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Author Topic: Murphy's War  (Read 9118 times)

mick

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Murphy's War
« on: March 26, 2009, 04:30:57 pm »

Watched Murphy's War on TV last night....anyone know what 'model' the German U-boat was?...looked very odd...mick
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barryfoote

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Re: Murphy's War
« Reply #1 on: March 26, 2009, 04:33:34 pm »

Now where is U33 when you need him?? >>:-( >>:-(
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ronkh

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Re: Murphy's War
« Reply #2 on: March 26, 2009, 04:45:18 pm »

Gone fishing %% {-)
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Arrow5

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Re: Murphy's War
« Reply #3 on: March 26, 2009, 04:55:32 pm »

According to Wiki the submarine used was the former USS Tilefish (SS-307) belonging to the Venezuelan Navy.
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..well can you land on this?

amdaylight

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Re: Murphy's War
« Reply #4 on: March 26, 2009, 06:01:54 pm »

Now where is U33 when you need him?? >>:-( >>:-(

Out looking aROUND for the information, and besides who cares for the sub it's the airplane that I want. The Grumman Duck has always been one of my favorite airplanes. It has a nice big ROUND engine, it fly's and when you land it on the water it's a boat. I have a 60" wingspan RC model of a Grumman Duck mostly inspired by this movie.

Andre
over yonder in Portland Oregon
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Hagar

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Re: Murphy's War
« Reply #5 on: March 26, 2009, 06:55:52 pm »

Now where is U33 when you need him?? >>:-( >>:-(

Out looking aROUND for the information, and besides who cares for the sub it's the airplane that I want. The Grumman Duck has always been one of my favorite airplanes. It has a nice big ROUND engine, it fly's and when you land it on the water it's a boat. I have a 60" wingspan RC model of a Grumman Duck mostly inspired by this movie.

Andre
over yonder in Portland Oregon

I know its not a boat but what about a photo of that Duck!
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sheerline

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Re: Murphy's War
« Reply #6 on: March 26, 2009, 09:11:52 pm »

I watched it too, the Gruman flying and getting off the water are the only reasons I watch it too. The only thing to mar the whole flying sequence was the rubbish engine sound effects they stuck on it at certain points. The engine in that aircraft should have been allowed it's own voice as it sounds fantastic. ...ruddy filmakers, they haven't a clue sometimes.
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nhp651

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Re: Murphy's War
« Reply #7 on: March 27, 2009, 02:21:18 pm »

Talking of film clangers, I am at this very moment watching "Diagnosis Murder" with a story based on a cruise ship.
One person says "you'll be able to have a week of wonderful peace and quiet cruising the caribbean,"
Just then  as the horn goes for casting off, the camera flashes up to the stack of................. the old  RMS Queen Mary...............
...................some quiet cruise that 'll be.
I'd want my b****y money back on that one, lol  {-) {-) {-) {-) {-) {-) {-) >>:-( >>:-( >>:-(
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toesupwa

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Re: Murphy's War
« Reply #8 on: March 27, 2009, 02:58:07 pm »


I have a 60" wingspan RC model of a Grumman Duck mostly inspired by this movie.

Andre
over yonder in Portland Oregon

I know its not a boat but what about a photo of that Duck!

A Duck photo... or two...

This is one of the few Duck's in flying condition and is based out of Tillamook Air Museum, Oregon. http://www.tillamookair.com/

Its also a favourite aircraft of mine, i have plans to build a model one day... and Murphy's War is one of my fave movies..
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Jimmy James

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Re: Murphy's War
« Reply #9 on: March 28, 2009, 11:10:59 am »

I read the book years ago and in the book the aircraft used was a Swordfish Biplane equipped with floats NOT an American Naval aircraft as for the boat looks like a modified Gato class to me  <*<I saw the film at the movies when it first came out,... I could be wrong about this BUT As I seem to remember in the book he used depth charges to sink the sub????
Freebooter
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Retired  Ships Officer/ Master.
Experience: 50+ years at sea under Sail, Steam & Motor
Kings Lynn

KitS

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Re: Murphy's War
« Reply #10 on: March 28, 2009, 07:12:13 pm »

Freebooter,

But there aren't any Swordfish on floats left, and only a few flyable landplane ones around too.

