I rented The Rocketeer from Netflix, I thought my 7 year old son would enjoy it. He loved it, and so did I. I hadn't seen it since it's theatrical release in '91. I saw it the day it opened, based on Siskel and Ebert raving about it. It is a very entertaining movie, well made, with a wonderful score by James Horner. It's a shame it wasn't a big hit, probably got crushed by T-2 that summer.

I rented The Rocketeer from Netflix, I thought my 7 year old son would enjoy it. He loved it, and so did I. I hadn't seen it since it's theatrical release in '91. I saw it the day it opened, based on Siskel and Ebert raving about it. It is a very entertaining movie, well made, with a wonderful score by James Horner. It's a shame it wasn't a big hit, probably got crushed by T-2 that summer.

Disney barely promoted the film and it did indeed get hammered by T-2. "The Rocketeer" is very well done and is just downright clever. Love the Errol Flynn as Nazi Spy/Howard Hughes angle not to mention Alan Arkin/Geppetto and the Rondo Hatton/Creeper character. It's an underrated movie to be sure!

GREAT flick! I have never understood why it hasn't been more popular.

Wonderful movie. You cannot go wrong with Bill Campbell and Jennifer Connelly, not to mention Timothy Dalton. A film of good, clean fun---for a change!

Wonderful movie. You cannot go wrong with Bill Campbell and Jennifer Connelly, not to mention Timothy Dalton. A film of good, clean fun---for a change!

A word of praise for Alan Arkin is in order too.

Oh, and I see Joe Johnston was given the nod to direct Captain America. Good choice.

Whoa, gopher!. It was a great flick. The scene when the Rocketeer first uses the rocketpack... who here wouldn't wish they coulda done that?

A word of praise for Alan Arkin is in order too.

I usually do not like Arkin but in that role he was really good and perfectly suited.

Gee Bees, rocket men, feds and nazis - and Jennifer Connely - what's not to like?

btw, that film had more Gee Bee racing planes in it than were actually ever built. :)

A wonderful movie. Plus, JENNIFER CONNELY.

btw, that film had more Gee Bee racing planes in it than were actually ever built. :)

Now that's an interesting fact. How many planes were actually built and how many appeared in the film?

A wonderful movie. Plus, JENNIFER CONNELY.

Yep! Her appearance in that movie is the first time I felt like a dirty old man.:p

Now that's an interesting fact. How many planes were actually built and how many appeared in the film?

IIRC, The Granville brothers built one Gee Bee R1, one Gee Bee R2, one Gee Bee Z, and maybe a couple of other sport planes that I can't recall off hand.

Cliff secord was flying a Gee Bee Z in the movie. Since there was only ever one, and he apparently had another besides the original, then that makes twice as many as existed. Then when Hughes gives him another Gee Bee Z at the end of the film, that makes THREE times as many as existed! :lol:

I'm going on memory here, so I may be off by one or two planes.

Wiki:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Granville_Brothers_Aircraft

Yep, they only ever built one each of their most famous racing planes.

But......... The Senior Sportsters, E's, D's, and Y's were produced in numbers. I think the Z had been crashed an destroyed before the R1 or R2 was built.

I noticed a few Monocoupe 90a models in the movie as well, but they didn't appear until 1934. The Monocoupe's were as a group, the most money winning planes of the Golden Era.

Fantastic Movie!
all of the above praise but I'm surprised nobody has mentioned Terry O'Quinn (the future John Locke) as Howard Hughes.

plus, I mean, there's a diner shaped like a bulldog! what's not to love?

I loved the moment where the cops and the crooks joined forces to fight the Nazis

What's not to like?

http://wesleyfenlon.files.wordpress.com/2008/10/connelly-rocketeer.jpg
http://wesleyfenlon.files.wordpress.com/2008/10/connelly-rocketeer.jpg

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_msb7eQA-RFY/Skl_ulnuaWI/AAAAAAAABJc/_2PYWHf3R9s/s400/rocketeer-jennifer-connelly-low-cut-gown.jpg
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_msb7eQA-RFY/Skl_ulnuaWI/AAAAAAAABJc/_2PYWHf3R9s/s400/rocketeer-jennifer-connelly-low-cut-gown.jpg

But......... The Senior Sportsters, E's, D's, and Y's were produced in numbers. I think the Z had been crashed an destroyed before the R1 or R2 was built.

I noticed a few Monocoupe 90a models in the movie as well, but they didn't appear until 1934. The Monocoupe's were as a group, the most money winning planes of the Golden Era.

Check the Wiki. It looks like the most built of any one was four.
But the one Cliff was flying was a Z, painted exactly like the real Z, which had crashed 7 years before the time the film is set.

Those little planes made quite a historical impression, considering how few there were and how short their lives!

All good points. (especially hers.....:rolleyes:)

The movie was good clean fun as stated, reminded me of the old Dick Tracy stuff. I've seen some nice collectable stuff from it too. My friend has a huge figure of the Rocketeer, I'd love to have it!

I love the final blimp scene when all hell is breaking loose, and the demise of the bad guys!

Check the Wiki. It looks like the most built of any one was four.
But the one Cliff was flying was a Z, painted exactly like the real Z, which had crashed 7 years before the time the film is set.

Those little planes made quite a historical impression, considering how few there were and how short their lives!

The GeeBeeZ flew in 1931 and won at the Cleveland Air Races, then in December '31 when trying to set the speed record it crashed and killed the pilot L. Bayles. The R-1 and R-2 flew in 1932 and the R-1 won the air races in Cleveland with Jimmy Doolittle as pilot.

BTW I saw Delmar Benjamin fly his R-2 at the Cleveland Air Show 3 times... AWESOME!!!!

Here's a painting I did of the Z. - Denis

That's beautiful!

Wiki:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Granville_Brothers_Aircraft

Yep, they only ever built one each of their most famous racing planes.

You see, the way I rationalized it all is that it was an alternate universe since none of the other stuff in the movie happened either!


:D

JUST KIDDING!

I also like them to get historical details like that correct as well. It still bugs me to see belt loops on pants in old westerns.:freak:

The R1 and R2 were identical except for engine and cowling.

And after both of them crashed, they kitbashed one together from the parts!

Isn't that one in Mexico??

I'm more of a Clipped Wing Monocoupe fan.
http://photos.hobbytalk.com/data/509/thumbs/1340.jpg (http://photos.hobbytalk.com/showphoto.php/photo/37785)

http://photos.hobbytalk.com/data/509/thumbs/Monocoupe_90_N1161_rfq.jpg (http://photos.hobbytalk.com/showphoto.php/photo/37786)

The rebuilt GeeBee was called the Q.E.D. and is in a museum in Cuidad Lerdo, Mexico. Kermit Weeks has both the "Z" and the R-2 at his museum in Polk City, Florida. They are amazing airplanes! I've attached a painting of the R-2 that I did several years ago. - Denis

I fell in love with the TravelAir Mystery Ship when I saw a reconstruction fly in a TV movie.
Maybe it's the pretty red paint job.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kensaviation/2669696355/

What's not to like?

http://wesleyfenlon.files.wordpress.com/2008/10/connelly-rocketeer.jpg
http://wesleyfenlon.files.wordpress.com/2008/10/connelly-rocketeer.jpg

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_msb7eQA-RFY/Skl_ulnuaWI/AAAAAAAABJc/_2PYWHf3R9s/s400/rocketeer-jennifer-connelly-low-cut-gown.jpg
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_msb7eQA-RFY/Skl_ulnuaWI/AAAAAAAABJc/_2PYWHf3R9s/s400/rocketeer-jennifer-connelly-low-cut-gown.jpgI swear I don't say this lightly or change or my mind since that movie was released -- she might have been the most beautiful woman I've ever seen at that point in her life (she's too skinny now). She's pretty darn close to ideal -- even perfect. Wow.

Qapla'

SSB

Here's a recent photo. I'd still kiss her.

http://amygrindhouse.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/jennifer-connelly-instyle-uk-october-2009-499x675.jpg

She looks like a Demi Moore wannabe. She was very beautiful. Too bad so many directors used her for her body. She must have gotten sick of it and said 'okay, I'll get rid of the body and finally do some acting'.

Here's a recent photo. I'd still kiss her.

http://amygrindhouse.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/jennifer-connelly-instyle-uk-october-2009-499x675.jpgSure, but she just doesn't have that extra 0.5 percent something that she used to have (and I'm not talking about youth). But she's still beautiful, yes.

