Bridge in The Blue Max.

[moritz55]

Hello,

As I was watching one time more (next my girl friend will leave me...) The Blue Max on my TV, I was asking myself if the bridge where Stachel and Von Klugermann were defying each other, still exists and where it stands.
I read the pilote who did the stunts did it for the two planes as no one would be clever enough (or crazy) to do it.
I'm asking this because I plane to go there for the hollidays and pick up some sheeps with my undercariage.
What? Who said I was nut?
Thank you for the answers.
Thierry.

[Laserlloyd]

I found this on Wikipedia:

"Several stunt pilots helped recreate the live dog-fight scenes, but Derek Piggott was the only pilot willing to fly the stunt at the climax of the film in which two bitter rivals challenge each other to fly beneath the spans of a bridge. Taking the role of both German pilots and with multiple takes from contrasting camera angles, he ended up flying 15 times under the wide span of a bridge in Fermoy, County Cork, Ireland and 17 times under the narrower span. The two Fokker Dr.I triplane replicas had about four feet of clearance on each side when passing through the narrower span. He was able to fly through the arch reliably by aligning two scaffolding poles, one in the river and one on the far bank.

The director had placed a flock of sheep next to the bridge so that they would scatter as the plane approached in order to show that the stunt was real and not simulated with models. However, by later takes, the sheep had become accustomed to the planes, and had to be scared by the shepherd instead. In the printed take, the sheep continued to graze, creating a continuity error which can be seen in the finished film."

Lloyd...

[moritz55]

Thanks Loyd,

I've just found some more about The Blue Max, but it's in french (my language). Here we learn who built the planes and many little things.

Aeromovies - Films d'aviation - Films - Le Crépuscule des aigles

Enjoy.
Thierry.

[StephenLawson]

Originally Posted by moritz55

Thanks Loyd,
I've just found some more about The Blue Max, but it's in french (my language). Here we learn who built the planes and many little things.

Aeromovies - Films d'aviation - Films - Le Crépuscule des aigles

Enjoy.
Thierry.

I wonder where we could find an english translation? My French is pretty poor.

[moritz55]

Well, as I see no one over the Atlantique ocean speaks french or only to say "voulez vous coucher avec moi" (and in that case my answer is NO unless you are a pretty little woman), I may think about making a translation for the happiness of everybody.
But I would like too to find a today picture of that bridge as far as I can't find one on the web. They only speak about an old one made of stones.
The translation will be as good as my poor school english allows me to do, so don'ton me please.
Greetings,
Thierry.

[Laserlloyd]

Here is some more information, Fermoy Viaduct is the name and it was closed on March 25, 1967 here is a later photo in the two websites.

Fermoy Viaduct - Co. Waterford Image Archive - Text Only
and here's one from 2003

The Blue Max over Fermoy in 1965

One more:

Lloyd...Fermoy Railway Viaduct

[moritz55]

Very nice to have found this. I'm happy to see the bridge seems to be in the same condition than during the movie. If ever I go there one day it will be like a pilgrimage.
I'm working on the translation of the french text. Not so easy...But maybe many of the forumers will learn, as I did, several interesting things about the movie.

Once again, Thank you Lloyd.
Sincerely greetings,
Thierry.

[Laserlloyd]

Translation:

Our opinion:
“The blue max” us replonge in the air war at the time of the First World War, after “Lafayette flotilla” of Wellmann left in 1954. But this time Ci, it is about the war seen of with dimensions German. It was also the first film on the Great War made in Cinemascope and color. Based on the novel with success of the same name signed by Jack HUNTER, film its title draws from Prussian decoration “For the merit”, the highest military distinction of imperial Germany, called in English “blue max” (of German “blauer max”) because of its blue Maltese cross, and also because in fact the ace max Immelmann was the first member elect. It was decreed after eight air victories, then sixteen, later, but Ernst Udet accepted it only after twenty three victories. Let us recall that in 1938, the German film “For the Merit had left”, a work of pure propaganda glorifiant the come to power of the Nazis.

Old driver of Royal Air Force, John Guillermin, author of several films of war, brings together interpreters, for the majority, familiar of the kind, in particular George PEPPARD. This last had learned how to control little time before turning. It would have thus flown on several counterparts of hunters of the first war, including on Pfalz, a rather delicate plane to control. PEPPARD also followed the courses of the Learjet school in Wichita (Kansas), and could thus control Learjet of Fox, at the time of the promotional tour of film in the USA.

This film appeared at one time when the anti hero became popular with the screen. Thus, the scenario writers made of the main character, Bruno Stachel, a go-getter little sympathetic nerve, without however making the rough one described in the novel. The scenario is also ambiguous. The class struggle between the proletarian hero, the Stachel corporal, and the “caste” of the fighter pilots resulting for the majority from the nobility or the upper middle classes, seems to be the main theme, but the worship of the hero in time of war holds a place quite as important in the history. Apart from this double set of themes, one cannot prevent oneself from thinking of another obscure corporal, certain Adolf Hitler, which will be pressed on the army to seize the power, before regulating its accounts with the body of the officers of career that he hated, especially after he has escaped with an attack perpetrated by these same officers!

