Billy Bishop Documentary?

Barry Hickson · 5 February 2011, 01:06 AM

G'day All!
Can anyone plese tell me the name of the Canadian Documentary on Bishop that stirred up all the Angst & if it is available from Amazon or any other sellers.

Thanks in advance.

rexee · 5 February 2011, 04:40 AM

Gday Barry

The film is called "The Kid Who Couldn't Miss" by Paul Cowan

The Kid Who Couldn't Miss by Paul Cowan - NFB

Cheers
Rex

rainbase · 5 February 2011, 10:15 AM

Thanks for the link, Rexee. I'd heard of this but had never seen it before.
Well, "The Kid Who Couldn't Miss" gets my nomination as the worst WWI documentary ever. This film is just terrible. The controversial parts (hero or fraud?) not withstanding, the chief researcher needs to be taken out and flogged. with errors far too numerous to be listed. Firstly, the timeline is often screwy and has many events ordered incorrectly or just plain wrong (Battle Of Verdun in 1917???). Some elements are just stupid; in an epic dogfight between Bishop and MVR the fight breaks off after Lother is shot down in his DR-7 (as in DR-Seven). While there's some bits of good footage in the film, it's more often than not used incorrectly as well (after arriving at RFC No. 60 Bishop is nearly kicked out for carelessly crashing a plane... they show us the wreck of something big... like a Caproni?). It goes on and on.

Sadly, I didn't find much to like about this work (although there is a brief interview with Albert Ball's sister which I found interesting). As far as the famous controversy goes, this certainly isn't the piece of "research" to sell me on the "Bishop As A Fraud" idea. As a biography it's not even competent.

My two cents.

Barry Hickson · 5 February 2011, 02:14 PM

Thanks Rexee & Rainbase for your replies.
Well that one I WONT be spending my money on.
Had enough disappointment with the German Red Baron Doco & this one seems to be worth about the same.

totalspoon · 5 February 2011, 09:34 PM

Thanks guys, I've always wanted to see that film. To raise the ire this film has, I always though it must have been razor sharp study of Bishop.

What a poorly researched pile of poo.

While I favour the opinions of Libby, Fry and Jones, this film has no value.

Thanks again,

Spoon

VtwinVince · 5 February 2011, 09:54 PM

I think we've seen enough on Bishop, now we need a good documentary on Canada's greatest aviator, Ray Collishaw.

Balloon_Buster · 8 February 2011, 05:44 PM

I remember seeing this on PBS waay back when. I don't remember the disclaimer that they have in the beginning on it back then... I've seen at least one site set up to Bishop that has/had a whole section devoted to disproving this film.

Rod_Filan · 8 February 2011, 06:22 PM

The disclaimer was probably a compromise made by the National Film Board in light of the demands of the Senate Standing Committee to pull the film.

I'm actually against adding that particular "docudrama" disclaimer as an introduction.
IMO it should read:

$514,007.00 of Canadian taxpayer's money was
spent making this steaming pile of revisionist bull$#|+.

Vote accordingly.

Cheers

rexee · 8 February 2011, 06:47 PM

A badly done documentary somehow based on a goofy stage production called "Billy Bishop Goes to War"...although some of the songs are catchy!

Rex

Rod_Filan · 8 February 2011, 07:12 PM

Last year my daughter had to read "Billy Bishop Goes to War" and write an essay on it ... for grade-12 "History"

I skimmed through the book full of photos of Eric Peterson playing BB in the one-man play. That's when I realized Billy Bishop is Oscar!

[nomedia="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rRT3whzCvl0&NR=1"]YouTube - The internet is angry[/nomedia]

Cheers