Jump to content

Greyhound (2019)


Ray175INF
 Share

Recommended Posts

  • 2 months later...
Charlie Flick

It has been announced that GREYHOUND will be heading for on demand streaming.  It will premier on July 10 on AppleTV (a platform that is only 7 months old and one I don't have.)  No word yet on if it will ever make to the big screen theaters.  It seems like the kind of film that would be best seen in theaters.  If not I will hold out for Netflix or Amazon.

 

Regards,

Charlie

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I wouldn't count on it ending up on Netflix or another platform. Apple bought the rights to it. I would sign up for $5/mo and then you can cancel after you see it. The only reason we have it was because my wife needed a new laptop and it came with a year free trial. I think Apple will also have Masters of the Air down the road - if that ever gets completed.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

Watched Greyhound last night and thought it was a good movie. Only real negative would be next to no character development, but it kept it fast paced. The movie is less than 90 minutes long, so it jumps into the action/suspense about 10 minutes in and really never let's up. I felt it was done similar to Dunkirk where the music continued throughout and really set the mood of the film. I thought the CGI was well done and looked realistic for the most part. I don't really know a whole lot about the Navy, so I can't speak about uniforms, tactics, etc..but it was at least filmed on a WW2 era destroyer. It's too bad we didn't get to see it in theaters, but if you get the chance to watch it at home I'd recommend it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Watched it last night hoping that the typical Hollywood naval cliches would finally be eradicated. The film does jump directly into the action. You barely learn the characters' names by the credits but it didn't distract from the story. The way that the viewer is inserted into the action and story reminded me of being TAD for my first underway period. I knew a few people by name but the faces and their roles were all that mattered. While the technology used aboard the ship was archaic in terms of contemporary standards, it was certainly too advanced for 1943 standards. Those displays were essentially 1960s repeaters with sweeping Plan Position Indicators (PPI) and blips showing bearing and range. What they had was more akin to oscilloscopes with 4" screens. The technology was rapidly advancing with the increasingly common SG surface search and PPIs were heading to the fleet in late-44 and early '45. I digress. Hollywood finally figured out that radar sweeps don't "beep" on radar returns/echos! 

 

Below are SG radar sets that would be seen aboard ship in 1944.
radar-silent-weapon-wwii-october-1945-radio-news-3.jpg.3411e96683ef5018e230b180d527cbd2.jpgradar-silent-weapon-wwii-october-1945-radio-news-13.jpg.f5831238f11bbbff82e32f2f7611b315.jpg

 

The communication on the bridge was fairly accurate though fairly chaotic. There were too many people on the bridge with several officers seemingly without assigned stations. The orders to the helm/lee-helm were well-done and the CIC-bridge comms were decent. 

 

The film didn't seem to have the typical Hollywood formula of tension-building however there were still plenty of elements - the climax, in particular - but it didn't take anything away from the portrayal. I have not read the 1955 novel,  "The Good Shepard" by C. S. Forester from which this film was adapted, so I cannot comment as to the accuracy and adherence to the original story. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed the film and would watch it again (probably in the next day or so before I shut down my free trial of AppleTV (I hate that Hanks sold the exclusive distribution rights limiting access for viewers). 

 

As an aside and a fairly adept naval historian, I am still grappling with the black/black officers' uniforms shown in the film.

8l49pyons1wgzspj_1591932040.jpeg.f0297512ad40a821e33a027b39f9cc8b.jpeg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

BILL THE PATCH

You can watch it on flixtor for free. As a matter of fact you can watch any new movie for free. I also watch the new movie outpost about Afghanistan. True story. Just go to www. Flixtor.com and start watching. No fees

Sent from my moto g(7) play using Tapatalk

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Regarding uniforms
The blue black was probably matched to an original item 100%
The problem is how a camera actually reads the color in this case darker
Usually in a camera test this is picked up on and the color changed
The next factor is when the uniforms are sold on and collectors say “the colors are off’
That’s because it was made to read on camera Not the real world.
Food for thought


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Link to comment
Share on other sites

pararaftanr2

"As an aside and a fairly adept naval historian, I am still grappling with the black/black officers' uniforms shown in the film."

