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You missed some important facts that viewers. might have missed. James Whitmore Jr who played Captain Gutterman is actually James Whitmore III son of famed stage and screen actor James Whitmore. After leaving Black Sheep Squadron, James concentrated on directing rather than acting, often working on shows helmed by Donald P. Bessario.
I'm getting a little teary eyed watching this. This show did two things for me. I became a huge fan of the F4U Corsair and it fueled my desires to become a pilot at the age of 15. I am 62, attended Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, served 11 years as an Army Aviation Officer, flew 2 years as a Part 135 pilot, 10 years as a corporate pilot and now 10 years as a simulator/ground instructor training military, corporate, commercial, contractor and special ops operators. This show made such an impact for me that I have purchased the DVD set. Pappy's Lambs was a little hokey but that's television. For the misfits and screwballs that this show had such an impact, sing along with me. "We are poor little lambs, who have lost our way. BAAAAA!! BAAAAAA!!!! BAAAAA!!!!"
I find that some of the real BlackSheep pilots for the most part hated the TV show showing them as misfits and bums like Pappy (who kicked ass!). So Marines can't take a joke?! Sad for them, this video summed up the show perfectly (written and produced by the guy who did the 'realistic' LOL! A-Team, why would want a ultra dramatic and dark Kubrick series depicting the real 214 war vs a fun, comedy, action entertainment show?! Sorry guys, I think the actual people who were in Mashes, loved the TV show Mash as well as military in Catch 22 movie. But hey, some people love to tear down flawed heroes.
Amen to this. Didn't have the eyesight to get more than a Class III Medical, but it certainly fueled my love of flying. Also, the comradery of the characters impacted me a lot. Served 10 years as a result.
Possibly that show inspired as many to become pilots as Star Treks Scotty inspired to become engineers ( or possibly both as Boyington was an aeronautical engineer)
I met him at Oskosh in 1984, I think it was. He flew in in his Mini Mustang (which if I remember right was packing a 200 horse Lycombing!!!). I already had a copy of Baa Baa Black Sheep, but not one signed by HIM. I still have both copies. I already knew flying since I was born into a family of pilots (We flew in from Tulsa in our 1941 Fairchild 24W) so getting to talk shop with him was quite mind boggling for a 14 year old. I don't know what I expected my impression of him was going to be, but he wasn't whatever I thought he would be. Honestly, he turned out to be kind of an odd personality. But I will say this: he was the first pilot that was able to explain to me how a lag roll allowed a faster plane to stay behind a slower plane without flying out in front of the slower plane, in a way I actually understood.
I wish I had recognized him. I did actually get to meet him at an airshow close to San Rafael. Still full of piss and vinegar! I didn't find out much later that my dad actually was a good friend of his.
Greg Boyington was a Medal of Honor , Navy Cross, & Purple Heart recipient, a fighter pilot ace, shot down in the Pacific and became a Japanese POW. The real Boyington was a hard drinking man that suffered from alcoholism until his death probably due to undiagnosed PTSD sadly. I seen an interview with Greg Boyington where he said the TV show as 95% Hollywood fiction 5 % real. I loved the show as a teenager. Thanks for posting.
The Geatest star of the Black Sheep Squadron series is and always will be the F-4U Corsair. That's the reason I watched. thank you for the look back!!.
I loved BBBS as a kid. It was the only TV show I cared enough about to write a letter of protest to the studio when I found out the show was going to be cancelled; I received a large B&W publicity still from the studio in return, which I hadn't expected (long since lost, sadly). I was too young at the time to appreciate all of the historical inaccuracies in the show; to a kid with lots of WWII airplane models hanging from his bedroom ceiling, BBBS was pure awesomeness, no matter its faults. Still love the Corsair to this day.
To this day, I refuse to watch "CHiPs" because that was what unexpectedly came on in it's place on its normal night. Thought it was a fluke so tuned in the next week and then found out it was over. I was devastated. Wish I'd written a protest letter too. Good job!
Each week I could not wait for the new episode. Loved this show. Well written and acted. Robert Conrad was born to play the role of Major Greg Boyington. The chemistry he had with Red West - who will forever be immortalized as MSgt Andy Micklin Maintenance Superintendent VMF 214 - was great. Micklin: "I don't like you Boyington" but he respected him. RIP to both of these actors who made this show something special - you are missed.
Just a point regarding Robert Conrad's bar fights. I read an article several years ago about this that pointed out Conrad was a laid-back, friendly individual who never caused any trouble. If people came up to him in public he would take time to politely talk with them, answer their questions and give them autographs. Unfortunately, due to his on-screen "bad assed" persona, especially during "Wild, Wild West", there always seemed to be some idiot who wanted to prove Conrad was a "phony" who wasn't as bad as his characters. Sadly for them, Conrad, a martial artist, WAS as bad as his characters. While he never STARTED a fight, he FINISHED several! I can't blame him for defending himself.
NOPE! I don't blame him either! And yes i heard that about him too! He was one of the NICEST People... but if someone wanted to push his "Pappy" persona... They got their full measure from him! I would have done the EXACT Same thing in his place!
Robert Conrad was one of a kind, and I had a chance to tell him what a positive impact he had on my life. I was meritoriously promoted while in the Marine Corps, I was named 1992 State Firefighter of the year, worked as a rescue diver and much more. Robert Conrad is greatly missed Semper Fi
Baa Baa Black Sheep was my absolute favorite show when it came out in the 70s. I even had a Corsair model in my room among many WWII fighter planes. Bob Conrad was total badass.
George Edward, I would have to be pried away from the TV when Black Sheep was on. My model Corsair didn't last too long after assembly. It suffered irreparable "battle damage " from a dogfight with my bb gun.
I first read about Pappy Boyington in 6th grade in a book on American WWII fighter pilots. 8 years later this show turns up Sept 1976. I was delighted (as I thought the history of the Black Sheep & Pappy was an obscure story) and thought it was a wonderful tribute to all the Marine fighter pilots, ground crew,and nurses who fought & served on inhospitable islands in the middle part of "The War" when there was no end in sight.
@@georgeedward1226 If you visit the Udvar-Hazy facility, part of the Smithsonian Institution's Air & Space Museum, in Chantilly, Virginia you will be able to see P-61 Black Widow in person. I don't recall off-hand if they have a Corsair there or at the main museum 30-ish miles away in Washington, D.C., heck it has been so long that it may not be at either, I might've seen the Corsair at the aviation museum in Norfolk, Virginia or the Marine Corps Museum in Quantico, Virginia. Well, at least you have four places to check.
@@georgeedward1226 I remember building a model of the “Black Widow” by Monogram…1/48th scale if I’m not mistaken…did the all black paint Night Version”
I have always loved the Corsair. You look at them and see nothing but power and maneuverability. I am also in love with the P51 Mustang. Long live my Great Uncle Major Peter Borges USAF.
I am always amazed that the Corsair isn't talked about more when it comes to aircraft that made a difference and changed WWII aviation. Which people seem to forget. That's 1 of the reasons it's hanging at the overlook at the National Air and Space Udvar Hazy Center as soon as you walk into the museum. Check it out! I was part of the original security team there from 1/2004 to 9/2009
@@davebowrin7361 I agree. As much as I love the Mustang and Spitfire the Corsair and Hellcat are overlooked. I think the Hellcat had the most kills. And the Me109 sounds badass too
My father and I watched this show when I was a kid, dad served in Vietnam. We loved it. Fun fact I served in the Air Force 214th squadron in Iraq and Afghanistan.... Also called the Black Sheep.
WOW! SOOO COOL! So You actually SERVED In the Spirit of Pappy and the "Black Sheep"! THAT Is VERY VERY COOL and an Awesome Tradition to be part of! THANK YOU For your service! BLACK SHEEP FOREVER! :D
I really enjoyed the series. My dad was a pilot and inspired me to become one also. Started flying with him at 5 years old and now 63 yeas old. I have multiple FAA Pilots Licenses and run a radio control club here in South Carolina. My favorite plane is the F4-U Corsair , Have 3 of different sizes. I was heartbroken when I heard of Robert Conrad's , passing. The Club calls Me Captain Pappy. Shall never forget him and watch the re-runs all the time. Capt. Robert Morgan Brooks. P.I.C of N32DQ , Lake Amphibian LA-4-200. May He Rest in peace.