After two years spent as corporal in the infantry, lieutenant Bruno Stachel was affected in aviation in 1918. Its dream is to obtain glorious decoration “For the Merit” and no scruple will stop it in this search, even if it must displease with his comrades of combat, all resulting from the aristocracy, and of which it shares neither the birth, nor values. Thus, after one refused to him to credit a victory to him, it cuts down with the top of its ground a supposed English plane to go. This gesture is regarded as unfair by the commander Heinemann because running up against his direction of the knighthood. The best pilot of the flotilla, Willi, is decorated with the order “For the Merit” by his uncle the general von Klugermann. With this occasion, Stachel becomes acquainted with Kaeti, his wife, of which he quickly becomes the lover. The general lets make because he sees in this young officer an occasion of propaganda near the people of which he forms part. The war turns to frank butchery and the time of the chivalrous heroes is completed. When it is wounded, Stachel is sent to Berlin where it is looked after by the woman of its commander, who is nurse, with great reinforcement of publicity. Of return to its flotilla, Stachel and Willi are voluntary to escort a reconnaissance mission in the area of Amiens (in fact, Abbeville!). They are attacked by English planes, but the machine-guns of Stachel are stopped, and it is Willi which cuts down them. While returning at their base, the two pilots defy themselves in an air tournament, but Willi runs up against a tower too low while flying and is killed. Stachel allots the two victories of Willi. Heidemann suspects it of lying and wants to translate it into short martial, however, the general wanting to avoid a scandal, makes decree in Stachel the so much awaited medal. Later, Stachel acknowledges in Kaeti its imposture while refusing to follow it to Switzerland where she wants to take refuge. Furious she acknowledges all with the superior of her husband. After the ceremony of handing-over of the medal, in Berlin, Heidemann tests a new hunter which he considers dangerous. At this point in time the general von Klugermann is informed by the state major of imposture of Stachel which will be finally translated into short martial. The general then decides to make steal Stachel on the new prototype without informing it dangerosity of the apparatus. After some figures of stunt-flying, the plane breaks in the air. The honor of the army is except. A hero died by testing a new material.

This film is very interesting and constitutes a “must” for any film amateur of aviation. It is stuffed scenes and situations inspired of the great classics (Wings, Hell' S Angels, Ace off aces, etc…) and of the life of the baron von Richthofen (like the scene with the nurse). Let us note however that the baron did not need a general to make his publicity; he took care very well him even, with an innate direction of the communication. This film is the first also to be allotted to the famous ace, good mounting, namely triplane Fokker, and not, like all other films, Fokker D VII, which N `was not in service at the time of its death.

The last scene of film holds the attention, because it seems to take as a starting point a quite real fact, the death of “Willi” Reinhardt, the successor of Richthofen to the head of Jagdgeschwader 1. On July 3, 1918, in Berlin Adlersdorf, Goering tests a Zeppelin Lindau D1. Reinhardt wants to test it also at once after him, but it loses the higher wing!

The film swarms with small errors active of the armament of the German soldiers equipped with rifles Lee Enfield English, with the equipment of the German pilots carrying of glasses RAF Mk VIII, model 1943! Stachel is member of Jasta 11 when von Richthofen proposes to him to join its “flying circus”. In fact, Jasta 11 belonged to the “circus of Richthofen” made up of other Jasta 4,6 and 10, and it is von Richthofen which ordered it in person.

Continued to part Two...

[Laserlloyd]

Part two:

The film was made to Ireland in the surroundings of Dublin, on the ground of Weston. The landscape resembled that of the Sum it, although in spring 1918, the landscapes were to be much less green and resembling vast rather extended from mud strewn with craters of bombs and decapitated tree trunks! The sky surrounding there was encumbered also little and free from fog and another pollution. The Irish Department of Defence provides an appreciable help and more than 1000 soldiers passed two weeks to remake one of the bloodiest battles of the second world war. Turning in Ireland was endeuillé by the death of a cameraman, killed at the time of a collision between two helicopters. One of the pilots stuntmen was Derek Piggott. Several pilots reproduced the animated dog-fights film, but Piggot was the only one which agreed to turn the scene where Fokker Dr. 1 must pass between the piles of a bridge, located at Fermoy, (Co. Cork). Playing the part of two German pilots, it stole fifteen times between the most spaced piles, and ten seven times between the most brought closer that its wings passed very close to. The scene was filmed under various angles and starting from a helicopter. A herd of sheep placed near the bridge, disperses in the passing of the plane, to go up that the cascade is quite real.

Lastly, last goal not least, this film is also remarkable by the few scenes of love between the pilot commoner and the beautiful aristocrat who allow us to admire the fall of the kidneys of Mrs Ursula ANDRESS, at best of his (his) form (S).