 

What I think you are referring to is the Captain and his XO wearing the heavy, Navy-blue wool shirt (worn with blue trousers and cap cover), popularly known as the "CPO shirt". It was an optional clothing item for officers in cold weather conditions, as portrayed in this film, which takes place in the North Atlantic. This Forum thread gives more information on its history  and provides some vintage photos of it being worn by officers: https://www.usmilitariaforum.com/forums/index.php?/topic/317025-usn-dark-blue-work-shirt-dating-question/

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I worked on GREYHOUND as the military costume consultant and supplier and can clarify some issues being raised.  Firstly, I should say that I was very, very inspired and honored to work on this film.  My dad was a WWII tin-can sailor, serving on a Fletcher from 1943-45 in the Pacific, and he was available to to answer all sorts of little questions I presented.  He really wanted to see this film, but the delayed release due to many post-production issues, followed by the pandemic, proved too much and he passed away just 3 weeks before its release; nonetheless, he was very much aboard with us in making this film.

 

Secondly, I apologize in advance for the length of this post.  Again, I was and remain very inspired and honored to have been part of this in some small way and this is manifested in pride for what has not been done before in this way, which I think is a very admirable film effort.  But the entire subject:  USN surface warfare and attendant outfitting for early 1942 was well outside the expertise and understanding of the production.  Early filming had just started when I was tapped to help out in Jan. 2018; a good friend who was involved was witnessing how much they had bitten off and could not chew, and he told the production to contact me for some sound advice in these arcane waters.  My first conversation on the phone established the timeframe, Feb. 1942, but when I informed them of what this would entail with respect to uniforms, they said the date would be left ambiguous (and that sure didn't play out in the release) and late 1942 or early 1943 would be implied.  I felt comfortable with that and this paved the way for many choices that had to be made quickly to outfit the crew, and especially lead cast members.  

 

The winter working uniform was something I put out immediately and they accepted this very enthusiastically.  This choice was perfect for the era, the combat deployment, the climate/season, and it was a uniform solution not previously seen in any film I could recall, even those of the 1940's and 1950's.  Everyone, from Tom Hanks down, loved the winter uniform.  The caps were all made by my longtime friend, Ray Meldrum, and they look fabulous.  The first-model (one-pocket style) winter shirts with necktie were worn by every officer and NCO in the film and I supplied these from my inventory at work - these are the Buzz Rickson's examples we import.

 

I realize the USN has been wearing black for some years now, which may confuse things for some, but I cannot see how you could think these are black except in nighttime film shots:  they are very clearly navy blue when topside and on the bridge during the day.  During my early phone conversation, the discussion had briefly been about the use of khaki uniforms and even working grey, but I eliminated khakis for a variety of good reasons, but the grey was on the table and I liked it until I could see the 1942 timeframe was still floating around.  Ultimately, the use of the winter blues was a call we all loved and for a variety of reasons.

 

The floating/ambiguous timeframe I was given for the film was done to provide a great deal of latitude and it made sense, while still maintaining a solid footing in WWII.  The film was not prepared to source the correct doughboy helmets need for Feb. 1942, so we yielded to M-1 helmets, and this played out in other uniform items, too.  We had limited numbers of the correct coats and jackets available, and any coats of the quality they wanted for lead characters and Tom Hanks had to come from my stock of Buzz Rickson's styles, which was lower in Feb. 2018 than it was in Sept. 2017 and the manufacture only produces these once a year.  The floating timeframe allowed us to use everything I could supply except the so-called khaki N-1, but we did take liberties and make use of the blue N-1 jackets.

 

One of the uniform details I was really looking forward to seeing was the early USN sweaters with their two-directional knitting; I loaned a mint example in size 42 from my archive for making a run for Tom Hanks, but although he was filmed wearing this, it was determined to keep him in the winter shirt with the rest of the crew.  The EM crew were outfitted in Buzz Rickson's USN chambray work shirts, which copy the 55-S-20E design of 1944.  This is all we had available, as no one was making the correct early shirts, but I again loaned an early 55-S-20C from my archive for making a few shirts, but it was deemed unnecessary due to budgetary and time constraints.