I owned one of the Tora Tora Zeros. They were actually converted Canadian Harvard IV's, which were Canadian manufactured versions of the beloved AT-6G. Several were re-featured with recycled video in the first version of Midway. They never reflew but some of their footage from TTT was reused. They were sold to museums and private owners after TTT for about $5500 and only a couple actually participated in Blacksheep. I have an autographed copy of "BAA BLACK SHEEP" to me from Pappy when he spoke at a dining in at Mather AFB in the late seventies when I was flying navigator trainees there. He was a great guy.
@@royallison5307 I remember on "The Battle of the Network Stars" they put Conrad on the spot. They placed a battery on his shoulder, and Lou "The Hulk" Ferrigno knocked it off and waited for Conrad to do something about it. :-)
@@booksteer7057 - I remember on one of those BOTNS they had some kind of water filled dunking machine and the Network camera man goes and gets right down behind Heather Thomas as she was climbing the little stairs to the top and 💥BAM💥 Just like that everything made sense in the world lol…😍
Boyingtons actual last name was Hallenbeck (Sounds alot like Hell and back!). He changed his birth name in 1935 to pursue a career in aviation that was not open to married men at the time. He was married under his given name Gregory Hallenbeck. His step fathers last name was Boyington. So he changed his last name to Boyington and claimed to be single to enter the aviation program.
Without checking, I recall Boyington flew with either the Panda Bears of Hell's Angels under Chennault's Flying tigers but didn't have the tiger-mouth. I may be mistaken.
I enjoyed the first season. Loved the aerial footage of those Corsairs! From memory, the first couple of episodes, some characters were killed off, so I thought that this show would be different to the usual, where you always knew that the main characters would survive. I didn't take long before it went the usual way of predictability. But then... you always got to see those Corsairs flying! 😊
I'm still watching the show twice each Saturday on the channel Hero's and Icons. I never get tired of watching the Corsairs. I am always amazed the horsepower required to turn that prop!
The first season was amazing! Second season "jumped the shark" in so many ways. Yes, Gutterman seemed to play Pappy's alter-ego. The man Pappy would have been if not given the burden of command. The show was less without him...
My sincerest thanks for your wonderful video! It both made me smile and drew a few tears. You see my Mom, "Star-Spangled Stella", my Dad, Jim, and my Aunts, Mary and Jean, all worked at "Chance Vought Aircraft" in Stratford, Connecticut during World War ll manufacturing those "Corsair F4Us". In fact, until a few years ago, there was a "Corsair" with Gregory "Pappy" Boyington's insignia painted on the fuselage below the canopy, mounted to a pedestal at the entrance to our local "Igor Sikorsky Memorial Airport". Time and weather had not been kind since its installation in 1972, so it was gently removed by crane, and is currently undergoing a total restoration, which may co$t a million plu$ dollar$. The "Corsair" was chosen as the "State Plane Of Connecticut" back in 2005, and we've helped host several "Corsairs Over Connecticut" airshows since then, actually getting 9 of the last 25 still airworthy (out of the 12,000+ built...). So again, as Bob Hope would croon: "Thanks for the memories..." 💋 👍♥
I was 4 years old in 1965 & I remember as clear as day the first time watching the Wild Wild West . I was sleep walking out of my bedroom, walked into the living room where my parents were watching the Wild Wild West, turned towards the TV and attempted to use it as the toilet. My parents stoped me in time, sat me on the sofa where I watched my very first episode & still remains my favorite show to this day. And Ba Ba Black Sheep a close second!
@@marcusbeck4656 The funny thing is there was a campaign to get it canceled in prime time because it was "too violent". Of couse then they showed it in syndication in the afternoons. :-)
When I was young, Pappy would show up at my Dads shop in Fresno, He would talk war stories with my Grandfather. They would sit and swap old war stories for hours. I miss being young!
I really liked Robert Conrad in Black Sheep squadron, and Wild Wild west. Some of my favorite shows. I wasn't aware the real Pappy Boyington was in show. It sounds like RC was the perfect choice to play Pappy. I was amazed that Hollywood would make a TV show about Ww2 pilots, but loved it.
I never noticed it as a kid but later on in life I noticed that the nurses on the show sported 70s Farrah Fawcett style hairdos even though it was set in the 1940s
I was an EMS helicopter pilot based at the Columbia Airport close to Sonora CA from 2002-2003. On one of my night shifts, the helicopter was dispatched to pick up a patient involved in a head on collision on Route 4 near Angels Camp. The patient was loaded and flown to a hospital in Modesto. I found out the next night when I came in for my shift that the patient I had flown the previous night was Robert Conrad. The medic who was on duty with me that night had gone to the hospital that day to check in on the patient. That’s when he found out the patient was ‘Pappy’ from Baa Baa Black Sheep. Unfortunately, Robert Conrad suffered some partial paralysis as a result of that car accident. I enjoyed all of Robert Conrad’s television and movie appearances. Earlier this year, episodes of ‘Hawaiian Eye’ were being televised here where I live, but it only lasted a short time. That show was cool, before people knew what cool even was. RIP RC 🙏
I was a big fan of the show growing up. I got to meet Pappy at an airshow and got him to autograph my copy of his book. He was not very nice but seemed tired, unknown to me he was sick and died a short time later. For all his faults, you have to give it to him, he was a great pilot and winner of the CMH.
Me too. I carried a heavy book called history of Aviation. It had his photo in it and he signed at top of page. He told me he was glad to see a kid carrying a heavy book to an airshow
I remember that episode- if I remember correctly he was of course loyal to his Corsair, but said he’d never seen a plane (P-38 Lightning) that could climb like that. Dad’s been gone four years now but always spoke about watching the Lightnings practicing dogfights from the Berkeley shore with the sun setting behind the GG Bridge in the background.
@@FactsVerse I don't recall the episode name, but its the visiting USAAF P38 pilot vying for top score ace. At a point they have to shot him down. Mickland ends up telling Pappy he understood what happened 'out there' seeing the 50cal slugs in his Corsair.
Robert Conrad was always portrayed as a tough guy and lived up to it in real life. His competitive nature is why he was the NBC team captain on Battle of The Network Stars back in 1976. Sponsors capitalized on this in a battery commercial when he dared anyone to knock it off his shoulder.
I watched this show ALL the time when I was a kid; I didn't realize, til recently, that John Larroquette was in it. Now I need to find this show on DVD. Thanks for sharing.
I always liked an interview with a real pilot from VMF 214. He wondered where those nurses were hiding at. He said there was nothing much but guys, planes and bugs on the Island.
"Black Sheep squadron" was origionally called "Baa Baa Black Sheep" because that is what Boyingtons autobiography released in 1958 was named. I have a signed hardback copy that my Dad purchased for me, from Boyington personally, at an airshow in Creswell, Oregon in 1978. I was only 13 years old at the time, was a huge fan of WWII aviation, especially fighters of the era because of R/C model airplanes that I hand built from balsa kits, and because of this show, and his book. This show has always made the F4U-Corsair one of my favorites, if not my outright favorite fighter aircraft of WWII. I was a great fan of the show and even though I now know that 90% of the show was made for TV crap, I still loved watching it and never missed an episode! When we met "Gramps" which is what most of the pilots called him, not "Pappy" which was what the US propaganda machine back home thought sounded better for public moral, just like the squadron was origionally going to be called "Boyingtons Bastards" but the censors back home wouldn't allow that name so they decided on "Black Sheep". I wish I had been a little bit older when we met him, because I was so star struck and in awe of actually meeting Boyington that I think my jaw dropped and probably was on the tarmac and I didn't know what to say. The fictional island of Vella La Cava was actually based on the island of Vella LaVella, a small island in the Solomon group of islands north of Australia.
As a kid, I used to pretend I was Pappy Boyington, on the school swing set at recess. When I met him at an airshow, I was star struck. He came out from his booth for a picture with me. Totally made my day.
LOL - I did the same playing Greg (my name is Greg) with 3 other friends on some big chain swing sets. When we were dog fighting, we would spin the swing backwards or around in a full 180 calling for backup! When we were shot down, we'd bail out and jump off the swing... oh the good old days. You didn't go to St. Joseph's in Menlo Park, CA did you?
