MEMPHIS BELLE is Underrated! *** FIRST TIME WATCHING ***
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 25 ส.ค. 2024
- A WWII movie that didn't crush my heart! Why didn't this movie become a classic? It's got all the right ingredients and puts them together exactly right 🤔
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I'm so glad someone finally reacted to this one. I love this movie. Good story, with an absolutely stacked cast.
Although fictionalized, it is based on a real plane, real events, and real people. In fact, during the making of the movie, the actors playing people who were still alive got to talk to the people they were portraying. You're right about a lot of the events being a composite, though. It makes for a more dramatic movie that way. After the movie came out, Robert Hanson, the Memphis Belle's radio operator, spoke to his grandson's high school class. When asked if what happened was true, he said "No, it didn't all happen to the Memphis Belle, but everything in the movie happened to some B-17".
Thanks again for reacting to this mostly forgotten film.
Thank you for watching it! I’m glad it sounds like they did a good job honoring the experiences of a lot of brave men.
@@RhetoricalThrill If you are a book reader,
I humbly recommend the book "A higher call"
It isn't about this B17 story...
But it is a true story that I think you will appreciate.
The actual aircraft commander of the Belle went on to do a second tour of 26 missions in the Pacific, less than a year after his final flight over Germany. Kept on with the Air Force after the war until retirement, then owned a car dealership. When he retired from that, too, he moved back to his home town in North Carolina.
Every time I drive my semi on the "Robert Morgan" memorial stretch of highway...I grin and say "Thank you, Sir!"
He did Fly in the Pacific. I believe under Lemay?
At the time, if I remember correctly, Allied fighters didn’t have the range to completely escort the bombers the entire way and Luftwaffe pilots knew that. So they would wait until the fighters were forced to pull out and then pounce on the bombers.
I'm extremely grateful there are people out there who are willing to put themselves through that
Right the p-47 didnt quite have the range for deep missions….but once the P-51 Mustang came…it was able to escort all the way and back
@aaronhenley4741 That was only true in 1943. In 1944, the P-51C/D and P-47C through to M escorted them all the way to the target.
The Luftwaffe did not wait for the escorts to leave. Urban myth. German tactical doctrine advocated attacking the escorts first to force them to drop their drop-tanks, thereby shortening their range. This allowed the heavier fighters, the Zerstörer fighters, and Fw 190A sturmbocke types to get at the bombers much sooner.
This is true, the British were also flying missions at night; so logistics had to be conscious of fuel.
Not until the P-51 Mustang
I haven't seen this movie in ages, it came out in 1990, with an all-star cast, Matthew Modine, Eric Stolz, Harry Connick jr., Sean Astin, Billy Zane, Michael Caton-Jones, Tate Donovan, Courtney Gains and John Lithgow. They are A list actors. Underrated good movie.
I'm not the best judge of who's in and who's out, but I definitely knew almost all of them! A great cast
Let us not forget D.B. Sweeney. Then again, it's easy to forget one or two considering how packed this cast was.
David Strathairn for crying out loud. How can you forget one of the most prolific supporting actors of all time, as well as being an oscar nominee.
One of my all time favorite movies - I wish more people would see it today. Thank you so much for reacting to it 😁🥰
It’s very good! I don’t know why it was kind of forgotten
@@RhetoricalThrill that's why I love watching older movies so much - so many overlooked hidden gems out there just waiting to be discovered (and reacted to) 😁
There is a documentary about the real Memphis Belle by the great William Wyler. He flew with the crews during the war. Twelve O'clock high tells the story of daylight bombing and the mental effects on the men. It is a special movie. The third series by the team that brought Band of Brothers and The Pacific is Masters of The Air about these men. It is based on the book of the same name and will be on Apple later this month.
I need to get to Band of Brothers and The Pacific too!
@@RhetoricalThrillwish I could watch Band Of Brothers with you. I think it's the most well done show I've ever seen and I love watching people's reaction to it and discussing it with them.
@@RhetoricalThrillyou won’t be sorry
@@RhetoricalThrill What you need to watch is the new series, Masters of the Air. It's the companion to Band of Brothers and The Pacific and in my opinion, is better
His daughter produced this film too. Catherine Wyler.
I love this movie. Even though it's not 100% accurate as *the story*, it is accurate in that it represents what went on both in the sky and on the ground. Each character is someone's actual story, even if they weren't on the Belle.
That’s what I think too. And at least this way maybe a lot of men were able to see their own experiences, or those of loved ones who were there.
@@RhetoricalThrillu should do a reaction to the actual combat documentary video that the army took on the Belle's last few missions there's several moments captured video of the Memphis Belle an it's crew in combat an in formation flying
The Memphis Belle's 25th mission was actually bombing the German submarine pens at Lorient France.
There was no such thing as precision bombing during WWII, civilians always got killed
One of my favorite movies of all time, you're probably the first reviewer I have seen watch the movie.
I’m glad I got to see it! I hope you enjoyed 😊
I have not seen this movie in decades, that was a fantastic reaction!
9:31 A milk run was a mission posing little danger. Today it’s typically associated with a routine flight. Tom Scott has a video where he takes the shortest flight that was established as a milk run.
Thank you for this, a great way to start my day, I look forward to the next one.
