ROSCOE TURNER In anticipation of Sunday Night At The Movies, I thought you might like a little backstory on who Roscoe Turner was. Of course, if I wrote the script as well as some people say I did, you would just meet him through the story. But the backstory is interesting, and photos of him and his airplanes will give you something to visualize as you read the movie.
"Writing it right." That line describes your mission and you've accomplished it again. Between you and Heather Cox Richardson, history, which used to be a bore, is now a joy!
Ah, the Thirties.....one of the most creative decades in aviation around the world. Started with fabric covered biplanes and ended with the first experimental jet engines. Rip roaring fun and some of the best aviation movies too. The decline of Hollywood's creative process is tragic and will be so for the major studios, who apparently are unable to do anything new and instead must milk 75 year-old comics and fantasy IP to stay in business. Perhaps the indies may save them, if they allow that to happen.....(but they probably won't).
I hope so, too. but the indies haven't managed to save things before.
but there ARE the old ones...today, I actually watched "Twentieth Century" twice. and laughed harder the second time. possibly the only time John Barrymore actually earned his salary.
It was all about the Benjamins then, too. They just had a very different attitude to what profit is. Every product didn't have to have a 10% ROI regardless, which is what the intergalactic widgetmakers want. Also, they did believe in producing good work.
Read somewhere that Turner bought the Packard with money he made working as a stunt pilot for Howard Hughes' films. Hughes ended up firing him when Turner refused to do a very dangerous spin-out in a bi-plane. While Turner may have been a swashbuckler of an aviator, he wasn't crazy in the way some stunt pilots of the time were.
It would be great to see that movie get made - this is fascinating stuff and unless you’re old enough to have witnessed some of these things, or your parents did and talked about them, it all must seem crazy. I can just hear my college age grandson now...”He took his pet lion up with him?! He must’ve been nuts!” Well, yeah. And your point?
I remember my Mom talking about the first time she and family saw a plane flying over, likely in the 20’s. They were gob smacked and she was entranced all her life. I finally got her on a plane before she died. Dad said he would go if he could keep his feet on the ground…
Jimmy Doolittle was his great rival in the Thompson Trophy air races. After World War II started, Doolittle led the famous raid on Japan from the USS Hornet. Roscoe Turner sent him a telegram after the raid that read, "Dear Jimmy. You son a bitch. Roscoe."
that moustache takes a tremendous amount of time and effort. I once tried to maintain a much simpler one (think George Brent or Errol Flynn). gave up in three days when the place under my nose got chafed from endless trims and I realized those guys had MAKEUP.
when you post the screenplay, try longer segments. this is pure selfishness on my part because when it's complete, I push it all to the Kindle and read it in as close to a single sitting as possible.
somewhere in my storage bin, I have a complete run of "Scenario," that impossibly lavish, beautifully produced (and obviously financially unsound) magazine from the '90s. I'll probably never find them.
"Writing it right." That line describes your mission and you've accomplished it again. Between you and Heather Cox Richardson, history, which used to be a bore, is now a joy!
Yup, "Flight at Midnite".
Ah, the Thirties.....one of the most creative decades in aviation around the world. Started with fabric covered biplanes and ended with the first experimental jet engines. Rip roaring fun and some of the best aviation movies too. The decline of Hollywood's creative process is tragic and will be so for the major studios, who apparently are unable to do anything new and instead must milk 75 year-old comics and fantasy IP to stay in business. Perhaps the indies may save them, if they allow that to happen.....(but they probably won't).
Two Thumbs Up, Bruce.
I hope so, too. but the indies haven't managed to save things before.
but there ARE the old ones...today, I actually watched "Twentieth Century" twice. and laughed harder the second time. possibly the only time John Barrymore actually earned his salary.
But that was back then, when the people who made movies actually loved them.....now it is all about the Benjamins.
It was all about the Benjamins then, too. They just had a very different attitude to what profit is. Every product didn't have to have a 10% ROI regardless, which is what the intergalactic widgetmakers want. Also, they did believe in producing good work.
Read somewhere that Turner bought the Packard with money he made working as a stunt pilot for Howard Hughes' films. Hughes ended up firing him when Turner refused to do a very dangerous spin-out in a bi-plane. While Turner may have been a swashbuckler of an aviator, he wasn't crazy in the way some stunt pilots of the time were.
Yes. He lived to be an old pilot.
It would be great to see that movie get made - this is fascinating stuff and unless you’re old enough to have witnessed some of these things, or your parents did and talked about them, it all must seem crazy. I can just hear my college age grandson now...”He took his pet lion up with him?! He must’ve been nuts!” Well, yeah. And your point?
I remember my Mom talking about the first time she and family saw a plane flying over, likely in the 20’s. They were gob smacked and she was entranced all her life. I finally got her on a plane before she died. Dad said he would go if he could keep his feet on the ground…
Did you at least get paid?
Yes.
Fascinating story! Amazing!
Jimmy Doolittle was his great rival in the Thompson Trophy air races. After World War II started, Doolittle led the famous raid on Japan from the USS Hornet. Roscoe Turner sent him a telegram after the raid that read, "Dear Jimmy. You son a bitch. Roscoe."
This is great Tom! So looking forward to Sunday Night at the Movies! And he was a cat guy. Love it!
Looking forward to this 🎬 🎥 🎞 📽 🍿🥤
I’m digging’ the stache.
Once again, the comments add to the delight - it's like a meal with two desserts!
Hoping to catch up on all tomorrow, this sounds wonderful!
that moustache takes a tremendous amount of time and effort. I once tried to maintain a much simpler one (think George Brent or Errol Flynn). gave up in three days when the place under my nose got chafed from endless trims and I realized those guys had MAKEUP.
when you post the screenplay, try longer segments. this is pure selfishness on my part because when it's complete, I push it all to the Kindle and read it in as close to a single sitting as possible.
somewhere in my storage bin, I have a complete run of "Scenario," that impossibly lavish, beautifully produced (and obviously financially unsound) magazine from the '90s. I'll probably never find them.