Via the Library of Congress.
“Many big Hollywood directors saw active duty in World War II and often became adept at capturing combat footage. In directing this film about the crew of a B-17 ‘flying fortress’ bomber as it approached its 25th mission, William Wyler insisted on using only genuine footage and soldiers, showing civilian audiences a more startlingly realistic view of the war than they’d seen before. Wyler’s direct style of telling a story, masterfully written by Lester Koenig, required no embellishment. ‘The situation was dramatic in itself. You didn’t have to dramatize.’ Wyler was assisted by several Hollywood-trained cinematographers, often under enemy fire, and later back in Hollywood by editor John Sturges, who would go on to direct a number of popular films after the war. Upon viewing the film, President Franklin D. Roosevelt urged, ‘This has to be shown right away, everywhere.’ Named to the National Film Registry in 2001.”
In 1944, Memphis Belle won the National Board of Review Award for Best Documentary.
Lt. Col. Willi Wyler’s wartime service completely cost him the hearing in his right ear, and he was only able to partially recover the hearing in his left ear.
Likewise, Col. Jimmy Stewart’s service as a B-24 Liberator bomber pilot and eventually, squadron leader, cost him much of his hearing. (In 1976, a feature article promoting what would prove to be John Wayne’s swan song, The Shootist, quoted Wayne as saying that he had to be careful to speak into Stewart’s good ear.)
Wyler and Stewart both served in the United States Army Eighth Air Force.
Nothwithstanding the occasional, notorious shirker, during The War, Hollywood was full of heroes, every bit as patriotic as the rest of the country.
Contributor Names
United States Army Eighth Air Force
Wyler, William
Paramount Pictures, inc.
Kern, Ed
Created / Published
1944
Subject Headings
- Documentary
Genre
Documentary
Notes
- Summary: Documentary about the 25th and last bombing mission of the B-17 bomber, Memphis Belle.
- Credits: Narrated by Ed Kern.
2 comments:
American bomber crew flying over Europe only one in five would make the customary twenty-five missions before being allowed to return to the states.
Tyrone Power, Jackie Coogan, Gene Autry all piloted missions during WW2, their performance exemplary.
Smokey Yunick the famous stock car racing garage owner flew fifty combat missions [pilot] during WW2. Odds making it back alive 25:1.
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