First Quarter (Jan - Mar) 2009 Volume 22, Number 1 The Newsletter of the War Eagles Air Museum Editorial e’re continuing to experiment with the content and focus of W Plane Talk to try to keep it fresh, useful and enlightening to you, our readers. Our first tweak was in the Sec- ond Quarter 2008 issue, which featured an aircraft that not only is not in the War Eagles Air Museum collection, but that does not exist anywhere in the world— the Martin XB-51. In this issue, we’re trying something else new and different. Rather than lead- ing off with a “Featured Aircraft” article covering a single airplane in considerable detail, we present a piece that we hope you’ll find equally interesting—a survey of great aviation films that offer real his- toric aircraft in real aerial action. We’re very pleased to welcome well-known El Paso film historian and movie expert Jay S Robert Shaw (l.) and Richard Todd (r.) Duncan as the guest author of “The Air- star as pilots of a Royal Air Force Lancaster plane as Cinema Star.” Be sure to read The Airplane bomber on a mission to destroy dams in the the “About the Author” profile of him on German Ruhr River valley using special Page 3. Jay was involved in presenting “bouncing bombs” in the 1954 British film the Classic Aviation Film Series that we as Cinema Star The Dam Busters. Shaw later became well known to American audiences as Quint in sponsored at the International Museum of by Jay Duncan Art in 2003 to celebrate the 100th anni- Steven Spielberg’s 1975 blockbuster Jaws. versary of the Wright brothers’ first suc- eeing historic aircraft on static dis- cessful controlled powered flight. Jay’s play at a museum is a real treat for knowledge of film is truly encyclopedic, S enthusiasts. But it is quite another and we hope you enjoy his article. experience to actually see these magnifi- Contents Speaking of cinematic aircraft and cent machines in flight. Other than at air- Editorial......................................1 shows, the opportunities for aviation fans aerial action, the first of three volumes of The Airplane as Cinema Star.....1 the complete 1958-59 Steve Canyon tele- to see and hear real flying warbirds are From the Director.......................2 vision series on DVD, containing 12 epi- limited. But there are ways for “buffs” to th sodes, has been released. You’ll find the gain such experiences—on the screens of Guy Dority’s 90 Birthday..........5 their home television sets. whole story of this exciting series in the Membership Application ............7 Third Quarter 2008 Plane Talk. Cinema Star (Continued on Page 2) 1 www.war-eagles-air-museum.com Plane Talk—The Newsletter of the War Eagles Air Museum First Quarter 2009 Cinema Star (Continued from page 1) morale booster for an America stunned From the Director by Japan’s seemingly endless string of Historic aircraft fans need only pop a Pacific conquests. e hosted the 5th Annual Land video tape or DVD into their player and Featuring Van Johnson as Captain of Enchantment RV Fly-In in they can vicariously place themselves in- Lawson, Robert Mitchum as Lieutenant W October, as always geared for to the cockpits of fighters, bombers, car- Bob Gray and Spencer Tracy as Lieuten- builders of the popular series of small go aircraft—even rocket planes—as they ant Colonel James Doolittle, Thirty Sec- home-built aircraft. Every time we’ve battle the enemy on nerve-rattling com- onds Over Tokyo accurately portrays the held this event, the weather has been bad, bat missions, explore the boundaries of raid. Director Mervyn LeRoy shot the with rainstorms and high winds, and this flight in dangerous experimental aircraft training footage at Eglin Field, near Pen- year was no exception. Attendance was or test the limits of man and machine in a sacola, Florida, which was the real base down 30 per cent, but even so we still at- howling storm many miles from the near- used for training the crews. The aircraft tracted over 80 aircraft and more than est landing strip. Aviation films can show were U.S. Army Air Force North Ameri- 150 visitors from around the country. Al- viewers what “it” was really like, and the can B-25C and D Mitchell bombers, very though this year’s event was marred by films that best provide this experience similar to the B-25Bs used in the raid. No the fatal crash of a Maule (not an RV) at have a common trait—they’re old. Really aircraft carriers were available to the film the airport, we look forward to hosting old. So old, in fact, that they were filmed makers, but a combination of good studio the premier RV gathering again in 2009. when the aircraft that they feature were sets