Warbird Information Exchange

quote "Tom Cruise has visited Masterton to inspect the replica Lancaster bomber the movie crew has built in a hangar there, prompting speculation he could star as pilot Guy Gibson."

"Great Balls of Fire!!"

I can just see it now during the training scene for the attack....."Gibson get your butt back above the hard deck"

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I hope this doesn't open up another can of worms like my previous posts have, but here goes:

If Tom Cruise stars in it, it will help bring in sales for the film and Peter Jackson isn't a dummy in film making, thought I have not seen anything History related coming from him (maybe I forget?).

Also, I think TC did a good job in Valkyrie, althought I don't think it brought in a lot of money, maybe the general public still thinks all Germans are evil nazis, <shrug>

So who knows, but I will pay my $$ to see it anyhow.

BTW: TC isn't my favorite actor, but I think he has done a good job here and there.

He was at his best in 'Tropic Thunder'!!!!!

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S.

I have nothing against TC, and I wouldn't mind seeing him play General Savage if there was ever a 12 O'clock High remake. But Gibson was 26 at the time and Tom is what 44? You can't tell me there aren't talented UK actors who would love to take on the role? Half the actors in Band of Bros were Brits. I'm sure for American audiences Jackson will play up the part of Joe Mcarthy and choose a well known US actor to play him.

BTW, is Richard Todd still around? If so wouldn't that be neat if he made a cameo? Maybe say as a farmer annoyed by the buzzing of Lancs during the training sorties?

Pete

"I feel the need - the need for...an elocution lesson, old chap".

A few months ago, when the first replica was made public, many news outlets in NZ covered the story: http://rnzaf.proboards.com/index.cgi?bo ... 121&page=1
Follow the saga from a Kiwi perspective as it unfolds!

Also, Stephen Fry's latest TV series involved a visit here, see the screengrabs: http://forum.keypublishing.co.uk/showthread.php?t=94725
Stephen is of course writing The Dam Busters. Note the Vickers Wellington also in the hangar!!!

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Zac in NZ
#avgeek, modelbuilder, photographer, writer. Callsign: "HANDBAG".
https://linktr.ee/zacyates

"It's his plane, he spent the money to restore it, he can do with it what he wants. I will never understand what's hard to comprehend about this." - kalamazookid, 20/08/2013
"The more time you spend around warbirds the sooner you learn nothing, is simple." - JohnB, 24/02/22

LMAO

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S.

Tom Cruise is 47, Gibson was 22 during the dams raid!! Brings to mind what Dick Winters said while Band Of Brothers was in production, something along the lines of he didn't care who played him as long as it wasn't Tom Hanks, because he was far too old! I think it would be nice ,in my opinion, to portray the youth of the crews. If I recall correctly, there is a part in the book where a hotel worker asked if Dave Shannon was old enough to be in there, and got a bit of a shock when he turned round with all his medal ribbons and pilot wings on!!! He was 20 at the time of. the raid
Yes, Richard Todd is , at 90, still with us, and is a D-Day vet. I beleive he was at Pegasus Bridge.

Nice artice about Shannon here http://www.awm.gov.au/exhibitions/fiftyaustralians/44.asp

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If the first casualty of war is innocence, the second is sobriety - Hawkeye.
Good people do not need laws to tell them to act responsibly, while bad people will find a way around the laws - Plato.
Lies get halfway round the world before the truth has a chance to get it's pants on - Churchill
If you are going through he11 - keep going - Churchill

Richard Todd (From wiki) On 6 June 1944, as a captain, he participated in the British Airborne Operation Tonga during the D-Day landings. Capt. Todd was among the first British officers to land in Normandy as part of Operation Overlord. His battalion were reinforcements that parachuted in after glider forces had landed and completed the main assault against Pegasus Bridge near Caen. He later met up with Major John Howard on Pegasus Bridge and helped repulse several German counter attacks.

As an actor, Todd would later play Howard in the 1962 film The Longest Day.

Ironically, while playing the role as Maj Howard, he had to greet another actor who was playing Cpt. Todd in the movie. "Hold until relieved!"

Was looking into Bill Kerr's life yesterday - the Australian actor who played Mickey Martin in the original Dambusters - and came across a number of posts on industry blogs and 617 sites regarding Jackson considering 3D effects for the re-make - bombs bouncing over the audience etc. Can't for the life of me find the info now.

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http://aircrewbookreview.blogspot.com/

So what if TC was checking out the Lanc. Wouldn't you if you liked airplanes, where rich and famous and had connections to do so?

I know I would!

As for the what the post is really about, I think it is awesome and that Peter Jackson is sticking to the book, names and all, and the fact that new material has been declassified should make this a great movie, regardless of who is in it!

Kudos to Jackson and Cheers to the Dam busters!

Does anyone have any photographs of the 617 Sqn Mustang that Leonard Cheshire flew to mark targets?

Dan