 

Outfitting Tom Hanks continued to be a challenge:  a hero jacket authentic to the ambiguous timeframe and his character left few options.  The character development was left on the editor's desk, unfortunately, but the skipper was an an academy grad, very religious, and very much a by-the-book type, and this led me to protest any proposed ideas that he could be wearing a sheepskin flying jacket in the scenes of extreme cold.  I offered the M-69D as a compromise, as it was a flying coat of sorts and was indeed worn by officers of surface vessels, so they tried this on Hanks, but he said "I look like Superfly," so that ended that option.  The next consideration was one of the mackinaw-styles of sheepskin coats used by the USN, but these were deemed too pedestrian and given to other officers in the crew.  Next came some hideous beast of a roadkill coat made from what I can only describe as Yeti fur.  This was made for Hanks and it was intended to solve the problem of a hero coat and move well in wind, a problem outlined below.

 

The crew expressed that they were having trouble depicting wind on the deck of the USS Kidd, which surprised me.  I was told they tried using a signalman with flags, but they we're not happy with the result, so having a coat with long, hair-like fur might give them what the wanted in front of wind fans.  I cannot recall what Hanks thought of the coat, but my reaction left them very disappointed.  That coat could turn up one day somewhere, so look for films about Yeti's - ha!  Someone then presented a terrible copy of an RAF Irvin flying jacket as an option and I bounced that immediately.  It was not until about 2 weeks later that someone decided to make a fictional sheepskin coat for Hanks, which is what you see in the film.  Hanks loved this and I was not in an objecting mood, knowing how options were all but exhausted.  I cannot recall how many of these sheepskin coats were made, but the one he wears was made by Steve McColgan at SM Wholesale.  But for the first combat scene in the film, Hanks wanted to wear a Buzz Rickson's hook-front jacket (a generous size 42, for those who want to know).  

 

We had very few of the iconic (and totally correct) zip-front blue jackets, and allocating the minimum of three for Hanks would have been too wasteful, it was decided, though I argued that as a lead character his coat should be the most accurate; Hanks wears the hook-front style in the first combat scene before switching to the sheepskin coat.  Most of the Buzz Rickson's coat styles I had in inventory were devoid of the U. S. NAVY stenciling across the back, which for the zip-front style would have been correct for early 1942, but someone started stenciling them by the time I got to L. A., so all ended up stenciled.  I recall they showed me a sample that had the incorrect font for the stenciling and they made a new stencil that was really good the next day.  They also wanted Hanks in a Pea Coat in some of the scenes, and so we modified Buzz Rickson's pre-war Pea Coats with gilt officer buttons for him, as was sometimes done by officers. 

 

Another Hanks costume presented to me was, of all things, sleeping attire.  They had a scene with him going to bed, and so the question was what should he wear?  We agreed on simple pajamas and a bathrobe, but the bathrobe was more important.  I advised to have a navy blue robe piped in yellow-gold.  This was well-received, and then they asked if he should have his initials monogrammed on the pocket, to which I asked if he was an academy graduate and got a huge yes.  Put the crest of the USNA on the pocket is what we decided, and within a day the bathrobe materialized exactly as I envisioned, but any scenes with this attire are gone from the release.

 

Uniform issues persisted right down to Hanks' feet, and something as simple as black oxfords with leather soles in his size created a panic, so they outfitted him in the black ankle-high USN service shoes; it was a call I could live with, under the circumstances.  I was also presented with the slipper selection, and Julie, the costume designer, brought me a pair to examine.  She said, "What do you think?", and my reply was:  "QVC!"  It was another simple item no longer readily available - leather slippers with a leather sole.  I think the slippers with crest that Hanks wears in the film were custom made for him.

