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General Forums => The O' Club => Topic started by: FUNKED1 on November 17, 2004, 12:16:55 AM

Title: Nova "Great Escape"
Post by: FUNKED1 on November 17, 2004, 12:16:55 AM
Really cool show tonight on the escape from Sagan.  They actually found and excavated one of the tunnels, and brought the surviving vets out to see it.
Title: Nova "Great Escape"
Post by: mason22 on November 17, 2004, 12:25:58 AM
was good, i caught the tail end of it too.

man, how many movies have been made about that escape?

The Great Escape
Harts War

etc etc ?
Title: Nova "Great Escape"
Post by: Tinpot on November 17, 2004, 07:33:25 AM
Though the movie was as accurate as that u571 thing. The geat escape was carried out by RAF personell and commonwealth allies etc. No Americans. Bit like Hollywood making out that we have the USA to thank for breaking the enigma code!!!!

If the soviets had made movies like that we'd have called it propaganda.
Title: mind you
Post by: Tinpot on November 17, 2004, 07:35:05 AM
The bike chase was cool.;)
Title: Nova "Great Escape"
Post by: wklink on November 17, 2004, 08:16:34 AM
Quote
Originally posted by Tinpot
Though the movie was as accurate as that u571 thing. The geat escape was carried out by RAF personell and commonwealth allies etc. No Americans. Bit like Hollywood making out that we have the USA to thank for breaking the enigma code!!!!

If the soviets had made movies like that we'd have called it propaganda.



That's not true.  Obviously you didn't watch the program.  There were Americans involved in the plot, involved in the digging.  The Americans were moved to another camp before the escape occurred.

So your statement is incorrect, Americans were involved, they helped with everything but they didn't get to go out the tunnels.
Title: Nova "Great Escape"
Post by: DREDIOCK on November 17, 2004, 08:24:20 AM
Quote
Originally posted by Tinpot
Though the movie was as accurate as that u571 thing. The geat escape was carried out by RAF personell and commonwealth allies etc. No Americans. Bit like Hollywood making out that we have the USA to thank for breaking the enigma code!!!!

If the soviets had made movies like that we'd have called it propaganda.


Odd I dont remember a single movie that made the claim the USA broke the enigma or that anyone had the USA to thank for doing so.
Care to point these movies out to me?
I must have missed them

and in the movei "the Great Escape" while not entirely accurate which is not uncommon in movies no matter who makes them the escape itself was planned and lead by the Brits.
Title: Nova "Great Escape"
Post by: OIO on November 17, 2004, 08:38:14 AM
well the brits had cracked enigma before the submarine was captured.

the fear of allied command was that the nazis would change their enigma codes if they knew the submarine had been captured.
Title: Nova "Great Escape"
Post by: rpm on November 17, 2004, 09:27:37 AM
It was a great show. I was shocked they found the right barracks so quickly. When I saw them using a backhoe to excavate the site, I was sure they would destroy any artifacts. Boy, was I wrong. Seeing the old Klim cans still pieced together for ventilation in the tunnel was amazing.

The show on the RAF Dambusters that followed was just as interesting. One of the planes had to make 10 passes over the target before he dropped his bomb just 60 ft over the target. I don't want to hear any more whining in the MA when Lanks divebomb. They were VERY capable of the job.
Title: Nova "Great Escape"
Post by: FUNKED1 on November 17, 2004, 02:05:17 PM
Quote
Originally posted by Tinpot
If the soviets had made movies like that we'd have called it propaganda.


Over here we call it "fiction".  You might have heard of this genre.
Title: Nova "Great Escape"
Post by: Airhead on November 17, 2004, 02:12:32 PM
Tinpot, I have two Mel Gibson classics- "Braveheart" and "The Patriot"- on DVD. I watch them every day to remind myself how brutally England treated those peoples they conquered, then I thank God America threw off the yoke of British oppression.
Title: Nova "Great Escape"
Post by: Hawklore on November 17, 2004, 02:24:49 PM
Was a good show...

I only caught the tail end..

But I loved the one vet who was cussin up a storm, he couldn't belive they found the site after so many years..
Title: Nova "Great Escape"
Post by: Guppy35 on November 17, 2004, 02:48:43 PM
Quote
Originally posted by Tinpot
Though the movie was as accurate as that u571 thing. The geat escape was carried out by RAF personell and commonwealth allies etc. No Americans. Bit like Hollywood making out that we have the USA to thank for breaking the enigma code!!!!

If the soviets had made movies like that we'd have called it propaganda.


It certainly was Hollywoodized, as it was aimed at primarily an American audience.  At the same time, the technical advisor on the film was Wally Floody, a Canadian who was involved from the beginning and a primary mover in the tunnelling.  He was removed from the camp prior to the escape so he missed the actual event, but he probably spent more time in the tunnels then anyone else.

If you've done any research on the actual event, you'd see that there were Americans involved in the project.  Davy Jones, who was on the show last night, and also a Doolittle Raider, was one of the tunnelers.  George Harsh, who wrote the introduction to Paul Brickhall's book "The Great Escape" was also highly involved as were others.  

Part of the rush to get 'Tom" done was to let some of the Americans get out.  After it was found, the Yanks were moved to a seperate camp.

Back to the movie, if you are going to rip the movie version of the Great Escape, then you might as well rip "The Battle of Britain" where they did the same thing, changing names, compressing stories to fit the film etc etc.

My biggest beef with the movie was that it didn't do a good enough job focusing in on Roger Bushell and his role in masterminding the entire project.  That and that the prisoners looked way too well fed and healthy compared to the real guys.

BUT!  There were Americans involved and to claim otherwise is downright silly.

Dan/Slack
Title: Nova "Great Escape"
Post by: lazs2 on November 17, 2004, 02:57:40 PM
airhead... I petitioned our public schools here to show Braveheart and the patriot as part of their history program.  

I am pleased to say that both movies are now shown in high school in both english and spanish and that they will suffice as all that is needed for urop and early American history.    

lazs
Title: Nova "Great Escape"
Post by: Airhead on November 17, 2004, 03:52:51 PM
Lazs, the Brits have always been braggarts. Did you know that the RAF claimed more victories than the Luftwaffe even had planes? Thank God gun cameras were introduced halfway through the War or the Brits would have had several dozen 100 kill aces.
Title: Nova "Great Escape"
Post by: Guppy35 on November 17, 2004, 05:26:54 PM
When the name fits, wear it .

Where did that notion come from Airhead? Having spent a good deal of time corresponding with and meeting former RAF Spit pilots, I don't recall ever coming across anything like that anywhere.

You base your comment on what exactly?

Dan/Slack



Quote
Originally posted by Airhead
Lazs, the Brits have always been braggarts. Did you know that the RAF claimed more victories than the Luftwaffe even had planes? Thank God gun cameras were introduced halfway through the War or the Brits would have had several dozen 100 kill aces.
Title: Nova "Great Escape"
Post by: Airhead on November 17, 2004, 06:40:45 PM
Quote
Originally posted by Guppy35


...if you are going to rip the movie version of the Great Escape, then you might as well rip "The Battle of Britain" where they did the same thing, changing names, compressing stories to fit the film etc etc.


Dan/Slack


Ironically enough the Battle of Britian was fought by American pilots, for the most part, although the mess cooks, porters and cleaning people were British.
Title: Nova "Great Escape"
Post by: Guppy35 on November 17, 2004, 06:55:54 PM
LOL ok now I believe ya.  We Americans fought the Battle of Britain for the British?

Seems last I checked there were 7 Americans who are acknowledged to have flown in the B of B, with a few more who were flying with the RCAF.

Off the top the 7 Yanks in the RAF during the Battle were

Billy Fiske, Andy Mamendoff, Shorty Keogh, Red Tobin, Art Donahue, Sam Leckrone and Carl Davis.

Either you don't have a  clue or I have to quit biting on that nice shiny hook :)

Dan/Slack


Quote
Originally posted by Airhead
Ironically enough the Battle of Britian was fought by American pilots, for the most part, although the mess cooks, porters and cleaning people were British.
Title: Nova "Great Escape"
Post by: Torque on November 17, 2004, 11:56:12 PM
Quote
Originally posted by Guppy35


Where did that notion come from Airhead? Having spent a good deal of time corresponding with and meeting former RAF Spit pilots, .

You base your comment on what exactly?

Dan/Slack


Airhead corresponds with a lumberjack (his mom) for the info, she ain't no liar....
Title: Nova "Great Escape"
Post by: Holden McGroin on November 18, 2004, 01:08:45 AM
Quote
Originally posted by Airhead
Tinpot, I have two Mel Gibson classics- "Braveheart" and "The Patriot"- on DVD. I watch them every day to remind myself how brutally England treated those peoples they conquered, then I thank God America threw off the yoke of British oppression.


In Braveheart, the battle of Sterling Bridge was depicted without the bridge.  This puts the movie into total disripute.  

If it wasn't for Sophie Marceau, the movie would have no redeeming social or historical significance whatsoever.
(http://www.friends.com.ru/marceau/sophie.jpg)
Title: Nova "Great Escape"
Post by: Fuzzy on November 18, 2004, 02:20:49 AM
Quote
Originally posted by Guppy35


Off the top the 7 Yanks in the RAF during the Battle were

Billy Fiske, Andy Mamendoff, Shorty Keogh, Red Tobin, Art Donahue, Sam Leckrone and Carl Davis.

Dan/Slack


You mistakenly excluded Ben Affleck from your list!!!
Title: Nova "Great Escape"
Post by: Suave on November 18, 2004, 05:32:11 AM
I love PBS, and when I grow up I'm going to marry it.

Was an interesting show. Prison escapes are a great showcase for how a group of minds can redifine what's imposible.

Another even more fantastic WWII escape that pbs did a show on was where these pows had secretly built a glider and planed to fly it off of the roof of the prison. They were liberated before they had an oportunity to use it. They never got to prove that it worked. So on the show they got some of the old guys back together and built a replica of the glider and flew it!
Title: Ok
Post by: Tinpot on November 18, 2004, 05:53:01 AM
I was slightly wrong.

Nevertheless you'd think that the Americans won the war on their own if you got all your history from Hollywood.

On Holiday in SD in 99 I met a guy who more or less ordered me to thank the USA for the whole outcome of the war and my freedom! That grates a bit. My Grandparents and Parents would have a different view as would the thousands of other people from the commonwealth nations and Europe who bled themselves white fighting the Germans while the USA decided whether or not to Join in and Russia decided which side to fight with then betray!.

Its just an opinion! and I'm entitled to it!
Title: Nova "Great Escape"
Post by: Tinpot on November 18, 2004, 05:54:15 AM
Sophie Marceau is a total babe though.

( but you stateside Franco phobes...... she's French! lol )
Title: Nova "Great Escape"
Post by: Holden McGroin on November 18, 2004, 06:28:56 AM
Quote
Originally posted by Tinpot
...she's French! lol  


Is that why she speaks with that outrageous accent, you silly english pig dog?  I fart in your general direction, your mother was a hamster and your father smelles of elderberries!
Title: Run away run away
Post by: Blue2 on November 18, 2004, 06:34:08 AM
:D
Title: Nova "Great Escape"
Post by: Airhead on November 18, 2004, 09:43:42 AM
It's more fun Brit bashing than French bashing cause less is lost in the translation.

Any Germans in the house? :D
Title: Nova "Great Escape"
Post by: thrila on November 18, 2004, 10:09:37 AM
Why do the evil guys in films have british accents.

Does this mean the new BoB movie with Tom Cruise will be an american saving Britain from the British?:confused: :confused:    aaiiiiiiieeeeeee!!!  My brain hurts!
Title: Nova "Great Escape"
Post by: Thrawn on November 18, 2004, 05:42:57 PM
Quote
Originally posted by thrila
Why do the evil guys in films have british accents.



Because the English are inherantly evil.