

[@jimplummer4879]

I had a neighbor who was in the army air force who was stationed in England , he lived to be over 100 years old.

[@dougmoodie8713]

There’s also the incredible story about the ball turret gunner who survived when he fell to the ground in the ball turret over France 😮

[@JonathanRossRogers]

52:23 I suspect there were different attitudes among veterans of the Pacific war.

[@AFPilotRR]

Gents, when you were talking about how they filmed the interior scenes and I remembered the making of movie documentary. It was a separate VHS from the movie (aging myself here cause I rented it when it was new on the shelf), but a lot of great behind the scenes stuff and interviews with the crew. There is a version on KZbin but the quality is not great, but located below. kzbin.info/www/bejne/sKfCc4qmZ9atoKcsi=L5SuWSPjlrG4vDUO

[@neilgin1]

at your 45 minute mark, the interiors filmed at Pinewood, the "Belle" was constructed in 3 "sets"......cockpit/radio room......middle fuselage, and the tail section, all on gimbles that were controlled, blue screen surrounding , there was a platform, that was laddered up, which held the camera package to push into whatever section was being filmed....you mentioned the flak bursts, that was filmed separately (obviously) in a water tank, the flak were ink bombs in the water and layered post pro....bro's, i'm not trolling, but as i remember, all aerial photography was aboard a B25 camera aircraft, as i stated previously,(later edit Tony, you are correct, the landing scene WAS filmed by a helicopter....i forgot). i am getting a kick out of you two men, (one who flys , imho, one of the iconic aircraft ever constructed) remembering this film as young lads, i like you guys.

[@jannarkiewicz633]

I remember my step father talking about the movie. He said, "Well everyone knows about Memphis Belle" and I'm like "We do?" but he was born in the 1930s...

[@ReelHistory]

Sign of the times!

[@dougmoodie8713]

Also wrong in the Band of Brothers take off scene, all the doors are closed and in place 😊

[@outlet6989]

Many plane crews were allowed to apply morale-boosting pictures on their planes. I understand that Walt Disney Studios created many drawings that were used as Nose Art. Of course, none were risqué. Maybe this was his contribution to the war effort? A BING search has many of his Nose Art drawings.

[@ukmediawarrior]

The 'Splotching' conversation was interesting to me. I would have thought, for a plane that flew so incredibly high, such camouflage would have been redundant. I mean I suppose if you were a German fighter pilot, and you happened to be high enough to be flying above the bomber on a cloudless day then you might not see it so clearly. But I doubt there were many such cloudless days.

[@andrewc6602]

Awesome! Go team!

[@bigsteve6200]

When they made the film 12 O'clock High. They only had 6 B-17's to film with.

[@JonathanRossRogers]

I forgot this movie starred Marty McFly and Sam Gamgee.

[@ManWithNoName1980]

General feeling of the movie (and I am not American), this of far more better picture than MoA. Special effects, camera work, acting, screenplay... all superior to modern TV series. Regarding to the final sentence regarding all nationality... I see it as praising US, British, Canadian, South African, Polish, Czechs bomber crews...

[@indygeo4267]

When it comes to the topic of WW2, nothing interests me more than the air warfare that took place during that global conflict. Especially the bombing campaigns that involved the B-17 Flying Fortress. (My favorite American heavy bomber used during the Second World War).

[@dougmoodie8713]

Don’t forget the great 70s movies A bridge too far and Eagle has landed 😊

[@neilholmes8200]

"take a look at our titanic videos, it's a very deep subject" Pun intended? haha

[@ReelHistory]

It was a bad dad joke.

[@wgnation351]

Kindergarten? LOL I was 24 when this came out. One of my favorite war time classic movies.

[@ReelHistory]

We may be younger, but we are old souls! 😉

[@TB-ck1jr]

Why didn't they paint the underside of the planes in sky camouflage too?

[@ReelHistory]

The grey is sky camouflage

[@TB-ck1jr]

@@ReelHistory guess I didn't see it

[@Khemtime]

I found Memphis Belle in a $5 DVD bin at Walmart when I was 12. I knew the story of the Belle but never heard of the movie. Sure the movie takes plenty of creative liberties but I LOVE this movie. I can directly trace my decision to join the Air Force to this movie. This movie also proves how CGI isn’t the only way to recreate a movie like this. I have a hard time getting over how bad Masters of the Air looks. I see a lot of people saying “well they couldn’t get multiple airworthy B17s” but I guess they’ve never seen what you can do with models. Same goes for other CGI fest like Midway 🤢

[@EGSBiographies-om1wb]

The reason why there was a surge of WWII movies in the 90s is because of the 50th anniversery of WWII.

[@ReelHistory]

It was at least an appetizer before Saving Private Ryan came out. The movie was only a modest success.

[@EGSBiographies-om1wb]

@@ReelHistory I hear ya. I dont recall seeing it. But Ill have to put it on the top of my movies to watch list. I m starting a series called *After Action report*. Id appreciate a little attention.

