WWI Aviation Movies/Questions

Kirby · 27 June 1999, 06:43 AM

In Squadron/Signal Publications Aircraft Number 98, a booklet on the Fokker Dr. 1, three WWI aviation movies are mentioned. They are "Start in the Dawn", "Pour Le Merite" and "Fokker DIII 88".

Has anyone seen these movies? Are they worth seeing? If so, are they available on video tape anywhere?

VBR
Kirby

PeterL · 27 June 1999, 07:08 AM

I've often seen clips from "Fokker DIII 88" in various documentaries and probably so have you. The clips in question are dog fight sequences involving various Bucker bi-planes and genuine Fokker Dr1s. I beleive it was made in the Nazi era and so is unlikely to be seen on your local cable chanel.

vbr
Peter L

Amy · 27 June 1999, 08:46 AM

Kirby:

The movie "Pour le Merite" (1938) is a Nazi-era propaganda piece - a biography of Manfred von Richthofen and stars Walter Bluhm. Unfortunately, I haven't seen the film nor have I been able to locate this film on video. (And it certainly hasn't been due to my lack of trying

Amy

30 June 1999, 06:47 AM

The only crumb I can offer is to UK based forum-ites. Pour Le Merite is held here in the Imperial War Museum Film archive and can be viewed on the premises. Due to copyright problems we cannot re;ease it outside the UK - so no video copies available. Try the National Archives in Washington.
Pour Le M is set in the FWW, D III 88 is set just before the second ww and only has a flying sequence at the end when the Dr1 is brought out of the squadron museum. We also have this but alas a master copy only.

Cheers< Brad

Amy · 30 June 1999, 05:34 PM

Brad:

Does the IWM's Pour le Merite movie come with English dubbing or subtitles?

Amy

1 July 1999, 11:00 AM

You're going to love the answer to this one.......

It is in German and IS subtitled - but in Portuguese!!
Basicaly during the war Lisbon - being neutral was a hotbed of spies. The British and the Germans played a game of leaving newsreels lying around to scare the pants off each other with wild victory stories etc. We would bribe the projectionist to borrow films for a few days after the films' run, fly it to London,copy it and send the original back. Hence the bizarrness of our copy.
We do have a synopsis and might have a script but I can't remeber - I'll check in the morning when I'm in the office. I've also go some old polaroid frames knocking about somewhere....
Are you in the UK and want to see it?
Cheers, Brad

Kirby · 2 July 1999, 03:24 AM

Brad

Thanks for the informaton. The Portugese subtitles was unexpected but not too unusual. Spain and Portugal were two cess pools for espionage and both sides put them to good use.
I have never heard of these movies being available here in the USA. As a matter of fact, I had never heard of any of them until I read the booklet I mentioned above. However, since we have copies of "Triumph of the Will" floating all over the place, I may find them yet.

Amy

Have you ever tried the National Archives? If not, we can always give them a shot.

My Best as always
Kirby

Amy · 2 July 1999, 01:47 PM

Brad:

I'm not in the UK, but visited your museum last summer. Didn't know at the time that you had the movie. But, then again, spoken German and written Portuguese aren't my fortes so I can't say I'd gotten much out of it other than the visual imagery. I may be back in the UK...someday.

Kirby:

I haven't tried the National Archives but sounds like a good place to check out.

Amy