CaptainWaggett

I think the only major cast member of The Way to the Stars with actual combat experience was Basil Radford who played about the least martial character. I don't think any of the cast had been in the RAF. Does it matter? Of course not - you don't need ex-gangsters to play the Krays; why would you need an ex-airman to play Gibson?

I'm looking forward to the new film (I won't call it a remake- it's got a completely new script and it's no more a remake than The Tudors is a remakeof The Private Life of Henry VIII. It's just a film nased on the same events). There are plenty of aspects of the story that couldn't be dealt with in the 1950s, not just the fact that nobody seems to have liked Gibson very much. And James McAvoy is a great actor.

penfold

John Mills was a 2nd Lt. in the Royal Artillery but was invalided out; Stanley Holloway was in the Connacht Rangers in WW1.....but I agree with your assessment entirely. If they're good enough actors, their actual experience is irrelevant.

Bit of a Bay Window, what??

stern_howie

dogs name needs to be changed

CaptainWaggett

Mills was invalided out after only a few months, when the Powers That Be decided that film-making was an official part of the war effort (same with Redgrave). He didn't get anywhere near a front-line, though presumably he learned how to march properly and salute smartly which would have come in handy. You're right about Holloway - he dd spend some time in France in WW1 according to his autobiography (and in Ireland during the Easter Rising but he seems to have quite enjoyed that), but of course he wasn't playing one of the RAF types.

My favourite example of this sort of thing is Peter Butterworth being turned down for The Wooden Horse, as not being the military type, even though he actually took part in the escape (as one of the vaulting decoys but he did make several other escape attempts).

penfold

I knew that one....he must have been a bit miffed, to put it mildly....

Bit of a Bay Window, what??

Buffalo_Chuck

This example is one more that produces chuckles every time I hear that filmmakers are trying to be "realistic".

Along with "The tales of working-class people as performed by film stars..."

batman

It's not just filmmakers .....

When I was acting I got a job in a new play and was really excited about it. I turned up for rehearsal full of enthusiasm. The read through and early rehearsals went well, but when we began working with props it all went wrong for me.

In one scene my character had to pick up a garden chair with one hand. However, the one they had provided for the show was one of those ornate cast iron jobs which weighed a ton. I could lift it with both hands but with one hand it was nigh on impossible for a weedy lad in his 20s.

After a couple of failed attempts I asked the director if they could get a lighter version, as I felt I would do myself a mischief with this weighty effort.

He replied (rather aggressively) "Of course not, to see you struggle with it is the whole point of the scene".

I answered "Couldn't I just act as if I am struggling with it, after all, we are actors".

Cue apoplectic fit from director.

Exit Batman.

I wish I had claws.

Moor Larkin

There was probably a method in his madness........

716Jones

Why??

Steve Crook

Because the word has connotations and is regarded as offensive by many people.
Times change

Steve

batman

I don't see the problem with changing the name of the dog .... in The Great Escape the names of real people were changed without problems being caused.

I wish I had claws.

Frank63

Exactly !

Would these sensitive people be so hurt if they called him " Blackie" that was and still is a very popular name for any black dog , at least up 'er in 'th north;

" I never forget a face, but in your case I'll make an exception" Groucho Marx

Steve Crook

Did you watch any of the OJ Simpson trial?

All films are made with an American audience in mind

Steve

Frank63

NO, why should I? it's of no interest to me, why should it be . A man does or doesn't or gets away with murdering his wife and her lover in the USA . There are many things closer to home worth worrying about.

" I never forget a face, but in your case I'll make an exception" Groucho Marx

Steve Crook

If you had watched it you'd know I'm not talking about the trial itself

Or not the main part of it. One of the main prosecution witnesses was discredited because he used "the N-word" a lot. In the eyes of the court this meant that he had racist views and so could well be biased against Simpson.

This was a significant factor in his being acquitted

In America, the N-word is loaded with significance and as I said above, any film made nowadays (or in the past) is always made with an eye to the American market.

You might not think it's significant, but a few million other people do and I'm afraid you get outvoted

Steve