Memphis Belle (1990)

User Rating:

6.7/10   

Director:

Michael Caton-Jones

Writer (WGA):

Monte Merrick (written by)

Release Date:

12 October 1990 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Drama | War

Plot:

The "Memphis Belle" is a World War II bomber, piloted by a young crew on dangerous bombing raids into Europe...

Plot Keywords:

Crew | Bomber | Bombing | B 17 Bomber | Soup

Awards:

Nominated for BAFTA Film Award. Another 1 win & 2 nominations

Cast

Matthew Modine	...	Capt. Dennis Dearborn
Eric Stoltz	...	Sgt. Danny "Danny Boy" Daly
Tate Donovan	...	1st Lt. Luke Sinclair
D.B. Sweeney	...	Lt. Phil Lowenthal
Billy Zane	...	Lt. Val "Valentine" Kozlowski
Sean Astin	...	Sgt. Richard "Rascal" Moore
Harry Connick Jr.	...	Sgt. Clay Busby
Reed Diamond	...	Sgt. Virgil Hoogesteger (as Reed Edward Diamond)
Courtney Gains	...	Sgt. Eugene McVey
Neil Giuntoli	...	Sgt. Jack Bocci
David Strathairn	...	Col. Craig Harriman
John Lithgow	...	Lt.Col. Bruce Derringer
Jane Horrocks	...	Faith
Mac McDonald	...	Les (as Mac Macdonald)
Jodie Wilson	...	Singer

Runtime:

107 min

Country:

UK | Japan | USA

Language:

English

Colour:

Colour

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Sound Mix:

70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints) | Dolby (35 mm prints)

Certification:

UK:12 (cinema release) | UK:PG (video rating) (cut) | Iceland:L | Norway:10 (theatrical rating) | Australia:M (original rating) | Australia:PG (cable rating) | Finland:K-12 | France:U | Germany:12 | South Korea:15 (DVD rating) | Sweden:11 | USA:PG-13 | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

Imperial War Museum, Duxford, Cambridgeshire, England, UK

Company:

BSB

Trivia:

Joe Giambrone was the crew chief of the "Belle". He kept the Belle Flying through six months of combat. Replaced nine engines, both wings, two tails, both main landing gear, and more. From Hulneville, Pennsylvania, he retired as Construction Co. Office Manager.

Goofs:

Continuity: Number of blades on propeller of first wounded B-17 returning to base.

Quotes:

Richard Rascal Moore: Yeah Luke, why go back to the daily grind of being a lifeguard? Take it easy!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Fluke (1995)

Soundtrack:

Flying Home

"MB" nay-sayers: ever been a bomber pilot at age 21?

No?? … then shut up.

My dad was. Didn't fly B-17s, but he was the PIC (pilot-in-command) of a crew of seven, all younger than he, of a B-26 Martin Marauder medium bomber (the Flying Prostitute – 'no visible means of support'; referred to the short wingspan and hot landing speeds) in the Mediterranean Campaign out of Corsica and Sardinia, bombing German-controlled ball-bearing factories in northern Italy at 10,000 ft. Lost his nose-gunner from "fright" - frozen to the gun – wouldn't bail out when they were shot down right after 'delivering the pizza' over Bergamo-Seriate airfield on my mom's birthday, Aug 08th, 1944…about 9 weeks before I was born. His story about getting out of that B-26 before it crashed would raise the hair on your young necks. Survived Stalag Luft III and the 500 mile foot-march – yes, in January, through snow – to Stalag Luft VII (Steve McQueen – "The Great Escape"). Gen'l Patton liberated all in April, 1945 – including my dad and five of his crew.

Dad didn't make furniture like Matthew Modine's character in "Memphis Belle". But he did pick and truck-haul tomatoes on HIS dad's farm in the Ohio River Valley around Racine, right out of the black river-bottom soil just above the banks; became a basketball hero in high school; then entered the Army Air Force at 19. Pilot training in Texas and Florida. I have the letters from him to my mom during all that...

And the dialog in the film? Pretty true-to-life, he said – everybody was young and talked and acted JUST LIKE THAT…

This review isn't meant to be about my dad. But I hope it says a little something about the producer's efforts for "Memphis Belle." Very young kids – normal Americans – tough (even impossible) duty – in advanced machines (then) – in hard times – in a country far from home – doing what they were trained for. Sound familiar even today?...

And don't be too hard on the details. Remember, this is a 'representative film' of what happened to many, many bomber crews in many, many different bombers during WWII. Many thousands of very young American air crews were lost in this effort to help keep America and our Allies 'free.' Think about that whole image, listen to the music score, cherish the action from a fresh perspective. TRY to put yourself in their shoes.

Then watch the film again…