The exploits of the Black Sheep may have been fiction, but I give the show a lot of kudos, because it got me interested in WW2, and the real Pappy Boyington
@@johnjohnon8767 read his book too, was very interesting, iread somewhere that he apologized to the members of the 214, about how the show portrayed them
I met Robert Conrad in Greeley, CO when he was filming Centennial. Really nice guy, liked to party. He picked up the tab for a large group of us students that were drinking with him while listening to a band in a club. Surprisingly humble, but asserted himself when a couple drunks came up and referred to his tv commercial at the time, wanting to knock an Energizer battery off his shoulder. Kept it from turning into an incident when it could have gotten ugly. Of course, having several of UNC’s larger, stronger football players at our table (during the offseason) probably helped.
Some facts you missed: 1. Stephen J. Cannell wanted Robert Conrad to play the role of Hannibal on The A-Team, but RC turned it down, thinking it would be a failure. 2. Robert Conrad learned to fly a plane to prepare for the role of Pappy Boyington. 3. As he did in The Wild Wild West, Robert Conrad did his own stunts on the show. He did the actual boxing match against a stunt double in "The Best Three Out of Five". (RC was a professional middleweight boxer prior to finding success on Hawaiian Eye.) 4. The real Pappy Boyington not only had three cameo appearances, but also served as the show's on-set technical advisor. 5. The show was cancelled after the first season for low ratings because it was up against Happy Days and Laverne and Shirley. It was resurrected by NBC as a mid-season replacement in December 1977 and it was then renamed Black Sheep Squadron. (Watch the intro of the second season.) It was then unwisely put up against Charlie's Angels. 6. Robert Conrad first met Red West while playing touch football with Elvis Presley. Red West was a stuntman on The Wild Wild West and appeared in several other Robert Conrad projects. 7. The show featured real WW2 footage of dogfights, along with some shots taken from the 1969 film "The Battle of Britain". 8. According to Pappy Boyington's autobiography, there really was a Colonel Lard who was a stickler for rules and was a thorn in Boyington's side. For example, he put Boyington in hack for 10 days for not using mosquito netting in his tent. There was also a real General "Nuts" Moore who authorized some of Boyington's strategies and defended him against Lard.
One additional factoid from the Wild, Wild West: all the bad guys that James West had to fight, week after week, location after location, were the same band of six or seven stuntmen in every episode. That group awarded Conrad and 'Honorary Stunt Man' plaque at the end of shooting for the Wild Wild West.
@@cdjhyoung Yup, Robert Conrad and Whitey Hughes choreographed the fight sequences each week. RC and the group of stuntmen played football together every Saturday. RC is one of six actors that are honorary members in the Hollywood Stuntman Hall of Fame, along with John Wayne, Bruce Lee, Chuck Norris, and Jackie Chan. Awesome guy! (I did not put this in my original comment because it seemed off topic with respect to Baa Baa Black Sheep.)
My childhood idol for THE WILD WILD WEST!!! Great show! I was also and still am a military aviation enthusiast, so when BLACK SHEEP aired with Conrad starring as Boyington, I thought that was GENIUS! Medal Of Honor winner Pappy Boyington was the real deal. There is alot of good info on him, and well worth learning about this American Hero.
I found interesting that the real Pappy Boyington was in episodes. I must have missed them. Blacksheep was one of my favorite shows of escape from reality as a teenager! Thanks for this vid. Charles
Glad some folks caught the Douglas family in this video. I'm sure it wasn't intentional but if you want to be accurate then getting the small details like this correct is essential. This should not have made it on air for all of humanity to see.
My teen daughter was a big Wild Wild West fan, (watching it in reruns in the early 2000s), and started watching reruns of BSS with me. It was about 5 episodes in when the light went on and she blurted out "DAD! THAT'S JAMES WEST!!!!" Priceless father/daughter moment right there :)
I would love to see this show come back as a Stephen Spielberg production. Give it the same care and treatment as Band of Brothers. Considering "Masters of the Air" is due soon, it would make sense to have some "Pacific Theatre aviation" like how "The Pacific" was to BoB. Like the original, real Corsair's BUT more historically accurate Zero's (there are flyable real A6M3's and A6M5's around..Planes of Fame has some). Expensive as hell but totally worth it.
When this show aired as BaBa Blacksheep, I had the honor to talk to a mechanic that worked on Corsairs during WW2. Most people nowadays will never get the opportunity to talk to someone that was there as not many from WW2 are still with us. If you get a chance, spend a couple minutes to say hi and maybe even shake their hand.
This show was one that made my friends and I go home to watch every time it came on .. I am from St Thomas USVI.. What I found most interesting was the fact that the real Pappy Boyington was the General that appeared a few times in the series..That was so cool..
That was 😎 cool. Oh, by the way, I absolutely love St. Thomas! I spent my teenage years there during 1980 to 1985. Use to hang out at Bolongo Bay alot. Went to Antilles School. I miss it very much.
I was a freshman in high school when this came out and I convinced my mom I had to watch it for NJROTC class. My dad who is a retired Col. from the USAF nearly chocked on his food from laughing when my mom told him at dinner.
At some point they were taking the show off the air when a letter writing campaign was started. They got what was, at the time, the most letters protesting this decision. Because of the uproar the show continued. I was one of the letter writers. I had just gotten my pilot's certificate and damn it, I wanted to see those beautiful Corsairs in my living room. Great Show, indeed.
Only missed his one greatest role in the TV Mini series Centennial as the trapper Pasquinel. He was perfect in the role and said himself it was the best part he ever played.
I was 6 when Black sheep came out, my grandfather was in his late 60s, and suffering from severe Aurthitis...but he watched this show religiously introducing me to WW2, we would share his Recliner and he would put his withering arm around me, and we spent an hour in the past.
I was such a fan of Baa Baa Black Sheep. It must be said that the real life Pappy, Greg Boyington was a Congressional Medal of Honor recipient. Although I would have loved to have met Robert Conrad, as I was a lifelong fan; I did have the opportunity to meet Pappy himself at a Antique airplane fly-in in Arizona. Very nice and gracious man. He kindly signed an autograph for me. Which to this day has a dear place in my heart. Just one of the famous aviation notables in history. Great show and fond memories.
Red West was also a frequent participant in the choreographed fights in The Wild, Wild West. He was getting a credit for some of his appearances in the 3rd and 4th seasons with his name in the closing credits. When watching Wild Wild West reruns, I try to find Red West among the chief villain's thugs.
The dynamic between him and Major Boyington was fascinating. Many times on the show he would say "I don't like you Boyington" but at the end of the day he respected him. Loved when he first appeared on the show and the pilots got their first exposure to him. Micklin: "Which one these planes is yours Sonny?" LT Boyle: "Third one from the end Sarge." Micklin: "WRONG College Boy. All these aircraft belong to me - I just loan 'em to you once or twice a day." Red West will forever be immortalized as MSgt Andy Micklin - Maintenance Superintendent, VMF 214.
If i remember correctly, Red West and Bob Conrad were students of Ed Parker a renowned Kenpo Karate instructor, who also taught Elvis. Red became a member of the “ Memphis Mafia” Presleys posse. Ed was also seen with the crew regularly.
Such a great series, back when actual aircraft were used instead of computer generated fake aircraft. To this day, I have no desire to see a movie with computer generated flying.
During the filming of "Jingle All the Way", he and his family stayed at the apartment complex where I lived. My friend and I got to meet him and one of his daughters one evening at the community building and pool. He told us a lot of stories about acting and being a stuntman. One of his stories was about how he and the other stuntmen were trying to impress the producers that were visiting the set for some movie he was on. Basically by trying to "show off" he messed up his part of the stunt and ended up landing on his head. He said he cracked his skull open and still had memory issues because of it. My friend being a jackass asked him what it was like to work with Arnold Schwarzenegger. In a very calm, matter of fact voice, he told my friend that he should ask Arnold what it was like to work with him. I don't know what he was like when he was younger, but he was super nice to us. I wish I could have spent more time with him and remembered more of his stories.
I was on the backlot of Universal Studios back in 1976 and visited the soundstage where they were filming Baa Baa Black Sheep. Although I wasn't on their crew I did some minor work that day helping the assistant director. Robert Conrad wasn't in the scene but I did see him racing around the backlot in his car. I also remember the F4-U Corsairs being parked at the Van Nuys Airport along with some of the AT-6s that were cosmetically made to look like Japanese Zeroes. If memory serves me I believe they shot out at Indian Dunes for most of the exterior filming.