[@sqike001ton]

the flight engineer on planes was a thing till the 70s

[@white-dragon4424]

A really good movie. It's a pity that they had to make it about a specific historical plane but then to fictionalise the story. If they couldn't do the story about the real plane's crew, then it would've been preferable to have simply called it something like "Flying Fortress", and then do it about a fictional plane, but show what it was like for the crews in general. And you're right about accuracy. I doubt even today they wouldn't be able to hit a factory and avoid civilian casualties if there was a school right beside it. With laser guided weapons you might be able to accurately hit the factory, but there's always the explosion and shrapnel that could well hit the school as well.

[@Farbar1955]

Before I even start to watch this review I want to say that this film soured me right from the start when I saw that the original nose art for the Memphis Belle wasn't good enough for the movie. (I did enjoy the movie but, geez, be just a little more historically accurate since the airplane and its art actually exist)

[@timsmith428]

..no breath seen..it is -35F or colder at altitude..frostbite was a real problem..you would not leave a guy lying on the deck like that, uncovered...

[@Bigrago1]

Would've been more realistic if Bremen was the secondary or tertiary target

[@erdiddlydhdhdhdhdhdjd12999]

whys matey crying?

[@Tom-os4hy]

why, is the bloke in the plane outfit crying all the way through

[@frontrowcouch]

I'll take "Memphis Belle" over "Masters of the Air " any day of the week! The authentic flying sequences have so much more weight over a bunch of poorly done CGI. "Memphis Belle" was made by a production team that just got it and it shows in the final product.

[@EGSBiographies-om1wb]

76th

[@davidkuhns8389]

I watched this movie with my dad, a B-24 bombardier in WWII who survived 35 missions in the 15th Air Force. He hated the movie because of the many errors it made. So don't take this Hollywood entertainment as being documentary in nature.

[@RANDALLBRIGGS]

I was disappointed in the movie. I was an Air Force brat who was obsessed with the history of air warfare. I ended up in the Army, ultimately flying OH-58s, UH-1s, and AH-64s. "Memphis Belle," the dramatic movie, does not ring true to me. Wrong haircuts, wrong lingo, wrong sensibility. A much better one, IMO, was "Twelve O'Clock High," with Gregory Peck. The Norden bombsight wasn't all that good in real life. It was more PR and propaganda than reality. The Germans had acquired a copy very early on, and they were not impressed with it. Neither was the RAF. The real Memphis Belle's last mission did not involve any significant damage.

[@altonbunnjr]

I’m afraid too many things kept me from enjoying this movie. Not just the go around, but the copilot running back to work a gun and the crew constantly taking off their oxygen masks to speak.

[@ReelHistory]

Fair criticisms!

[@robertguttman1487]

Forget about this crappy movie. Instead, go see "The Memphis Belle" directed by William Wyler, which is THE REAL THING. It makes this movie look like exactly what it is, a load of CGI crap.

[@AndrewColombana]

The public was very anti-war due to the Vietnam war and very Anti-military and Government especially in Hollywood due to the 50's McCarthy movement. John Wayne took a lot of shit for his role in front of the McCarthy commission and his Green Beret movie as people took it as glorifying war. Soldiers were being spit on and the military really didn't recover until the early to mid 90's. We were look at more as a nuisance in many base towns and around the US. It took many years for Hollywood to move toward War Movies and made baby steps making few and taking note how tickets sales were and if Comedy or serious.

[@ReelHistory]

Good points.

[@randallbriggs256]

Gaaack! This is a terrible, inaccurate, not-true-to-life move.

[@supermanprime6758]

I think it’s MORE dangerous to ascribe modern “values” to past media. Pearl clutching over Hogans Heroes or ST:TOS “Patterns of Force” for example. If the people who actually lived through or adjacent to that sort of thing were ok with it….I don’t think people today (especially those who never served) have any place passing judgement. There. You asked for comment.

[@ReelHistory]

Everyone is entitled to an opinion, even us. Being abrasive about it is something else.

[@supermanprime6758]

@@ReelHistory My apologies. Upon reread, I see I should have framed my words less acidically.

[@Filscout]

this movie is all FICTION specialy the last final mission none of the original crew endorsed this hollywood fiction. the film makers destroyed a real B17 in filming. model work in air battles were so chessy and hokey. a joke compared to MOTA. MOTA showed tons of airfield activity and highly researched crew indoor sets.

[@nathanwheeler2047]

They actually gave their blessing as there is a picture of them with the cast in front of a B-17 It was 1989 so no it’s not but MOTA had some poor CHI as well And as long it sparks a interest in our youngsters to learn more about the Air War then it serves it’s purpose

[@douglasiles2024]

MOT had its share of historical inaccuracies too. No film will ever be perfect, but in conveying the experience of a bomber crew, both MOT and Memphis Belle did an outstanding job.

[@frontrowcouch]

I'll take "Memphis Belle" over the poor CGI and poor writing of MotA any day.

[@Filscout]

@@frontrowcouch 🤣 A Scifi fantasy story with fictious characters. Great choice 🤔

[@frontrowcouch]

​@Filscout sci-fi and fantasy? I don't think those words mean what you think they mean