doebag

Just watched this for the umpteenth time today on channel 4.

Now Kenneth More does a pretty good job of Douglas Bader's gait. In trousers no problem, but my question is how did the film makers lose his real legs when he is on crutches in a dressing gown.

When he has artificial legs I guess it is some sort of cover up on More's real legs, but no legs at all?
How was that done.

'Dying a'int much of a living, boy'
Outlaw Josey Wales

Automotivehistorian

My wife and I suggested that the back shot was of a, regrettably amputee. I thought that the person that fell over was not More (it was in an indistinct longish shot). When in a wheelchair it looked as though his legs were tucked up in a box covered by a blanket with false trouser-leg ends on top. It would surely be possible for front views to be taken with his legs strapped up behind and out of shot and attached 'legs' from the knees.

Steve Crook

That's the magic of cinema

Steve

stevie boy

I remember Douglas Bader on This is Your Life vividly, there was a clip from Kenny More who was very ill with Parkinsons, very sad. Bader died shortly after.

Androo

Ah Douglas Bader my boyhood hero :)

In various books I've read about him in later life he always ribbed Kenneth More about the way he portrayed his walk. When they played golf together he'd say things like "So, are you still making me walk like this?" and then thrust out a leg horizontally.

In the movie his gait was exaggerated quite a bit (with legs wide apart) but I guess this would have helped to highlight his difficulties more. If More had made him walk perfectly normally I guess people wouldn't have realised the supreme efforts he had to make on a daily basis.

I always wondered what happened to the tin legs that Kenneth More used in the film.

Okay.. I'll get my coat lol

Andy

orpheum

In real life he was not well liked.One story told is that he refused to allow his batman to be repatrioated for health reasons whilst in Colditz as he would have no one to look after him.

Welcome To Highbury The Home Of Football

Steve Crook

That's true of more than one RAF fighter pilot. They didn't usually hire them because they were nice to people

There's an autobiography by Flight Lieutenant Richard Hillary, "The Last Enemy".

He was a real arrogant swine, but a good fighter pilot. He was badly burned when he was shot down and became one of MacIndoe's "Guinea Pigs" at East Grinstead where they did some of the early (brilliant) work in plastic surgery.

He did learn some humility after a while in the hospital

Steve

DB7

Tonight on More4 is the documentary Who Downed Douglas Bader?