 

The use of M-1 helmets had long been decided, but not painting them blue-grey or in colors of the deck.  Everything we see of the M-1's at sea for most of the war shows them still in their O. D. factory paint, and my argument to the production was that if playing with a floating/ambiguous timeframe, to leave them O. D., which was agreed upon, but I do not think this message made it all the way to the prop team and the man who created the helmets (super guy, btw) set about painting them.  I was endeavoring to deviate as little as possible from the original timeframe of Feb. 1942 so the floating nature of timeframe in the film was not too far adrift.  This effort was something I struggled to maintain throughout the film, and specifically with a radioman's headset; props had a couple headsets with the correct early cushions, but what ended up on screen is the late-war "AN" type.  One other little nugget of detail I wanted included was at least one warrant officer.  Every naval film, it seems, has to have a beloved old-salt senior chief, and while GREYHOUND is bereft of substantive character development as we see it now, we made sure to feature a warrant officer with the distinctive WO cap device on his winter visor cap.  I hope all the former WO's out there feel included by this!

 

This film is a winner, I think, and I fully recommend it. WWII U. S. Navy surface warfare has never been done this well before – it is not perfect, because no film will ever be, but it stands really well with the classics from the 1940’s and 1950’s and offers things those films could not, just as they offer elements GREYHOUND cannot.  I now hope I can get another chance to honor my dad and all the other tin-can sailors of WWII and work on Mel Gibson's "DESTROYER."

 

 

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

091f2a32-d971-47ec-9a23-2c9886972b8a-GH_07538F.jpg.7a3d4c5a8d2aff975239fed647795b9d.jpg

 

 

 

Screenshot-544-1024x428.png

HPA-home-page-banner-GH.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

pararaftanr2

PQD,

Thank you for the detailed "behind the scenes" look at the costuming for this movie and your efforts to get those costumes historically correct . It is unfortunate, despite all your valid protests, that the producers chose to include the stated date of "3 months after Pearl Harbor" in the film. I guess they didn't bother to find out that the first Fletcher class destroyer was not commissioned until June of 1942.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, pararaftanr2 said:

PQD,

Thank you for the detailed "behind the scenes" look at the costuming for this movie and your efforts to get those costumes historically correct . It is unfortunate, despite all your valid protests, that the producers chose to include the stated date of "3 months after Pearl Harbor" in the film. I guess they didn't bother to find out that the first Fletcher class destroyer was not commissioned until June of 1942.

 

Thank you for your commentary!  

 

That Fletcher issue was certainly discussed at length before production ever began, and I do totally agree with you and I totally get the need to use a Fletcher, but they did not have to reference a Fletcher in the film.  It's debatable if they would have been better served creating a CGI Greaves destroyer or earlier version, as the USS Kidd did serve them well for even what was created as full and partial CGI, so this choice I respectfully leave to the bean counters and director, but they certainly could have used a low-numbered hull on the CGI Fletcher and eliminated all reference to a Fletcher.  It is akin to making an aviation film set in 1942 and having to use P-51's by necessity, then referring to them as P-51's and not, say, Warhawks.

 

Once again, we have forgivable issues and those less forgivable, and when I compare this to the older classics of WWII naval sea warfare, it is a reasonable split between something such as "The Caine Mutiny" and this, I think.  I am always bothered most by the elements that could have been executed better for so little or even at a savings - things stemming from pure ignorance and poor planning.  But this was not my first film and I learned long ago that no film, once funding is committed and a green light given to film, is going to be held back because of any of these issues.   

 

I have a question I think I know the answer to and which you may be able to resolve:  The ship's phone on the bridge is used to communicate directly with other ships in the convoy, acting as a radio, but in my mind this was not at correct.  In my limited understanding of communications then, all such communication would have gone through the ship's radio room and what we see was simply done to aid the audience and further the film expeditiously, which I again understand and agree with as good idea.  Please advise if you have some expertise to share on this.  

 

Thank you.  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I am by far no expert on this, other than the fact that I've done it a lot in modern times. However, my father in law started his naval career in the 1950s, so with that advice...

 

Ship to ship communication would have been through the radio room, semaphore, or flashing light. 

 

Talking on the "phone" like we do now (or at least for the last 22 years I've been in the Navy) is a relatively modern innovation.

 

If I can find out more, I'll let you know.