I would like to recommend “Glory” (1989) another great historical film.
Glory is very good too but so sad 😭 Thanks for watching!
Growing up in Memphis, the Memphis Bell was on a concrete pedestal display at the National Guard armory near the Memphis' fairgrounds. It was there till the Air Force Museum took it to restore restore it and display it inside the Museum. I normally saw it once a week till I joined the Navy in 1978. In 1990, shortly after our son was born, I was still in the Navy Reserve and was transferred to Nevada with my civilian job. For the few months till our house sold I lived in our camper in Nevada commuting to our house each weekend to be with my wife and baby son. This movie came out and I watched it at the local theater. It really hit home to me because I knew the story and had seen the Memphis Bell so many times.
I came to the comments to mention that the restored Belle is not far from me at the AF Museum by WPAFB here in Ohio, but I hadn’t known where it was before it came to the Dayton area; thanks for sharing that part of the plane’s history.🙏
@@daytoncharitychicken Thank you for your reply and glad I could let you know a little about her history. I looked it up before I posted to see when she was transferred to the Museum at Wright Patterson AFB. I have been there back in the mid 80's and again after I retired from my civilian job in 2011. While researching it I found on Wikipedia saying the Mayor in Memphis bought her from the Air Force for $350, and the Air Force flew her to Memphis to be put on the pedestil she was on from the 40's till she was transferred to the Museum..
I’d love to see her in person 💜
@@RhetoricalThrill You should visit the Air Force Museum near Dayton Ohio.
For much of the war escort fighters simply didn't have the range to follow the bombers to target.
It wasn't until the P 51 Mustang with its drop fuel tanks that fighters could go all the way to the target.
This is one of those lost movies that’s good, but forgotten. I saw this at the theater. Bravo for reacting to this!
A B-24 Liberator, Hot Stuff, was the first to complete it's 25 missions, but was lost on the way back to the states to do the promotional tour. The second was B-17 Hell's Angels, but they thought that was not really a proper bird to send back home, so the Memphis Belle was chosen and became part of William Wilder's documentary. The last mission was a milk run to France. And no, the crew was not this dysfunctional. A milk run was an easy mission. And, they sadly lost one of the planes during filming, luckily everyone was ok. And you had to be on oxygen about 10 thousand feet, so they did not take off their masks, unless it is a Hollywood movie. The Real Memphis Belle survived the war and was recently restored and is now on display at the U.S. Air Force Museum in Dayton, Ohio
Thanks for the interesting info, I appreciate it 💜
My Great Uncle was in the same squadron as the Hot Stuff. the 93rd bomb group. They were on the poiestie mission together. My Great Uncles plane was shot down there and he was killed in action.
Just another note, Hells Angles was a B-24 as well from the 93rd bomb group. Both Hot Stuff and Hells Angles were in My Great Uncles BG, Both survived the Poiestie mission.
@@depj1000 The Hell's Angels 25 Mission plane is a B-17
My Dad was actually a mechanic and pilot for a B-17 back in the 80s and 90s and that particular B-17 was used in the movie Memphis Belle. At the time the plane was owned by a man named David Tallichet. This plane still makes rounds on the airshow circuit and set up with the Memphis Belle movie paint scheme. My dad Mark Hinzman has told me multiple times that the airplane was originally set up as a fire bomber when they acquired the B-17 in the 80s. he told me that they converted it into the Memphis Belle and removed the chin turret for the movie. As a pilot, my dad‘s flight logs do show him with a significant amount of time as pilot command for B-17. He did not fly in the movie, but he did fly all around California and briefly in New York but mostly California. he was both the chief mechanic for the airplane and pilot for the airplane during the 80s and 90s in Chino California. I also know that me and my brother have a pretty iconic picture in our family that my dad took as he was standing on the ground and my brother and I were in the nose of the movie Memphis Belle B-17.
What a cool story, thank you!
This is one i haven't thought about in years . But remember loving it when i saw it... Damn..i forgot how fantastic a cast this is.. And yes . Tate Donovan is the voice of Disney's Hercules. Great catch
I think I only know him from that and Friends 😂 but a distinctive voice for sure
@@RhetoricalThrill he did a very very early rom com with Sandra Bullock called "Love Potion No. 9". Also the not quite classic but still beloved 80s flick "Space Camp" (amazing John Williams score and a great cast), also the f/X series *Damages ". Never finished that one but what i did watch was excellent.
The song Harry Conick Jr was singing is an old (very popular) Irish song called Oh Danny Boy. A message from a parent to a son, wishing for his safe return from war.
Ye'll come and find the place where I am lying,
And kneel and say an Avé there for me.
And I shall hear though soft you tread above me
And all my grave will warmer, sweeter be,
For you will bend and tell me that you love me,
And I shall sleep in peace until you come to me…
I remember when they were restoring the Memphis Belle down in Memphis, TN. I think they have it on display at Mud Island. I do know that a bunch of guys from the base I was at used to volunteer their time off-duty to go down and work on it. I was at Eaker AFB in Blytheville, Arkansas, and this movie came out about the same time. I retired on January 1, 1993, so it was in theaters before then. I think it’s possible that they used the movie for publicity purposes to get funding to fix her up
A smart thing to do!
The original Memphis Belle aircraft is now at USAF museum in Dayton OH.