The exterior shooting was done at Santa Paula Airport. It is close to the Pacific Ocean so they could quickly fly out of that Airport to do the over water scenes when required.
I kind of think that the show jumped networks that was a long time ago I'm not really sure but I think it when it changed the cast the show jump networks.. ever notice how many people from Black sheep squadron are on Magnum PI. Almost every person except for Robert Conrad
Absolutely agree about Pappy's Lambs (hey, I already knew the history. I'm sorry; I like pretty female faces!) I wished the series had more episodes too, but then I discovered that Pappy only served with the Black Sheep from September 1943 to January 3rd, 1944, when he was shot down and captured. Since then I've been satisfied that the series ran as long as it did. But I wonder if scripts were written that were never filmed.....?
The introduction of Pappy’s Lambs made the show unwatchable in the last season. The girls were pretty but they looked like they were from 1984 not 1944, and they couldn’t act. Neither could Nick Adams’ (the Rebel) boy. Rampant nepotism seldom works out (James Whitmore Jr. was the only decent 2nd generation actor in the show).
Loved how the real Pappy plays a General who pins a medal on the TV Pappy. Keeping his family on the loop a great move by Conrad. Gregory Boyington: (1912 - 1988) Robert Conrad: (1935 - 2020)
I used to watch Baa Baa BS faithfully back in the days before syndication. I have remembered Frampton playing the island spotter part. However, I DIDN'T remember that the REAL Pappy had played parts. Thanks for the memories, my friend !
At the National Air&Space Udvar Center next to Dulles Airport. There is a F4/ Corsair and Pappy Boyingtons signature in inside one of the Wheel Wells. That's what I was told when I work there.
To say I loved this show is like saying I love breathing. It's why I got my pilots license, the corsair is my favorite WW2 fighter and when my love and obsession with aviation began. As far as I dream of Genie...I would've starred in that show without any billing...just to be around Barbara in those little outfits! Like Andy said to her in an episode of Andy Griffith said...."god has been good to you. REALLLLLL good!"....lol.
after his last tv series, the one where he and his sons were search and rescue, they retired to a small town near the bear valley ski area and did alot of volunteer work for the local search and rescue.
The one thing you forgot to mention is the fact that the real Boyington was a sleep-aholic. When he wasn't in the air, he was in his cot asleep. He was a heavy Zzzz cutter.
If you read his book you find out he had a lot of sleep to catch up on.😆 Boyington would go up on night missions to up his score and shoot down the occasional Japanese plane. To stay awake he would put coffee grounds in the corners of his eyes to stay awake as falling asleep would be certain death.🙁
@@daveb.4268 he also had malaria pretty bad if I remember right, as was a heavy drinker too. I recall something in his book about rigging a makeshift autopilot in his corsair with pieces of string attached to the flight controls to hold it steady so he could snooze, and if he felt a wing dip he'd wake up and tug on one of the strings to set it back on course. It's been awhile since I read his book, but it was pretty good (not really much like the TV show, but you can see where some of the inspiration came from)
I worked at the National Air and Space museum at UAL. Not much was ever said about the Corsair but it was an aircraft that made a major difference in the war.
@@jayman2519 I agree,. Not knocking Robert Conrad, I admire him. Just pointing out the obvious. My only real complaint was the Medicare nature of the program.
THE GREAT OLD C-47S AND OTHER PLANES ,,.BOYINGTON COULD FIGHT HIS WAY OUT OF ANY THING .. I LOVED THE ACTION PACCKED IN THIS SHOW,,.. THANKS, VETERAN...SHARP SHOOTER --- MEDIC..
One of the Corsairs from the show is home based outside of Chicago, the owner lives in Downers Grove. It typically flies out of KDPA and often makes appearances in local airshows.
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You missed some important facts that viewers. might have missed. James Whitmore Jr who played Captain Gutterman is actually James Whitmore III son of famed stage and screen actor James Whitmore. After leaving Black Sheep Squadron, James concentrated on directing rather than acting, often working on shows helmed by Donald P. Bessario.
Yes until you fly p38 or a p51
I'd like to see you just disappear.
Excellent show!
I'm getting a little teary eyed watching this. This show did two things for me. I became a huge fan of the F4U Corsair and it fueled my desires to become a pilot at the age of 15. I am 62, attended Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, served 11 years as an Army Aviation Officer, flew 2 years as a Part 135 pilot, 10 years as a corporate pilot and now 10 years as a simulator/ground instructor training military, corporate, commercial, contractor and special ops operators. This show made such an impact for me that I have purchased the DVD set. Pappy's Lambs was a little hokey but that's television. For the misfits and screwballs that this show had such an impact, sing along with me. "We are poor little lambs, who have lost our way. BAAAAA!! BAAAAAA!!!! BAAAAA!!!!"
I find that some of the real BlackSheep pilots for the most part hated the TV show showing them as misfits and bums like Pappy (who kicked ass!). So Marines can't take a joke?! Sad for them, this video summed up the show perfectly (written and produced by the guy who did the 'realistic' LOL! A-Team, why would want a ultra dramatic and dark Kubrick series depicting the real 214 war vs a fun, comedy, action entertainment show?! Sorry guys, I think the actual people who were in Mashes, loved the TV show Mash as well as military in Catch 22 movie. But hey, some people love to tear down flawed heroes.
Amen to this. Didn't have the eyesight to get more than a Class III Medical, but it certainly fueled my love of flying. Also, the comradery of the characters impacted me a lot. Served 10 years as a result.
Oh yeah! I sing it all the time!
Possibly that show inspired as many to become pilots as Star Treks Scotty inspired to become engineers ( or possibly both as Boyington was an aeronautical engineer)
Baa baa bbbaaaaa....we all hold up our glasses of scotch high in honor of a great man and a great squadron
that show made me fall in love with corsairs.
Me too!
Best looking fighter of WW2
The Corsair: whistling death.
Yea me too
Same here.
The fact that Col. Boyington actually appeared on the show is pretty amazing!
He was the consultant for the show
I met him at Oskosh in 1984, I think it was. He flew in in his Mini Mustang (which if I remember right was packing a 200 horse Lycombing!!!). I already had a copy of Baa Baa Black Sheep, but not one signed by HIM. I still have both copies. I already knew flying since I was born into a family of pilots (We flew in from Tulsa in our 1941 Fairchild 24W) so getting to talk shop with him was quite mind boggling for a 14 year old. I don't know what I expected my impression of him was going to be, but he wasn't whatever I thought he would be. Honestly, he turned out to be kind of an odd personality. But I will say this: he was the first pilot that was able to explain to me how a lag roll allowed a faster plane to stay behind a slower plane without flying out in front of the slower plane, in a way I actually understood.
I wish I had recognized him. I did actually get to meet him at an airshow close to San Rafael. Still full of piss and vinegar! I didn't find out much later that my dad actually was a good friend of his.
Met him at a Chino airshow sitting next to the Japanese pilot credited with shooting him down.
Greg Boyington was a Medal of Honor , Navy Cross, & Purple Heart recipient, a fighter pilot ace, shot down in the Pacific and became a Japanese POW.
The real Boyington was a hard drinking man that suffered from alcoholism until his death probably due to undiagnosed PTSD sadly.
I seen an interview with Greg Boyington where he said the TV show as 95% Hollywood fiction 5 % real.
I loved the show as a teenager.
Thanks for posting.
The Geatest star of the Black Sheep Squadron series is and always will be the F-4U Corsair. That's the reason I watched. thank you for the look back!!.
Well said, we strongly concur! Thank you for watching our content and for sharing your thoughts. What other types of video would you like to see?
I loved BBBS as a kid. It was the only TV show I cared enough about to write a letter of protest to the studio when I found out the show was going to be cancelled; I received a large B&W publicity still from the studio in return, which I hadn't expected (long since lost, sadly). I was too young at the time to appreciate all of the historical inaccuracies in the show; to a kid with lots of WWII airplane models hanging from his bedroom ceiling, BBBS was pure awesomeness, no matter its faults. Still love the Corsair to this day.
To this day, I refuse to watch "CHiPs" because that was what unexpectedly came on in it's place on its normal night. Thought it was a fluke so tuned in the next week and then found out it was over. I was devastated. Wish I'd written a protest letter too. Good job!