The film makers being American they did what they usually do and substituted the nearest American alternative. Like the story about how 'they' liberated the Enigma machine from the 'U-571', in reality the U-559.......  :((
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Regards
Kit

malcolmfrary

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Re: Murphy's War
« Reply #11 on: March 30, 2009, 11:32:41 am »

Film makers always have to work to a budget and use what is available, even if the story is compromised.  It is always possible that the original (fictional) story was wrong, in this case the use of a lease-lend Grumman MIGHT have been more likely than a Swordfish.
And was it not true that bits of Vanguard starred as bits of various WW2 German warships?
It is no use expecting the general public who are 99% of the audience to be able to spot corner cutting by the props department, as they are just watching pictures.  Gaffes by the continuity department, thinking here of wild west trains pounding across prairies with curiously interchangeable wheels and funnels, and planes with variable numbers of engines, are something else.
One of the greatest sea films must have been "Cruel Sea", and that had the "wrong" type corvette, but they had to use what was available.
The annoying thing is Discovery Channel - the number of times the same bit of stock has been used for a sinking merchantman from both world wars, the number of times the destruction of Barham has represented the sinking of a large capital ship from any number of navies is annoying when you consider that the programs are aimed at a basically anorak audience who can and will spot these things, rather than the general public, who can't.
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TCC

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Re: Murphy's War
« Reply #12 on: March 30, 2009, 12:14:35 pm »

is ths the ultamate form of 'rivet counting'? complaining about a films technical-histori-curacy? The producers just want to make money without spending too much of it.  O0

Though in saying that, my pet peeve is seeing american half-tracks substitute for supposed 'German'. I've even seen some M1 halftracks  (I think that was 'Ice Cold In Alex') with the sides cut and the seats athwart the chasis... it's like the b-stard offspring off a 88mm gun tractor and a geman half track.

Re: the Cruyel Sea, why was the corvette wrong? Later version?
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Inkmark

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Re: Murphy's War
« Reply #13 on: March 30, 2009, 12:22:28 pm »

To Kit
If you look up u-boat net you will find an enigma machine and code books were liberated from U 110.
Regards
Mark
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nhp651

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Re: Murphy's War
« Reply #14 on: March 30, 2009, 12:27:32 pm »

yes, TCC i was wondering how you could have a wrong type corvette substituting for a fictitious ship called "Compass Rose" in a fiction book written in post war years.
am i loosing the plot here. %% %% :o :o
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KitS

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Re: Murphy's War
« Reply #15 on: March 30, 2009, 01:44:07 pm »

Don't get me going about Discovery Channel....  <*<

They purport to be 'educational' and their output will exist for many years no doubt, and yet they insist on making crass mistakes which are filed for perpetuity. Films making mistakes are OK, Joe Public and even us understand their limitations, viz 'Murphy's War' above, but TV documentaries are filed away as 'fact' in most people's heads.

If you take the trouble to email Discovery about their errors you don't even get the courtesy of an auto-reply to say they got it, let alone an 'Oops, sorry, we'll do better next time'.

Re the Enigma and U-boats.

I did a Google search on such things after having been to Bletchley Park only 2 weeks ago. There they have a display about the film being too fictional and not giving enough recognition, indeed ANY recognition, to the crew members of HMS Petard who were drowrned when the U boat sank. They couldn't unship the 4 rotor Enigma from it's mounting but they did recover the code setting books that enabled the code breakers to get into the Kreigsmarine 'Shark' code. There are references to a 4 rotor Enigma being recovered from U-505 around the time of D-Day, but the U-110 Enigma was an earlier 3 rotor machine.