@@alanholck7995 Good! That’s where it should be.
YES !!!... I've been waiting for someone to watch this.
Thank you so much. This is such an under rated gem
I’m so happy when I can do someone’s favorite, especially when it doesn’t get enough attention! Thanks for watching 💜
It’s a trueish story.
Memphis Belle was the first bomber to complete 25 missions. The crew stories in this film were pretty much fiction. In reality they didn’t want to screw that up, so its last mission was a milkrun.
In the days before cgi, this film used pretty much every still flying WW-II airframe. They gave the B17s different paint jobs on their left and right sides so they could make it look like they had twice as many planes in the air.
I’m admittedly no expert but it worked for me! I figured they took some liberties like usual but at least it seemed respectful
I know in the movie Dunkirk, they used real Spitfires and remote models for the flying scenes.
One of my favorite movies of all time. When the letters are being read and the footage is being played, it brings me to tears. This movie does an excellent job of showing the horrors of war.
This is actually a true story. The Memphis Belle us currently on display, fully restored, in Memphis, TN.
In reality, the Memphis Belle's final mission went pretty smoothly. There was a film crew aboard, documenting the mission for the news reels, and there was nothing like what happened in the film. However, it's a sure thing that what happened in the film happened to somebody- The bomber offensive is full of stories about B-17s taking absurd amounts of damage and still making it home.
I'm glad someone on YT finally did a reaction to this movie. I saw this film when I was a kid and it introduced me to military aviation, which led me to become an F-16 crew chief in the U.S. Air Force. This film was based on an actual B-17 bomber called the "Memphis Belle", which can still be seen today at the USAF museum in Dayton, OH. There are SO MANY good actors in this film.
There is a new mini-series coming out on Jan. 26th called "Masters of the Air", it's produced by Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks and it's about the airmen of WWII. I hope to see your reaction to it!
I just heard about the new series, I’d like to get to it even if it’s on my own. Though I still haven’t seen Band of Brothers or The Pacific 🙈
Band of Brothers is perfection. I'm sure many of your subscribers would LOVE to see your reaction to it! @@RhetoricalThrill
Another thing that a lot of people don’t really know is that historically, and in military documents a B-17 called Susie Q was supposed to be the first B-17 to complete 25 missions but unfortunately it was shut down on the final mission and another plane called Hell’s Angels is historically accurate to being the first B-17 bomber to complete 25 missions the army back then didn’t think it was a family friendly name that would inspire the American people and they chose the next plane in line that completed 25 missions which was, of course, Memphis Belle. So we remember Memphis Belle as the first American bomber to complete 25 missions it’s actually the second American bomber from World War II that completed 25 missions but between number one and number two it was the one that was chosen to inspire America because I had a more family friendly name.
Ooh, good fact! I can see Hell’s Angels not going over well with the folks back home 😂
Happy new year. I am sure this is going ro be a kick ass year for you and the channel. This channel is quickly becoming one of my favorite reaction channels. I am shocked that I forgot about this brilliant movie. Haven't seen it in YEARS!!!
Thank you so much 🥹
There was an actual instance where the ball turret became jammed, due to battle damage. The access hatch was not in the proper position for the gunner to crawl out. Unfortunately, the landing gear could not be lowered, causing the pilot to have to land on the belly. The landing crushed the ball turret and sadly the gunner with it.
Oh my god, that’s horrifying
Also sphere turret didn't allow gunner to use parachute. Incase of emergency evacuation. Gunner would have to reset turret, climb out from tiny turret and then dress the parachute. Ball gunner was most likely to die or to get injured during evacuation. B-24 Liberators had retractable ball turret, unlike B-17
Yes it was horrifying. Regrettably, death was not quick: As they flew back over France, the Channel, and to England, the gunner knew well in advance what was going to happen. The pilot knew that he was going to have to kill his fellow crew member. (Imagine living with that for the rest of your life--even though you really had no choice). Whether the rest of the drew bailed out or the pilot landed without the gear, either way, the gunner would be dead.
@@RhetoricalThrill
The good news is that TH-camr WWII Bombers has debunked this story told by Andy Rooney as probably made up by Mr. Rooney. It is mentioned as happening to ball turret gunners in The World According to Garp and possibly Rooney read it there first. There is no written record of this ever happening, and WWII Bombers has read pretty much all of them! There is no name, squadron, or air base associated with the story. WWII Bombers has shown there would have to be seven failures to happen on the same mission for a ball turret to trap a man inside and be crushed in a belly landing. Even if one gear would go down it would keep the ball turret clear of the runway.
I've seen the actual aircraft used to play the Belle. Her name is Sally B, and she's so famous for playing the Belle in this film that she still retains the livery on her right side today this. As a note, Boeing made countless variants of the B-17, and Sally B is a slightly newer version than the Belle, so she needed some aesthetic modifications. But all in all, not only does Sally B still exist, but she's still airworthy and is a highlight of air shows at her home in Duxford Imperial War Museum in England. I'm going to see her perform again with my family at this year's air show to honour the 80th anniversary of Operation Overlord.
Yes, I've seen one of the planes involved in the movie at an airshow a while ago. And the original Memphis Belle also still exists, has been recently restored and should by now be in a museum somewhere.
