War Film Vehicle errors

[da bomb]

I was watching "633 Squadron" recently and there are some real howlers with regards to vehicles:-

Series 1 Landrovers (RAF Staff car)

Saracen (German's APC painted Grey with crosses!)

and what looked like a ferret, with a large "armoured" open top painted grey with crosses.

 

Has anybody else got Film howlers to report!

 

This could bring about a special show class "Vehicles as portrayed incorrectly on Film", for those types who cant resist "fantasy embellishments" on vehicles!!!

[woa2]

The film 'Ice Cold in Alex' has a Land Rover and other modern cars in the background at the end of the film. Pity really, as they use the correct vehicle (Morris) to take the German away in.

[lightweight]

Aha! Possibly another volunteer for the Hollywood war film re-enactors! :-D

[Markheliops]

Can't remember the name of the film, but Donald Sutherland played a German spy trying to escape England in the Second World War.

 

He tries to escape by boat but gets caught in a storm and ends up washed ashore on some far flung place in the UK.

 

Funnily enough - the locals form a transport is a modified DKW Munga - which I thought started production in the early 50's.

 

Nice to see a Munga on the TV though.

 

Markheliops

[Snapper]

EYE OF THE NEEDLE.

 

Good fun. Poor old Munga.

 

This is a great thread begun in spirit a while back by Lightweight with his need for Hollywood war film re-enactments. If you look in Battle of the Bulge you will see all manner of PW kit. We definitely need a database of these howlers. I am a great fan of films that mix everything up. Tobruk is a classic. US half tracks cut up to look like German Sd.Kfz7s. among other moments. Keep 'em coming. I think there are Ford Transits in Mosquito Squadron/633 Squadron. I also like The Train - the final scene of the Germans retreating has some great bits of American and German kit in hun colours. The Laffly field car sticks in mind.

 

M

[Bodge Deep]

What was that abysmal remake of bridge on the river Kwai with Robert Carlyle

A laughable scene near the end with an M37 which was supposed to be... well god knows what, a Japanese truck of some sort. It conked out in the story and was quite heavily featured as the guards messed about with it... Not to mention US airborne releiving the prison camp at the end, resplendant in their (just purchased cheap from Band of Brother Wardrobe Dept) M42 Jump gear.

[Bazz]

 

 

Bridge to Far, The use of Leopard 1A1 as German tigers, after they made a good effort with the allied vehs.

 

 

Baz.

[Tony B]

Another 633 squadron is the Gipsy hiding behind the bushes when 1 aircraft crashes in the valley. Don't forget the modern garage door and plastic bell button as Ian Mcshane come out of the cottage in Battle of Britain ( For the love of ******* SHUD UP!!! and just watch the &&&&&&&&& FILM!!!!!) :roll:

[Bazz]

 

 

BATTLE OF THE BULGE, M47/M48 for German Panzers and Chaffees for US Shermans.

 

Baz.

[Eugene]

Apparently, there's a Robin Reliant in "The Eagle Has Landed" but I can't find it. Has anybody seen it, or is it an urban myth?

[79x100]

Steve McQueen's Triumph pretending to be something Wehrmacht in the Great Escape always annoys me.

[Rick W]

Most of the vehicles in Guns of the Navarone, especially the armoured cars!

[No Signals]

Does the land rover in the distant background in El Cid count ? :-D :-D

[Jessie The Jeep]

Has anyone has seen the film "Sweet Liberty" starring Alan Alda and Michael Cane? No military vehicles in it, unless you count some cavalry horses!

 

It is a film about making a film about the US War of independance. Alan Alda, the writer of the 'book' the 'Film' is based on, is disgusted with the lack of historical accuracy in the film being made. The director tells him that there are three rules used by film makers in any film:-

 

"1) Defy authority

 

2) Destroy property

 

3) Take peoples clothes off

 

That's what the kids want to see"

 

 

How true that seems with so many films that are made. They don't care if the vehicles are wrong, if the buttons are on the wrong side, if the guns are too modern. All they want is to follow those three basic rules, occasionally with a story thrown in too, and then get as many people in through the doors to see it as possible.

 

The lack of correct vehicles in 1940-70's films is understandable because of availability, especially with German vehicles, and 99% of any viewers, particularly in the 1950's and 60's, wouldn't care or know if the wrong era or nationality of vehicles were used. For any enthusiast, the wrong plane, car, ship, MV etc, stands out like a sore thumb. In most cases, it isn't worth the effort to get it right. It's all about making money these days, not making accurate films.

