Quote from: Darth Fife on November 24, 2014, 06:47:02 PM
663 Squadron!

633 Squadron - Opening scene and theme tune

Darth

I can't believe you picked that one out of the crowd.

When I was a kid, a trip to the movies was always the same -- we went downtown to the Victory Theater and watched whatever Walt Disney release was playing. The first movie I ever saw was Pinocchio, and it went like that all my kid days.

But my grandma (mom's mom) was a bit more lenient, and she took me downtown (Dayton, OH) and let ME pick the theater and the movie. It was "633 Squadron." It was actually a pretty crappy movie, not the sort of thing Cliff Robertson became famous for. The special effects were frankly awful.

But Grandma and I had a GREAT time! We ate popcorn and I got to see planes flying and shooting each other to pieces... it was a good day.

I would pay a great deal to get that day back.

Quote from: TboneAgain on November 24, 2014, 07:20:25 PM
I can't believe you picked that one out of the crowd.

When I was a kid, a trip to the movies was always the same -- we went downtown to the Victory Theater and watched whatever Walt Disney release was playing. The first movie I ever saw was Pinocchio, and it went like that all my kid days.

But my grandma (mom's mom) was a bit more lenient, and she took me downtown (Dayton, OH) and let ME pick the theater and the movie. It was "633 Squadron." It was actually a pretty crappy movie, not the sort of thing Cliff Robertson became famous for. The special effects were frankly awful.

But Grandma and I had a GREAT time! We ate popcorn and I got to see planes flying and shooting each other to pieces... it was a good day.

I would pay a great deal to get that day back.

I saw it on T.V. it seemed to be a go to movie for networks when the baseball game got rained out!

I've always been fond of the DeHavilland Mosquito and have built countless models of it over the years  - mostly the Monogram 1/72 kit.

I absolutely loved the music! It works well with Aviation themed video.

BTW check out the writing credits for the film! 

Darth

Quote from: Darth Fife on November 24, 2014, 08:13:43 PM
I saw it on T.V. it seemed to be a go to movie for networks when the baseball game got rained out!

I've always been fond of the DeHavilland Mosquito and have built countless models of it over the years  - mostly the Monogram 1/72 kit.

I absolutely loved the music! It works well with Aviation themed video.

BTW check out the writing credits for the film! 

Darth

You have to hand it to the Brits. "We ain't got enough aluminum." (They say it 'aluminium' for some reason.) We'll just make the wings out of plywood." And they did.

But think about this -- two Rolls-Royce Merlin V-12s would probably make a septic tank fly. 

"The Vikings" (Kirk Douglas/Tony Curtis/Ernest Borgnine) "Big Trouble in Little China" (Kurt Ressell)

Quote from: TboneAgain on November 24, 2014, 07:20:25 PM
I can't believe you picked that one out of the crowd.

When I was a kid, a trip to the movies was always the same -- we went downtown to the Victory Theater and watched whatever Walt Disney release was playing. The first movie I ever saw was Pinocchio, and it went like that all my kid days.

But my grandma (mom's mom) was a bit more lenient, and she took me downtown (Dayton, OH) and let ME pick the theater and the movie. It was "633 Squadron." It was actually a pretty crappy movie, not the sort of thing Cliff Robertson became famous for. The special effects were frankly awful.

But Grandma and I had a GREAT time! We ate popcorn and I got to see planes flying and shooting each other to pieces... it was a good day.

I would pay a great deal to get that day back.

I have a similar grandma-moment over sugar cookies, so I understand, really I do. (No sarcasm, but heavy on the whimsy.)

And I agree this wasn't one of Robertson's best films, the stuff he did become better-known for.  (Pause, two, three....)  He's like in, um, everything!.....

It astounds me that James Clavell (Shogun) co-wrote this with Howard Koch (War of the Worlds radio script) and the admirably-competent Mirisch studio produced this, but not one of the other people in the cast or the credited crew did ANYTHING ELSE of note. Robertson was their star, the rest unknowns.

