The Tuskegee Airmen (1995) (TV)

User Rating:

7.2/10   

Director:

Robert Markowitz

Writers (WGA):

Paris Qualles (teleplay) and
Trey Ellis (teleplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

26 August 1995 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | History | War

Plot:

The true story of how a group of African American pilots overcame racist opposition to become one of the finest US fighter groups in World War II

Plot Keywords:

African American | WWII | Fighter Pilot | Training | Biplane

Awards:

Nominated for Golden Globe. Another 6 wins & 12 nominations

Cast

Laurence Fishburne	...	Hannibal Lee
Allen Payne	...	Walter Peoples
Malcolm-Jamal Warner	...	Leroy Cappy
Courtney B. Vance	...	Lt. Glenn (as Courtney Vance)
Andre Braugher	...	Benjamin O. Davis
Christopher McDonald	...	Major Joy (as Chris McDonald)
Daniel Hugh Kelly	...	Col. Rogers
John Lithgow	...	Senator Conyers
Cuba Gooding Jr.	...	Billy Roberts
Mekhi Phifer	...	Lewis Johns
Christopher Bevins	...	Young Hannibal
Eddie Braun	...	Tail gunner
Max Daniels	...	Left waist gunner
Jack Dwyer	...	Operations officer
James Field	...	Conductor
Vivica A. Fox	...	Charlene (as Vivica Fox)
Bennet Guillory	...	Hannibal's father
David Harrod	...	White pilot #1
Brett A. Jones	...	Right waist gunner (as Brett Jones)
Johnny Judkins	...	White pilot #2
Tim Kelleher	...	Lt. Wesley (B17)
Doug Kruse	...	Walter's instructor
Ed Lauter	...	General Stevenson
Barry Lehman	...	German prisoner
Janet MacLachlan	...	Hannibal's mother
Allen McCormick	...	Lewis' instructor
Willie Minor	...	Black prisoner
Perry Moore	...	Reggie Newton
Rosemary Murphy	...	Eleanor Roosevelt
Marco Perella	...	Col. Sirca
David Pickens	...	Gang boss
William Earl Ray	...	Tank
Rick Snyder	...	Chairman Cassidy
Allen R. Stokes	...	Drill sergeant
Ned Vaughn	...	Capt. Butler (B-17)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Graham Jarvis	...	Senator (uncredited)
John Lizzi	...	Senator at hearing (uncredited)

Directed by
Robert Markowitz

Writing credits (WGA)
Paris Qualles		(teleplay) and
Trey Ellis		(teleplay) and
Ron Hutchinson		(teleplay)
Robert Williams		(story) and
T.S. Cook		(story)

Produced by
Carol Bahoric	....	co-producer
Bill Carraro	....	producer
Frank Price	....	executive producer
Robert Williams	....	co-executive producer

Original Music by
Lee Holdridge

Cinematography by
Ron Orieux		(director of photography) (as Ronald Orieux)

Film Editing by
David Beatty

Casting by
Robi Reed-Humes

Production Design by
Christiaan Wagener

Art Direction by
Russell J. Smith		(as Russel Smith)

Set Decoration by
Ernie Bishop		(as Ernest Bishop)

Costume Design by
Ileane Meltzer

Makeup Department
Stacye P. Branche	....	key makeup artist (as Stacye Branche)
Denise Fischer	....	makeup artist
Rebekah Irwin	....	barber
Vicki Jones	....	makeup artist: aerial unit (as Vickie L. Jones)
Steve Marshall	....	makeup artist
Nadyne Peoples	....	key hair stylist
Dana Tanner	....	makeup artist: aerial unit

Production Management
Bill Carraro	....	unit production manager
David R. Elliott	....	post-production supervisor
Donald C. Klune	....	unit production manager: aerial unit
Lulu Zezza	....	production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Kevin LaRosa	....	second unit director: aerial unit
B. Scott Senechal	....	first assistant director: aerial unit (as Scott Senechal)
Bruce A. Simon	....	first assistant director
Donald Sparks	....	second assistant director (as Donald L. Sparks)
Lawrence M. Wagner	....	second second assistant director (as Larry Wagner)