 

The guys that run the USS Slater up in MA would certainly know for sure, I'd think. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, Dave said:

I am by far no expert on this, other than the fact that I've done it a lot in modern times. However, my father in law started his naval career in the 1950s, so with that advice...

 

Ship to ship communication would have been through the radio room, semaphore, or flashing light. 

 

Talking on the "phone" like we do now (or at least for the last 22 years I've been in the Navy) is a relatively modern innovation.

 

If I can find out more, I'll let you know.

 

The guys that run the USS Slater up in MA would certainly know for sure, I'd think. 

 

Thank you very much!  

 

I believe you to be most correct.  Relying on the 1940's films for some reference, they would have been far closer to the reality of the era and the ship-to-ship communication seen in these old films is exactly as you noted.  I am guessing the use of the phone in GREYHOUND had less to do with ignorance of historical realities and more to do with a tool that was useful for the film to keep the audience up to speed without the relaying of messages reality required, as well as additional cast and filming requirements for activity in the radio room or signal bridge, etc.  We do see some flag and lamp communication work in the film, but for the sort of ongoing, constantly changing communication depicted, the phone chatter acted almost as a narrator and in that way it was very effective, albeit not authentic.  

 

It will be interesting to see if the next WWII naval film follows this concept or reverts to authenticity and expects the audience to simply follow along as did those from 70 years ago and more.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 year later...
TheCrustyBosun

Just getting around to watching this one. I looked at it with first hand experience as a boatswain’s mate once qualified as lookout, helmsman, lee helmsman, boatswain’s mate of the watch (BMOW), quartermaster of the watch (QMOW), and a member of a DC party. 
 

I won’t pick on the uniforms. Already been done. 
 

I thought the bridge communications were well done with regard to the helm and lee helm. Terminology is correct as were the circumstances they were used. The only gripe I had was the lack of bell response. For instance, when commands like “right standard rudder” or “all ahead two-thirds” are given, they are repeated by the helmsman and lee helmsman respectively. However in the film, they do not report the orders’ execution. Example, “sir, my rudder is right standard” or “sir, engines answer all ahead two-thirds.”  Otherwise, BZ. 
 

Wednesday 0800-1200:

General Quarters Alarm- sound effect used in the film is incorrect. 

BMOW- I was pleased to see the BMOW’s use of the boatswain’s pipe, even though the calls themselves were not accurate. 

Warrant Officer- Too young?? Also, what was his role? Ship’s Bos’n/1st Lieutenant, Engineering Officer, etc? 

 

Watertight Doors (WTD)- WTD’s to ship interior left open on main deck during General Quarters scenes. Would have been secured. 
 

“All ahead flank”-  This speed order was given by the Officer of the Deck (OOD) in one scene. Flank speed could only be ordered up by the Commanding Officer (CO) in my experience. 
 

Radar sets- Too modern, especially when focusing on control knobs. 
 

Squawk Box/“B***h Box”- comms between bridge/conn and CIC were well done using the 21mc. 
 

Sound Powered Phones- Usage of this system and its “talkers” was correct with the exception of fleet communications, which would have been done through main radio/radio central. 
 

Wednesday 1600-2000

Nice visual of lookouts and gun director crew. Most people equate anti-sub warfare with depth charges. It was nice to see the guns get the “stick time”. 
 

Boat Boom & Net-  Nice use of this equipment for the rescue and assistance scene. Although, it’s rigging would not have been as speedy of a process as portrayed in the film. Direct rescue/recovery is usually a slow and deliberate process for several reasons. 
 

USS Kidd- There’s a nice nod to the Fletcher Class destroyer USS Kidd which was used in the making of the film. She is the only one left in WWII configuration and continues to serve as an impressive museum in Baton Rouge. 
 

Thursday 0400-0800-

Burial at sea- A Chief Petty Officer makes the one and only appearance in the film where he calls the ship’s company to attention and renders honors. First, he’s a bit young for a CPO in those days. Second, he orders “salute” instead of the correct command “present arms”. 
 

