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The US Army Air Force in World War 2:
Behind the Scenes Volume 1
Four exciting films with two hours of
digitally restored sound & video in excellent condition!
* Photographic Intelligence for
Bombardment Aviation (1943-24:00) Top secret & never shown to the
public, this picture is an amazing time capsule from World War 2.
Starring screen legend Alan Ladd (Shane, This Gun for Hire) it's like
a real life detective story, seen only by Air Intelligence trainees.
“Smitty,” an American Captain in photo analysis stationed in a
misty Scottish castle, becomes obsessed with a photo recon picture
taken over Hamburg, Germany, that has anomalies he just can't
explain. The story of how he solves this riddle using persistence,
insight and World War 2 High Tech (including “Stereo Vision”) is
a fascinating tale. You'll see all phases of Photographic
Intelligence in action, from initial missions flown by Lockheed F5s
(recon version of the P-38) high over Germany, through Phase 1
Tactical Analysis to Phase 2 Strategic Analysis. You'll learn all the
details of how photographic missions were selected & flown and
how the resulting pictures were processed, organized, distributed,
analyzed and used to determine bombing targets. This film shows a
crucial ingredient in World War 2 bombing you won't see anywhere
else!
* Ditch and Live in a B-17 (1944-
43:00) Produced for the eyes of Allied aircrews only. Ditching was a
fact of life for stricken aircraft, from the frozen white tops of
the North Sea to the Shark infested waters of the South Pacific. “Lt. Reynolds.” played by veteran
actor Arthur Kennedy (Lawrence of Arabia), is copilot on a B-17 that
ditches at sea. He's survives by pure luck, but the rest of the crew
is lost due to a lack of preparation. When he gets his own ship,
Reynolds vows his crew is thoroughly trained in B-17 ditching. He
gives them the straight dope, step by step. You'll see training on
land and in the water on everything from crew preparation,
responsibilities, crash positioning, exiting the plane, emergency
supplies, launching & operating dinghies to using an emergency
radio, navigating, rations, first aid & a lot more. And after
sinking a Japanese cruiser, (as you might expect) Reynolds & the
his crew are shot down and have to put everything they learned into
practice in stormy seas. Excellent picture quality, a dramatic
storyline & realistic acting, with lots of great interior shots
of the Flying Fortress. A must have for every B-17 fan!
* Learn & Live: Pilot Heaven
(1943-44:00) Pilot deaths during training were all too frequent in
World War 2, a grim fact that was kept from the public, but was a
matter of grave concern to the Army Air Corps. Shown only to pilots,
this wonderful film is a unique combination of an entertaining,
sometimes surreal storyline, with practical nuts and bolts safety
training. Saint Peter (Guy Kibby) gives “Joe Instructor” a
temporary pass to ”Pilot Heaven,” because he's concerned that so
many more young trainees are coming up stairs before their time, due
to ignoring procedures or excessive bravado. What follows are a dozen
case studies of how recent arrivals, wearing angels wings, shooting
pool & playing cards, met their fates, told with pointed, often
sarcastic humor. (Their crashes are unflinchingly portrayed as a
harsh warning,) Their SNAFUS, realistically set down on Earth,
include fatal failures to use checklists & forms, flying into a
storm, carburetor icing, extending a glide during landing, “doping
off'” (day dreaming about your girl), not clearing your engine
before takeoff, and doing crazy acrobatics at tree top level – a
sight to see in itself! Each lesson is an entertaining vignette with
a clear message, giving you up close views of World War 2 aircraft,
including B-24s, P-38s, P-39s T-6s & Steamans. A true classic!
* Bonus Short: Carl Sandburg's “Bomber”
(1942 -10:00) This dramatic film was produced for and shown to defense
plant workers, lauding and encouraging their important work. Three
time Pulitzer Prize winning poet & biographer Carl Sandburg wrote
the script for this stirring tribute to a marvelous aircraft, the
B-26 medium bomber, and to the men & women who built them in the
Martin's Marietta Georgia plant. Striking Life Magazine style
documentary cinematography combines with Sandburg's powerful words to
create an unforgettable portrait of Americans working 24/7/365 to
help win the War. “John Henry on one wing and Paul Bunyan on the
other!” A memorable look inside a full steam ahead B-26 production
line, bristling with innovation & ingenuity from sub assemblies
to finished bombers flying off the strip, A must have for B-26 fans
& anyone who's inspired by powerful words and images showing “The
Greatest Generation” hard at work.
