griff66 Posted April 18, 2013 Share Posted April 18, 2013 life and times of colonel blimp watched on u tube pretty good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Graves Posted April 18, 2013 Share Posted April 18, 2013 hi, the film kellys heroes was based on fact, none of the bullion was ever found and many people died even after the war who were involved in the robbery, a friend of mine many years ago investigated this mystery and managed to get access to documents pertaining information to this robbery, there is no doubt that this robbery took place but crucial names and dates funninly have been tipexed out. this robbery in ww2 until the brinx matt debacle at heathrow held the guiness book of records title. hope of interest, tony g. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jolly Jeeper Posted April 18, 2013 Share Posted April 18, 2013 Kelly's Heroes also spawned a remake/rewrite/rip off - Three Kings - set at the end of the Gulf War. Stolen Gold and all that which is of course a recurrent theme in many movies, another nonsense caper that springs to mind is Sahara. Re plausibility in movies though; many people - including myself - like Ice Cold in Alex but the key difference between the film and the book is in the romance. In the movie, the nurse ends up with the officer but in the book, she ends up with the dependable, practical and widowed Sergeant. I've always though that the book's version seemed more plausible as the nurse never struck me as the sort to get together with a gin-soaked fop officer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jack Posted April 18, 2013 Share Posted April 18, 2013 hi, the film kellys heroes was based on fact, none of the bullion was ever found and many people died even after the war who were involved in the robbery, a friend of mine many years ago investigated this mystery and managed to get access to documents pertaining information to this robbery, there is no doubt that this robbery took place but crucial names and dates funninly have been tipexed out. this robbery in ww2 until the brinx matt debacle at heathrow held the guiness book of records title. hope of interest, tony g. Tony - do you have any links that you can post to it - would love to read up on that Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlienFTM Posted April 18, 2013 Share Posted April 18, 2013 (edited) ......I'm equally absolutely sure that some individuals, either working alone or together, would have taken advantage of any such situation for a few easy pickings that might have come their way...I know damn well that I would have anyways ! I could name for you a member (or two) of my regiment who were attached to the Royal Armoured Corps Parachute Squadron who intervened in Nicosia during the 1974 war and can regale you all night about banks and bullion. But I shan't. Try either the Cyprus war thread on the Arrse Military History forum or the RAC Para Sqn thread on the RAC forum (both threads have been quiet for a long time so you'll have to dig). Edited April 18, 2013 by AlienFTM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woa2 Posted April 18, 2013 Share Posted April 18, 2013 hi, the film kellys heroes was based on fact, none of the bullion was ever found and many people died even after the war who were involved in the robbery, a friend of mine many years ago investigated this mystery and managed to get access to documents pertaining information to this robbery, there is no doubt that this robbery took place but crucial names and dates funninly have been tipexed out. this robbery in ww2 until the brinx matt debacle at heathrow held the guiness book of records title. hope of interest, tony g. Any leads as to where I can find out more details about the original robbery the film was based on? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RattlesnakeBob Posted April 19, 2013 Author Share Posted April 19, 2013 Any leads as to where I can find out more details about the original robbery the film was based on? I was basing my post on an article/ story that I'm pretty sure was in After The Battle probably around the early 1980s... ....it concerned a US Army unit that had found a stash of bullion in (I think) a disused salt mine somewhere in Southern Germany /Austria area... ...the gold was properly accounted for and photographs exist of it being humped out of the mine and loaded to lorries....from there it went to a nearby army camp and was guarded over the course of the next few days as it was decided by those higher up the chain of command to decide what should happen to it... then it gets a bit hazy (my memory of the story and the actual details ! ha!)....:cool2: ..... I think as the story went.... the gold was supposed to be transfered to the rear area but somehow over the course of the next few days it went 'missing'....I can't recall if the trucks were ever found that it was loaded on or whether some army personnel actually went missing at the same time as well.... but whatever happened ..the gold had disappeared....and was never found again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony B Posted April 19, 2013 Share Posted April 19, 2013 Get the shovels out! We can have a look for the Amber Room as well!:cool2: A lot of valuables 'dissappeared' during the the lsat few months and just after WW2. Various bits still turn up, a large Gold Chalice, possibly used by Himmler in his Ss riyuals turned up at the bottom of a lake a while back. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RattlesnakeBob Posted April 19, 2013 Author Share Posted April 19, 2013 (edited) Get the shovels out! We can have a look for the Amber Room as well!:cool2: A lot of valuables 'dissappeared' during the the lsat few months and just after WW2. Various bits still turn up, a large Gold Chalice, possibly used by Himmler in his Ss riyuals turned up at the bottom of a lake a while back. I reckon the last few months of the war and the immediate period afterwards was probably the best time you could wish for if you were a nefarious opportunist 'up to no good' kind of fella with an eye on a good opportunity to make a lot more cash than you were ever going to have a hope of making 'honestly'... getting away with something or covering something up or stashing something away couldn't really have been very hard around then.....and....to be fair... I guess most ordinary folks minds would have been on just surviving the war and then on trying to get home to rebuild their lives.........we'll never know just what went on.... ...the Amber Room is probably the most famous 'object' that simply disappeared but there were absolutely countless other 'things' such as cash /art/jewellery etc .. as an example, only a fraction of what Goring alone is known to have helped himself to 'personally' was ever recovered and that was just what he fancied grabbing ..... PS: the Amber Room was rumououred to be stashed in Konigsberg Castle but according to the Soviets it was 'destroyed in the fighting'....... mmmmmhhhh yeah ...'course it was Edited April 19, 2013 by RattlesnakeBob Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony B Posted April 19, 2013 Share Posted April 19, 2013 Going off track but there was an excelleent play on last Saturday on BBC Radio 4 about the investigations into the execution of the Great Escapers'. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shamouti Ben Yafo Posted July 29, 2013 Share Posted July 29, 2013 Assuming date is of no object, may I nominate 300? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jason1968 Posted July 29, 2013 Share Posted July 29, 2013 I was watching a war film last week and I did not know that the germans had white halftracks and dressed up 109 series two landrovers the yanks had m37 dodges and reos and a ferret or two in world war two!! when are the film makers ever going to get it right at least with kellys heros the vehicles were of the right time period. There are enough preserved ww2 military vehicles aircrarft and boats in the world for there to be no excuse Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RattlesnakeBob Posted July 29, 2013 Author Share Posted July 29, 2013 caught a bit of John Wyanes classic 'the Green Berets' last night....now that has got to be a contender for certainly one of the worst war films ever..... no wonder that when it was shown to the troops in Vietnam they howled with derisive laughter Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Locolines Posted July 29, 2013 Share Posted July 29, 2013 I was watching a war film last week and I did not know that the germans had white halftracks and dressed up 109 series two landrovers the yanks had m37 dodges and reos and a ferret or two in world war two!! when are the film makers ever going to get it right at least with kellys heros the vehicles were of the right time period. There are enough preserved ww2 military vehicles aircrarft and boats in the world for there to be no excuse I think the film was "Tobruk" - it was awful, I watched it... And what is worse my grandad wasn't in it - and he was there ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul_bish Posted July 29, 2013 Share Posted July 29, 2013 caught a bit of John Wyanes classic 'the Green Berets' last night....now that has got to be a contender for certainly one of the worst war films ever..... no wonder that when it was shown to the troops in Vietnam they howled with derisive laughter Truly awful. Though great tigerstripe! my favourite scene is where he smashes his rifles against the tree and its clearly this Mattel Toy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jack Posted July 29, 2013 Share Posted July 29, 2013 caught a bit of John Wyanes classic 'the Green Berets' last night....now that has got to be a contender for certainly one of the worst war films ever..... no wonder that when it was shown to the troops in Vietnam they howled with derisive laughter I watched that too and have to say I am in agreement Bob - in fact it has to be the worse film I have ever seen. :blush: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Enigma Posted July 29, 2013 Share Posted July 29, 2013 Company of heroes. Maybe the story is OK but the mistakes in uniforms etc.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hoseman Posted July 29, 2013 Share Posted July 29, 2013 Company of heroes.Maybe the story is OK but the mistakes in uniforms etc.... I was going to re watch that tonight after the missus had gone to bed!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hoseman Posted July 31, 2013 Share Posted July 31, 2013 I was going to re watch that tonight after the missus had gone to bed!!! Yep.....Its pants!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
listerdiesel Posted July 31, 2013 Share Posted July 31, 2013 (edited) I like 'documentary' types of war films where the plot/narrative is reasonably accurate, and backed up by literature of the period. One such film was 'They Were Expendable', about the PT Boats, based on a book by William L. White. The book is a good read and the film is too. Kelly's Heroes is another 'family favourite', we all like the 'Burning Bridges' theme and bought the CD of the choir (Mike Curb Congregation) I worked in the Film & TV industry for a while, mainly on lighting generators, and I had three trips out for 'Bridge Too Far', another for 'Riddle of the Sands' and we had equipment in 'The Eagle Has Landed', plus many others. The company I worked for supplied Panavision cameras and lighting equipment for these pictures, and one of the directors, Tony Samuelson, had a hand in the 'Battle of Britain', I believe that he actually owned one of the flying Spitfires at the time the film was shot. The politics and wheeler-dealing that goes on behind a major film is astonishing to an outsider, and of course big money is involved for such productions. I rarely see anything I have had an involvement in, having been behind the scenes, it never is the same on-screen! Peter Edited July 31, 2013 by listerdiesel Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shamouti Ben Yafo Posted August 21, 2013 Share Posted August 21, 2013 Someone mentioned earlier about the mass of surplus authentic gear available in the USofA; apologies if I missed someone else mentioning the following, but I read somewhere that 'modern' films with more authentic gear were being made in Europe not only because of the location but also the fact that most materiel made in America during the war was sent there and failed to make it home. Slightly off tangent here; my wife looked at 'Das Boot' for her MA (and I still have nightmares about that - sometimes German brings me out in a cold sweat); turns out the original author based it on two patrols he did with a U-Boot, which he conflated to cut down the long periods of waiting around. Meanwhile, above the waves, the author of The Cruel Sea was doing much the same. From the point of view of pure historical documentation, perhaps dubious. But they were once among my favourite war films, especially viewed closely together. But not since that farkakteh thesis... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snapper Posted August 22, 2013 Share Posted August 22, 2013 Blimey - this thread is alive and well.... I haven't been on it since the Shah of Iran lost his Diner's Club card in the Wimpy Bar in Dalston Junction. Anyway, the answer to the immediate question has to be Warhorse. The next time we convene will be when Justin Bieber is making American Songbook albums and they're scrapping the old QE class carriers of the Royal Navy. Adios. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jack Posted August 22, 2013 Share Posted August 22, 2013 Blimey - this thread is alive and well.... I haven't been on it since the Shah of Iran lost his Diner's Club card in the Wimpy Bar in Dalston Junction. Anyway, the answer to the immediate question has to be Warhorse. The next time we convene will be when Justin Bieber is making American Songbook albums and they're scrapping the old QE class carriers of the Royal Navy. Adios. So good to have you back Snapper. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RattlesnakeBob Posted August 22, 2013 Author Share Posted August 22, 2013 ........the answer to the immediate question has to be Warhorse............ Adios. Yes I have to agree with that judgement.. .....Were Snapper and I the only ones who thought Warhorse dreadful???? I know we don't have to 'justify' the reasons given on this thread but....briefly... ....I thought it was an awful Disney type ickly sickly "aw so cute!" couldn't make it's mind up if it was a kiddy film or not kind of effort ........with some pretty duff 'Military' gaffs thrown in for good measure (such as ....the First World War actually being held in a meadow behind the peaceful farmhouse where the farmer and his family were apparently not even aware the war was happening !!!! .... PLUS!!!..... the sets of the film , particularly in the 'English village / town' bits , were proper sick inducing Hollywood tripe of the " this is what we kinda think cute little ol' England must look like !" variety..... (but of course... we won't bother to do a simple bit of research to check because we're from Hollywood and whatever we think it's like they'll believe us !..) In particular .....cottages that looked like they were built in Yorkshire but were supposed to be in the west country where they all spoke with the standard Hollywood interpretation of a 'West Country' accent....... yep Warhorse....... awful , awful tripe Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snapper Posted August 22, 2013 Share Posted August 22, 2013 The military advisor on the film promises to do a talk on it one day because he is the real deal, but he was on planet Spielberg so there is no point in saying anything else. To be honest I enjoyed all his typical elements. But it was about an hour too long and intensely annoying in places. The farming sequences in the beginning were generally pointless and over long. What I liked was the goose trainer came up the order in the credits above the military advisor. I haven't see the stage play. I'm waiting for Warhorse on Ice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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