Thursday 2000-2400

Abandon Ship- Fellow escort “Eagle” is under tow while damage control parties work to keep her afloat. Her CO calls Greyhound and requests permission to abandon ship.  That decision falls upon a ship’s commanding officer and no one else. 
 

All that said, I really enjoyed the movie!  
 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 years later...
On 7/21/2020 at 5:29 PM, PQD said:

I worked on GREYHOUND as the military costume consultant and supplier and can clarify some issues being raised.  Firstly, I should say that I was very, very inspired and honored to work on this film.  My dad was a WWII tin-can sailor, serving on a Fletcher from 1943-45 in the Pacific, and he was available to to answer all sorts of little questions I presented.  He really wanted to see this film, but the delayed release due to many post-production issues, followed by the pandemic, proved too much and he passed away just 3 weeks before its release; nonetheless, he was very much aboard with us in making this film.

 

Secondly, I apologize in advance for the length of this post.  Again, I was and remain very inspired and honored to have been part of this in some small way and this is manifested in pride for what has not been done before in this way, which I think is a very admirable film effort.  But the entire subject:  USN surface warfare and attendant outfitting for early 1942 was well outside the expertise and understanding of the production.  Early filming had just started when I was tapped to help out in Jan. 2018; a good friend who was involved was witnessing how much they had bitten off and could not chew, and he told the production to contact me for some sound advice in these arcane waters.  My first conversation on the phone established the timeframe, Feb. 1942, but when I informed them of what this would entail with respect to uniforms, they said the date would be left ambiguous (and that sure didn't play out in the release) and late 1942 or early 1943 would be implied.  I felt comfortable with that and this paved the way for many choices that had to be made quickly to outfit the crew, and especially lead cast members.  

 

The winter working uniform was something I put out immediately and they accepted this very enthusiastically.  This choice was perfect for the era, the combat deployment, the climate/season, and it was a uniform solution not previously seen in any film I could recall, even those of the 1940's and 1950's.  Everyone, from Tom Hanks down, loved the winter uniform.  The caps were all made by my longtime friend, Ray Meldrum, and they look fabulous.  The first-model (one-pocket style) winter shirts with necktie were worn by every officer and NCO in the film and I supplied these from my inventory at work - these are the Buzz Rickson's examples we import.

 

I realize the USN has been wearing black for some years now, which may confuse things for some, but I cannot see how you could think these are black except in nighttime film shots:  they are very clearly navy blue when topside and on the bridge during the day.  During my early phone conversation, the discussion had briefly been about the use of khaki uniforms and even working grey, but I eliminated khakis for a variety of good reasons, but the grey was on the table and I liked it until I could see the 1942 timeframe was still floating around.  Ultimately, the use of the winter blues was a call we all loved and for a variety of reasons.

 

The floating/ambiguous timeframe I was given for the film was done to provide a great deal of latitude and it made sense, while still maintaining a solid footing in WWII.  The film was not prepared to source the correct doughboy helmets need for Feb. 1942, so we yielded to M-1 helmets, and this played out in other uniform items, too.  We had limited numbers of the correct coats and jackets available, and any coats of the quality they wanted for lead characters and Tom Hanks had to come from my stock of Buzz Rickson's styles, which was lower in Feb. 2018 than it was in Sept. 2017 and the manufacture only produces these once a year.  The floating timeframe allowed us to use everything I could supply except the so-called khaki N-1, but we did take liberties and make use of the blue N-1 jackets.

 

One of the uniform details I was really looking forward to seeing was the early USN sweaters with their two-directional knitting; I loaned a mint example in size 42 from my archive for making a run for Tom Hanks, but although he was filmed wearing this, it was determined to keep him in the winter shirt with the rest of the crew.  The EM crew were outfitted in Buzz Rickson's USN chambray work shirts, which copy the 55-S-20E design of 1944.  This is all we had available, as no one was making the correct early shirts, but I again loaned an early 55-S-20C from my archive for making a few shirts, but it was deemed unnecessary due to budgetary and time constraints.

