"Bombardier".....1943 movie.

[Sabrejet]

I love contemporary war movies because invariably they feature original equipment, uniforms, insignia and vehicles etc. This movie, "Bombardier" scores very highly in that respect. Obviously, it was intended as a flag-waving, morale-booster to show the American people how their Air Force was rapidly expanding and would be instrumental in taking the war to the enemy (in this case, the Japanese, as Pearl Harbor was a recent event)

 

It follows the experiences of a bunch of trainee Bombardiers as they work and study to earn their wings. All the character cliches are there...the rookie, the wash-out...the maverick...the crusty ol' top-kick etc., and some familiar names are featured, obviously fairly early in their movie careers...Randolph Scott, Eddie Albert, Pat O'Brien to name but a few.

 

The hardware is fascinating, particularly the mechanical devices used in training the bombardiers on the ground. At the heart of it...not seen, not named, but implied, is the Norden Bombsight, deemed at the time to be capable of dropping a bomb into the proverbial "pickle barrel"!

 

Air Corps cadets' uniforms are very evident, along with EMs wool uniforms and officers' "pinks and greens" and A2s. During the flying sequences the crew are kitted out with brand new shearling flight gear and the slightly odd-looking A-7 nasal oxygen mask!

 

Airplane enthusiasts will love seeing the B-18 Bolo bombers in which they train, and later the early model B-17s.

 

For 1943, the SFX aren't half bad, particularly in the climax when the Japanese industrial plant is bombed by our heroes! I don't know if it's available on DVD, but I recorded it on my hard-drive. Highly recommended viewing for anyone with an interest in early WW2 aviation.

 

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[Johan Willaert]

One of the great movies which are shown on BBC2 now daily....

[paul_bish]

this movie is on iPlayer at the moment. I started watching it last night

[dschneck]

I agree. This is one of several great WWII movies that inspired a nation. I think they are all amazing for the attention to detail, accuracy and FX.

 

Thanks for the reminder.

 

Don..

[Sabrejet]

One of the great movies which are shown on BBC2 now daily....

 

 

You're watching BBC2... in Belgium?! :w00t:

[Johan Willaert]

You're watching BBC2... in Belgium?! :w00t:

 

 

Yes, BBC 1, 2, Meridian, BBC HD, BBC Entertainment, BBC World News and a couple of other English channels....

 

Where do you think all Flemish people learned English from?

[cutiger83]

Ian,

 

Thanks for the heads up. I have never heard of this movie.

 

...Kat

[Sabrejet]

Yes, BBC 1, 2, Meridian, BBC HD, BBC Entertainment, BBC World News and a couple of other English channels....

 

Where do you think all Flemish people learned English from?

 

 

No Flemish channels broadcast here!! I can't imagine "Blackadder" dubbed in Walloon!!

[J_Andrews]

IIRC "Bombardier" was, production-wise, just a rehash of the slightly earlier "Parachute Battalion", with the same plot/storyline. I once heard that the studio (RKO?) AND Army recruiting got such a jolt from "Para" that the USAAF wanted such a movie of its own, and "Bombardier" resulted.

[Sabrejet]

Ian,

 

Thanks for the heads up. I have never heard of this movie.

 

...Kat

 

 

Hello Kat. There's a whole bunch of great war movies from that period which get shown on channels like TCM from time to time..."Air Force"..."A walk in the sun"..."Sahara"..."Bombardier" etc., all great stories and time capsules of that definitive era.

 

Ian

[Sabrejet]

IIRC "Bombardier" was, production-wise, just a rehash of the slightly earlier "Parachute Battalion", with the same plot/storyline. I once heard that the studio (RKO?) AND Army recruiting got such a jolt from "Para" that the USAAF wanted such a movie of its own, and "Bombardier" resulted.

 

 

I that so? Haven't seen that one. Must contain a ton of great early airborne stuff? :w00t:

[Sjef]

Great tip, Ian!!

 

I will see if I can get it. And I will keep a close eye on BBC 2 in the future. (Already one of my favourite channels).

Yes, we have the Beeb over here in Holland as well. :thumbsup:

[Sabrejet]

Great tip, Ian!!

 

I will see if I can get it. And I will keep a close eye on BBC 2 in the future. (Already one of my favourite channels).

Yes, we have the Beeb over here in Holland as well. :thumbsup:

 

 

Hi Sjef...we have nothing to match your tv show "Weg Van Nederland"!!

 

Ian

[m1ashooter]

I have not seen the movie in years but your post started that song playing in my head.

[craig_pickrall]

I that so? Haven't seen that one. Must contain a ton of great early airborne stuff? :w00t:

 

 

Parachute Battalion is fairly hard to find. It doesn't show on TV very often. I had a VHS version I recorded 25 or 30 years ago. I looked for a DVD copy but could never find one. My wife finally found one and bought it for my birthday a couple of years ago. I was a little disappointed with it because it was not done by a professional studio. It looks like some one copied it from TV and did home made DVD's. The cover on the case looks like it was made with a home printer. It is still a viewable copy but not as good as the pro's produce.

 

One neat thing in that movie is Buddy Ebsen gets issued a pair of the first pattern jump boots in size 13. The QM SGT sets them on the counter top and they do a full screen zoom on them. You can count the stitches in the boot it is so close. This is the pattern with the wrap around strap that didn't last long.

[Allan H.]

Parachute Battalion is fairly hard to find. It doesn't show on TV very often. I had a VHS version I recorded 25 or 30 years ago. I looked for a DVD copy but could never find one. My wife finally found one and bought it for my birthday a couple of years ago. I was a little disappointed with it because it was not done by a professional studio. It looks like some one copied it from TV and did home made DVD's. The cover on the case looks like it was made with a home printer. It is still a viewable copy but not as good as the pro's produce.

 

One neat thing in that movie is Buddy Ebsen gets issued a pair of the first pattern jump boots in size 13. The QM SGT sets them on the counter top and they do a full screen zoom on them. You can count the stitches in the boot it is so close. This is the pattern with the wrap around strap that didn't last long.

 

He wears the early balloon suit and the A-8 flight helmet too! I managed to score a pair of the first pattern jump boots about thirty years ago. They are RKO property marked.

Allan