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kgretter
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Posted on: Nov 28, 2011 - 7:01pm
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Bruce
Like yourself, I just saw "PT 109" for the first time when it aired recently on Turner Classic Movies. I knew going in that the boats weren't real Elco 80's, but I thought the producers did a pretty good job with them. I just ran across this story about the movie boats from a gentleman named Bud Tretter:
"IN 1960, WHEN I WAS SKIPPER OF PT-73 AND RUNNING THE BOAT IN MC HALES NAVY, WE KEPT THE BOAT AT COLONIAL YACHT, WHICH MY DAD OWNED. SOME MEN CAME DOWN TO THE BOAT AND INTRODUCED THEMSELVES AS BEING FROM UNIVERSAL STUDIOS. THEY TOLD ME THAT THEY WERE GOING TO MAKE A MOVIE ABOUT JFK AND HIS EXPERIENCES WITH PT BOATS IN THE SOUTH PACIFIC. THE NAME OF THE MOVIE WAS TO BE “PT 109”.
I TOLD THEM THAT THEY WERE WELCOME TO COME ABOARD, BUT THAT THIS BOAT WAS NOTHING LIKE THE ELCO 82 FOOT PT THAT JFK COMMANDED. I EXPLAINED THAT THE MC HALE BOAT WAS A BRITISH DESIGNED VOSPER PT, 75’ IN LENGTH.
I ASKED THEM WHY THEY DID NOT GO TO THE NAVY FOR THEIR NEEDS, WHERE BY THEY INFORMED ME THAT THEY HAD BEEN TO THE NAVY AND WERE TOLD THAT THERE WERE NO MORE 82’ ELCO PT’S IN EXISTANCE AND THAT THERE WERE NO DRAWINGS AVAILABLE. THEN THEY TOLD ME THAT THEY HAD (4) 85’ CRASH BOATS AND THAT THEY INTENDED TO CUT THE CABINS OFF AND CONSTRUCT PT BOAT CABINS AND DECK LAYOUTS ON THE CRASH BOATS, BUT THEY DIDN’T KNOW WHAT A ELCO PT ACTUALLY LOOKED LIKE.
I TOLD THEM THAT I HAD A REVELL, PLASTIC MODEL OF A PT BOAT THAT I HAD PUT TO GETHER. I TOLD THEM IF THEY WANTED I WOULD LOAN THEM THE MODEL. THEY JUMPED AT THIS SUGGESTION AND PROMISED TO RETURN THE MODEL.
THEY HAD THE MODEL FOR ABOUT A MONTH AND WHEN IT WAS RETURNED, THEY TOLD ME THAT THEY HAD COPIED EVERY DETAIL AND THANKED ME VERY MUCH. SURE ENOUGH WHEN THE MOVIE CAME OUT, THERE WERE 85’ CRASH BOAT HULLS THAT LOOKED EXACTLY LIKE REAL PT BOATS."
I don't know how true it is, but it's a great story. You can read the rest of his story at the P-520 Crashboat site.
http://p-520crashboat.org/2.aspx
Keith
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Drew Cook
TOP BOSS
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Posted on: Nov 30, 2011 - 5:37pm
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Neat story, but it appears Mr. Tretter mis-remembered some of his facts.
Of course, PT 103-class Elco PTs like PT 109 were 80-footers, not 82 feet, and I thought the Vosper PTs were 70' in length, not 75'.
I'm also pretty sure neither the TV show "McHale's Navy" nor the Revell 1/72nd scale plastic model of PT 109 existed in 1960.
Mr. Tretter was right about one thing, though. The Miami shipyard and the Warner Bros. carpenters did a great job on the "PT 109" movie boats.
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Jerry Gilmartin |
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 Posted on: Nov 30, 2011 - 6:44pm
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Hi guys,
I have met Bud Tretter and his son Jerry Tretter. They own the 85 foot P-520 USAF Crash Boat and also run the Long Beach Marina and boat repair yard down on Long Beach Ca. Bud and his crew drove the P-520 up the west coast to Portland back in September, 2007 in order to visit the PT658. Bud is a great guy, a true patriot and he and his crew did a fantastic job of restoring the P520, both inside and out. We were considered as a possible caretaker for the P520 as he would have donated the boat to our group, but we could not honestly accept the donation in the spirit that the boat requires. It comes along with a great responsibility to maintain and care for the boat. We would not have been able to keep the boat maintained with our limited resources, so we had to decline his gracious offer.
At any rate, I would not be too quick to dismiss what Bud says in his story. I heard the same story from the man himself. He was hired to pilot the McHale's Navy boat during the at sea filming sequences. In fact another story he told me involved the filming of the opening scenes of the TV show, where they swamped and sunk the cameraman's small boat as they made a high speed pass. That must have been hilarious to see! I googled the model and it came out in 1963, and McHales Navy premiered in April 1962, so maybe he was off by 2 years, but hey! that was almost 50 years ago so I would cut him some slack! I am pretty sure Bud Tretter is the real deal.
Here is a pretty interesting website that shows a lot of photos of the P520. It was last updated in 2007. Jerry
http://www.p-520crashboat.com/
Bud Tretter and P-520 arriving at PT658 pier in Portland Sept 2007
Bud and his crew after the long trip from Long Beach (Bud with coffee cup) Son Jerry Tretter with red shirt
P520 Bud Tretter's 85 foot Crash Boat follows PT658 up the Williamette River in Portland, Sept 2007. P-520 powered by two 12v71 Detroit Diesel engines (max speed is about 18 kt) We had to keep taking our engines out of gear to let her catch up!
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Mark Culp
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Posted on: Dec 1, 2011 - 2:36am
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Quote:
I always knew you would hit the big time Jerry. In Harms Way was a wonderful movie, although the PT BOATS depicted were pretty lame. I wonder what type boats those were ASR'S?
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Frank, see my recent post entitled “Real PT’s?”. Al posted some great information on these boats.
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