Art Department
Chuck Askerneese	....	first assistant props
James Blair	....	carpenter
Gene Bowen	....	carpenter
Derek Broes	....	props: aerial unit (as Derek 'Bent' Broes)
Paul Burnham	....	carpenter laborer
James Cripps	....	greensman (as James W. Cripps)
Justin J. Cripps	....	swing gang
Jeff Crowe	....	stand-by scenic
Michael T. Daigle	....	lead scenic
Linda Gann	....	scenic artist
Albert Gentile	....	carpenter laborer
Sabina Gentile	....	scenic artist
Ali Gobelle	....	stand-by scenic
David A. Goffe II	....	carpenter laborer
Tonya S. Holly	....	construction production assistant (as Tonya Suzanne Holly)
Ross Hurley	....	swing gang
Noah Hutchison	....	assistant propmaker
Ronald O. Jaynes	....	construction coordinator
Airick Kredell	....	leadman: dayplayer
Suzanne Lapick	....	property master (as Suzanne LaPick)
Madlyne Marcom	....	assistant art director (as Madelyne Marcom)
Vincent D. Marra	....	carpenter
Patrick J. Martin	....	lead carpenter
Kim McClees	....	props
Kim McClees	....	props: aerial unit
Dave Meyers	....	mock-ups
Walt Mikolwski	....	foreman (as Walter Mikowlski)
Mark Mills	....	swing gang (as Mark 'Maverick' Mills)
Kristie Pfeffinger	....	scenic artist
Kenneth Michael Pyle	....	swing gang
Tom Reta	....	assistant art director (as Thomas C. Reta)
Jennifer Sauer	....	storyboard artist
Sue Savage	....	set designer
Charles Scaife	....	on-set dresser (as Charles G. Scaife II)
Ricky B. Stecyk	....	leadman (as Rick 'Flintstone' Stecyk)
Mary Louise Stoughton	....	art department coordinator
Hanna Strauss	....	storyboard artist
Raymond Thibault	....	scenic artist
Melanie Thomas	....	scenic artist
Donald Thompson	....	swing gang
Scott Visalli	....	swing gang
Shelley Wallace	....	second assistant props
Shana Yarborough	....	carpenter laborer
Jim Yellow Eagle	....	propmaker

Sound Department
Nick Alphin	....	sound re-recording mixer
Wayne Artman	....	sound re-recording mixer
Veda Campbell	....	sound mixer
Scott C. Evans	....	boom operator
G. Michael Graham	....	supervising sound editor
Robert L. Harman	....	sound re-recording mixer (as Robert Harman)
David Hill	....	sound intern
Kristi Johns	....	supervising adr editor
Andre King	....	cable puller
Jon Kuk Young Oh	....	sound mixer: aerial unit
Dean St. John	....	adr recordist
J.R. Westen	....	adr mixer
Bill Bell	....	sound editor (uncredited)
Tim Chilton	....	foley artist (uncredited)
Bob Costanza	....	sound editor (uncredited)
Mike Dickeson	....	sound editor (uncredited)
Paul Drenning	....	sound recordist (uncredited)
Mark Friedgen	....	sound editor (uncredited)
Tommy Goodwin	....	foley mixer (uncredited)
Anton Holden	....	sound editor (uncredited)
Michael Lyle	....	sound editor (uncredited)
Gary Macheel	....	sound editor (uncredited)
Joseph Melody	....	co-supervising sound editor (uncredited)
Jill Schachne	....	foley artist (uncredited)
Mark Steele	....	sound editor (uncredited)
Richard S. Steele	....	sound editor (uncredited)
Tim Terusa	....	sound editor (uncredited)
Darren Wright	....	sound editor (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Leslie Amos	....	special effects assistant
Fred Cramer	....	special effects coordinator
Ken Estes	....	special effects foreman
Jack R. White	....	special effects assistant
Patrick R. Wroughton	....	special effects assistant

Visual Effects by
Bill Hansard	....	projection scenes (as Billy Hansard)
Larry Jolly	....	models
John R. McConnell	....	Domino artist (as John McConnell)
Ray McIntyre Jr.	....	digital effects supervisor (as Raymond McIntyre Jr.)
Michael Muscal	....	visual effects supervisor
Charlie Tang	....	Domino artist
Billy Williams	....	visual effects coordinator
Reid Paul	....	digital compositor (uncredited)