 

Outfitting Tom Hanks continued to be a challenge:  a hero jacket authentic to the ambiguous timeframe and his character left few options.  The character development was left on the editor's desk, unfortunately, but the skipper was an an academy grad, very religious, and very much a by-the-book type, and this led me to protest any proposed ideas that he could be wearing a sheepskin flying jacket in the scenes of extreme cold.  I offered the M-69D as a compromise, as it was a flying coat of sorts and was indeed worn by officers of surface vessels, so they tried this on Hanks, but he said "I look like Superfly," so that ended that option.  The next consideration was one of the mackinaw-styles of sheepskin coats used by the USN, but these were deemed too pedestrian and given to other officers in the crew.  Next came some hideous beast of a roadkill coat made from what I can only describe as Yeti fur.  This was made for Hanks and it was intended to solve the problem of a hero coat and move well in wind, a problem outlined below.

 

The crew expressed that they were having trouble depicting wind on the deck of the USS Kidd, which surprised me.  I was told they tried using a signalman with flags, but they we're not happy with the result, so having a coat with long, hair-like fur might give them what the wanted in front of wind fans.  I cannot recall what Hanks thought of the coat, but my reaction left them very disappointed.  That coat could turn up one day somewhere, so look for films about Yeti's - ha!  Someone then presented a terrible copy of an RAF Irvin flying jacket as an option and I bounced that immediately.  It was not until about 2 weeks later that someone decided to make a fictional sheepskin coat for Hanks, which is what you see in the film.  Hanks loved this and I was not in an objecting mood, knowing how options were all but exhausted.  I cannot recall how many of these sheepskin coats were made, but the one he wears was made by Steve McColgan at SM Wholesale.  But for the first combat scene in the film, Hanks wanted to wear a Buzz Rickson's hook-front jacket (a generous size 42, for those who want to know).  

 

We had very few of the iconic (and totally correct) zip-front blue jackets, and allocating the minimum of three for Hanks would have been too wasteful, it was decided, though I argued that as a lead character his coat should be the most accurate; Hanks wears the hook-front style in the first combat scene before switching to the sheepskin coat.  Most of the Buzz Rickson's coat styles I had in inventory were devoid of the U. S. NAVY stenciling across the back, which for the zip-front style would have been correct for early 1942, but someone started stenciling them by the time I got to L. A., so all ended up stenciled.  I recall they showed me a sample that had the incorrect font for the stenciling and they made a new stencil that was really good the next day.  They also wanted Hanks in a Pea Coat in some of the scenes, and so we modified Buzz Rickson's pre-war Pea Coats with gilt officer buttons for him, as was sometimes done by officers. 

 

Another Hanks costume presented to me was, of all things, sleeping attire.  They had a scene with him going to bed, and so the question was what should he wear?  We agreed on simple pajamas and a bathrobe, but the bathrobe was more important.  I advised to have a navy blue robe piped in yellow-gold.  This was well-received, and then they asked if he should have his initials monogrammed on the pocket, to which I asked if he was an academy graduate and got a huge yes.  Put the crest of the USNA on the pocket is what we decided, and within a day the bathrobe materialized exactly as I envisioned, but any scenes with this attire are gone from the release.

 

Uniform issues persisted right down to Hanks' feet, and something as simple as black oxfords with leather soles in his size created a panic, so they outfitted him in the black ankle-high USN service shoes; it was a call I could live with, under the circumstances.  I was also presented with the slipper selection, and Julie, the costume designer, brought me a pair to examine.  She said, "What do you think?", and my reply was:  "QVC!"  It was another simple item no longer readily available - leather slippers with a leather sole.  I think the slippers with crest that Hanks wears in the film were custom made for him.

 

The use of M-1 helmets had long been decided, but not painting them blue-grey or in colors of the deck.  Everything we see of the M-1's at sea for most of the war shows them still in their O. D. factory paint, and my argument to the production was that if playing with a floating/ambiguous timeframe, to leave them O. D., which was agreed upon, but I do not think this message made it all the way to the prop team and the man who created the helmets (super guy, btw) set about painting them.  I was endeavoring to deviate as little as possible from the original timeframe of Feb. 1942 so the floating nature of timeframe in the film was not too far adrift.  This effort was something I struggled to maintain throughout the film, and specifically with a radioman's headset; props had a couple headsets with the correct early cushions, but what ended up on screen is the late-war "AN" type.  One other little nugget of detail I wanted included was at least one warrant officer.  Every naval film, it seems, has to have a beloved old-salt senior chief, and while GREYHOUND is bereft of substantive character development as we see it now, we made sure to feature a warrant officer with the distinctive WO cap device on his winter visor cap.  I hope all the former WO's out there feel included by this!