One of my favorites! Life's weird twists allowed me to fly on a B-17 (the Nine-0-Nine) twice, and then I moved to Memphis, where I volunteered with the Memphis Belle Society and washed the 'Belle every other month.
I love flying, and due to work I'm just 120k miles from being a million-miler on a major U.S. carrier but I've never felt safer than on that old B-17 buffeting in the thermals and doing Chandelles over every little grass and asphalt strip in sight.
This is a true-ish story, except all those things happened over 24 missions not all at once. Both my grandfathers were in WWII, one in the Big Red 1, the other in the 8th Air Force, so I feel a connection when I see a B-17 F or -G, and listening to those Wright 1820s start and throttle up is heaven for me. Not a bad set of memories for an old sub-sailor!
That’s a lot of great memories, thank you for sharing them 😊
@@Hiking_chef I know. Her name was changed before the incident, but the moment I read the headline of the story, I knew, deep in the pit of my stomach. I knew. She was a very special aircraft, and those who love planes like I do will understand that statement, as I suspect you do, seanclonch8945.
@@RhetoricalThrill I had the chance to see the 'Belle a few times in the Air Force Museum in Dayton last year, including the weekend of the commemoration of D-Day... I told my story to the docents and they all treated me with more respect than I deserved. The man who 3D-printed the 50-cal shell visible in the port nose gave me a surplus copy he made. One of the highlights amongst my souvenirs from life.
Fun fact: during the restoration they wanted everything as original as possible, down the the glow-in-the-dark dials, so the same radium that was on our grandfathers' and fathers' watched is on the 'Belle's gauges.
Consequently, you'll see the yellow and magenta radiation stickers on every entrance to the 'Belle, and no one can enter her because of the "radiation hazard". Nevermind that no one in the history of never ever got wrist cancer from wearing the same dials on their watch all their life...
A gripping portrayal of bravery and camaraderie under fire. The tension in that final mission had me on the edge of my seat. A must-watch for any history buff!
Damn, this movie just disappeared after the mid 2000s. I forgot all about this gem. Cheers RT, you rule 😎👍
You guys rule! Thanks for being here 💜
B17 missions were rather fatal. I met a veteran at men's church retreat ... he had been a B17 gunner.
Shocking fact: During the making the 1989 movie Memphis Belle one of a b-17s suffered a engine failure during take off and crashed luckily all 10 men onboard survived managed to escape but the aircraft was totally destroyed by fire.
I wonder why they had 10 crew on board, it’s not as if the gunners and a bombadier were necessary in 1989. You can still find an old news broadcast about this incident on TH-cam.
@@tropicalcatdetective Right. They probably had just the necessary three: pilot, co-pilot, and engineer. Hard to imagine 10 guys would survive a crash.
Sadly this is a very underrated movie. the B-17 used in the movie has since been grounded by a greedy insurance company as the museum & owners who would fly her around out of NY for airshows can't afford it on top of the $$ gas.
My grandfather was a crew chief for maintenance on B-17's in the 8th . when this movie came out he had to see it on the big screen and he loved it couldn't stop talking about the B-17 and how he rode his bicycle around base.
for another underrated movie (TV/Mini series) "Rough Riders" (1997) w/ Sam Elliott and a all star cast
Sam Elliott? Say less 🥰
Thank you so, so much for giving this movie a proper reaction! I've known and loved this movie since it first aired on HBO(way back in the day), and it left one hell of an impression on me as well.
Thank you for watching it! I love these underseen gems 💜
In the earlier years of the war, the fighter planes (the smaller escort planes you asked about) did not have the range to escort the bombers that could fly longer distances without running out of fuel.
Downer dude was the lead in 'Fire in the Sky'. You nailed Joker from FMJ. You have the main antagonist from Titanic as the Doc. You're right there are a bunch of actors from other movies in this. Did I see George McFly?
No Crispin Glover but Eric Stoltz was supposed to be Marty if I remember correctly, but was recast late in pre production.
Correctamundo, although I did hear later that they had almost completed principal photography when they recast him.
Knowing but not placing a face can be maddening. The one redhead I first remember from Children of the Corn, but most can pick him out from Back to the Future - at the dance he cut's in and George must push him away to get that first kiss. The other guy with the 'big teeth smile' I first saw in Space Camp.
The letters of condolence read by John Lithgow are real letters sent to families during the war. The original movie was planned to be about Royal Air Force bombers but American money paid for the film so it was changed to the Memphis Belle story - as a subtle tribute to the original idea the letters are ones sent to British families by RAF Bomber Command.
I did not know that. I'm so glad to learn it. Thank you!
Up until late 1943, the Allies didn't have a fighter plane that "had the legs" (go the distance) to go all the way with the bombers to protect them. This story was set in summer 1943. In late 1943, the North American P-51 Mustang fighter plane was introduced in Europe. The P-51 was able to fly the whole mission with the bombers, besides being a better airplane than what the Germans had. The American 8th Army Air Force decided to fly daytime missions, the Royal Air Force would fly at night. The "Memphis Belle" was a Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress. The other, and more numerous American heavy bomber, was the Consolidated B-24 Liberator. My Grandfather was a Bombardier in a B-24. He was shot down and spent the rest of the war in Stalag Luft 1, a POW camp.