Planes of film: The production insisted that turning uses authentic reproductions of the original planes. Last nine planes were thus built for 500.000 $, a not very important sum according to the current prices. The task was distributed between several manufacturers. Douglas Bianchi and Personal Plane Ltd Services manufactured one of both Pfalz D-III (EI-ARC, N906AC), Peter Hillwood of Hampshire Aeroplane Club, a test pilot to the retirement, built the other (EI-ARD, G-ATIJ). First was exported in Zealand News in 2001. Four counterparts of RAF SE.5 with to the 1/85° were built in England by the company Slingsby Sailplanes Ltd (c/n 1591,1592,1593,1594, EI-ARI, J, L, K) under the name of “Currie Wot SE.5”. John Bitz of Munich was charged with both Fokker Dr1, and Claude Rousseau, of the three Fokker D.VII. Last finished its work, Rousseau made a point of delivering one of its Fokker by the way of the airs of Dinard to Dublin, in three stopovers, thus showing the quality of its counterparts. These planes are besides always in-flight status in the United States (F-BNDF, EI-APV, N902AC/F-BNDG, EI-APT, N903AC/F-BNDH, EI-APV, N904AC). But this last type of plane is anachronistic and does not correspond at the time of the action which one can locate a little before the death of Richthofen, that is to say in spring 1918. Jasta 11 used only very little Pfalz D III, with dimensions of its Albatross, between December 1917 and January 1918; these apparatuses were gradually replaced by of triplane Fokker, arrived at Jasta 11 in October 1917, whereas Fokker D.VII are delivered only in May 1918.

The Irish air force lent its installations of the aerodrome of Breaking (Baldonnel) for turning. Several counterparts remained stored after film with Casement and Powerscourt House (County Wicklow); until in the years four twenties, one could see them flying on the occasion.

The decoration of the German planes, all covered systematically with a painting with rhombus of colors, leaves something to be desired. If this kind of camouflage existed well and with many alternatives, its dominant was not the chestnut and the gray as in film, but rather the green or the khaki one, according to last research. Fokker D.VII left factory with this camouflage to 4 or 5 let us tons different, of rather dark aspect, painted on the fabric, but no Fokker Dr. 1 carried this camouflage. As for Pfalz D.III whose fuselage was out of plywood covered with fabric, its photographs often shows a plane painted of clear color (the painting of factory was a metal gray “silbergrau”) and covered personal decorations. Jasta 11 had as a color of identification the red, which means that its planes were partly painted this color, generally on before fuselage.

As in any film on the First World War, the German planes systematically carry the iron or Maltese cross. In fact, only Fokker D.VII, appeared subsequently to the directive of recommending March 20, 1918 of the crosses on right board, N `never carried from there, except for some specimens of preproduction. But, with the cinema, it appears that an iron cross makes more teuton that the Latin cross… the decoration of Fokker Dr1 425/17 of Richthofen seen in film, is about correct: any red with the iron crosses, as it was in March 1918; but according to the photographs of time, the white zones of the crosses are inaccurate, just as the white rudder with half. In April 1918, Richthofen will be killed on the same plane carrying of the Latin crosses (one did not badinait with the execution of the directives in the imperial army.).

Another expensive heresy with the cinema: machine-guns. They were not actuated with the hand, but with an order placed on the handle; only, rearmament was manual. That is valid for the English machine-guns also. The models of LMG 08/15 allemandes are about in conformity, but they are fixed too much high, on a little light amounts. The true ones were fixed at the short-nap cloth of the engine cowling. When the machine-guns of Stachel are stopped, it should have used a small hammer intended to type on the cylinder heads and provided to the pilots for this purpose. Let us announce in the passing, that the German hunters could not carry bombs, contrary to certain English hunters like Sopwith Camel.

At the end of film, Morane Saulnier 230 fact of thinking indeed of Fokker E.V, monoplane parasol brought too quickly into service in August 1918, whereas he suffered from problems of rupture of wings… But the color money whose Morane in film is covered suggests a metal coating. However, the biplane Zeppelin Lindau (Dornier) D1 which killed “Willi” Reinhardt, out of metal… is this was almost entirely built a coincidence there, or the fruit of a good information retrieval?

In the middle of De Havilland Tiger Moth/Fokker and of Stampe/SE.5 (of which the c/n 1060, EI-AVU, F-BAUR, N901AC), added there to make number, one notices Caudron 277 Firefly (c/n 7546/135, EI-ARF), successively seeming a two-seater of English observation, then German.

The majority of these planes were bought in 1986 by Fighting Air Command of Hartlee Field (Texas). The four SE.5 were exported in the USA (N908, 9,10,12AC) but are not more in a state of vol. the Firefly were seriously damaged in the collapse of its hangar in Ireland, and had to be entirely restored. It currently flies in Tucson (Arizona) registered N909AC.

Christian Santoir

[Germanophile-1]

Nice work, Lloyd, flogging through all that text. A true labor of love! And much appreciated by fans of that film.

Peter