GW aviation films

[Barrett]

While working on the subject of The Aviation Cinema I compiled a list of English-language Great War aero films and came up with only 28, from Wings in 1927 to Biggles: Adventure in Time 1986. The majority (15) appeared in the '30s with one each in the 40s, 50s, and 60s (you know, the one with The Towel Scene!) and four in the 70s, mostly real bow-wows.

Anybody remember something besides these? Some have minimal GW content.

Ace of Aces
Aces High yuk
Air Circus
Biggles
Blue Max !
Born to Love
Bullshot farce
Cap'n Eddie
Captured
Crimson Romance (Yanks in the "Luftwaffe")
Darling Lili (Hey, it has Gloria Paul)
Dawn Patrol
Eagle & Hawk
Flight Cdr (re-release of 1930 DP)
Flight Into Darkness
Hell's Angels
Lafeyette Escadrille woof-woof, bow-wow
Lilac Time
Lost Squadron
Men w/Wings
Sky Devils
The Sky Raider
Story of V. & I. Castle
Suzy
vR & Brown woof-woof, bow-wow, bark-bark, yip-yip...
Wings
The Women I Love
Zeppelin

[Bob_D]

Greetings all,
I just received a copy of "The Adventures of the Young Indiana Jones, Attack of the Hawkmen", and barring certain melodramatic moments and historical liberties taken, I was pretty damned impressed with the aerial sequences and CG aircraft. It was a lot better than watching the usual Stampe and Tiger Moth mockups. I think George Lucas really tried to do his homework on this one and I would highly recommend it for your video library.

Regards,

Bob D.

[Reinout]

Hi Barrett,

There is a movie called Gunbus about -IIRC- two lads timetravelling back to the GW and having a few adventures in a Vickers Gunbus. Not sure about the timetravelling (saw it 10 years ago) but I am sure the movie was a comedy, or at least meant to be. As a 17-year old I may have enjoyed some of the jokes and scenes. At the end of the movie, a heavy German bomber leads a German ground assault. The bomber looked cool but at the time I was unable to judge whether it was a completely fictional type. All in all, the movie is not serious and therefore I am not sure you're looking for this type of film.

Kind regards,

Reinout

[Barrett]

Thanks gents. I recalled the I. Jones segment but omitted it because it was a TV segment (though, as noted, far better than most "theatrical" films.) It'd be interesting to see the Gunbus film, however "loopy." (The only listing I found was here: http://www.geometry.net/detail/celebrities...in_richard.html )

Also I omitted Waldo Pepper because, though it has WW I aeroplanes, it's not set in TGW.

There was a British film in 1987 called Sky Bandits. (Went to see it with babies so I think I am recollecting by the right baby -- second born)

Anyway, it was kind of neat. I have never been able to find a tape or see it again, though I saw it in the theatre. So I cannot remember about how correct the airplanes were.

Just for your record

Cheers,
Scarlett

[Gregvan]

Hi,

Actually, the film "Sky Bandits" and "Gunbus" are one and the same movie (kind of like "Von Richthofen and Brown" was known as "The Red Baron" in the UK). I saw "Sky Bandits" once when it came out long, long ago, and it was definitely loopy. However, it did have a couple of flying Salmson 2A2 replicas (I think they were built in France). The huge German bomber was definitely fictitious, but lossely based on some of the R-planes like the Zeppelin-Staaken bomber. It had a real Jules Vernian quality to it.

I'd like to see this one again, just for the fun of it.

Greg

Thanks Greg, I didn't realize that was an alternate title. I thought it great fun. I do remember the funky bombers, and the throwing darts!

Scarlett