Masters of the Air on HBO

Thanks for the update. I am such a big fan of Spielberg's (since the 1970s) and Hanks (since the mid 80s) and am looking forward to this series. The extraordinary craftsmanship of the first two series show how much they and other participants care about the material. I have watched the Pacific three times now and read most of the source material. They got it right. The only scenes I have reservations about are the romance between Leckie and the Australian gal. Not in the book. Also the details of his stay in the hospital. And especially Leckie's atheism. In the book Leckie is very specific about his epiphany regarding his faith. This is not to say it didn't happen. Leckie wrote several other books I did not read yet. He just didn't write it in the quoted source material. As to the rest. It's all in the books. Upon repeat viewing I have come to appreciate the growing frienships among the four groups of marines portrayed in the series. First Leckie and his friends, including Sidney Philips. Second Basilone and his friends up until he receives the Medal of Honor. Third Sledge and his group (especially "Snafu" and the two company officers, Jones and Haldane) and fourth, Basilone's squad on Iwo Jima. I have become very attached to these characters collectively and individually.

 

Have you read the book??? There were two, Molly and Sheila - Stella is loosely based on Sheila.

 

Thanks Takao. I read it but don't remember either woman from the book. I especially don't remember a Greek girl, and him being serious enough to want to marry her, etc.

 

They were practically inseparable for about a month. However, Sheila was married, but she did not tell that fact to Leckie until right before she left for Tasmania.

 

It's funny, I had a hard time remembering the women in the book as well. All I know is that it did drag a bit in the series. From what I recall they spend an episode on it. Besides that, I feel they stuck with the memoir pretty well.

 

I agree with another comparison I read elsewhere that THE PACIFIC has too much sex compared to BoB. Nothing to debate about what happens when soldiers/Marines get together with women during the stresses of war, and wasted time in a series that portrays comraderie, sacrifice, and honor during WWII.

Is this off-topic, or could I ask if anyone tended to enjoy a particuarlar Marine's story over another in the show? I think in real life, I really admire both R.V. Burgin and Sid Phillips.

 

Not so if you're interested in the TRUE story. The time spent in Australia and New Zealand had a significant impact on the young Marines of the 1st and 2d Marine Divisions. Virtually every Marine memoir or novel based upon their experence includes mention of the time. It was a watershed moment in many of their lives, especially since those great people took many of these young men, hardly more than boys, into their homes and treated them as one of their own. The official song of the 1st marine Division was "Waltzing Matilda". Watch any of the movies featuring Marines made during or shortly after the war, "Sands of Iwo Jima", Leon Uris' "Battle Cry" (Uris was a communicator with the 2d Marine Division), "Until they Sail", etc. To leave this part of the story out is actually a dis-service IMHO. Then there's the scene where Sid and Eugene are on the beach right before Sid goes home, he uses his "sleeping with a girl in Australia" to explain to Eugene what war is like.

One of the best scenes in the series is Eugene when he comes back from Peleliu to Pavuvu and encounters the "Lemonade" ladies. His eyes say it all.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7CjUU3GYc5k

 

I think an adaptation of Last Stand of the Tin Can Sailors would be incredible. The Pacific showed they could create a series based on three books. So following characters in different ships could work.

Getting back on track, the one thing that always scares me about aviation movies is fouled up CGI sequences that have little connection to reality (Red Tails anyone?). As far as books to base it on, 1000 Destroyed and maybe A Wing and a Prayer.

 

I have read that the concept will be like that were used in the Band of Brothers, i.e. following a particular group of airmen. Here is the official teaser https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PhmFFtjB2qY I just learned that this trailer is not from the Spielberg production but from coming full-length feature movie. Sorry for that!

 

I remember seeing a video with Andy Rooney tagging along on a B17 run (I think it was a 17 ad not a 24).....he was quite ubiquitous in WWII.
Ignorance is bliss...The bravery of youth, etc etc. What can you say about a reporter that had the courage to climb into a bomber.?
Anybody know what he was told, or what he thought about it.?
What was the perception, at that time, of the danger...he went pretty early didn't he, before the bombers had started to be shot down in big numbers.?
Yeah, I just watched the above trailer.....I could watch that stuff for hours. The stories, the info, the drama...it never gets old.
At the end of that trailer...is that for real.? Looks like half The Luftwaffe was in the sky. Did they see that many fighters all at one time like that.?

 

Not unlikely during the Schweinfurt - Regensburg mission. That was a terrible mission with the loss of 60 bombers out of 376.

 

stgrhe,

You should edit your post #29 & #30 to reflect the fact that the trailer is not for the Spielberg mini-series.

It is for a feature film(full length movie) that is in development/production called "The Mighty Eighth".
http://www.redseamediainc.com/the-mighty-eighth.aspx

 

Thank you for that Takao. I was apparently misled by an article I read earlier this year so please accept my humbled apologies for posting incorrect information. I have now edited post #29, but post #30 isn't mine.

 

Not your fault but the video link you posted is misleading. Not only is it unrelated to the HBO project but it was put up on You Tube a long time ago and never led to anything. It was a short sales video "feeler" created by to try to drum up interest among the studios in a possible limited tv series or movie but never panned out. All those involved went on to other projects. Below is an article explaining it.

http://totalfratmove.com/theres-an-amazing-trailer-out-for-a-wwii-film-about-the-flying-fortresses-except-that-film-doesnt-exist/

It keeps popping up in an annoying way in WWII forums as a preview to the Spielberg Hanks miniseries. Best to regard it as an independant short film.

 

Yeah.....I wish THAT would get made.!
A film(s) dedicated to the war photographers would be awesome.
I met a guy that was a photographer for the NVA in 1968. He was fascinating...developing Tri-X, OUTSIDE...at night...and then have the film smuggled to Saigon to be printed...!!
The prints then made there way back "North" via some rather ingenious methods, right under the occupation of The US Military.
He talked at our photography class in high school, circa 1978.
The guy (Phuc something or other) said he met Bob Cappa shortly before he died in the war, and that Bob had urged him to join Magnum.!
Yeah, those war cameramen had special demons driving them.
For some reason, I can see myself with a Leica, on the ground after D-Day...but I never would have had the nerve to get in a B-17 with a 16 Film camera, or a 35mm and go on a bombing mission. Incredible.

 

When I posted, it was a double post #29 & #30 were the exact same posting, the mods must have fixed it since I last viewed this. My apologies.

 

No apologies sir. An interesting post. Just wanted the link available to answer questions posed by the video.