Stunts
Vandy Anderson	....	crew: B-17 unit
Tony Brubaker	....	stunt coordinator
Brent Burditt	....	stunts
Michael D. Burke	....	stunt co-pilot: B-17
Ladd Doctor	....	stunt pilot: Me-109
Lee Donham	....	stunt pilot: AT-6/Stearman (as Lee R. Donham)
Thomas E. Gregory III	....	crew: B-17 unit
Thomas Matthew Jackson	....	stunt pilot: P-51
Trevor C. Jones	....	crew: B-17 unit
Kevin LaRosa	....	stunt coordinator: aerial stunts
Jimmy Leeward	....	stunt pilot: P-51 (as James K. Leeward)
John Loerch	....	stunt pilot: ferry, Stearman
Dan Martin	....	stunt pilot: P-51
Alden H. Miller	....	stunt pilot: PT-17
James W. Milon	....	stunts
Edward J. Modes	....	stunt pilot: AT-6
Leeman Pior	....	mechanic: B-17 unit crew
Ralph Royce	....	stunt pilot: B-17
Cliff Shirpser	....	stunt pilot: AT-6 (as Clifford G. Shirpser)
Art Vance	....	stunt pilot: P-51
Dan Vance	....	stunt pilot: P-51
Leslie Walters	....	stunts
Bob Younkin	....	stunt pilot: Travel Air 4000 & AT-6

Camera and Electrical Department
Lindy Alsobrooks	....	key grip (as Lindy L. Alsobrooks)
L. Brian Blagowsky	....	electrician (as Brian 'Bulldog' Blagowsky)
Robert D. Bowers	....	grip
Richard Lloyd Boyett	....	electrician
David L. Butler	....	director of photography: aerial unit
Jeffrey R. Clark	....	first assistant camera
Sean Doyle	....	camera operator
Randy Feemster	....	camera operator: "b" camera
Randy Feemster	....	camera operator: aerial unit
Bob Fox	....	gaffer
Douglas S. Holgate	....	first assistant camera: aerial unit (as Doug Holgate)
Frank M. Holgate	....	director of photography: aerial unit (as Frank Holgate)
Steve Holgate	....	first assistant camera: aerial unit
Dian Horton	....	second assistant camera (as Dian K. Horton)
Steve Jackman	....	first assistant camera: aerial unit (as Steven Jackman)
John Janusek	....	key rigging grip (as John 'Beef' Janusek)
John Janusek	....	key rigging grip: aerial unit
Mark L. Johnson	....	loader: aerial unit
Danny McCallum	....	best boy electric (as Danny MacCallum)
Michael C. Price	....	rigging best boy grip
Bradford Reed	....	additional second assistant camera (as P. Bradford Reed)
Tim Risch	....	second assistant camera: aerial unit
Lynn Smith	....	first assistant camera: "b" camera (as Lynn L. Smith)
Scott Sprague	....	rigging best boy (as Scott J. Sprague)
D. Stevens	....	still photographer
Pernell Youngblood Tyus	....	camera operator
Ric Urbauer	....	best boy grip
Ross Warren	....	rigging gaffer
Ross Warren	....	rigging gaffer: aerial unit
George Wells	....	dolly grip
Toby White	....	second assistant camera: aerial unit
Darryl Wilson	....	grip
Steve Francis	....	electrician (uncredited)

Casting Department
Debbie Blair	....	extras casting associate
Brent Burditt	....	extras casting assistant
Barbara Harris	....	voice casting
Ricki Maslar	....	extras casting
Angela Ortiz	....	casting associate

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Craig Anthony	....	wardrobe supervisor
Heidi Kure	....	set costumer
Heidi Kure	....	wardrobe: aerial unit
John Thiele	....	costumer
Scott Tomlinson	....	assistant costume designer
Kaye Wise	....	additional costumer

Editorial Department
Shana Bacal	....	post-production intern
Clay Cambern	....	assistant editor
Susie Fredrickson	....	post-production assistant (as Susan L. Fredrickson)
Charlotte Grau	....	telecine colorist
Susan Heick	....	additional assistant editor
Bob McMillian	....	color timer
Ken Poteat	....	apprentice editor
Z. Jean Woods	....	first assistant editor

Music Department
Frank Capp	....	music coordinator
Gary Gray	....	music recordist
Ira Hearshen	....	orchestrator
Mark Heyes	....	music editor
Stan Jones	....	music editor
Gary Gray	....	score engineer (uncredited)