Qapla'

SSB

I fell in love with the TravelAir Mystery Ship when I saw a reconstruction fly in a TV movie.
Maybe it's the pretty red paint job.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kensaviation/2669696355/

Iv'e been looking at an RC electric version of that airplane. I think its a Hobby Lobby kit. The 1930's was truly the Golden Age of Flight.

Beautiful work on your paintings, dklange! Those are absolutely gorgeous! Out of curiousity, do you sell prints?



Here's a recent photo. I'd still kiss her.
Great pic! I love that she's leaned up in to an aethletic build. I don't think she's at all anorexic/bulemic and looks great now adays.

We'd be complaining if she was fat too.

It's gotta' be tough to be one of the most beautiful women in the world.

[QUOTE=Griffworks;3079867]Beautiful work on your paintings, dklange! Those are absolutely gorgeous! Out of curiousity, do you sell prints?

Actually, I do have limited editions of two of my paintings. The R-2 and I have a DC-3 also. They are 24" x 20" and sell for $65.00 each plus shipping. The DC-3 is on my website at www.langedesign.org under the "illustration" link. Contact me via email if you're interested. Thanks for asking. - Denis

I found the clip of the "Z" going in and killing Bayles.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1KTyYVnSyq4

Too bad they got the date wrong! The crash happened in December of 1931, not in 1933. Otherwise a very interesting video. Although the initial cause of the crash was thought to be the fuel cap coming through the windshield and hitting Bayles, newer theories attribute it to possible high speed aileron flutter. A very short-lived but beautiful aircraft! - Denis

You can definitely see the starboard wing break off just before the roll starts. The plane rolls to starboard, which is consistant with that wing coming off and the port wing suddenly having all the lift.

This was Lowell Bayles fourth attempt at the speed record. He had made 314 mph on an earlier attempt. On this attempt, as the others, he had climbed to 1,000 feet and started into a shallow dive five miles from the course, as he gained speed and started thru the traps disaster struck. What a shame! The first of many disappointments for the Granville Brothers. - Denis

Too bad the film didn't do more, but after connelly was in that crash and rebuild with T2 parts and tried for the speed record with james horners music but her arm broke off.........
What the heck were we talking about?

I agree with SSB, that extra .05% is what JC is missing. I'm going to disagree with Griff on the athletic build, three of my friends are fitness models and figure competitors. I have a smidgen of time around athletic women, and I feel JC's build is not athletic, but that of a a body deprived of nutrition. The sallow cheeks, sunken features, and general lack of muscle tone. She probably does a lot of cardio and calorie restriction. There's no solidity or strength in her frame. And remember, I LOVE JENNIFER CONNELLY. So much so my wife thought I was obsessed with her. It was sad to see her transformation and surrender to the Hollywood Lollipop Head standard.

I remember reading Harlan Ellison's review of the movie back then. He loved it, praised it highly, but made fun of Jennifer Connelly's teeth.

Thanks to that review and a few others I read, I figured Harlan is one guy I never want to meet despite his contributions to many things I enjoy.

Wow, way before that I knew Harlan was a guy I never wanted to meet. :p

His history with Trek taught me he is a very talented writer and an arrogant, pretentious, rude... well you get the idea.;)

Yeah, I know that now. Back then, I didn't really know much about Harlan the person. I still don't, really, but those reviews and other articles he wrote for one of the fantasy magazines proved he's got a serious mean streak.

A friend made a disk for me of the Tomorrow show from the mid 70's featuring DeForrest Kelley, Walter Koenig, James Doohan and Harlan Ellison. Even in fron of those three, Ellison is basically ridiculing the show. Doohan gets peeved (rightly so) and tells him he can't dismiss the show like that. Loved it.

Ellison just feels he's superior to practically everyone. In my experience, the people that are truly superior don't feel the need to CONSTANTLY remind everyone that they are. Those that do are suffering from fragile egos and crave validation of their supposed superiority. Analysis over. :p

BTW, Jennifer during AND after Rocketeer is a hottie. ;)

You'll all be thrilled to know that Harlan is lobbying hard to write the next Trek movie.

Ellison just feels he's superior to practically everyone. In my experience, the people that are truly superior don't feel the need to CONSTANTLY remind everyone that they are. Those that do are suffering from fragile egos and crave validation of their supposed superiority. Analysis over. :p

I've never heard it put more perfectly...

He's a bad man! He's a very bad man!

http://www.digitalbricabrac.com/gifs/babu1.gif

Harlan IS superior to us all. We just haven't realized it yet.