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Topic: They Were Expendable movie |
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Frank J Andruss Sr
TOP BOSS
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 Posted on: Dec 22, 2011 - 4:28am
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One has to wonder if the Navy would have allowed MGM to destroy one of the boats in their inventory. I for one do not believe they would have taken PT-38 and destroyed her. The boats were still in use at that time, although in the photo (which I supplied) showing the boat at Melville, she does appear to have been used for RTU training purposes. If anyone has some time on their hands, it might not be a bad idea to contact MGM to see what they might have in their Historical department.
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TED WALTHER
TOP BOSS
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Posted on: Dec 22, 2011 - 9:53am
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Frank;
PT 39, 40 and 48 were all used for RTU training purposes. PT 40 and 48 literally had new hulls in late 1944-early 1945, thanks to the outstanding work MTBRTU did. PT 38 probably was included in this group as you said, only PT 47 and 59 were used for other puroses, the dehydration tests at The Philadelphia Navy Yard, however, once the tests were completed, I am sure PT 59 and PT 47 had their hulls worked on by MTBRTU, prior to going down to NAS Norfolk for their short stint as ASR boats.
Take care,
TED
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Will Day
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Posted on: Dec 22, 2011 - 9:22pm
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Great find, Charlie. Looks like a 77' hull with mock tubes and a prop dept. topside to me. . .
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Frank J Andruss Sr
TOP BOSS
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Posted on: Dec 23, 2011 - 3:54am
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Nice Charlie, I went to the site and found some interesting photos. In looking at the beached boat, you can really tell that this is a 77 Footer, and that the portions of the cabin structures have been made. I strongly feel that no boat was destroyed in the making of this movie, but rather a mock up consisting of destroyed parts were shown on camera for viewers to see. Not sure how many 77 Footers were available for the movie in 1945, but it looks more and more that the shot I posted of that stripped 77 Footer, used for RTU purposes could have been used.
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Dick
Moderator
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Posted on: Dec 23, 2011 - 9:06am
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Some more scene shots. I took the file and stripped out everything but boats and came up with 34 minutes of film. Instead of saving it as a movie I saved the entire 34 minutes as sequenced Jpeg image files. All in all, at 30 frames per second and at 34 minutes it generated over 62,000 individual images. From there I picked-out each camera angle and copied beginning and end frames and have posted the results on the "Beached" portion of the film, in an attempt to identify 80 vs. 77 vs. props and what might be a conclusion.
Now true it might be another type of boat, but it would have to be very, very similar to an Elco 77. In the final scenes the boat is badly busted up - far beyond repairable, with its entire bow busted up and missing.
Hoping the following images don't take forever to download, those with slow internet service please except my apology.
Dick . . .
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Will Day
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Posted on: Dec 23, 2011 - 9:18am
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Outstanding work, Dick.
Will |
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Frank J Andruss Sr
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Posted on: Dec 23, 2011 - 10:52am
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Amazing and time consuming work dick. So much can be studied by looking at these film clips. Could the boat have been a half boat, meaning what is towards the camera has been made to look like a PT Boat, and the side away from the camera is hollow.................
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kgretter
New Member
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Posted on: Dec 23, 2011 - 3:42pm
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Dick
The last photo you posted certainly looks like a 77, specially the front corner of the house where the flames illuminate the outline of the windows. If that's the case, it would seem that the filmmakers burned a real boat, since they would have had no reason to build a 77 mock-up. Given the degree to which the Navy co-operated with the studio, it might be that they provided a stripped 77 to be destroyed in the filming.
Keith
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TED WALTHER
TOP BOSS
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Posted on: Dec 23, 2011 - 6:16pm
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Dick;
Great work. I only wish John Iles could remember this part so we can have conformation from one who was there(even though the visual is enough, and we really don't need it). I have asked him, and he has told me about his boat being used as PT 41(PT 141) and on the PT 41(PT141)he did all the wheel work for the movie, but, when I ask more about other aspects of the movie, well.......you understand.
Take care,
TED
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