Ditto on the show and the models but never wrote a letter. Good for you!
Bummer you lost that photo. Yeah I like the show as well.
Did you hang them with fishing line & black spray paint cotton as flak?
Same here. I was 10 to 12 years old when it was on.
I watch the reruns every Saturday evening over and over! 😉
God bless Robert Conrad ! R.I.P. 👍🇺🇸
Each week I could not wait for the new episode. Loved this show. Well written and acted. Robert Conrad was born to play the role of Major Greg Boyington. The chemistry he had with Red West - who will forever be immortalized as MSgt Andy Micklin Maintenance Superintendent VMF 214 - was great. Micklin: "I don't like you Boyington" but he respected him.
RIP to both of these actors who made this show something special - you are missed.
Just a point regarding Robert Conrad's bar fights. I read an article several years ago about this that pointed out Conrad was a laid-back, friendly individual who never caused any trouble. If people came up to him in public he would take time to politely talk with them, answer their questions and give them autographs. Unfortunately, due to his on-screen "bad assed" persona, especially during "Wild, Wild West", there always seemed to be some idiot who wanted to prove Conrad was a "phony" who wasn't as bad as his characters. Sadly for them, Conrad, a martial artist, WAS as bad as his characters. While he never STARTED a fight, he FINISHED several! I can't blame him for defending himself.
NOPE! I don't blame him either! And yes i heard that about him too! He was one of the NICEST People... but if someone wanted to push his "Pappy" persona...
They got their full measure from him! I would have done the EXACT Same thing in his place!
legend has it, he was an early student of pai mei, and was indeed taught the five point palm exploding heart technique.
It is a Natural Right to defend yourself
Balderdash. He tried picking a fight with my father, who was the most laid back human in the world. When he was drunk he was a strutting fool.
He also did the battery commercial where he dared you to knock it off his shoulder. Hmm, maybe he was spoiling for a fight
Robert Conrad was one of a kind, and I had a chance to tell him what a positive impact he had on my life. I was meritoriously promoted while in the Marine Corps, I was named 1992 State Firefighter of the year, worked as a rescue diver and much more. Robert Conrad is greatly missed Semper Fi
SFMF!!
lolol. at least youre not an attention w h 0 r e
Thank you for your service.
Baa Baa Black Sheep was my absolute favorite show when it came out in the 70s. I even had a Corsair model in my room among many WWII fighter planes. Bob Conrad was total badass.
George Edward, I would have to be pried away from the TV when Black Sheep was on. My model Corsair didn't last too long after assembly. It suffered irreparable "battle damage " from a dogfight with my bb gun.
Awesome. My absolute favorite and most badass looking WW2 model airplane was the P-61 Black Widow.
I first read about Pappy Boyington in 6th grade in a book on American WWII fighter pilots. 8 years later this show turns up Sept 1976. I was delighted (as I thought the history of the Black Sheep & Pappy was an obscure story) and thought it was a wonderful tribute to all the Marine fighter pilots, ground crew,and nurses who fought & served on inhospitable islands in the middle part of "The War" when there was no end in sight.
@@georgeedward1226 If you visit the Udvar-Hazy facility, part of the Smithsonian Institution's Air & Space Museum, in Chantilly, Virginia you will be able to see P-61 Black Widow in person.
I don't recall off-hand if they have a Corsair there or at the main museum 30-ish miles away in Washington, D.C., heck it has been so long that it may not be at either, I might've seen the Corsair at the aviation museum in Norfolk, Virginia or the Marine Corps Museum in Quantico, Virginia.
Well, at least you have four places to check.
@@georgeedward1226 I remember building a model of the “Black Widow” by Monogram…1/48th scale if I’m not mistaken…did the all black paint Night Version”
I have always loved the Corsair. You look at them and see nothing but power and maneuverability. I am also in love with the P51 Mustang. Long live my Great Uncle Major Peter Borges USAF.
Those are my 2 favorites with spitfire just behind
I am always amazed that the Corsair isn't talked about more when it comes to aircraft that made a difference and changed WWII aviation. Which people seem to forget. That's 1 of the reasons it's hanging at the overlook at the National Air and Space Udvar Hazy Center as soon as you walk into the museum. Check it out! I was part of the original security team there from 1/2004 to 9/2009
@@davebowrin7361 I agree. As much as I love the Mustang and Spitfire the Corsair and Hellcat are overlooked. I think the Hellcat had the most kills. And the Me109 sounds badass too
My father and I watched this show when I was a kid, dad served in Vietnam. We loved it. Fun fact I served in the Air Force 214th squadron in Iraq and Afghanistan.... Also called the Black Sheep.
WOW! SOOO COOL! So You actually SERVED In the Spirit of Pappy and the "Black Sheep"! THAT Is VERY VERY COOL and an Awesome Tradition to be part of!
THANK YOU For your service!
BLACK SHEEP FOREVER! :D
I really enjoyed the series. My dad was a pilot and inspired me to become one also. Started flying with him at 5 years old and now 63 yeas old. I have multiple FAA Pilots Licenses and run a radio control club here in South Carolina. My favorite plane is the F4-U Corsair , Have 3 of different sizes. I was heartbroken when I heard of Robert Conrad's , passing. The Club calls Me Captain Pappy. Shall never forget him and watch the re-runs all the time.
Capt. Robert Morgan Brooks. P.I.C of N32DQ , Lake Amphibian LA-4-200. May He Rest in peace.
RIP Robert Conrad, you were and will always be the man.
I owned one of the Tora Tora Zeros. They were actually converted Canadian Harvard IV's, which were Canadian manufactured versions of the beloved AT-6G. Several were re-featured with recycled video in the first version of Midway. They never reflew but some of their footage from TTT was reused. They were sold to museums and private owners after TTT for about $5500 and only a couple actually participated in Blacksheep. I have an autographed copy of "BAA BLACK SHEEP" to me from Pappy when he spoke at a dining in at Mather AFB in the late seventies when I was flying navigator trainees there. He was a great guy.
Awesome, you made me day!!🤘😎
I remember the commercials where Conrad would put a battery on his shoulder and say, "I dare you to knock it off."
I remember those. I was a huge Wild, Wild West fan.
I remember Martin Sheen doing a parody of that on SNL with Bill Murray's brother Brian.
@@royallison5307 I remember on "The Battle of the Network Stars" they put Conrad on the spot. They placed a battery on his shoulder, and Lou "The Hulk" Ferrigno knocked it off and waited for Conrad to do something about it. :-)
@@booksteer7057 I missed that. I remember him getting in a tiff with Gabe Kaplin.
@@booksteer7057 - I remember on one of those BOTNS they had some kind of water filled dunking machine and the Network camera man goes and gets right down behind Heather Thomas as she was climbing the little stairs to the top and 💥BAM💥 Just like that everything made sense in the world lol…😍
Greg Boyington was also a member of the famed Flying Tigers in China before the U.S. entered the war.
Thanks for watching!
He appeared on To Tell the Truth..
Boyingtons actual last name was Hallenbeck (Sounds alot like Hell and back!). He changed his birth name in 1935 to pursue a career in aviation that was not open to married men at the time.
He was married under his given name Gregory Hallenbeck. His step fathers last name was Boyington. So he changed his last name to Boyington and claimed to be single to enter the aviation program.
I think he shot down 6 with The Flying Tigers
Without checking, I recall Boyington flew with either the Panda Bears of Hell's Angels under Chennault's Flying tigers but didn't have the tiger-mouth. I may be mistaken.
I enjoyed the first season. Loved the aerial footage of those Corsairs! From memory, the first couple of episodes, some characters were killed off, so I thought that this show would be different to the usual, where you always knew that the main characters would survive. I didn't take long before it went the usual way of predictability. But then... you always got to see those Corsairs flying! 😊
I'm still watching the show twice each Saturday on the channel Hero's and Icons. I never get tired of watching the Corsairs. I am always amazed the horsepower required to turn that prop!
Great picture of the Douglas Family at the End...
I was confused about that.
I know. I was like, "Wait. What? Back Up" 😄
I wasn't sure what was going on there. I was expecting him to mention some kind of bizarre tie in between the 2 families.
Typical of these videos. They always screw something up
I was disappointed that James Whitmore, Jr. wasn't on the show during the second season. I loved the character of Jim Gutterman!