and original newsreel footage recre- We’d like to welcome new Museum still in use. In short, we’re talking about ated the USS Hornet scenes faithfully. employee Chuck Faison, who works in classic films here. Let’s get started… Some critics saw the film as border- ing on propaganda (as did, in fact, most Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo From the Director (Continued on page 8) other wartime films), but their near-unan- Many critics consider Thirty Seconds imous verdict was summed up in the New Over Tokyo, released in November 1944, York Times: “Our first sensational raid on to be the finest World War II film ever Japan...is told with magnificent integrity made. The screenplay, by Dalton Trumbo and dramatic eloquence...” The Raiders (who, ironically, was convicted and im- themselves reportedly considered Thirty prisoned in 1950 for contempt of Con- Seconds Over Tokyo a worthy tribute. gress after refusing to testify about com- Twelve O’Clock High munist influence in Hollywood) was based on a 1943 book by Ted W. Law- Widely considered one of the best, if son. Lawson was the pilot of Ruptured not the best, aviation films ever made, Duck, the seventh of 16 B-25s that took Twelve O’Clock High premiered in Los off from the aircraft carrier USS Hornet Angeles on December 21, 1949. While on April 18, 1942, on the “Doolittle not actually made during the War, it nev- Raid,” a mission to bomb military instal- ertheless portrays, with superb accuracy lations around Tokyo. Although techni- and stunning cinematography, the story cally a failure, the strike, just four of U.S. 8th Air Force bomber crews who months after Pearl Harbor, was a strong flew daylight raids against targets in Ger- many and occupied France from their ba- S New Museum employee Chuck Faison ses in England. Directed by Henry King shows off two of his super-detailed Japanese and starring Gregory Peck as Brigadier model aircraft, a KI–84 and an A6M2-N. General Frank Savage, Gary Merrill as Colonel Keith Davenport and Dean Jag- Plane Talk ger in an Oscar-winning performance as Published quarterly by: Major Harvey Stovall, Twelve O’Clock High had the full cooperation of the Air War Eagles Air Museum Force. The aerial battle scenes used actu- 8012 Airport Road Santa Teresa, New Mexico 88008 (575) 589-2000 Cinema Star (Continued on page 3) Author/Editor: Terry Sunday Chief Nitpicker: Frank Harrison Final Proofreader: Kathy Sunday S In this archive photo, General James B. Editor’s Note: All images are the proper- Doolittle starts his takeoff run from the air- ties of their respective copyright holders, [email protected] craft carrier USS Hornet on April 18, 1942, and are used without permission. leading the way on a mission to bomb Japan. www.war-eagles-air-museum.com 2 First Quarter 2009 Plane Talk—The Newsletter of the War Eagles Air Museum The Dam Busters About the Author The Dam Busters tells the story of Jay Duncan is an internationally recognized film historian, ar- the development and use of the legendary chivist and collector. Holding a BA degree in Mass Commu- “bouncing bomb” in World War II. The nications, he has taught accredited film history courses at the brainchild of British inventor Dr. Barnes University of Texas at El Paso, and was instrumental in sav- Wallis (played by Michael Redgrave in ing the city’s magnificent 1930s-era Plaza Theater from dem- the film), this clever bomb was intended olition in 1974. He was Film Program Chair, guest speaker to destroy dams, ships and other hard-to- and panelist at many science fiction conventions, and he attack targets. The way it worked against founded, co-edited and published SPFX Magazine, devoted dams was truly ingenious. Carried under to special effects in movies, in 1977. In the days before cable, a specially modified Avro Lancaster, the when local television stations aired local programs, he was Program Director, an- cylindrical, 9,250-pound bomb was spun nouncer and writer-producer-host of “Jay’s Pix,” a popular weekly show in which he up to 500 RPM by a hydraulic motor and provided on-screen commentary and historical backgrounds to classic films. In belt drive. Release conditions were criti- 2004, Jay originated El Paso’s IT! Came From the ‘50s science fiction film festival. cal—the aircraft had to be almost exactly 60 feet above the water of the dam’s res- ervoir at an airspeed of between 240 and Cinema Star (Continued from page 2) them hazardous to operate. There are no 250 miles per hour. On release, the bomb reports of unusual deaths among the crew bounced across the water, struck the dam al combat footage (including some from and cast.