My Grandfather was stationed in England and served in WWII as an aircraft mechanic. One of the planes he was in charge of servicing was the Memphis Belle. After the Army he was offered a very good job at Boeing, But not wanting to move his young family across the country from Wisconsin to Washington he decided to stay on the family farm. Had he moved he would have made a lot more money but not as happy. I'm glad he stayed on the farm because I grew up right next door, it was a great childhood and a joy spending time with him. I have all his pictures from the war many of them with him standing by the Pin-up girls on the planes including the Memphis Belle. He will always be a hero in my book.
That’s lovely 😊 in the end those memories you have with him matter so much more
@@RhetoricalThrill Thanks 😊
One of the reasons this film didn't become a pop culture fixture is that it came out before the resurgence of WW2 and cold war movie popularity, sometimes being among the first isn't best.
Ahhh, I think you’re onto something there. It’s too bad, it’s a good film
As someone who lives in Suffolk these airmen are a massive part of our history in East Anglia. Young men, many of whom had never been far from their own homes, suddenly coming thousands of miles to risk their lives over Europe. We owe them a huge debt. You may or may not know that the actor James Stewart was a pilot of B24 Liberators and flew 20 missions over Europe.
I knew he was military but not where he served specifically, thank you 💜
The fighter planes couldn't hold as much fuel as the bombers, so they had to turn back. The smallest guys were always the belly gunners.
Gotcha! Thank you
Bomber losses were always high, but less when the fighters were around. It is said, and I believe accurate, that when the Red Tail squadron of US Fighters escorted a bomber group, no bomber was lost to a fighter, not one. Of course the fighters took losses. Not that it should matter, but these US pilots were of African decent.
@@user-jq1pt8ez5i Not quite true that the Tuskegee Airmen lost no bombers they were escorting but they did stick closer to them then most of the other fighter squadrons did. The reason was that by then, the job of the fighters was to engage the enemy fighters and attrite the Luftwaffe to make them less effective during the Normandy invasion. So the glory boys chased the Germans all over the sky; the bombers were just bait. The Tuskegees weren't allowed in on that glory so they stuck to their main escort job, which made them beloved to the bomber crews.
Definitely one of my favorites and you're the first I've seen do a reaction video for it. LW3918 and you both have my thanks!
It was my pleasure!
My grandfather made it home only do a second tour in the Pacific! He was a flight engineer and met my grandmother in Colorado while training in B29 bombers for his second tour, this time in the Pacific theater.
The idea a female could relate to what these boys went through, is like men understanding women's thoughts in Dirty Dancing. These guys gave the ultimate sacrifice and never once complained.
Why would my sex mean I don’t understand or empathize with these characters? Certainly biological reality and societal experience affect how people see things, but stuff like honor, duty, fear, and sacrifice are pretty damn universal.
As to your last sentence: I’m not sure what movie you were watching but I saw a lot of complaining and resentment from those characters. It dehumanizes WWII veterans to generalize them into fearless unquestioning Captain America clones.
There was an actual propaganda movie about that last mission. The crew in this movie is fictionalised as are the specific incidents of the mission. Depending on wind conditions, a round trip to Bremen in a B-17 formation was an all day affair.
The Army Air Corps had to specifically recruit little guys to man the ball turrets. They did have a tendency to stick in awkward positions which occasionally resulted in the plane having to land with them still extended with the very real danger of the turret making ground contact.
There were escort fighters (P-51 Mustangs), but they would have been close to their maximum range, so they would have to drop their external fuel tanks to engage which meant they would have to head for home quickly. Earlier waves of German fighters would have tried to get them to use up their fuel and ammunition. As well, escort fighters had to stay away from tight proximity to the bomber formations, because thousands of .50 calibre machine guns were blasting away with little regard for what was a legitimate target....
Great info, thank you!
I've flown on B-17s. Thet are not shaky at all; it's a very soft ride like being on a waterbed (those big tires) and take off is smoother than an airliner, as you just float up on the air. Landing is the same: you watch the shadow grow closer to the ground, the screech of the tires touching down. The noise in the air is deafening. When you see the old Veterans with hearing aides in both ears, they earned those babies.
Great film. Now, on to "12 O'clock High" for a grittier view of the bomber crews of WWII. Good reaction.
The air war was brutal till mid to late 44 when fighters could start escorting bombers the whole way and the Luft was shredded to a shadow of itself.
In reality the Belle suffered very little damage over her career, they actually flew the plane back to the US to do PR. She's on display in the national museum of the USAF.
The Belle wasn't the first to complete 25 missions. A 17 named Hell's Angels was the first one, but the Belle was the first to go home after completing 25. The Belle completed her 25th mission on May 17, not 16. Also the Pilot (Col. Robert Morgan) and Co-pilot Cap. (James Verinis) had on steel helmets when they were flying through the flak. I have watched clips, but I cannot bring myself to watch this movie because it is so far from the truth. I'm sure this movie helped rejuvenate interest in the actual Queen that is the Belle and if that's the case, I'm thankful for that because now, she sits fully restored in the Wright Patterson Airforce Base Museum.
Loaded down with fuel and payload, it weighed 30 tons.
Nothing is ever more beautiful than the British coast "Come on baby, just a little further...."