The first season was amazing!
Second season "jumped the shark" in so many ways. Yes, Gutterman seemed to play Pappy's alter-ego.
The man Pappy would have been if not given the burden of command.
The show was less without him...
I still consider Baa Baa Black Sheep my favorite television show of all time!
Miami Vice a distant 2nd.
As a kid I hated season three I didn't bother watching it all, let charlies Angels be themselves black sheep was action didn't need a soap opera
Yes...distinctive voice, cocky, unpredictable. Dangerous. He did a great job.
He played Beamer in the Rockford Files
Funny character and well played by James Whitmore, Jr.
My sincerest thanks for your wonderful video! It both made me smile and drew a few tears. You see my Mom, "Star-Spangled Stella", my Dad, Jim, and my Aunts, Mary and Jean, all worked at "Chance Vought Aircraft" in Stratford, Connecticut during World War ll manufacturing those "Corsair F4Us". In fact, until a few years ago, there was a "Corsair" with Gregory "Pappy" Boyington's insignia painted on the fuselage below the canopy, mounted to a pedestal at the entrance to our local "Igor Sikorsky Memorial Airport". Time and weather had not been kind since its installation in 1972, so it was gently removed by crane, and is currently undergoing a total restoration, which may co$t a million plu$ dollar$. The "Corsair" was chosen as the "State Plane Of Connecticut" back in 2005, and we've helped host several "Corsairs Over Connecticut" airshows since then, actually getting 9 of the last 25 still airworthy (out of the 12,000+ built...). So again, as Bob Hope would croon: "Thanks for the memories..." 💋 👍♥
You're very much welcome and thanks for watching! We're so glad you enjoyed this video. What other types of video would you like to see?
I hear Joe Biden use to build and test fly the Corsairs before their delivery! His son was shot down in one during the Korean war too! ;-)
Robert Conrade is also an honorary member of the actual VMA 214 [based at MCAS Yuma, Az.] and was given a ride in an AV8B Harrier aircraft
Thanks for watching!
I was 4 years old in 1965 & I remember as clear as day the first time watching the Wild Wild West . I was sleep walking out of my bedroom, walked into the living room where my parents were watching the Wild Wild West, turned towards the TV and attempted to use it as the toilet. My parents stoped me in time, sat me on the sofa where I watched my very first episode & still remains my favorite show to this day. And Ba Ba Black Sheep a close second!
I know this is about The Black Sheep Squadron (which I loved), but really ... The Wild, Wild West is his most iconic role!
Thanks for watching!
He also did a brief stint starring in _'A Man Called Sloane'_ but I don't think that show stayed on the air for an entire season.
Loved the Wild Wild West too….watched reruns of it when I was a kid as it had been cancelled when I was old enough to watch television.
@@marcusbeck4656 The funny thing is there was a campaign to get it canceled in prime time because it was "too violent". Of couse then they showed it in syndication in the afternoons. :-)
When I was young, Pappy would show up at my Dads shop in Fresno, He would talk war stories with my Grandfather. They would sit and swap old war stories for hours. I miss being young!
Always loved the whistling death of the Corsair
I really liked Robert Conrad in Black Sheep squadron, and Wild Wild west. Some of my favorite shows. I wasn't aware the real Pappy Boyington was in show. It sounds like RC was the perfect choice to play Pappy. I was amazed that Hollywood would make a TV show about Ww2 pilots, but loved it.
I never noticed it as a kid but later on in life I noticed that the nurses on the show sported 70s Farrah Fawcett style hairdos even though it was set in the 1940s
I was an EMS helicopter pilot based at the Columbia Airport close to Sonora CA from 2002-2003. On one of my night shifts, the helicopter was dispatched to pick up a patient involved in a head on collision on Route 4 near Angels Camp. The patient was loaded and flown to a hospital in Modesto. I found out the next night when I came in for my shift that the patient I had flown the previous night was Robert Conrad. The medic who was on duty with me that night had gone to the hospital that day to check in on the patient. That’s when he found out the patient was ‘Pappy’ from Baa Baa Black Sheep. Unfortunately, Robert Conrad suffered some partial paralysis as a result of that car accident. I enjoyed all of Robert Conrad’s television and movie appearances. Earlier this year, episodes of ‘Hawaiian Eye’ were being televised here where I live, but it only lasted a short time. That show was cool, before people knew what cool even was. RIP RC 🙏
My favorite show as a kid. Got me into world war two history and building model airplanes. I read boyingtons book when i was 11 years old
I was a big fan of the show growing up. I got to meet Pappy at an airshow and got him to autograph my copy of his book. He was not very nice but seemed tired, unknown to me he was sick and died a short time later. For all his faults, you have to give it to him, he was a great pilot and winner of the CMH.
Thanks for watching!
Me too. I carried a heavy book called history of Aviation. It had his photo in it and he signed at top of page. He told me he was glad to see a kid carrying a heavy book to an airshow
Used to watch this show in reruns religiously as a kid. I remember the one episode with P-38 Lightnings. The Corsairs were the real stars of the show.
I remember that episode- if I remember correctly he was of course loyal to his Corsair, but said he’d never seen a plane (P-38 Lightning) that could climb like that. Dad’s been gone four years now but always spoke about watching the Lightnings practicing dogfights from the Berkeley shore with the sun setting behind the GG Bridge in the background.
I loved this show; later read Boyington's book. What a character and true war hero.
We're happy to know that you're a fan of the show. In your opinion, what is its best episode?
@@FactsVerse I don't recall the episode name, but its the visiting USAAF P38 pilot vying for top score ace. At a point they have to shot him down. Mickland ends up telling Pappy he understood what happened 'out there' seeing the 50cal slugs in his Corsair.
Robert Conrad was always portrayed as a tough guy and lived up to it in real life. His competitive nature is why he was the NBC team captain on Battle of The Network Stars back in 1976. Sponsors capitalized on this in a battery commercial when he dared anyone to knock it off his shoulder.
I met Pappy as a kid around that time. Getting autograph from your hero. Priceless
Thanks for watching!
Yeah, we met him at local airshow. He was tolerant and cool with us kids pestering the crap out of him for autographs.
@@RW4X4X3006 yes he was
Greg Boyington pinned a medal on "Greg Boyington". That's awesome!
Thanks for watching!
A photo with Robert Conrad and the four actresses is another example why he was the G.O.A.T.
I forgot to mention this was my favorite of all time now and as a young boy growing up.. I would sure like to see a revised version of this show...
Great show I still watch it in 2024
I watched this show ALL the time when I was a kid; I didn't realize, til recently, that John Larroquette was in it. Now I need to find this show on DVD. Thanks for sharing.
If you like John Larroquette you should check out that movie “Stripes”…”Oh I wish I was a Loofah!”😂😂
He's the reason I watched it!😊
Why did he leave 1/2 way through season 2?😢😢
The REAL Greg Boyington made an appearance on this series - amazing!! I loved this show when I was about 9.
3 times he was on
The family photo shown at the end of the story is of Michael Douglas and his family, not Robert Conrad.
I always liked an interview with a real pilot from VMF 214. He wondered where those nurses were hiding at. He said there was nothing much but guys, planes and bugs on the Island.
"Black Sheep squadron" was origionally called "Baa Baa Black Sheep" because that is what Boyingtons autobiography released in 1958 was named. I have a signed hardback copy that my Dad purchased for me, from Boyington personally, at an airshow in Creswell, Oregon in 1978. I was only 13 years old at the time, was a huge fan of WWII aviation, especially fighters of the era because of R/C model airplanes that I hand built from balsa kits, and because of this show, and his book. This show has always made the F4U-Corsair one of my favorites, if not my outright favorite fighter aircraft of WWII. I was a great fan of the show and even though I now know that 90% of the show was made for TV crap, I still loved watching it and never missed an episode! When we met "Gramps" which is what most of the pilots called him, not "Pappy" which was what the US propaganda machine back home thought sounded better for public moral, just like the squadron was origionally going to be called "Boyingtons Bastards" but the censors back home wouldn't allow that name so they decided on "Black Sheep". I wish I had been a little bit older when we met him, because I was so star struck and in awe of actually meeting Boyington that I think my jaw dropped and probably was on the tarmac and I didn't know what to say. The fictional island of Vella La Cava was actually based on the island of Vella LaVella, a small island in the Solomon group of islands north of Australia.
