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 Author  Topic: Vote for "PT 109" DVD release on TCM site
TGConnelly

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Post a Reply To This Topic    Reply With Quotes     Edit Message   Posted on: May 3, 2009 - 10:11am
Frank,

In my opinion? AND JUST MY OPINION .... Just wanted to make that clear so I won't get criticized ...

A book like that would not do good, it's too tight in its scope and only a small group would tend to buy it. It might be written well, researched well and have good photos, but in today's society - where it's offensive to some to glorify war - as some perceive war movies do. Case in point - the movie PEARL HARBOR had to have one of its or a few of its scenes either reshot or deleted so that it wouldn't offend movie-goers in Japan. Never mind the HISTORICAL FACT that the Japanese attacked Pearl and killed thousands of Americans but we can't have them offended in a movie.

So, that book would be a total flop. Not to mention that WB wants exhorbiant fees for the photos they have for the book and then, would get a cut of the proceeds ..........

Garth


Quote:

Personally I think it would be an awesome idea. Of course being as I love anything associated with PT BOATS and have a deep passion for what I do, the big question is: DOES ANYONE OUT THERE REALLY CARE. I think about many subjects that could be done on PT Boats and have actually started a project several years back. The book would be a pictorial look at ELCO. I have several hundred photos of Elco, from the early years right up to the making of the PT Boats. I believe very strongly in using pictures to get your point across and would love to complete it. Biggest problem once again, DOES ANYONE CARE. Outside of the few hundred we have here on the message board, I have found that not many even know what a PT Boat is, which is one reason I continue to do my Exhibits. Keeping the boats and the men in the public eye is always a good way to insure that the History will never die.

Books of course is another thing. Many publishers won't even take a project unless they think it is something worth their time. Cost's associated with a project like my Elco Pictorial Book can be pretty high. Personally, as much as I would love to do the project, I do not have the extra cash in publishing/printing cost's just to throw out there, and I certainly do not have the time needed to do a project of this magnitude.

Research alone on what I have done to date has many hours on the books. Your thoughts on the making of the movie PT 109 sound great to me, but I am just not convenienced that today's folks would even care about it. Case in point was the book MacArthur's Escape by George W. Smith. A great book, which I enjoyed very much, but I do not think it did very well on the market. I suppose if I had the extra $1500-$2500, I would do the book, just because it is something I have always wanted to do. Keep in mind that most people today have no clue about our WWII History. Hell, I am surprised they even know who won the dam war!!! Anyway, this is just my thoughts on the subject. Perhaps someone with much experience such as Garth Connelly could shed his thoughts here as well. After all, he has authored several books on PT Boats and certainly knows the ropes.........







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TGConnelly

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Post a Reply To This Topic    Reply With Quotes     Edit Message   Posted on: May 3, 2009 - 10:13am
I'm sorry, I thought you were talking about doing a book on the making of the movie PT-109.



Quote:

Frank,

In my opinion? AND JUST MY OPINION .... Just wanted to make that clear so I won't get criticized ...

A book like that would not do good, it's too tight in its scope and only a small group would tend to buy it. It might be written well, researched well and have good photos, but in today's society - where it's offensive to some to glorify war - as some perceive war movies do. Case in point - the movie PEARL HARBOR had to have one of its or a few of its scenes either reshot or deleted so that it wouldn't offend movie-goers in Japan. Never mind the HISTORICAL FACT that the Japanese attacked Pearl and killed thousands of Americans but we can't have them offended in a movie.

So, that book would be a total flop. Not to mention that WB wants exhorbiant fees for the photos they have for the book and then, would get a cut of the proceeds ..........

Garth


Quote:

Personally I think it would be an awesome idea. Of course being as I love anything associated with PT BOATS and have a deep passion for what I do, the big question is: DOES ANYONE OUT THERE REALLY CARE. I think about many subjects that could be done on PT Boats and have actually started a project several years back. The book would be a pictorial look at ELCO. I have several hundred photos of Elco, from the early years right up to the making of the PT Boats. I believe very strongly in using pictures to get your point across and would love to complete it. Biggest problem once again, DOES ANYONE CARE. Outside of the few hundred we have here on the message board, I have found that not many even know what a PT Boat is, which is one reason I continue to do my Exhibits. Keeping the boats and the men in the public eye is always a good way to insure that the History will never die.

Books of course is another thing. Many publishers won't even take a project unless they think it is something worth their time. Cost's associated with a project like my Elco Pictorial Book can be pretty high. Personally, as much as I would love to do the project, I do not have the extra cash in publishing/printing cost's just to throw out there, and I certainly do not have the time needed to do a project of this magnitude.

Research alone on what I have done to date has many hours on the books. Your thoughts on the making of the movie PT 109 sound great to me, but I am just not convenienced that today's folks would even care about it. Case in point was the book MacArthur's Escape by George W. Smith. A great book, which I enjoyed very much, but I do not think it did very well on the market. I suppose if I had the extra $1500-$2500, I would do the book, just because it is something I have always wanted to do. Keep in mind that most people today have no clue about our WWII History. Hell, I am surprised they even know who won the dam war!!! Anyway, this is just my thoughts on the subject. Perhaps someone with much experience such as Garth Connelly could shed his thoughts here as well. After all, he has authored several books on PT Boats and certainly knows the ropes.........












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TGConnelly

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Post a Reply To This Topic    Reply With Quotes     Edit Message   Posted on: May 3, 2009 - 10:30am
Oh, ok. We are ... well, my statements stand.

I'd like to add also.........

Whereas, my generation is the last generation of offspring of those who fought in WW2 (now, in our late 40s and early 50s not the baby boomers who are in their late 50s and early 60s) and know what a PT is, know what a SC is, know what a P-40, 36, 38, 39, 47, 51, 61, Hurricane, Spitfire (and all its Marks), F-4U, F4-F and F-6F are as well as all the Axis Powers equipment were .......

Kids after us were NOT taught about the war at all, and if they were? It was like; WW2 was from 1939 to 1945 and its major battles were touched on but glossed over ... and the spin on it was very liberal ..........

Heck, I remember spending lunch-times with my friends drawing planes, tanks and ships from WW2 in grammer school in the 60s.

I also remember in the 1990s when my brother took me to England and our nephew went with us to help him cart me around, we went to the Imperial War Museum and Duxford, Hendon and Portsmouth and our nephew asking me what a Spitfire was and why it would be in a museum?

The newer generation, ON THE WHOLE (I will admit that there is a SMALL MINORITY of kids out there who like history but on the whole ...) does not know, understand or even care about history .............

Garth




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Michael

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Post a Reply To This Topic    Reply With Quotes     Edit Message     View Profile of Michael   Send Email To Michael Posted on: May 3, 2009 - 7:31pm
DONE
Vote number 1752
(thats a lot of dough for them)

Michael

Total Posts: 218 | Joined: Aug 6, 2007 - 7:25pm | IP Logged

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