Memphis Belle (1990)

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 | Crash Landing

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

Color:

Color

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:

There was originally a part written for the Memphis Belle's ground flight engineer called "Les". He had a number of scenes with the Captain detailing the condition of the plane etc. The actor remains in the film, and is listed in the credits, but keeps only one line: "It's only got one wheel down." He is not specified as the flight engineer of the Belle at any time in the finished cut, meaning his one line makes him look like a glorified extra.

Goofs:

Factual errors: "Interphone Discipline" (the communications used between crew-members on each bomber) was not enforced in the movie. Each crew-member had to scan the sky for fighters and report locations to their colleagues. Idle chatter about girls and non-mission items was forbidden for safety reasons. This rule was noted by two actual WWII B-17 crew-members from the Pima Air and Space Museum in Arizona.

Quotes:

Richard Rascal Moore: Uh, we ain't going to Krautville. Our plane's broke.
Eugene McVey: No, it's fixed.
Richard Rascal Moore: Christ, let's go break it.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Jeopardy!: (#22.40)" (2005)

Soundtrack:

I Know Why (and So Do You)

Credit given where credit is due

Memphis Belle is an amazing movie that has an amazing cast where each man fits his character perfectly as you are thrown back into May 17, 1943 as the crew of the Memphis Belle has completed 24 missions and is about to become the first crew of the Eighth Airfore to complete its 25th and final bombing mission over Bremen to bomb a factory.

The movie accurately depicts a mission of a B-17 bomber and all the treacheries the crew of 10 men must face while in the sky. From take off and grouping for formation to the flight across the channel the movie builds excitement as the men head into enemy skies where they will have to face multiple attacks from ME-109 Messershmitt fighters as well as brutal barrages of flak (anti aircraft)attacks, all while trying to maneuver through the skies to make it over the target and drop its payload of bombs. At that point, only half the battle is done, the plane, crew of 10, and all other bombers in the formation must struggle to make it back to their bases and land safely in England to live to fight another day, or if they are lucky enough such as the crew of the Memphis Belle, they will complete their tour of duty (25 missions) and return home to their families or continue on and complete more tours.

The movie really gives the viewer a great understanding for how the American airmen fought bravely over enemy skies of Germany during the daylight bombing raids during WWII.

This movie is by far my favorite movie. I was introduced to this movie one year after it came out in theaters. I was only 5 years old but I already had a growing fascination for the war and especially for the B-17s because of my grandfather. My dad knew about the movie because local actor Eric Stoltz lives here in Santa Barbara, so he gave me the movie in hopes of fulfilling my ever growing curiosities of B-17s.