The only explanation that makes sense is, Clavell and Koch must have turned out a substandard script, no big-name stars or crew wanted to be in it, and they snagged Robertson trying to save the film. That opening scene alone is WAAAAAY dark. That's not a bad print, that's bad cinematography and direction. Editing was by hedge-trimmers, but that's a Mirisch thing more than say Pinewood or other UK studios.

The "Game of Thrones" extended theme (link hopefully more permanent than before)....

Game of Thrones Extended Theme

The Theme from "Midnight Cowboy" , "Patton" theme 

Meet Taxed and the CPF moderators. Hear their thunder!

Two Steps From Hell - To Glory

Quote from: quiller on November 25, 2014, 06:34:50 AM
I have a similar grandma-moment over sugar cookies, so I understand, really I do. (No sarcasm, but heavy on the whimsy.)

And I agree this wasn't one of Robertson's best films, the stuff he did become better-known for.  (Pause, two, three....)  He's like in, um, everything!.....

It astounds me that James Clavell (Shogun) co-wrote this with Howard Koch (War of the Worlds radio script) and the admirably-competent Mirisch studio produced this, but not one of the other people in the cast or the credited crew did ANYTHING ELSE of note. Robertson was their star, the rest unknowns.

The only explanation that makes sense is, Clavell and Koch must have turned out a substandard script, no big-name stars or crew wanted to be in it, and they snagged Robertson trying to save the film. That opening scene alone is WAAAAAY dark. That's not a bad print, that's bad cinematography and direction. Editing was by hedge-trimmers, but that's a Mirisch thing more than say Pinewood or other UK studios.

Totally agree. I get the feeling that the budget was the problem here.

Here is the same song used for an aviation video on youtube. It works pretty well here too!

Hong Kong Kai Tak Airport (1925 - 1998) 香港啟德機場

Darth

Excuse my cinematic brain fart, above, but it's the U.S. branch of Mirisch which produced the most hits (and had the highest-quality final product). The UK branch which produced this film also did the Pink Panther films but (as with this film) never became all that profitable without Peter Sellers in the cast.

Quote from: Darth Fife on November 25, 2014, 10:44:55 AM
Totally agree. I get the feeling that the budget was the problem here.

Here is the same song used for an aviation video on youtube. It works pretty well here too!

Hong Kong Kai Tak Airport (1925 - 1998) 香港啟德機場

Darth

Jesus! What a shitty forced landing flight path!

I read that the History Channel ranked Kai Tak on their list of Most Extreme Airports at only #6. I don't think I'd care to see video of the top five.

Quote from: TboneAgain on November 28, 2014, 07:06:38 PM
Jesus! What a shitty forced landing flight path!

I read that the History Channel ranked Kai Tak on their list of Most Extreme Airports at only #6. I don't think I'd care to see video of the top five.

I was there in 1967 and '72, and both times heard numerous stories of near-misses at that bizarrely-laid-out airfield. I agree about seeing the top five: even secondhand stories were scary enough.

Quote from: TboneAgain on November 28, 2014, 07:06:38 PM
Jesus! What a shitty forced landing flight path!

I read that the History Channel ranked Kai Tak on their list of Most Extreme Airports at only #6. I don't think I'd care to see video of the top five.

I saw a TV program on the World's 10 Most Dangerous Airports. One of the top five had a cliff face at the end of the runway. Just after you got off the ground you had to make a sharp turn, or hit the cliff. Another had you landing going uphill. The one at Gibraltar has you coming around The Rock - which creates weird air currents -  to land at an airport built out into the ocean. BTW, we may be talking about the same program.

Hunt For Red October

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rPsL2WVhFCc

E. T.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gTVoFCP1BLg

Remember "Breakfast at Tiffany's" theme song? You can probably name two or three OTHER Henry Mancini songs...but nothing comes close to his terrific theme for the Steve Railsback film "Lifeforce".....

Henry Mancini - Theme From Lifeforce