Those planes are terrifying, the sheer beating they can take and still fly
Great movie! I'm so glad to see you reacting to such an underappreciated film.. Way to start the new year properly and can't wait to see what else you have in store for us this year! :)
I hope I make it worth your while! You guys deserve the best 💜
Between this movie and having been able to go into both a B-17 and a B-24 I am glad I would have been in the Navy flying Hellcats in the Pacific.
Milk run is a mission over an easy target low risk. The pictures on the aircraft is called "nose art". fair movie, good reaction.
Ahh, I see! Thanks for watching 😊
Now imagine going through things like this and being 22, 23 or so. The stalwart nature of our troops in WWII is staggering. May God bless the soul of each and every one of the real ones!
The letters scene is based on a real bomber commanders policy, he would free hans the letters, one at a time. No copies.
"The letters were private, between him and the families. Never to been seem by anyone else"
I am a combat vet ( Vietnam ) you can not possibly know the good you have just done . Thank you for this and you did a great job. God bless you
Thank for the kind words and especially your service 💜
This was my favorite film as a kid, and sparked a lifelong interest in world war 2 history. Now I'm old and better studied, but I still love it. TBH the theme to this movie is the only thing I can still play on the piano.
An older gentleman that my father and I bowled leagues with and befriended was a B-17 pilot at the same time 'Memphis Belle' was flying. He said the story of her was not accurate, but the war action was very well done. I absolutely love the nose of art and pin-ups from that era, and some of them were bordering on very 'R' rated.
Love this movie. My dad was a waist gunner in a B-17 in the 390th Bomb Group, stationed in England.
Nice reaction
Thank you! And many thanks to your dad 💜
❤@@RhetoricalThrill
Think about this. Each B-17 F models carried Ten men on board. 24 ships was 240 men. Losing 24 airplanes means 240 lost crews. Whether they were able to get out and became POW or were lost.
I've been inside the Plane used during the movie as "The Memphis Belle". There isn't much space to move around in. And to imagine the gear the crews would have to wear during their sorties makes it that much smaller
The Actual "Memphis Belle" has been rebuilt and is on static display at the National Museum of the United States Air Force at Wright-Patterson AFB in Dayton, Ohio.
I’ve never been inside a plane like that, but I have been in a submarine and it was SO cramped. And then to have to concentrate only on the job at hand without dwelling on the fear, takes an enormous amount of courage.
I have also been inside a WWII sub USS Torsk SS-423. And yeah, 81 souls inside that enclosed tube. Just the thought of the smells and cramped spaces is enough to really set your mind off. Even normal operations one had to be nearly super human.
Under Attack? As my mom would say. "you're a better man than me Gunga Din".@@RhetoricalThrill
This is actually based off the documentary that was made in 43. If you want to see what really happened, then the documentary is it. The belle also took off from their base in England with 35 other planes.
Do you think any young Americans really understand the sacrifices that so many young men and women made in WW 11. The greatest generation, and they are all about gone.
I'm not sure anyone can fully understand what happened during that time if they weren't there. Best we can do is try 💜
The term "milk run" means a really easy mission like, instead of going on a bombing run they are sent to deliver mail to France or something.
Rhetorical, thank you. I'm actually a WW2 historian and author. I'm really resisting the urge to geek out and share some of my knowledge. Thank you for getting to this. Maybe it will spark the interest of some of your fans.
Geek away! I always hope what I do gets people interested in new things 💜
@RhetoricalThrill What I like about this movie is that it gives a glimpse into what bomber crews went through, remember they were just kids. Before the introduction of the P 51 Mustang the fighter escorts couldn't accompany the bombers all the way to Germany and back. Luftwaffe figher pilots knew this. They would stay just out of reach of the American and British fighters. The bomber crews could see what they were flying into. Yes the defensive guns helped, but not enough. 5 actual B 17's were used in the filming. However they were "G" models and had to be modified to resemble "F" models. Real planes, not cgi. I have friends who helped with this project. I've had the pleasure of flying in a B 17 three times. If you ever get a chance to see one for yourself you should do so. Based on actual events yes, but a very educational film for those who don't know anything about this amazing period in history. And don't worry I'll continue to give you other movie suggestions lol 💜
A fantastic movie!! I truly dives into the mentality and personal battle of the individual when faced with the uncertainty of life and death KNOWING you're so close to safety. Such brave men. Most came home and simply picked up where they left off. Defiantly the epitome of the GREAT GENERATION .
I can’t even imagine the stress
The shots of the b17s in this movie are absolutely the best out there. Love it!
The B-17F had like all previous models a severe weakness - the face
There were two small guns slightly off-set from the nose but these were operated by the Bombardier, and the Navigator who had other important jobs
The Germans seized upon this to do front-on attacks
The allies released the B-17G which has a chin turret added, for forward defence
Also the improvement of fighters and their tactics in escorting bombers greatly increased survivability and lad to victory
Another fantastic movie from the Airmen’s view is Thirty Seconds over Tokyo. True story about the Dolittle raid. Stars Spencer Tracey. Great watch.
