An interesting A-2 from movie Twelve O'Clock High

[alec0226]

Found an interesting A-2 jacket in Gregory Peck's film Twelve O'Clock High, the back is not one piece.
It looks like an A-2 to me, is there an original A-2 issued in WWII like this?

 

[rocketeer]

I noticed this too. But in those days of war films I doubt they really bothered much with authenticity as long as it looked roughly correct. Maybe that was the only jacket they had to had that fitted Gregory Peck.
It's only really these modern times we like to pick holes in things like this
It's fun though.
John

 

[Worf]

First, that's not Peck, but another character in film. Lt Bishop who would receive the MoH for piloting a plane back with the pilot gravely wounded to the head and trying to wrest control of the plane from him. No, 12 O'Clock High has a mix of jackets. Made after the war there are some authentic ones, and some obvious civvy repros. But don't hold it against em, it's STILL the finest movie of the European Air War ever produced.... Bar none!

Worf

 

[archbury918]

Here! Here! I second that comment! :eusa_clap

 

[Atticus Finch]

I remember some discussion on VLJ about this jacket. It is clearly something made the costume department as there were no A-2 contacts that called for a two-piece back. The same is true for Chuck Yeager’s (Sam Sheppard's) jacket in The Right Stuff...its only an approximation of an A-2.

I agree. Until recently, flight jacket detail was not terribly important in movies. But after seeing Red Tails and one or two other recent Hollywood offerings, I think I’d rather film producers resume paying less attention to jacket detail and begin paying more attention to movie production.

AF

 

[Foster]

"Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo" also has some of these 2-panel back A-2 jackets. I also noticed many of them were very long compared to what I expected (either that or the actors were really short).

 

[rocketeer]

First, that's not Peck, but another character in film. Lt Bishop who would receive the MoH for piloting a plane back with the pilot gravely wounded to the head and trying to wrest control of the plane from him. No, 12 O'Clock High has a mix of jackets. Made after the war there are some authentic ones, and some obvious civvy repros. But don't hold it against em, it's STILL the finest movie of the European Air War ever produced.... Bar none!

Worf

Yes a second look and it is not Gregory Peck, though I seem to remember him wearing a similar jacket with a yolk in the film. Mind, it is a while since I last saw this film, probably 5 plus years so may get this wrong, please dont hang me for it
I believe 12 O'clock High was(maybe still is) used as an example of leadership and shown to modern US Airforce cadets.

I remember some discussion on VLJ about this jacket. It is clearly something made the costume department as there were no A-2 contacts that called for a two-piece back. The same is true for Chuck Yeager’s (Sam Sheppard's) jacket in The Right Stuff...its only an approximation of an A-2.

I agree. Until recently, flight jacket detail was not terribly important in movies. But after seeing Red Tails and one or two other recent Hollywood offerings, I think I’d rather film producers resume paying less attention to jacket detail and begin paying more attention to movie production.

AF

Right again, a good story with minimal special effects can knock the spots off an expensive with high detail production if the story fails. The two need to go together.
A similar example would be Pearl Harbour where the P40s were flying around like Star Wars craft(modern era) Though the original original Star Wars used WWII Battle of Britain footage for inspiration I believe.

 

[archbury918]

Peck also wears a private purchase A-2 in the film. His is a one piece back, but the collar lacks the snap studs.

As for the use of the film in current military studies, yes, as of the 80's when we were shown it. It was used in Command School for reference as to how to respond to various elements in the storyline. (as a side, I knew the film soooo well, I was reciting dialogue while it played!! Of course, the Instructor took a dim view of my ability to do so! )

It was filmed at Eglin AFB. Many of the extras were personnel that weren't on duty.

As for jackets, the one worn by the character of Maj. Cobb was a beauty!

 

[Jeff M]

...But after seeing Red Tails and one or two other recent Hollywood offerings, I think I’d rather film producers resume paying less attention to jacket detail and begin paying more attention to movie production.

AF

Got THAT right. :eusa_doh:

 

[rocketeer]

Peck also wears a private purchase A-2 in the film. His is a one piece back, but the collar lacks the snap studs.