 

The 1989 'Memphis Belle' film used P-51 Mustang fighters to escort the B-17's, even though at the time the film is set, RAF Spitfires would be escorting the Bombers. Roger Freeman ( technical advisor ) was overruled re Spitfires being used as the director thought that the audiance would associate the Spit with the Battle of Britain and would get confused.

 

Steve

[Great War truck]

There is a large van in the background of the jousting scene in Jabberwocky (if medievil knights fighting a B****y great dinosaur count as a war film - :dunno: well just forget i even mentioned it).

 

Tim (too)

[ford 369]

Most of the vehicles in Guns of the Navarone, especially the armoured cars!

not only allied vehicles trying to be axis but at least on changes from lhd to rhd whilst parked

[Eugene]

The 1989 'Memphis Belle' film used P-51 Mustang fighters to escort the B-17's, even though at the time the film is set, RAF Spitfires would be escorting the Bombers. Roger Freeman ( technical advisor ) was overruled re Spitfires being used as the director thought that the audiance would associate the Spit with the Battle of Britain and would get confused.

They also substituted Austin K2 ambulances (see the original "Memphis Belle" documentary) with Dodge WC54s -it's funny how they replaced all the British kit with American!

[N.O.S.]

....it's funny how they replaced all the British kit with American!

They're entitled to, after all, they did recover an Enigma Machine..... :whistle:

[abn deuce]

if you want to get all the errors in war films as well as the rest check out moviemistakes.com lists all kinds of error's just put in your movie and enjoy the mistakes ;-)

I think someone else posted this on a different thread , found it to be a interesting site .

[Tony B]

They also substituted Austin K2 ambulances (see the original "Memphis Belle" documentary) with Dodge WC54s -it's funny how they replaced all the British kit with American!

 

That happned, the K2 were subistuted for the 4x4 WC54's for use in Europe following D-day. thats how the WC54 in my avatar ended up in france.

[Snapper]

No one will ever be entirely happy and a balance should be found. But we should be able to have fun with the mistakes they make. However, altering history is another matter altogether which is quite unforgivable...hence U571 being mentioned. But to balance, have you seen the Sound Barrier, a British film on the subject???? The Yanks were keeping quiet - for they had actually done it first and kept the fact secret. Interesting. I refer you to The Right Stuff. Long book and a long film. Or else read Chuck Yeager's autobiography. I chatted with a bloke on Op Bolero who had actually met the man and found him to be, shall we say, not the kindest of souls. This really upset me, but I wasn't surprised.

[AlienFTM]

 

Bridge to Far, The use of Leopard 1A1 as German tigers, after they made a good effort with the allied vehs.

 

 

Baz.

 

 

I am having a deja vu moment here. I have suddenly had this image of you and me heading up to the Smoke from Tidders and stopping at the UJC to watch this at or immediately after the premiere and killing werselves laughing at the Leopards.

[Tony B]

No one will ever be entirely happy and a balance should be found. But we should be able to have fun with the mistakes they make. However, altering history is another matter altogether which is quite unforgivable...hence U571 being mentioned. But to balance, have you seen the Sound Barrier, a British film on the subject???? The Yanks were keeping quiet - for they had actually done it first and kept the fact secret. Interesting. I refer you to The Right Stuff. Long book and a long film. Or else read Chuck Yeager's autobiography. I chatted with a bloke on Op Bolero who had actually met the man and found him to be, shall we say, not the kindest of souls. This really upset me, but I wasn't surprised.

 

Yes but :angry: we gave them all the info and gear from Blackburn's to do it, along with radar, Collosus, jet engine and umpteen other things.

 

British scientists were key in the Manhattan project, only just being acknowledged. The economic study of both world wars is an intresting little sideline.

[woa2]

Yes but :angry: we gave them all the info and gear from Blackburn's to do it, along with radar, Collosus, jet engine and umpteen other things.

 

British scientists were key in the Manhattan project, only just being acknowledged. The economic study of both world wars is an intresting little sideline.

 

The X1 was based on a Miles aircraft, developed in Reading.

[Enigma]

Pearl Harbor

Dodge WC64 knock down, late war.

MB jeeps, should be Bantam or Ford GP/Willy's MA. Also Jerrycan on Jeep...