Memphis Belle

1990
PG-13
1h 47m

IMDb RATING

6.9/10

31K

YOUR RATING

Sean Astin, Matthew Modine, Eric Stoltz, D.B. Sweeney, Billy Zane, Harry Connick Jr., Tate Donovan, Reed Diamond, Courtney Gains, and Neil Giuntoli in Memphis Belle (1990)

Home Video Trailer from Warner Home Video

Play trailer1:37

1 Video

98 Photos

Dark Comedy Action Drama War

In 1943, the crew of a B-17 based in the UK prepares for its 25th and final bombing mission over Germany before returning home to the USA.In 1943, the crew of a B-17 based in the UK prepares for its 25th and final bombing mission over Germany before returning home to the USA.In 1943, the crew of a B-17 based in the UK prepares for its 25th and final bombing mission over Germany before returning home to the USA.

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

6.9/10

31K

YOUR RATING

See production info at IMDbPro

Nominated for 1 BAFTA Award
- 1 win & 4 nominations total

Trivia
The navigator of the real Memphis Belle was Charles Leighton. From Flint Michigan, he retired as a teacher and counselor. He saved the Belle and other B-17s after identifying false German radio beacons designed to lure unwary B-17s into harm's way.

Goofs
In Memphis Belle the bomber force is ordered to circle back to the Initial Point when the Primary Target is obscured by smoke or cloud cover. In reality, this would NOT have happened. First, it is VERY hard to have a formation of 300-plus Forts make a 180 degree turn. Second, such a maneuver would alert all flak batteries as to the actual target. Third, such a maneuver would keep the force under fighter attack longer than need be. In actuality, bomber crews were briefed on a primary, a secondary, a tertiary and targets of opportunity. If the primary target was unable to be hit, the primary became the IP to set up on the secondary. If the secondary were unable to be hit, it became the IP for the tertiary, and if that were unable to be hit, the force commander (NOT the pilot of the lead aircraft) would issue an order to go after targets of opportunity. Failing that, the mission would be aborted and the crews would dump their ordnance in either the North Sea or the English Channel. The mission would count toward tour completion, as the crews would have been in combat, and were over enemy territory.

Quotes
Richard Rascal Moore: [a German fighter has just passed extremely close under the belly of the plane, right past Rascal] That guy had blue eyes!

Alternate versions
The UK cinema version was rated 12, and was uncut. The video release was rated PG, and removed the use of "all fucked up".

Connections
Edited into Dark Blue World (2001)

Soundtracks
The Chestnut Tree
Written by Tommie Connor, Jimmy Kennedy and Hamilton Kennedy

User reviews102

Review

Featured review

"MB" nay-sayers: ever been a bomber pilot at age 21?

No?? then shut up.

My dad was. Didn't fly B-17s, but he was the PIC (pilot-in-command) of a crew of seven, all younger than he, of a B-26 Martin Marauder medium bomber (the Flying Prostitute 'no visible means of support'; referred to the short wingspan and hot landing speeds) in the Mediterranean Campaign out of Corsica and Sardinia, bombing German-controlled ball-bearing factories in northern Italy at 10,000 ft. Lost his nose-gunner from "fright" - frozen to the gun wouldn't bail out when they were shot down right after 'delivering the pizza' over Bergamo-Seriate airfield on my mom's birthday, Aug 08th, 1944about 9 weeks before I was born. His story about getting out of that B-26 before it crashed would raise the hair on your young necks. Survived Stalag Luft III and the 500 mile foot-march yes, in January, through snow to Stalag Luft VII (Steve McQueen "The Great Escape"). Gen'l Patton liberated all in April, 1945 including my dad and five of his crew.

Dad didn't make furniture like Matthew Modine's character in "Memphis Belle". But he did pick and truck-haul tomatoes on HIS dad's farm in the Ohio River Valley around Racine, right out of the black river-bottom soil just above the banks; became a basketball hero in high school; then entered the Army Air Force at 19. Pilot training in Texas and Florida. I have the letters from him to my mom during all that...

And the dialog in the film? Pretty true-to-life, he said everybody was young and talked and acted JUST LIKE THAT

This review isn't meant to be about my dad. But I hope it says a little something about the producer's efforts for "Memphis Belle." Very young kids normal Americans tough (even impossible) duty in advanced machines (then) in hard times in a country far from home doing what they were trained for. Sound familiar even today?...

And don't be too hard on the details. Remember, this is a 'representative film' of what happened to many, many bomber crews in many, many different bombers during WWII. Many thousands of very young American air crews were lost in this effort to help keep America and our Allies 'free.' Think about that whole image, listen to the music score, cherish the action from a fresh perspective. TRY to put yourself in their shoes.

Then watch the film again