21st century Dambusters (for all discussion on the remake)

I think that is hitting it on the head. One who cares. I for one would expect Peter Jackson to turn out a decent picture for he is playing with a film classic here. If the special effects are done to today's standards but with a war type feel it will bring the film alive to a modern audience and as a result get the participants the respect they deserve.

 

I started a similar thread about 'The Longest Day'. No disrespect to our American cousins but I think it's about time we had a modern war film that reflects the fact that the British were actually in the war. Not to mention the Aussies,the Canadians,the Polish etc,etc,etc.
I 'm sure we don't even need to remake a classic, Saving Private Ryan and Band of Brothers shows that people want to see the hardhitting side of the conflict and it's not as if the war was short of senarios to base a film on.

 

I don't think the American motion picture industry did itself any favours when it churned out U -571. If you notice the likes of SPR and B of B, there is no drum rolls change tempo of music - just the noise of warfare. Cut the music and bravado and portray it how it is and they will do a favour to those who fought in the real thing and their cinematic reputation as well. The vets must grind their teeth when watch some of the crap that portrays their sacrifices. A lot of it I would treat as mocking just to put butts on seats.

 

Have a look at this thread!

http://www.ww2talk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=4636

 

MY EYES! MY EYES!

 

We will just have to wait and see!

They might surprise us all.

 

I've just read that Peter jackson of Lord of the Rings fame is going to produce a remake of 'The Dambusters'.

It says it's going to stay as faithful to the original as possible. I wonder what Guy Gibson's dog will be called....

I hope it comes off. In the 1980s Len Deighton's 'Bomber' was shelved in favour of 'Mephis Belle' lets hope this makes it to the cinemas.

Any suggestions for the main characters?

Tom Wilkinson for Barnes Wallis perhaps?

Here's the link to a BBC Entertainment webpage with more info.

BBC NEWS | Entertainment | Peter Jackson to film Dam Busters


Adam

 

It says it's going to stay as faithful to the original as possible. I wonder what Guy Gibson's dog will be called....

Until the comercial aspects of trying to sell a UK oriented war film to the insular average US movie goer are taken into account and the crews suddenly all have american accents, fly american aircraft, drop a secret bomb invented by a Mr Barnes Wallace of Ohio USA and they save the world!

I'll believe that Hollywood 'stay faithful to the original' when I see it.

 

All we can do is wait and see.

I have a saying:

"I do not worry about what I can't control"!

 

Richard Todd (who else) to play Guy Gibson and I'll get the boot black out and colour my Golden Labrador, she never comes when you call her (unless you shout dinner time). So that takes care of what to call the dog.

As airfix have gone bump I'll nip down the toy shop to get a load of cheap Lancasters and then off to the fishing tackle shop for some fish line and I'll do the "special effects".

Wasn't there an Austrailian in the crew/squadron, if so Spidge now has a part.

So:-

Spidge (any Austrailian part)
Me (special effects)
My Dog (blacked up and to be to be called dinner time)

Any more takers, we will especially need someone with rowing experience to play the guy who always ended up in the sea rowing home in a dingy. Come on we need to get this project rolling before Hollywood does.



Stephen

 

wasn't Richard Todd at Pegasus Bridge, he played Maj Howard in The Longest Day.

 

Wasn't there an Austrailian in the crew/squadron, if so Spidge now has a part. Stephen

This might do I think!

<table border="0" width="80%"><tbody><tr><td colspan="2" bgcolor="#ffffcc" width="100%">The Aussies who were there
</td> </tr> <tr> <td width="50%">
</td> <td width="50%">
</td> </tr> <tr> <td width="50%">London, England. 1945-03-21. Portrait of the most highly decorated Royal Australian airman flying, 22 year old 407729 Flight Lieutenant David John Shannon DSO and Bar DFC and Bar, of Bridgewater, SA, member of the Dambusters, was one of nineteen Australian airmen who attended Buckingham Palace for an investiture.</td> <td width="50%">
</td></tr></tbody></table>

 

Richard Todd (who else) to play Guy Gibson and I'll get the boot black out and colour my Golden Labrador, she never comes when you call her (unless you shout dinner time). So that takes care of what to call the dog.

As airfix have gone bump I'll nip down the toy shop to get a load of cheap Lancasters and then off to the fishing tackle shop for some fish line and I'll do the "special effects".

Wasn't there an Austrailian in the crew/squadron, if so Spidge now has a part.

So:-

Spidge (any Austrailian part)
Me (special effects)
My Dog (blacked up and to be to be called dinner time)

Any more takers, we will especially need someone with rowing experience to play the guy who always ended up in the sea rowing home in a dingy. Come on we need to get this project rolling before Hollywood does.



Stephen

I'll volunteer to play the part of Les Knight (Pilot of AJ-N)
I'm not a Austrailian, but I could put on a bad accent!!

 

wasn't Richard Todd at Pegasus Bridge, he played Maj Howard in The Longest Day.

Off the top of my head - He was in the 7th Parachute Regiment and was part of the re-enforcements for the bridges, I seem to recall! Although I stand to be corrected!

 

Richard Todd's Wikipedia entry confirms that he was part of the reinforcements for Pegasus Bridge. He made 2 D-Day films & played his actual CO in D-Day Sixth of June. I read that Howard was annoyed with Todd's portrayal of him, which was Todd's usual officer class character, when in fact Howard was promoted from the ranks.

Richard Todd

The Times article on the Peter Jackson remake of The Dambusters includes direct quotes from him, so it looks like it's going ahead. He says that there will be more focus on the development of the bomb & that technical details will be more accurate; some were classified at the time of the original. He hopes to employ a British screenwriter.

Dambusters remake

I think that there was one American in 617 Squadron & another pilot who had an American wife. I'd also point out that in Lord of the Rings, Jackson had all the American, Australian and New Zealand actors employ English accents.

Also, Master and Commander was a recent hit where the heroes were British servicemen

 

That's 52nd Airborne and Spidge in so far!!

What was the name of the pilot who was introduced to Todd (as Gibson) in the film with the introduction "this is Dingy ------?, because he always comes down in the sea and rows home" (or something similar). Was it Brown? and wasn't he a New Zealander? We have really got to have him in our version. I'm sure his name (along with many others) is on that wonderful memorial to 617 Squadron at Woodall Spa.

Stephen

 

The man who always rowed home was Henry Melvin 'Dinghy' Young, who was killed in the Dams Raid. I think that he was the man with an American wife who I mentioned in my previous posting. I don't know where he came from

Dambusters

 

Squadron Leader Henry Melvin Young ( 72478) Pilot and A Flight Commander:
Born: 1916 Pasadena, California, USA.
Killed in Action 17 May 1943

 

Flight Lieutenant Harold Brownlow Morgan Martin (68795) Pilot:
Born: 27 Feb 1918, Edgecliffe, Australia.
On retirement worked for Hawker Siddeley and became President of the Bomber command
Association in 1986.
Joined RAF 28 Aug 1940

 

Flight Lieutenant Leslie Gordon Knight RAAF (A/401449) Pilot:
b 7 Mar 1921 Camberwell, Victoria Australia. Student Accountant.
Killed in Action 16 September 1943.