Yes, as you've already guessed, the Memphis Belle was a real thing but the story of the crew's final mission was highly fictionalized. As I recall, the Real Belle returned largely unharmed but certainly did not go through all the events you saw in the film. And, regarding the co-pilot's umm... "snafu", it wasn't unheard of for any incoming fighter to slam into a b17 (or even another friend or foe). Put simply, it could have happened to anyone. These planes are coming in so fast, there was always a slight chance even if the incoming plane did not get hit. Regarding fighter escort, this was the beginning of the war, drop-tanks were not yet being actively used, so the 17s often had to go it alone. Oh, and I'm surprised you didn't recognize Samwise Gamgee in this film.
I did! I think I called him Sam at the beginning, though I know him best from The Goonies 😊 And thanks for the info on the mishap, I figured it probably could have happened to anyone but he must have felt just horrible.
Ah, musta missed that. :) And, yea, war itself is just horrible, which is why many of our vets just didn't like to talk about it.
Saw this film a long time ago, and I still like it. Apparently this film is dramatization of real events about this crew.
May I recommend another WW2 war film called '12 O'Clock High'? It is about a fictional Air Force bomber group set in WW2 too. If you manage to find it, please react to it.
Man, yours is the fifth or sixth recommendation for 12 O’Clock High, it must be amazing!
@@RhetoricalThrill It is an amazing film. Gregory Peck acted in it.
I also recommend the WW2 film called 'Tora Tora Tora'. I feel it is a good reenactment of the Pearl Harbour attack. Some may say this film is 1000 times better than the Micheal Bay's film.
"12 O'CLOCK HIGH" [1949]. Best ever.
I got to tour a B-17 recently and couldn't believe how tiny they actually are inside. I almost got stuck in the area over the bomb bay doors. I can't imagine how difficult and how much bravery it took to go up to fight in something that compact and claustrophobic.
I can only imagine! I’ve spent the night in a submarine and that was cramped enough, and still bigger than those planes!
Not to mention these birds are made of aluminum.😱
19:26 The Allies didn't have a fighter with enough range to accompany the bombers from England to Germany until 1944, when the P-51 Mustang, equipped with drop tanks, could cover the distance and get back.
It is a sort of true story. Everything that happens in the movie really did happen. It just didn`t happen to that plane and crew. The real story, that the Memphis Belle completed its final mission with hardly a scratch wasn`t exciting enough for a movie, so they spiced it up, a lot. They didn`t even use the names of the real crew. A really good movie, but not the real events.
You should watch the 1940s documentary "Memphis Belle" for the real story. It is excellent, even considering that it was a WWII "boost the morale and pride" film. But it was a real documentary, not a propaganda film like many from that era were.
I’ll check it out!
My uncle was a tail gunner in a B24 he was kia’d on his 49th mission in Marlboro Yugoslavia. Eye witness a P47 fighter escort reported they had released there bombs and as the bomb bay doors were closing a flax shell exploded in side the bomb bay. The plane exploded in half and spun into the ground. One man parachuted out and survived the navigator. He told the story.
That is horrible 😞 May he rest in peace
21:25
The most horrific moment for B-17 "Mother and Country".
Unfortunately 2 years ago in 2022, the tail separation incident repeated again with B-17 Texas Raiders, when a P-63 Aircobra collided with it, ripping the B-17's tail apart, causing the fatal crash of both planes. All lives were lost in that incident.
Oh no 😞
I enjoyed your reaction to this movie. If you want to see a great movie about the stress and brutality of the air war for bomber crews over Germany during WW2 starring one of the all time great actors 'Gregory Peck' then I highly recommend watching 'Twelve O'Clock High' which was made in 1949. It's an outstanding movie and there's no one in Hollywood today who can give a performance like Gregory Peck.
Sounds intense!
The actual plane is located on Mud Island museum in Memphis , Tennessee. It was being restored in 1997 when I was there .
It's fully restored in the National Museum of the USAF at Wright-Patterson AFB, Dayton Ohio now.
This is one of my favorite movies! The real life footage they put into the movie was crazy
I knew there had to be some real footage!
Fun fact. Eric Stoltz as Staff Sgt. (T/3) Danny "Danny Boy" Daly was cast as Marty McFly first. He was fired and replaced by Michael J. Fox.
Since I talked about Sally B, the Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress that played the Memphis Belle in this film, I just remembered. She actually cameos in the film wearing her own livery. You can see her at 9:58, and yes, she has a nude woman laying down painted on both sides her nose. She actually still has this panting on the left side since they retained the Belle livery on the right side. I can't wait to see her perform at the air show. She's an old girl now, but she's still alive and kicking thanks to the wonderful people at Duxford in Cambridge who've lovingly taken care of her for decades.
I’m glad there are people who take care of history like that 💜💜💜
Like others have said, SO glad someone has finally reacted to this film. Hopefully, other reactors will follow suit.
The B-17 is one of my favorite WWII bombers.....hands down. It has such a gorgeous silhouette and it was tough as nails to boot.
My uncle was a waist gunner and Norden bombsight maintenence tech on board a B-17. I still have his flak helmet and proudly display it in my so-called "man cave".
Great reaction vid!
That’s so cool you still have your uncle’s helmet! And you’re right about the b-17 just looking so good. Thanks for watching, I’m glad you enjoyed it 😊
@RhetoricalThrill My father was in the US Navy, and so I keep most of his things displayed with my uncle's. There are a lot of period pieces of my dad's.....but only a few items that belonged to my uncle.
