Who should make the M442A jackets for John Woo's Flying Tigers movie?

[Brettafett]

I have not heard much recently, it was 'news' a while ago. Google "John Woo's Flying Tigers".
Tom Cruise was involved, but there was a 'spilt' and rumours suggest Tom wants to make his own version....

Probably find that that Chinese repro company (Spearhead?) will make the jackets, hopefully they don't give them all Irvins...
Thanks for the clip.... interesting.

 

[ButteMT61]

Tom Cruise might be a mess right now with Tony Scott's death. They were working on TGII, so I'd wager there's some messy times in Hollywood to come. Plus with Cruise's messy personal life, I'd wager he's either gonna disappear for a while or be in 10 movies in two years...

 

[Otter]

Probably give them all B-15's !

 

[Jaguar66]

Your wish is my command! At the 39 minute mark you can hear him. No Cajun accent, just Louisianian!

Fantastic clip. I had never seen this one. I learned so much more of the Flying Tigers by watching this. A must watch for everyone. Thank you.

[video=youtube;eetUXe066h0]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eetUXe066h0[/video]

 

[too much coffee]

Good job Stearmen....I had never seen this film either. Terrific history review about the AVG. Chennault's quote, ".....until a Zero is a word for nothing." is kick azz.
Check out the sweat on those guys at 37:35. Jaguar66 is right ..."a must watch for everyone."
Some very cool jackets too.

Regards,
coffee

 

[Smithy]

Tom Cruise was involved, but there was a 'spilt' and rumours suggest Tom wants to make his own version....

Tom Cruise has been wanting to do a WWII aviation flick for some time. And since his Billy Fiske biopic was canned following his split with Paramount in 2006 I'm not surprised if he's sniffing around a Flying Tigers film.

 

[Brettafett]

Does he still own a P-51? Does anyone know if he actually flies it?
As Scott said, he may be itching to get involved in something... We should get him on this forum. Or....
I can imagine a forum like this except for warbirds.... "Hey, I'm kinda bored with my P-51, want to try something a little 'heavier'... anyone got a P-47 they want to sell?"

 

[Brettafett]

Tom Cruise might be a mess right now with Tony Scott's death. They were working on TGII, so I'd wager there's some messy times in Hollywood to come. Plus with Cruise's messy personal life, I'd wager he's either gonna disappear for a while or be in 10 movies in two years...

Top Gun 2... I'm not sure about an action movie revolving around 'drones'... Watching kids play 'video games' for an hour and a half, blowing up real people.... ? A good Flying Tigers movie, done properly, would be waaayyy better.

 

[rocketeer]

Hi, just my slant on things.
If I were making this film/movie(call it what you wish), the staring actors could have top quality made jackets, but those in the background and extras out of close up, would super details really matter? Not talking mall jackets but some 60s G1s with man made collars would be cheaper than say an Aero/Goodwear/Eastman that may be supplied to the main characters.
Looking from a producers angle I'd want to make any film as cheaply as possible without compromising certain accuracy details. Some years back I had an extra's crusher cap from the film, Memphis Bell, 100 feet away you would never have known the peak and strap were plastic and the crown was made from an old wool blanket.

 

[Brettafett]

Hi, just my slant on things.
If I were making this film/movie(call it what you wish), the staring actors could have top quality made jackets, but those in the background and extras out of close up, would super details really matter? Not talking mall jackets but some 60s G1s with man made collars would be cheaper than say an Aero/Goodwear/Eastman that may be supplied to the main characters.
Looking from a producers angle I'd want to make any film as cheaply as possible without compromising certain accuracy details. Some years back I had an extra's crusher cap from the film, Memphis Bell, 100 feet away you would never have known the peak and strap were plastic and the crown was made from an old wool blanket.

All jokes aside, you are pretty spot on. A lot of films are made here in CT, incl some WW2 movies, not anything to exciting mind you. But, what they do is have these costume houses make up the stuff from scratch! Uniforms, caps, etc... I have been in these places a few times and actually seen a couple of A-2s... No makers labels, obviously off-the-rack types (Coopers?), all roughed up, washed and sand-papered... I have even seen a guy sitting out in the Sun, 'aging' and old non-A-2 russet leather jacket, using alcohol and light sandpaper... he was doing a pretty decent job, but not one I would recommend on your $1000 GW ;-)

 

[Edward]

Top Gun 2... I'm not sure about an action movie revolving around 'drones'... Watching kids play 'video games' for an hour and a half, blowing up real people.... ? A good Flying Tigers movie, done properly, would be waaayyy better.

