Actors, Politicians, and Celebrities

When is the weather not disgusting!

Have you seen the new Tourism advert for OZ yet?

"Where the bloody hell are you"

Looks like Canada have now given it a "no show" in Kid's time because it has the word "Hell" in it.

 

Not a big star, but another man who made a film about an action that he'd participated in was Esmond Knight. He was an officer on HMS Prince of Wales & was blinded when her bridge was struck by a shell during the Battle of the Denmark Straits. Knight recovered a very limited degree of sight & resumed his acting career after the war, playing the Captain of Prince of Wales in 'Sink the Bismarck'. Captain Leach was one of the few bridge personnel to survive the hit that blinded Knight but was drowned when his ship was sunk by Japanese torpedo bombers.

 

Good post Gibbo!

 

I saw it in a powerpoint presentation at Uni about 4 weeks ago. Very funny. The ban on it here has just been lifted, and all because it has bloody in there. Go figure.

 

Back to film stars - lets not forget the directors as well.
William Wyman was director of films such as "The Big Country" [boring title, great film if you don't mind Westerns]. He flew several missions with the 8th Air Force and made the classic documentary "The Memphis Belle" in actual combat. His daughter Cathy Wyman co-produced the film "Memphis Belle" in 1990.
John Ford was making a documentary as the Japanese bombed Midway, and carried on filming under fire (though as I write this I have a nagging suspiscion it was Howard Hawks. Anyone know?)

Adrian

 

JKF never received the medal of honor, he was given the Navy life saving medal, and the purple heart because of his back injury.

Halsey and Macarthur were recommending a court martial over the loss of the boat which had resulted in two deaths and a number of badly burned men, but after old man Kennedy got the press behind him, they turned a story of suspected negligence into a heroic tale. Yes, I've seen PT109 a number of times, what the movie failed to point out was that JFK was on his first combat patrol. He had stopped the vessel dead in the water, engines out of gear, while checking charts for position.

 

It was John Ford. See the IMDB for details:
http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0034498/

 

I think you actually mean William Wyler, rather than Wyman.

 

Yes, of course, Wyler.

 

Not a big star, but another man who made a film about an action that he'd participated in was Esmond Knight. He was an officer on HMS Prince of Wales & was blinded when her bridge was struck by a shell during the Battle of the Denmark Straits. Knight recovered a very limited degree of sight & resumed his acting career after the war, playing the Captain of Prince of Wales in 'Sink the Bismarck'. Captain Leach was one of the few bridge personnel to survive the hit that blinded Knight but was drowned when his ship was sunk by Japanese torpedo bombers.

He actually appeared in the wartime version of Henry V. I can't remember the part he played in it.

 

The playwrit Terrance rattigan served as a navigator in bomber command during the war.

 

Patrick Moore the astronomer was a navigator or bomb-aimer not sure which. David Niven was a captain in the Highland Light Infantry. Leo Genn was a high ranking officer in the Royal Artillery and was legal counsel at the Nuremberg trials. Leslie Howard was linked to SOE and military intelligence. Anthony Quayle was in intelligence. Trevor Howard the Signals. Robert Runcie was in tanks with the Scots Guards (Guards Armoured). Eddie Albert was attached to the USMC and was badly wounded in action. Audie Murphy - nuff said.

Lee Marvin wounded in the Pacific with the USMC. Spike Milligan was with the Royal Artillery. Max Schmelling was a Fallschirmjager. The list could go on.

 

He actually appeared in the wartime version of Henry V. I can't remember the part he played in it.

He [Esmond Knight] played Fluellen, the Welsh soldier.

http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0036910/fullcredits

 

Patrick Moore the astronomer was a navigator or bomb-aimer not sure which.

Patrick Moore was a Nav and he tells the story of how, when it came to his medical, he sent someone else in to see the doc. thats how he managed to pass teh medical for aircrew.

 

He [Esmond Knight] played Fluellen, the Welsh soldier.

http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0036910/fullcredits

Thanks, i have vauge memories of seeing him the film, but I have the more recent version in my collection.

 

Getting back to James Srewart, he was a squadron commander with the 445th Bomb Group flying out of Tibenham, Norfolk. He was then transfered down the road as Ops Officer with the 453rd at Old Buckenham. Both groups flew B24s. He finished the war as a Lt. Col having flown 25 missions. When he enlisted he stipulated that he was to receive no publicity for having done so, a move not too popular with his studio. He was still attending reunions at Old Buckenham in the 1980s.
Walter Matthau (spelling?) was also based at Old Buckenham as a ground radio tech.

Greg

 

Patrick Moore was a Nav and he tells the story of how, when it came to his medical, he sent someone else in to see the doc. thats how he managed to pass teh medical for aircrew.

Wow, I never knew that. Thanks Morse.

 

would you like to be in a bomber in which the nav was Patrick Moore?

 

would you like to be in a bomber in which the nav was Patrick Moore?

As long as it wasn't cloudy and he could use star shots!

 

and how often did that happen?