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Regards
Kit

malcolmfrary

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Re: Murphy's War
« Reply #16 on: March 30, 2009, 02:07:07 pm »

Reading Monsarrat's book, Compass Rose was a short fo'c'sl mark 1.  When the film was made, only later versions were available on the second hand market.  Not really a problem, as it did not distract from the story, or change it.  
In the Murphy's war case,at least the plane started and finished as a Grumman Duck.  It was quite plausible, looked and sounded great, and didn't turn into anything else part way through.   A pity about the sound effects, though.
I did see a documentary about the start of Discovery.  It seems the idea was to use cheap, old, shaky footage that was out of copyright to fill up a TV channel on the cheap.  Any "education" was purely incidental/accidental.  The bosses and accountants loved it.
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nhp651

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Re: Murphy's War
« Reply #17 on: March 30, 2009, 06:49:37 pm »

cheers malcolm.
sorry to be obtuse, and apologise.
i didn't know there were different types of flowers.
cheers neil, :-))
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TCC

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Re: Murphy's War
« Reply #18 on: March 31, 2009, 03:27:44 pm »

cheers malcolm.
sorry to be obtuse, and apologise.
i didn't know there were different types of flowers.
cheers neil, :-))

Yes, cheers Malcolm.

At least I'm one up on nhp651 as *I* knew there were different versions! :D

By the way, love that film. It's a proper rainy-sunday film... that's one I'll never bore of.

"All sea duty men, close up"... "snorkers? Good oh!"... 'It's the war, the whole stinking war!"... "Weren't you supposed to report to me? I'm the first lieutenant and don't you forget it" Ah.. bliss... who else puts on wellies and a duffle coat while watching it? :embarrassed:
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nhp651

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Re: Murphy's War
« Reply #19 on: March 31, 2009, 03:46:50 pm »

All right Alistair,
No need to drum up your royalies, lol {-) {-) {-) {-) {-)
Duffle coat and wellies....... ;D %).......nahhh.
I go the whole hog and go out and depth charge the frog pond. %% %% %% %% %% %%
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swordfish fairey

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Re: Murphy's War
« Reply #20 on: March 31, 2009, 04:09:27 pm »

I hope you are not going to depth charge the frogs with Sir Lancelot, we don't want an international incident.......  :embarrassed:........Smudge
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TCC

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Re: Murphy's War
« Reply #21 on: March 31, 2009, 04:58:02 pm »

All right Alistair,
No need to drum up your royalies, lol {-) {-) {-) {-) {-)
Duffle coat and wellies....... ;D %).......nahhh.
I go the whole hog and go out and depth charge the frog pond. %% %% %% %% %% %%

I hope that's with depth charges! :-)


Quote: "who else puts on wellies ..."

Did I say wellies? I mean seaboots... You should see my ships wheel and engine telegraphs for when I'm a coxswain!!



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Hagar

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Re: Murphy's War
« Reply #22 on: March 31, 2009, 07:44:07 pm »

With CG films being able to very convincingly protray anything from a talking dog, to a spaceship, to a very belivable monster, Why cant they use the same line of though when it comes to obseleat boats plans tanks subs etc.
I am aware that there are many "low budget" films where you can see its a computer modle even without your glasses whilst out in the kitchen making tea. But there are some films that really pass muster when it comes to pulling the wool over our eyes.

Just a thought.
Imagin the battle of the straigts of Denmark, High res full colour with all the period correct "props"!
The cruel sea with something more like the Flower Monserrat sailed on.
Kellys heros with german and american ve hik als (the tiger was real).

Makes you wonder dont it?
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swordfish fairey

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Re: Murphy's War
« Reply #23 on: March 31, 2009, 07:55:52 pm »

Sorry to dissapoint you Ian M, but the Tigers were converted T-34s that had been done for a Yugoslavian film the previous year. They were very good conversions, but there are a few give-aways particularly around the wheels/track area. They say the camera never lies.......RIGHT...... :o.. :o.. :o........Smudge
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nhp651

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Re: Murphy's War
« Reply #24 on: March 31, 2009, 10:57:50 pm »

"You should see my ships wheel and engine telegraphs"

 i suppose that's different to saying

"come up and see my etchings" lol {-) {-) {-) {-)

smudge.....the Lancelot is too big for my frog pond.....so the little croakers are quite safe there %% %%
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