A kick in the teeth would be better than Top Gun 2. Mind you, I'd still take a hard kick in the teeth over sitting through Top Gun itself. Appalling film on every single level.

Hi, just my slant on things.
If I were making this film/movie(call it what you wish), the staring actors could have top quality made jackets, but those in the background and extras out of close up, would super details really matter? Not talking mall jackets but some 60s G1s with man made collars would be cheaper than say an Aero/Goodwear/Eastman that may be supplied to the main characters.
Looking from a producers angle I'd want to make any film as cheaply as possible without compromising certain accuracy details. Some years back I had an extra's crusher cap from the film, Memphis Bell, 100 feet away you would never have known the peak and strap were plastic and the crown was made from an old wool blanket.

Exactly. And if anyone does notice this sort of thing nowadays, often it is only due to the technological abilities of HD BD etc.

 

[ButteMT61]

All jokes aside, you are pretty spot on. A lot of films are made here in CT, incl some WW2 movies, not anything to exciting mind you. But, what they do is have these costume houses make up the stuff from scratch! Uniforms, caps, etc... I have been in these places a few times and actually seen a couple of A-2s... No makers labels, obviously off-the-rack types (Coopers?), all roughed up, washed and sand-papered... I have even seen a guy sitting out in the Sun, 'aging' and old non-A-2 russet leather jacket, using alcohol and light sandpaper... he was doing a pretty decent job, but not one I would recommend on your $1000 GW ;-)

That's how it's done. "Hero" uniforms for the main players, and lesser stuff for the background characters. That way on every movie I know of or know someone that worked on it. It's typical.

 

[Jeff M]

.. Mind you, I'd still take a hard kick in the teeth over sitting through Top Gun itself. Appalling film on every single level.

.

What, didn't you find the scene where our hero Tom Cruise flies his jet upside down directly over the top of the evil Russian jet so their canopies were only inches away without the Russian pilot even knowing he was there believable??
Isn't that move standard USN aviator training?

 

[Jaguar66]

RE: Tom Cruise. I know a guy who was a former Corpsman on the Enterprise or the Ranger (one of the carriers where Top Gun was filming), and saw first hand that Tom Cruise constantly could not keep his lunch down, after going up in the F14s filming the jet fighter scenes.

 

[ButteMT61]

RE: Tom Cruise. I know a guy who was a former Corpsman on the Enterprise or the Ranger (one of the carriers where Top Gun was filming), and saw first hand that Tom Cruise constantly could not keep his lunch down, after going up in the F14s filming the jet fighter scenes.

He's an actor, not a trained fighter pilot. No surprise there.

 

[Jeff M]

RE: Tom Cruise. I know a guy who was a former Corpsman on the Enterprise or the Ranger (one of the carriers where Top Gun was filming), and saw first hand that Tom Cruise constantly could not keep his lunch down, after going up in the F14s filming the jet fighter scenes.

I have the same reaction every time I watch a Tom Cruise movie.

 

[Brettafett]

You know, Top Slum aside, Mr Cruise has made 1or2 decent films... IF the Director is any good. If the right people get together we could have a really good Flying Tigers movie. Just not Mr Lucas, please.... I am all over the original Star Wars movies, Empire is my favourite (ps Han Solo's Bespin jacket.... now thats a up an coming thread....), but we need a Ridley Scott, James Cameron-type guy for this.

 

[Stearmen]

What, didn't you find the scene where our hero Tom Cruise flies his jet upside down directly over the top of the evil Russian jet so their canopies were only inches away without the Russian pilot even knowing he was there believable??
Isn't that move standard USN aviator training?

Actually, that is the one sean in the movie that has a grain of truth! At the time of filming, the commander of Top Gun was Admiral Randall Duke Cunningham. He of course regaled the cast and crew with his exploits as a F4 Vietnam War Ace. One story was his last kill against a Mig 17. This was a very skilled pilot, that almost ended Cunningham's career twice. Apparently at one point they both went vertical and ended up canopy to canopy, and thats where it probably came from. It was not Colonel Tomb or Toon, as he was a made up person, it was probably a squadron leader of the 923rd Regiment.

 

[2jakes]

Very few AVG volunteers wore A-2s. The only donated flying clothing came from the US Navy so most wore M422 variations. One or two brought their own A-2s to China but there were more civilian jackets used by the group than A-2s.

In Brig. Gen. Chas. Bond "A Tiger's Diary" , there is mention of pilots buying their own jackets for $300. I've looked at some
of the clothing catalogs from the 1940s & that price seems a bit high for that time period !

 

[Jaguar66]

He's an actor, not a trained fighter pilot. No surprise there.

My point is, he's a wuss.