As a kid, I used to pretend I was Pappy Boyington, on the school swing set at recess. When I met him at an airshow, I was star struck. He came out from his booth for a picture with me. Totally made my day.
LOL - I did the same playing Greg (my name is Greg) with 3 other friends on some big chain swing sets. When we were dog fighting, we would spin the swing backwards or around in a full 180 calling for backup! When we were shot down, we'd bail out and jump off the swing... oh the good old days. You didn't go to St. Joseph's in Menlo Park, CA did you?
Isn't the group shot at the end of this video the douglas clan and not the Conrad clan?
Yeah, Kirk is on the bottom left and Michael is standing second from left.
When I saw that I was like damm he looks bad
I just saw this video, I saw the same thing. Wait... What? So much for Facts Verse with no fact checking.
Yes it is, I wanted to make sure I wasn't seeing things...
The exploits of the Black Sheep may have been fiction, but I give the show a lot of kudos, because it got me interested in WW2, and the real Pappy Boyington
Read his book decades ago
@@johnjohnon8767 read his book too, was very interesting, iread somewhere that he apologized to the members of the 214, about how the show portrayed them
I met Robert Conrad in Greeley, CO when he was filming Centennial. Really nice guy, liked to party. He picked up the tab for a large group of us students that were drinking with him while listening to a band in a club. Surprisingly humble, but asserted himself when a couple drunks came up and referred to his tv commercial at the time, wanting to knock an Energizer battery off his shoulder. Kept it from turning into an incident when it could have gotten ugly. Of course, having several of UNC’s larger, stronger football players at our table (during the offseason) probably helped.
Me and my dad use to watch that show. Dad was a gunner on a tbf avenger torpedo bomber in ww2 . He was on 2 different aircraft carriers in the pacific
Some facts you missed:
1. Stephen J. Cannell wanted Robert Conrad to play the role of Hannibal on The A-Team, but RC turned it down, thinking it would be a failure.
2. Robert Conrad learned to fly a plane to prepare for the role of Pappy Boyington.
3. As he did in The Wild Wild West, Robert Conrad did his own stunts on the show. He did the actual boxing match against a stunt double in "The Best Three Out of Five". (RC was a professional middleweight boxer prior to finding success on Hawaiian Eye.)
4. The real Pappy Boyington not only had three cameo appearances, but also served as the show's on-set technical advisor.
5. The show was cancelled after the first season for low ratings because it was up against Happy Days and Laverne and Shirley. It was resurrected by NBC as a mid-season replacement in December 1977 and it was then renamed Black Sheep Squadron. (Watch the intro of the second season.) It was then unwisely put up against Charlie's Angels.
6. Robert Conrad first met Red West while playing touch football with Elvis Presley. Red West was a stuntman on The Wild Wild West and appeared in several other Robert Conrad projects.
7. The show featured real WW2 footage of dogfights, along with some shots taken from the 1969 film "The Battle of Britain".
8. According to Pappy Boyington's autobiography, there really was a Colonel Lard who was a stickler for rules and was a thorn in Boyington's side. For example, he put Boyington in hack for 10 days for not using mosquito netting in his tent. There was also a real General "Nuts" Moore who authorized some of Boyington's strategies and defended him against Lard.
Thanks for watching!
One additional factoid from the Wild, Wild West: all the bad guys that James West had to fight, week after week, location after location, were the same band of six or seven stuntmen in every episode. That group awarded Conrad and 'Honorary Stunt Man' plaque at the end of shooting for the Wild Wild West.
@@cdjhyoung Yup, Robert Conrad and Whitey Hughes choreographed the fight sequences each week. RC and the group of stuntmen played football together every Saturday. RC is one of six actors that are honorary members in the Hollywood Stuntman Hall of Fame, along with John Wayne, Bruce Lee, Chuck Norris, and Jackie Chan. Awesome guy! (I did not put this in my original comment because it seemed off topic with respect to Baa Baa Black Sheep.)
Red West was one of the stuntmen and was in about every episode.
My childhood idol for THE WILD WILD WEST!!! Great show! I was also and still am a military aviation enthusiast, so when BLACK SHEEP aired with Conrad starring as Boyington, I thought that was GENIUS!
Medal Of Honor winner Pappy Boyington was the real deal. There is alot of good info on him, and well worth learning about this American Hero.
At 63 today, I grew up watching to much television and watching all of RC’s shows and movies.
Col. Boyington was also a Medal of Honor recipient.
I found interesting that the real Pappy Boyington was in episodes. I must have missed them. Blacksheep was one of my favorite shows of escape from reality as a teenager!
Thanks for this vid.
Charles
Glad some folks caught the Douglas family in this video. I'm sure it wasn't intentional but if you want to be accurate then getting the small details like this correct is essential. This should not have made it on air for all of humanity to see.
My teen daughter was a big Wild Wild West fan, (watching it in reruns in the early 2000s), and started watching reruns of BSS with me. It was about 5 episodes in when the light went on and she blurted out "DAD! THAT'S JAMES WEST!!!!" Priceless father/daughter moment right there :)
I was in the same platoon in bootcamp with his great nephew Jay Boyington back in 1987 at MCRD in San Diego
Thanks for watching!
I would love to see this show come back as a Stephen Spielberg production. Give it the same care and treatment as Band of Brothers. Considering "Masters of the Air" is due soon, it would make sense to have some "Pacific Theatre aviation" like how "The Pacific" was to BoB. Like the original, real Corsair's BUT more historically accurate Zero's (there are flyable real A6M3's and A6M5's around..Planes of Fame has some). Expensive as hell but totally worth it.
Great idea!
Who could blame him? I'd want to be on top of Barbara Eden too...just sayin'
Thanks for watching!
When this show aired as BaBa Blacksheep, I had the honor to talk to a mechanic that worked on Corsairs during WW2. Most people nowadays will never get the opportunity to talk to someone that was there as not many from WW2 are still with us. If you get a chance, spend a couple minutes to say hi and maybe even shake their hand.
I was in love with Corsairs this show confirmed it
WHAT l find fascinating is real pappy boyington resembles simon Oakland...thanks facts verse
This show was one that made my friends and I go home to watch every time it came on .. I am from St Thomas USVI.. What I found most interesting was the fact that the real Pappy Boyington was the General that appeared a few times in the series..That was so cool..
That was 😎 cool. Oh, by the way, I absolutely love St. Thomas! I spent my teenage years there during 1980 to 1985. Use to hang out at Bolongo Bay alot. Went to Antilles School. I miss it very much.
I was a freshman in high school when this came out and I convinced my mom I had to watch it for NJROTC class. My dad who is a retired Col. from the USAF nearly chocked on his food from laughing when my mom told him at dinner.
I LOVED Black Sheep Squadron and the Corsair. One favorite episode was the shooting of the the volleyball. lol
At some point they were taking the show off the air when a letter writing campaign was started. They got what was, at the time, the most letters protesting this decision. Because of the uproar the show continued. I was one of the letter writers. I had just gotten my pilot's certificate and damn it, I wanted to see those beautiful Corsairs in my living room. Great Show, indeed.
Too bad Netflix or Amazon were not around... they may have picked up the show from the Network.
Only missed his one greatest role in the TV Mini series Centennial as the trapper Pasquinel. He was perfect in the role and said himself it was the best part he ever played.
I agree
I was 6 when Black sheep came out, my grandfather was in his late 60s, and suffering from severe Aurthitis...but he watched this show religiously introducing me to WW2, we would share his Recliner and he would put his withering arm around me, and we spent an hour in the past.
I was such a fan of Baa Baa Black Sheep. It must be said that the real life Pappy, Greg Boyington was a Congressional Medal of Honor recipient. Although I would have loved to have met Robert Conrad, as I was a lifelong fan; I did have the opportunity to meet Pappy himself at a Antique airplane fly-in in Arizona. Very nice and gracious man. He kindly signed an autograph for me. Which to this day has a dear place in my heart. Just one of the famous aviation notables in history. Great show and fond memories.
This pic (07:49) is of Kirk Douglas and family! lol!
Yeah I thought the same thing!
