[STARMAN 352ND]

I just saw the Memphis Belle the other night with my friends and i told them not all the things that happened in the movie were true to the Belle crew.
But after the movie i showed them another DVD called "The Memphis Belle 60th Annviversary 2 DVD collectors edition" and they loved that one even better..
On top of that i have this signed Picture of the Belle vets with the actors during the movie "Memphis Belle" it's signed by Robert Morgan as well and it's a collectors dream to have this signed
picture ...They only have 15 of these signed in the world and i got #2 .
JP

[wnsolomon]

Originally Posted by Steve1971

Capt Bob Morgan and Ed Gates said the movie Memphis Bell was a complete joke, thats what I was told. First of all the Belle didnt suffer the major damage on her last mission as was depicted in the movie and they had 354th FG Mustangs escourting the heavies in the movie. That never happened. They were escourted by P-47's.

Do I like the movie? Ya I do because it features the B-17 and it has alot of action. Hollywood fabricates alot of stuff because they need to draw people and they will sacrifice accuracy to achieve that very goal. Just look at Pearl Harbor starring Ben Affleck. All the vets that were there that morning on Dec 7th said they never saw P-40's nearly scraping the run ways between hangers running from the Jap fighters. It seems that alot of movies now days need a love story intertwined in between like Titanic did.

The best B-17 movie so far has been 12 O' Clock High with Greg Peck in my book.

I remember an interview with Ed Gates as the movie was released saying [paraphrase] "If all that happened in the movie happened to us in a single mission we would have quit."

Now, how about a new movie, a B-24 movie. I'd really love to see the story of MoH winner Addison Baker and the Ploiesti Raid...

[JustPlaneNuttz]

Originally Posted by STARMAN 352ND

I just saw the Memphis Belle the other night with my friends and i told them not all the things that happened in the movie were true to the Belle crew.
But after the movie i showed them another DVD called "The Memphis Belle 60th Annviversary 2 DVD collectors edition" and they loved that one even better..
On top of that i have this signed Picture of the Belle vets with the actors during the movie "Memphis Belle" it's signed by Robert Morgan as well and it's a collectors dream to have this signed
picture ...They only have 15 of these signed in the world and i got #2 .
JP

Great photo, and you are very privileged to have it. I'll bet that looks super in the proximity of your B-17!

The movie was made with the consultation of Robert Morgan (and the others in the photo) with the full understanding that there would be some 'creative license' taken. This was clearly outlined in an article published by People magazine about the making of the movie where Morgan was interviewed rather thoroughly. He also gave the actors some 'flying' tips to help add a greater sense of realism. Very interesting, actually. (No -- I misplaced the mag in a move I guess)

If you want something more accurate AND far better than that film OR a hand full of B&W film clips, I sincerely urge anyone interested in the exploits of this aircraft to find a copy of "The Man Who Flew The Memphis Belle" by Robert Morgan (edited by Ron Powers), Penguin Books 2001. This is the memoirs of Robert Morgan that has far more insight into this man's career than you will find anywhere else. I found all 385 pages a fascinating read -- even after the 4th time!!

This is currently available at Amazon, and if you are in Canada, it can be found at Indigo. 4 1/2 out of 5 star recommendations from readers at both places! I give it a 5 out of 5.

[CRIPES_A_MIGHTY]

The main inaccurate fact about the movie?

The "Memphis Belle" was NOT the 1st B-17 bomber to complete 25 missions.
It was infact a bomber named "Hells Angels". But because of the name,
the brass didnt think it was appropriate to use it for the war bond tour.
Thinking the name wouldnt go down well with the US public.
But the Belle fitted the bill just right.

[stalag8611]

GOOD GRIEF. POLITICAL CORRECTNESS IN ACTION EVEN THEN

[SKUNKY]

Originally Posted by CRIPES_A_MIGHTY

The "Memphis Belle" was NOT the 1st B-17 bomber to complete 25 missions.
It was infact a bomber named "Hells Angels".

Yes, they always qualify it by saying the Memphis Belle was the first B-17 to complete 25 missions and return home to the United States.....Hell's Angels could have had that distinction had the USAAF just returned her and her crew home after the 25th mission...The fact that William Wyler's' Hollywood crew was doing their film documentary on the Belle also greatly influenced the Army to make her "the first"......Yeah, they played games with the public back then too.

Not to take anything away from the crewmembers who served aboard her, as they were just as courageous as any of the other aircrews who served during that time, but I've always said the Memphis Belle was famous for being famous.

[mustangdriver]

I believe Hell's Angels also had some of it's crew wounded on some of the missions to the point they couldn't fly again right away. That did not happen on the Belle with any of the original crew.

[Cavtanker]

So what type of aircraft was used to represent the 'German' aircraft in the movie?

[tank nut]

So how much of the movie is fact and fiction??? The part were he was hanging out of the ball turret did that happen???

[SKUNKY]

Well I'll put it this way. I have Robert Morgan's The Man Who Flew the Memphis Belle, and the events described in the book didn't resemble hardly anything at all what was depicted in the movie. To say that 'creative license' was taken is pretty much an enormous understatement.

I enjoyed the movie very much and have seen it numerous times, but it's strictly for entertainment (as well as great eye-candy for B-17 fans)and I would urge anyone who thinks they're watching a documentary on MB to read Morgan's book for what's undoubtedly a much more accurate (if not drastically less dramatic) account...I would say the events which Hollywood attributed to the Belle's final mission are more like a medley of every calamity which ever befell a bomber crew during the entire war.

How much of the movie is fact?...Well, they did fly 25 combat missions in a B-17 named Memphis Belle, and that's a fact.

As far as the rest of it goes......Hoo-ray for Hollywood!...Hoo-ray for Hollywood!!