Transportation Department
Loren Bess	....	driver
Jon Carpenter	....	transportation coordinator
Kevin Cortez	....	driver (as Kevin M. Cortez)
J. Armin Garza II	....	insert car driver: aerial unit
Chris Gorden	....	driver
Shane Greedy	....	transportation captain
Steve Howard	....	driver (as Steven J. Howard)
John A. Mulson Jr.	....	driver
R. Kenneth Murray	....	driver
Joy Perezchica	....	driver
Davis M. Pryor	....	driver (as David M. Pryor)
Davis M. Pryor	....	transportation: aerial unit (as David Pryor)
James Samuel	....	driver
Jim Sgrignoli	....	driver
Mary La Ree Sgrignoli	....	driver (as Mary Laree Sgrignoli)
Eric Stanford	....	driver
Nick Stavrow	....	driver (as Nick Stavrow Jr.)
Tom Stillman	....	transportation co-captain
Jim Stirwalt	....	driver
Allen Strockbine	....	driver: honeywagon
Michelle Weaver	....	driver
Richard Weaver	....	driver
Warren Welsh	....	driver

Other crew
Kathy Alsobrooks	....	paramedic
Richard W. Barnes III	....	military trainer (as Sgt. Richard W. Barnes III)
Kurt N. Beatty	....	production assistant
Benita Brazier	....	script supervisor
Sally Bryant	....	assistant: Ms. Bahoric
Max Burnett	....	key set production assistant: aerial unit
Max Burnett	....	production assistant
Clay Cambern	....	plate preparation
Natalie Canerday	....	production secretary
Lisa Castleberry	....	production assistant
Linda Dorn	....	stock footage: Larry Dorn & Associates
Matthew B. Doyle	....	production assistant
Michael F. Dunn	....	craft service (as Michael Dunn)
Bob Enriquez	....	assistant accountant
Paul Franklin III	....	craft service: aerial unit
James Gierman	....	location manager
Dawn Gilliam	....	script supervisor: aerial unit
Chris Gray	....	talent coordinator (as Christopher Gray)
Hilton A. Green	....	production consultant (as Hilton Green)
Holly Hamrick Yeatman	....	assistant location manager
John Horton	....	government relations: Horton Associates (as John E. Horton)
Shelley Hull	....	stock footage: Stock Unlimited
Karla Ingebretsen	....	assistant coordinator: aerial unit
Miriam Holder Jacobs	....	production coordinator
Jerry Jaffe	....	location manager
Shawn Jorgensen	....	production assistant
Shannon Kelly	....	assistant accountant
Kyanosh K-Nejad	....	production assistant
Kimberly Koenen	....	assistant: Mr. Price
Paul Marcus	....	location supervisor
Omneya 'Nini' Mazen	....	production associate
Ellen McDonald	....	production accountant
David G. McKnight	....	assistant location manager
Nancy Morrison Cook	....	paramedic
Maureen Murphy	....	tape-to-tape transfer
Tracy E. Paddock	....	assistant production coordinator
Nilda Pergola-Jensen	....	stock footage: March Airforce Base (as Nilda Jensen)
Diana Petras	....	assistant: Mr. Carraro
Roger Poirier	....	craft service: aerial unit (as Roger J Poirier)
Deborah Ricketts	....	researcher: archival film
Jay Roberts	....	assistant: Mr. Fishburne
Mia Ross	....	production assistant
Ann Marie Sanderlin	....	production assistant
Brant Seghetti	....	set production assistant: aerial unit
Frank Shields	....	Stearman ferry pilot: aerial unit
Clifford Shirpser	....	assistant coordinator: aerial unit
Clifford Shirpser	....	safety: aerial unit
Raymond G. Smith	....	government relations: Horton Associates
Shawn Suttles	....	assistant: Mr. Gooding (as Sean Shuttles)
David N. Sweatt	....	military trainer (as Sgt. David N. Sweatt)
Karyn J. Taylor	....	assistant: Mr. Markowitz
Jo Yellow Eagle	....	production assistant
Cathy Ziehl	....	production secretary
Michelle Colbert	....	production coordinator (uncredited)
William Brett Haas	....	location scout (uncredited)
Rugg Williams	....	adr voice (uncredited)
Branko Wohlfahrt	....	weapon specialist (uncredited)

