Von Richthofen and Brown

[ww1 ace]

On Von Richthofen and Brown, did the actors do their own flying stunts. It seems to look like that there is no greenscreen or any other type of what every you want to call it where people don't do their own stunts.

[Gregvan]

Hi,

In many of the close-ups of the actors in the aircraft, yes, they really are flying with the propwash whipping their cheeks, etc. However, these shots were done by putting the actor on the back seat of a two-seater like a Tiger Moth or a Stampe, and they were filmed while the unseen REAL pilot in the front cockpit was flying the plane. The rear portion of the two-seater was painted up to resemble whatever aircraft (D.VII, Pfalz or SE5a) that the actor was supposed to be flying. If you'll look close what is visible of the tail surfaces really doesn't match those of a Fokker D.VII or SE5a, etc.

Nonetheless, it did add an air of realism to the shots.

Greg

[buzz1941]

Actor Don Stroud was injured during filming "Von Richthofen and Brown" when the plane he was in flopped down into an Irish stream....

[ww1 ace]

Thanks for your replys. They were very helpful. I always thought that they could have taken pilot's lesson's and flown themselves.

[Troy Raines]

Is there an uncut or unedited version of "Von Richthofen vs Brown" available on DVD? I've only seen the movie "formated and edited for TV". Although it was shown without commericials it looked "chopped up" like scenes were missing and only lasted a little over an hour and fifteen minutes. Struck me as kind of short for a movie released to theaters originally. I almost forgot, I did rent a VHS format movie and it was the same way.

[MikeW]

it looked "chopped up" like scenes were missing and only lasted a little over an hour and fifteen minutes.

My God, a whole hour and 15 minutes

[Wind In The Wires]

In "A Gift of Wings" Richard Bach includes a chapter on his adventures as a pilot for this film.

[Troy Raines]

Originally Posted by MikeW

My God, a whole hour and 15 minutes

I know, I know. Once in a while some buddies and I get together for "Bad Movie Night". Well, some of my WWI buddies want in so I thought that "Richthofen and Brown" would be the perfect flick for both.

[Balloon_Buster]

vR & B- was made on the cheap by the King of the B Movies- Roger Corman. Corman was quick to see fads, then make a cheap movie to cash in. vR & B was made to cash in on the Blue Max- in fact, Corman was able to arrange to use the same planes. Which is why you'll see "Brown" in an SE5 instead of a Camel, or Fokker D7s when they should be Albatrossi.

I believe that John Phillip Law, who played MvR, was a pilot. However, usually they don't like to risk their principle actors in stunts in case of an accident. An excellent example on a smaller scale was Robert Conrad- who did all his own stunts in "The Wild Wild West" until one day, whilst crashing over a bannister, he landed wrong on a table and broke his arm. This resulted in a delay in filming. Which causes consternation in the powers that be.

I've read that often these replicas have the same funky and finicky characteristics of the originals. So it's especially risky to have your leading men doing their own flying.

[Troy Raines]

Along that same line I remember something about George Peppard learning to fly so he could do his own flying in the "Blue Max". Does anybody know if that was true?

The fact that "R vs B" was a Corman film is another reason I want it in my library. I love "B" movies.

Didn't know that about John Phillip Law.