Red West was also a frequent participant in the choreographed fights in The Wild, Wild West. He was getting a credit for some of his appearances in the 3rd and 4th seasons with his name in the closing credits. When watching Wild Wild West reruns, I try to find Red West among the chief villain's thugs.
Very interesting, thanks for sharing this information about Red. What other types of video would you like to see?
The dynamic between him and Major Boyington was fascinating. Many times on the show he would say "I don't like you Boyington" but at the end of the day he respected him.
Loved when he first appeared on the show and the pilots got their first exposure to him.
Micklin: "Which one these planes is yours Sonny?"
LT Boyle: "Third one from the end Sarge."
Micklin: "WRONG College Boy. All these aircraft belong to me - I just loan 'em to you once or twice a day."
Red West will forever be immortalized as MSgt Andy Micklin - Maintenance Superintendent, VMF 214.
Another big role was the auto parts store owner in "Roadhouse". The girls uncle." You get robbed" "Every week".
Had a small role in the original Walking Tall movie as Sheriff Tanner.
If i remember correctly, Red West and Bob Conrad were students of Ed Parker a renowned Kenpo Karate instructor, who also taught Elvis.
Red became a member of the “ Memphis Mafia” Presleys posse. Ed was also seen with the crew regularly.
Red West was an amazing professional with diverse talents and experience. I wish he had had more recognition during his working life
We absolutely agree! Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts. Be safe and have a great day!
I didn't know that Pappy had cameos! That was my favorite show, at the time!
What I really find surprising is that you showed a picture of the Douglas family when mentioning the family members by whom Robert Conrad is survived.
Agreed... you can see Michael Douglas standing 2nd from left (gray/white hair) and Kurt Douglas bottom left corner of shot.
That's what I thought! Never knew Conrad looked like Michael Douglas - LOL! Thanks for the comment! I'm not crazy!?
KIRK Douglas.
@@jeffmoore6629 KIRK Douglas.
Such a great series, back when actual aircraft were used instead of computer generated fake aircraft. To this day, I have no desire to see a movie with computer generated flying.
During the filming of "Jingle All the Way", he and his family stayed at the apartment complex where I lived. My friend and I got to meet him and one of his daughters one evening at the community building and pool.
He told us a lot of stories about acting and being a stuntman. One of his stories was about how he and the other stuntmen were trying to impress the producers that were visiting the set for some movie he was on. Basically by trying to "show off" he messed up his part of the stunt and ended up landing on his head. He said he cracked his skull open and still had memory issues because of it.
My friend being a jackass asked him what it was like to work with Arnold Schwarzenegger. In a very calm, matter of fact voice, he told my friend that he should ask Arnold what it was like to work with him. I don't know what he was like when he was younger, but he was super nice to us. I wish I could have spent more time with him and remembered more of his stories.
The Frampton appearance was easily the biggest surprise to me.
I was on the backlot of Universal Studios back in 1976 and visited the soundstage where they were filming Baa Baa Black Sheep. Although I wasn't on their crew I did some minor work that day helping the assistant director. Robert Conrad wasn't in the scene but I did see him racing around the backlot in his car. I also remember the F4-U Corsairs being parked at the Van Nuys Airport along with some of the AT-6s that were cosmetically made to look like Japanese Zeroes. If memory serves me I believe they shot out at Indian Dunes for most of the exterior filming.
The exterior shooting was done at Santa Paula Airport. It is close to the Pacific Ocean so they could quickly fly out of that Airport to do the over water scenes when required.
Pappy's Lambs were a great addition. Just wish the show lasted longer.
Ditto
Definitely. I loved this show as a kid..really bummed me out that it only ran a few seasons..great show
I kind of think that the show jumped networks that was a long time ago I'm not really sure but I think it when it changed the cast the show jump networks.. ever notice how many people from Black sheep squadron are on Magnum PI. Almost every person except for Robert Conrad
Absolutely agree about Pappy's Lambs (hey, I already knew the history. I'm sorry; I like pretty female faces!) I wished the series had more episodes too, but then I discovered that Pappy only served with the Black Sheep from September 1943 to January 3rd, 1944, when he was shot down and captured. Since then I've been satisfied that the series ran as long as it did. But I wonder if scripts were written that were never filmed.....?
The introduction of Pappy’s Lambs made the show unwatchable in the last season. The girls were pretty but they looked like they were from 1984 not 1944, and they couldn’t act. Neither could Nick Adams’ (the Rebel) boy. Rampant nepotism seldom works out (James Whitmore Jr. was the only decent 2nd generation actor in the show).
Loved how the real Pappy plays a General who pins a medal on the TV Pappy. Keeping his family on the loop a great move by Conrad.
Gregory Boyington: (1912 - 1988)
Robert Conrad: (1935 - 2020)
I used to watch Baa Baa BS faithfully back in the days before syndication. I have remembered Frampton playing the island spotter part. However, I DIDN'T remember that the REAL Pappy had played parts. Thanks for the memories, my friend !
At the National Air&Space Udvar Center next to Dulles Airport. There is a F4/ Corsair and Pappy Boyingtons signature in inside one of the Wheel Wells. That's what I was told when I work there.
Thanks for watching!
I believe Robert Conrad’s greatest role was Pasquinel in Centennial.
I Liked His French Accent.
To say I loved this show is like saying I love breathing. It's why I got my pilots license, the corsair is my favorite WW2 fighter and when my love and obsession with aviation began.
As far as I dream of Genie...I would've starred in that show without any billing...just to be around Barbara in those little outfits! Like Andy said to her in an episode of Andy Griffith said...."god has been good to you. REALLLLLL good!"....lol.
My father and I would watch this show. It was a nice part of my childhood.
after his last tv series, the one where he and his sons were search and rescue, they retired to a small town near the bear valley ski area and did alot of volunteer work for the local search and rescue.
Thanks for watching!
The one thing you forgot to mention is the fact that the real Boyington was a sleep-aholic. When he wasn't in the air, he was in his cot asleep. He was a heavy Zzzz cutter.
If you read his book you find out he had a lot of sleep to catch up on.😆 Boyington would go up on night missions to up his score and shoot down the occasional Japanese plane. To stay awake he would put coffee grounds in the corners of his eyes to stay awake as falling asleep would be certain death.🙁
@@daveb.4268 he also had malaria pretty bad if I remember right, as was a heavy drinker too. I recall something in his book about rigging a makeshift autopilot in his corsair with pieces of string attached to the flight controls to hold it steady so he could snooze, and if he felt a wing dip he'd wake up and tug on one of the strings to set it back on course. It's been awhile since I read his book, but it was pretty good (not really much like the TV show, but you can see where some of the inspiration came from)
Loved Pappy's Lambs. They were great looking viewing.
I worked at the National Air and Space museum at UAL. Not much was ever said about the Corsair but it was an aircraft that made a major difference in the war.
I am old enough to remember High Mountain Rangers. A pundit refered to it as a "one man nepotism festival". With good reason of course.
In his defense, he was paying for everything. So he gets to hire who ever he wants..
@@jayman2519 I agree,. Not knocking Robert Conrad, I admire him. Just pointing out the obvious. My only real complaint was the Medicare nature of the program.
It wasn't really a bad show.
I would rather watch it than Walker Texas ranger anyday.
It had a lot of potential but never lived up to that potential. It was better than Walker.
Great theme song too!
Theme song gives me chills to this day! Love it!
Agreed
Ripped off of 12 o'clock high but the name fits
I used to whistle along while watching episodes on TH-cam. And that's how my cockatiel, Baby, learned to sing the BBBS theme music.
Best fact was Pappy himself appeared in the series ! Thats GREAT !
THE GREAT OLD C-47S AND OTHER PLANES ,,.BOYINGTON COULD FIGHT HIS WAY OUT OF ANY THING .. I LOVED THE ACTION PACCKED IN THIS SHOW,,.. THANKS, VETERAN...SHARP SHOOTER --- MEDIC..
One of the Corsairs from the show is home based outside of Chicago, the owner lives in Downers Grove. It typically flies out of KDPA and often makes appearances in local airshows.
At 7:48 When you talk about Robert Conrad's surviving family. Why do you have a picture of the Kirk Douglas family reunion?
Boyington himself was a hard-core scrapper, so casting Conrad was a good match, on and off camera.
Due to his Chicago upbringing , He was also close friends to Tony and Michael Spilotro, the latter even had a guest appearance on Black Sheep.
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