Sadly.....none of his kids were even REMOTELY interested in his things, so I gladly took them, knowing I'd at least display them with some sort of respect.
Thanks for the reaction. I think for years, the movie wasn't on streaming services so there are a couple of generations of folks who have not seen it. I hope more reactors do this one. It's worth it. Thanks!
Thank you so much for being here!
Memphis Belle was filmed at the former RAF Binbrook here in Lincolnshire I was a little too young to be an extra I was about 14 at the time and youngest age allowed to be an extra was 17, the flying was filmed over Cambridgeshire.
"so long since i had any meat". There was food rationing in Britain during WW2
Milk-run; easy safe mission
Early B17 aircraft, no chin turret
At first Allied fighter aircraft did not have the fuel capacity to protect the bombers all the way there and back.
Bomber aircraft were very inaccurate in their bombing during WW2
Oh I knew what she meant, she just said it so enthusiastically 😂
Thank you for the info, I appreciate it!
@@RhetoricalThrill Somehow, I'm sure you did! :-)
I have watches this film HUNDREDS of times, but the landing scene still gives me anxiety.
Records indicate that Gable flew five combat missions but Cowley and other veterans remember that he flew many more.
They ordered him not fly any more, Hitler put a bounty on him, but he flew some more missions against orders.
I have heard that Charlie Chaplin was a gunner, with Hitler putting out a bounty contract for the German pilot to shoot him down. No idea if this is true.
Glad to see someone comment on this great movie.
El MIrage, Arizona
Thanks for watching it with me! 😊
I grew up in Memphis TN. where the Belle was placed in front of National Guard Armory near the Memphis Fairgrounds after the war. It was in a poor state of preservation by the 1970's and briefly was placed near a themed restaurant by the airport. Finally it went through some much needed restoration and moved to The Mud Island Park where it was at least placed in a covered exhibit. Today it is preseved in the USAF Museum in Ohio.
William Wyler, the director of Ben Hur, filmed a documentary on the Belle during the war. It is available on TH-cam. it was used at stock footage in countless films and tv shows, and was even used by Lucas as a film study for the Space combat scenes in Star Wars. "into The Blue" is the most recently digitally restored remastering of the authentic Memphis Belle footage.
I’m glad they rescued her, I think it’s important to preserve physical pieces of history
the real life Memphis belle's 25th final mission was the submarine base in Lorient, France....
The air war is tragically under covered given the scale of those involved. A great classic one of the few examples in any media about aircrew. Excited for the new show coming out in a few weeks masters of the air about the 100BG
This film does the movie trope of compressing 25 missions into one. What happened in the movie happened over 25 missions, no on the last one.
Much of it is quite realistic. However, a lot of crews didn't go to dances, or make friends in other crews, or do anything but what was required, simply to avoid distractions, as any distractions could kill them all.
In later decades the USAF would train crewmen to perform a task as a component, and often they would never fly as a crew, but make up a new new crew each time, and so perform exactly correctly.
The statistics showed that it was individual performance, communication of vital information clearly, and concentration that mattered; getting to the target, bombing accurately and getting back.
Yeah for movie purposes, the “tight knit crew” aspect works great, but irl it would make sense for each guy to know his job so well he can do it in any group
There's a story about a ground crew chief in the 8th got to know the first crew whose bomber he was in charge of really well, knew what towns they came from in the States, learned their siblings' names, where they went to school, what part-time jobs they'd had before enlisting. Then one mission they never came back. After that, for all the rest of the aircrews for the rest of the war, he only ever looked at their shoes.
The poem is by WB Yeats , Eric blurts it out when is injured.
It was an interesting summer in 1989 when I went to see Memphis Belle, then Tim Burton's Batman then Oliver Stone's J.F.K. (not sure of the order, though). I was particularly stoke for Bell, because I am allabout WWII history. They got so many interesting details right, like the blue electrical underwear the men wear and have to plug into outlets in the plane to stop from dying of hypothermia.
Sorry to blow up your comments today.. But the "i don't wanna die" guy is D.B. Sweeney.. he had a brief moment in the 90s and probably did one of My absolute stone cold classic romantic sports comedies "The Cutting Edge". Still holds up watched it recently and still loved it
I’ve heard of him for sure, but I don’t think I’ve seen much with him. I definitely didn’t know him by sight.
@@RhetoricalThrill he had a very brief run on FOX in the 90s opposite a little unknown show called The X-Files. Sadly his series "Strange Luck" didn't make it past a short season 1. I really loved it and it fit in with the weird world of The X Files.. i totally forgot he was excellent in Eight Men Out about the Chicago Black Sox scandal . And Fire in the Sky based on a true story about alien abduction.. Man that was an unnerving movie.
For some great footage involving World War I aviation....have you watched 'The Blue Max'? James Mason, Ursula Andress & George Peppard star. Filmed in the 1960s & primarily from the German perspective,,,it's also quite colorful. Great musical score as well.
I haven’t, sounds interesting
I had a chance to go through the B17 that was the Memphis Belle in the movie. It was on static display at Wings Over Wayne Airshow at Seymour Johnson AFB in Goldsboro North Carolina. The real Memphis Belle is on display at the Air Force Museum in Dayton, Ohio. The movie is based on the real Memphis Belle 25th and last mission.