Thanks
Mary Nell Clark	....	special thanks: Oklahoma Film Office
Suzy Lilly	....	special thanks: Arkansas Film and Development Office
Mitchell E. Marovitz	....	we gratefully acknowledge the cooperation of: Army Office of Public Affairs, Los Angeles Branch (as Lieutenant Colonel Mitchell E. Marovitz)
Major Thomas McCollum	....	we gratefully acknowledge the cooperation of: military coordinator/technical advisor (as Major Thomas D. McCollum)
Philip M. Strub	....	we gratefully acknowledge the cooperation of: Department of Defense liaison

Production Companies

• Home Box Office (HBO)
• Price Entertainment

Distributors

• Home Box Office (HBO)
• Home Box Office Home Video (HBO) (USA) (DVD)
• Mainostelevisio (MTV3) (1999) (Finland) (TV)
• Top Tape (Brazil) (VHS)
• Warner Bros. Entertainment Finland Oy (2008) (Finland) (DVD)

Special Effects

• OCS/Freeze Frame/Pixel Magic

Other Companies

• 4MC Film Sound  sound re-recording
• Cinema Research  titles and opticals
• Echo Films  sound
• Elizabeth Bardsley & Associates  script annotation
• Greg Taylor Restorations  tanks
• Manta Eastern Sound Ltd.  music recording
• Post Group, The  post-production services

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for thematic elements and brief strong war violence.

Runtime:

106 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR

Certification:

Australia:PG (TV rating) | Iceland:12 | Australia:M | UK:15 (video premiere) | USA:PG-13 | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

Fort Chaffee, Arkansas, USA

Company:

Home Box Office (HBO)

Trivia:

The Tuskegee Airmen (332nd Fighter Group) did not loose a single escorted bomber to enemy fighters during WWII.

Goofs:

Continuity: During the final dog fight the underwing droptanks keep appearing and disappearing.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Young Hannibal: [chasing after biplane] Hey! Hey! Hey! Wait for me!

Soundtrack:

Straighten Up and Fly Right

A story that should have been told long before...

THE TUSKEEGEE AIRMEN is a film that I tend to get very emotional about. I can never see the ending without tears of appreciation, joy and intense pride.

It all comes home for me as a self admittedly rednecked White bomber pilot says in the final briefing: "I have a crew whose lives are my responsibility. If it's all the same to you Sir, I want the 332nd to take me to Berlin and back".

That cinematic statement is a long overdue Thank You from America to the pilots of the 332nd Fighter Group, both the living and the dead, for a job well done.

I personally owe the Tuskeegee Airmen a sincere vote of thanks, as does EVERY Black person who has ever had the honor of having flown a military aircraft for the United States. The Tuskeegee Airmen blazed the trail that made it possible for others to follow.

I've met a couple of the original Tuskeegee pilots, and I've heard their stories. The discrimination and bigotry shown in the film was NOTHING compared to the realities that they faced day after day. Even after the war, as decorated fighter pilots, the bigotry they faced on their return to the US was unbelievable.

One old fighter pilot told me of how he had just come ashore from the troopship in full uniform, and was almost immediately arrested by the military police in New York City on a charge of impersonating an officer and wearing unauthorized decorations; the MP just KNEW that there was no such thing as a Black fighter pilot.

Another told me of his postwar attempts to gain employment as an airline pilot as the lines geared up for the bright future that they saw coming. Ex military pilots with half his experience who were White were being snapped up without question... but after much beating around the bush, he was finally told that even as impressive as his credentials were, there was no place for him in the industry. He recalled that the airline representative that told him was so ashamed that he couldn't look him in the eye as he said it.

Lawrence Fishburn's portrayal of Lt. Hannibal Lee is probably typical of the men who were part of this, the SECOND "Tuskeegee Experiment". They were college graduates, the best of the best, who had survived a system deliberately designed to eliminate them from flight training.

Andre Braugher's testimony (as Col. Ben O. Davis Jr.) before the Congressional committee says it all when he asks what he, as a Black soldier, should think of a nation that despises him even as he lays down his life to defend it... a nation that asks him to fight for principles that don't apply to HIM personally.

The film has technical flaws... every film does... but beyond them it tells a story that, by design or negligence, has been ignored by American history for almost a half century.