 

This film is a winner, I think, and I fully recommend it. WWII U. S. Navy surface warfare has never been done this well before – it is not perfect, because no film will ever be, but it stands really well with the classics from the 1940’s and 1950’s and offers things those films could not, just as they offer elements GREYHOUND cannot.  I now hope I can get another chance to honor my dad and all the other tin-can sailors of WWII and work on Mel Gibson's "DESTROYER."

 

091f2a32-d971-47ec-9a23-2c9886972b8a-GH_07538F.jpg.7a3d4c5a8d2aff975239fed647795b9d.jpg

 

Screenshot-544-1024x428.png

 

HPA-home-page-banner-GH.jpg


I appreciate the feedback as to the issues with uniforms and timeframes. 

Firstly, I'll just say this... for all the authenticity attempted with uniforms? Some of that bugged me a good bit... the UGE thing in that department was the fact that absolutely NO Navy man is going to wear his equipment like the U.S. Army. The chinstraps around the back of the helmets? Is as bad a faux pas, as bad as the chinstraps around the back of the helmets in "Windtalkers". Navy men WEAR their chinstraps! A lot of good those helmets do if they go over the side in seas like those depicted. Secondly, they should've as I think you've stated, been 1917's and/or 1917A1's in "Kelly" Green.

That aspect now having "cleared the tubes"... Hanks is FAR too old to be in command of a destroyer, at his age? 62? 63? Years old? and a graduate of CanoeU? He'd of been at least a Rear Admiral and probably helping orchestrate those convoys stateside rather than riding one.

Next, the aspects of the combat in the North Atlantic weren't even remotely accurate. TBS(Talk Between Ships) do NOT act like a telephone or a radio where the Germans can tap into and talk to the destroyer crews. No North Atlantic convoy EVER sank four U-Boats in a single trip. Only one time was that achieved and in was in the Caribbean/South Atlantic region during a "hunter killer" mission in 1944(iirc). The CGI in this film as far as movement of the vessel(i.e. the destroyer) were FAR too quick to react, the ship just didn't move naturally as it would if it'd been the real thing. Granted, they couldn't do that... but, to give the designers the right idea of how a WWII destroyer or a vessel of the size of a Fletcher or her predecessors, they should've seen if the U.S. Navy could've taken them out to sea for a short period to let them see what the reality is as to how a ship handles at the very least. An understanding of how these beasts creak, moan, bend, mold, behave, and become one with the ocean, is a vital necessity to brining the true realities of going to sea to their audience.

Lastly, U-Boats aren't going to surface within a mere few hundred yards of a destroyer hell bent on sinking them. A destroyer with depth charge rolling racks and hedge hogs with the capability of reaching out an cracking open their hull. I guess the one good thing for U-boats was that the gun crews were inept in their ability to hit their target. And if I recall correctly, in the early days the U.S. Navy didn't escort the convoys all the way to Great Britain, they escorted them out to Iceland and then returned due to limited resources in ships at the time. It wasn't till a little while later they began going all the way in cases. 

For me, this film is "okay" it accomplishes "entertainment" but, would I put it out and up there with "The Caine Mutiny"(1954)? or probably the finest U.S. Navy film set during the Second World War... "The Enemy Below"(1957)? No... "The Enemy Below"(1957) is on a pedestal that I doubt will ever be equalled because they were fortunate enough to have a fully serviceable Buckley-Class Destroyer Escort.

Just my humble observations.

TC1/c. Dunigan

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...
The Rooster

Greyhound, link to Full movie. Excellent!

 

REMOVED BY MODERATOR - dangerous external link

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share

×
×
  • Create New...