It was filmed at Eglin AFB. Many of the extras were personnel that weren't on duty.

Do you happen to know where the 'Abandoned' Archbury shots were taken? You know the part at the beginning where Dean Jagger kicks the weeds on the overgrown runways. The countryside looked very English.
And who is the Toby jug meant to represent? Some say Dick Turpin, others say Robin Hood, I guess you have one of the replicas.
J

 

[karhu21]

The ´Abandoned´ Archbury shots were filmed at RAF Barford St. John Oxfordshire according to IMDB.

 

[archbury918]

Do you happen to know where the 'Abandoned' Archbury shots were taken? You know the part at the beginning where Dean Jagger kicks the weeds on the overgrown runways. The countryside looked very English.

J

The opening sequence was shot at an abandoned AAF field in Alabama. Adjacent to what is now Ft. Rucker, the Army's rotary flying school.
The jug was a simple prop meant for film. There was no thought given to a specific meaning. It is generally accepted to be Robin Hood. A generic connection American's can relate to.

 

[archbury918]

The ´Abandoned´ Archbury shots were filmed at RAF Barford St. John Oxfordshire according to IMDB.

Goes to show you can't trust Imdb any more than Wikipedia.
Henry King, the director was a private pilot. He found the field in one of his many cross-county flights in pre production from CA to FL. The Army still owned the property and gave permission for its use.

 

[karhu21]

There you have it. Having seen the movie though, there must have been no shortage of B17s at that time compared to say, the time that the remake
of Memphis Belle was filmed in the 90s.

 

[archbury918]

You are correct. Even though the B-17 was no longer the front line aircraft for the USAF (the movie was made 1949, the USAF was now official).
There were 9 Fortresses made available fresh from the Bikini Atoll nuclear test site!!

These aircraft were all remotely flown through the radioactive clouds to gather test data. Only needed a few cosmetic corrections to make them appear 1942 ETO.

 

[Worf]

You are correct. Even though the B-17 was no longer the front line aircraft for the USAF (the movie was made 1949, the USAF was now official).
There were 9 Fortresses made available fresh from the Bikini Atoll nuclear test site!!

These aircraft were all remotely flown through the radioactive clouds to gather test data. Only needed a few cosmetic corrections to make them appear 1942 ETO.

Wha, wha, WHA!!??? So... extra's, cast and crew were flying, sitting, standing next to B-17s that had flown through an atom bomb blast and therefore RADIATION during the filming of this movie? What??!!!! Where the hell was OSHA or the AEC???? HUNH? Cosmetic Corections? How about radioactive decontamination????!!!!

Worf

 

[tonypaj]

Wha, wha, WHA!!??? So... extra's, cast and crew were flying, sitting, standing next to B-17s that had flown through an atom bomb blast and thereroe RADIATION during the filming of this movie? What??!!!! Where the hell was OSHA or the AEC???? HUNH? Cosmetic Corections? How about radioactive decontamination????!!!!

Worf

I'd guess someone should have measured the levels of contamination, and then decided the right procedure to follow. And I reckon back in 1949 (or some such when the film was made), that was not that high on the OSHA agenda, given that they probably did not exist...

Anyway, if the contamination levels were high enough, the planes should have been scrapped, at least judged by the modern day standards, which they did not use then. Then the logical question, what if someone offered you a jacket from the film, would you go out and buy a geiger counter

 

[nick123]

Only if it was a Willis and "Geiger" counter lol

 

[armscye]

My late father worked on early heat seeking missiles at Muroc in the early Fifties. He said they damaged or destroyed dozens of B-17s in tests, because they had the characteristics needed for acting as targets in missile testing: stable flying characteristics that allowed them to be remote piloted, and a nice heatbloom off the exhaust ports that the missile heads could follow. In some cases, the missiles flew up the exhaust ports! So I must apologize for the paucity of Flying Fortresses today. Back then, of course, the priority was prepping for the Cold War. Obsolete bomber airframes were being scrapped.

 

[ButteMT61]

Only if it was a Willis and "Geiger" counter lol

Dude. :rofl: