Red Tails

[Zack Baughman]

I SINCERELY appreciate the recognition the Tuskegee Airmen are receiving in the media and public's eye right now due to the release of Red Tails. With any luck, some of the folks who have seen the film will be inspired to go pick up a book and learn more about the battle the Tuskegee Airmen fought to be allowed to fight for their country and their commendable combat record. That being said, the film itself is lousy in my opinion. Some really superb actors were hamstrung with an absolutely horrible script and storyline. I know producer George Lucas and screen writer John Ridley have said numerous times that they were not making an historical documentary, but rather a throwback adventure film in the vein of the 1940s action flicks like The Flying Tigers. I can accept that. I can accept the sometimes spotty CGI and mismarked airplanes that defy the laws of physics. What I can't accept is a movie that does a poor job delivering on what it proclaims to be - an action flick. It just wasn't very good. I wanted to like it, I really did. But I found I had to focus on the great set design and costumes to make it through the crummy dialogue and storyline and get back to the admittedly fun dogfights and flying scenes. The rest was just filler. If I had to grade Red Tails, I'd give it a C at best.

Now all that being said, I do encourage folks to go see the film themselves and form their own opinions. I've heard through the grapevine that there are a few other WWII aviation flicks in development, but if this one falls completely flat, they may not get the backing needed to be made. Not everyone has the personal finances that George Lucas does to bankroll their own film. And as I said, the flying scenes, while not at all realistic, were somewhat enjoyable. I just wish Mr. Lucas had watched the British made-for-tv movie First Light to see how good an aviation movie can be made on a small budget.

[Holyize]

I really can't understand the negative vibe I'm getting here. I went and saw Red Tails on Saturday afternoon and loved it. Sure it wasn't perfect, but no movie ever is. The action sequences were great and I didn't think the CGI was all that bad. Sure, some of the manuvers are a little over the top, but c'mon...it's entertainment...not a documentary. I loved the actors and thought they did a good job. I liked the use of humor to break up the more solemn moments. Botttom line is that its a decent aviation movie and worth going to see in the theater. Just my opinion though.

I agree. Heck, if the movie can encourage 100 viewers to at least read up on the real story, then it's all good.

Remember, this movie was not produced for our benefit since we're a small minority compared to the public that don't know a single thing about aviation and its history.

[Jon Ferguson]

Hey Holyize is that a Mig-15?

[Jon Ferguson]

At least with the CGI they can get the planes mostly right. I think back to Top Gun where the Mig's were really F-5's.

[Floatsflyer]

I agree. Heck, if the movie can encourage 100 viewers to at least read up on the real story, then it's all good.

Remember, this movie was not produced for our benefit since we're a small minority compared to the public that don't know a single thing about aviation and its history.

I agree these are key points. Too often, when it comes to big or small screen treatments of aviation related subjects(fictional or non) some aviation enthusiasts get too caught up in the minutia of detail and become irritated and offended if all is not correct. This movie is not meant to be a pure history lesson or a PHD dissertation. It's a tribute to the Tuskegee Airmen and the battles they fought and overcame in the air and on the ground. The on-screen prologue "Inspired by true events" rather than " Based on a true story" is not an insignificant distinction and says what the intention was. If Red Tails can encourage audiences to find out more about the Airmen and aviation in general that is a great benefit to all of us.

As an aviation action picture, I enjoyed it with all the flaws and warts. Lucas put up the $56Million budget himself together with the financial and production services participation of the Czechs. 20th Century Fox distributed it as a "pick-up"(after it was completed) as they and other studios had no interest in it as a production financing investment. They saw no universal commercial appeal for the subject especially in the foreign markets and even less for an unknown all-black cast with no stars. By studio standards they were convinced they were not wrong to come to this conclusion, that's how the "biz" works even if the name George Lucas is attached.

Fox saw so little box office potential that they spent very little(in relation to budget cost) on print advertising and marketing to promote the film. I live in the 3rd largest film and TV production centre and movie-going audience city in North America(after only LA and NYC). Fox placed no weekend ads in any of the 4 daily newspapers here. This is way beyond unusual. But there attempt at self-fulfilling profacy failed as Red Tails flew high.

Red Tails placed 2nd in the North American weekend box office. Fox analysts predicted a poor showing in the $9-11 million range. It grossed $19.1 million on a wide release of 2500 screens. That's a very good per screen average of $7,600(the key indicator for distrbutors) and a better average than any other movie currently in wide release. If Red Tails loses 50% or less in its second weekend it just may prove to have "legs". It also proves that enthusiastic word of mouth can trump a studio's decision making.

[John Craparo]

The writers could have done a better job of developing the characters. I really did not feel much emotion for them and I think that is a shame. I have no objection to the CGI, technically I found it amazing whether or not the aircraft could perform as depicted. The HBO movie starring Lawrence Fishburne did a nice job of depicting real men by introducing each early in the film as they traveled to the Institute. Flyboys used a similar approach to humanizing the new recruits as they traveled to France. I also did not like the way these men wore their caps in the film. Cocked sideways reminds me of how kids wear their baseball caps today. I'd have preferred them perhaps tipped at an angle with visors pointing forward. The German-made Red Baron movie had von Richthofen wearing his hat the same way. Perhaps not my ideal, thus this distracted me. I also found it interesting that the Colonel was named Bullard, the surname of the real Lafayette Escadrille's African American pilot who was not allowed to fly after the US entered WWI. If that was a purposeful tribute to Eugene Bullard, I applaud them.

[swo49]

Hi All!
I attended the movie in Annapolis, MD on the Friday night that it came out with my family. We all enjoyed the movie very much.
Steve Oxman

[Floatsflyer]

Red Tails does have some legs! In its 2nd weekend it grossed $10.4 million in North American box office, a drop of only 44%. Very impressive for a major wide release that 20th Century Fox still refuses to support with any print advertising. Total 10 day gross in $34 million. Based on this, the analysts predict up to $60million in total theatrical box office is achievable. All on word of mouth.

[DanChief]

Red Tails does have some legs! In its 2nd weekend it grossed $10.4 million in North American box office, a drop of only 44%. Very impressive for a major wide release that 20th Century Fox still refuses to support with any print advertising. Total 10 day gross in $34 million. Based on this, the analysts predict up to $60million in total theatrical box office is achievable. All on word of mouth.

For a film that cost $54 million to make, I think the Production house wariness is reasonable.

[Sirota]

Let me start by saying I'm a big fan of the Red Tails - the real Red Tails, not the movie. I truly believe they are heros. But.... I received this from a local WWII vet. I don't believe him to be racist or to have any agenda other then getting the truth out. I don't know whether to believe this or consider it more internet crap but I'm passing it on so someone can affirm or discredit it.

Letter to the Atlanta Journal and Constitution.

From: Bob Powell
Date: July 3, 2008

This letter was not written for publication, but to enlighten you and you and your staff about some of the errors and misleading
information you continue to publish, Perhaps it should be published to set your readers straight. As a WWII Historian and former 8th AF fighter pilot flying 87 missions over Europe during WWII, I am dedicated to factual reporting about the air war in Europe and aviation in general, and I take issue with the media (and not with just AJC) continuing to publish untrue and/or misleading statements about the Tuskegee Airmen (T/A).
Although I have great respect for the pilots and achievements of this WWII Fighter Group, I do not appreciate the continuing repetition of myths and untruths about their military record, the latest example in the obit on Lt. Col Charles Dryden in today's paper, repeating the same errors which appeared in his obit story a few days ago.

For more than 60 years the myth that they "never lost a bomber they were escorting to an enemy fighter", was their primary claim to fame! Then, several months ago, their Historian, William E. Holten, announced that his research proved that this was not true, that they
had, indeed, lost some 25 bombers to enemy fighters. This myth still gets published occasionally, but far less frequently since he made
this disclosure, thank goodness. Lies told often enough tend to bemome truths in the minds of many. However, it now seems to have
been replaced by another false claim, i.e. that the Tuskegee Airmen flew more than 15,000 combat missions. ALSO NOT TRUE!

Their own official records indicate that the T/A only flew 311missions. Their so-called 15,000 "missions" were actually 15,000 "sorties.". Apparently, none of your reporters know the difference between a "mission" and a "sortie," so let me define these for you
and them. Combat Mission is an assigned flight to accomplish a military objective. This can be flown by one pilot or a squadron or
group of pilots flying together. It is recorded as one mission. Combat Sortie. When, for example, 48 or 64 pilots fly together on a
combat mission it is recorded as 48 or 64 combat sorties.

The T/A did not fly 15,000+ combat missions - as stated in your articles about the demise of Col. Charles Dryden. They flew 15,000+
"sorties". To have flown that many "missions" during the time they were in combat in the MTO, they would have had to fly about 25
missions a day everyday they were in combat. Do the math. That's one mission every hour, everyday they were in combat. Impossible! Weather alone would have prevented this, not to mention the problem of keeping all of their aircraft flyable everyday over that period of time. FACT: Their official records indicate they flew only 311 missions, a far cry from 15,000 claimed. Please advise your reporters of the difference between a mission and a sortie so that another T/A myth is not appearing in every mention this Fighter group.

The Dryden story also stated that the 99th Squadron of the T/A was "the most successful squadron in American history." NOT SO! It would be more correct to say they have been the most publicized squadron in American history, however, thanks to a fully-paid public relations staff in Washington, D.C., the only such office of any military unit other than the U.S. Army, Navy, Marines and Coast Guard..

Although I do not have complete combat statistics on all the fighter groups flying out of Africa and Italy (the MTO), I do have the stats
on all of the 16 fighter groups flying in the Eighth Air Force over western Europe. And, when these records are compared, the Tuskegee
Airmen rank at the bottom of the list despite the fact that they had four squadrons to only three for the 8th AF groups. FYI, and one of the reasons the T/A exploit their 15,000+ sorties (which they call missions) is that on a normal mission they would put up 64 fighters
compared to only 48 for the 8th AF groups. And, since they did mostly ground support missions rather than bomber escort missions, the
average length of their missions was about half that of the time in the air flown by the 8thAF fighters. Re the above mentioned stats, I
would be delighted to provide these for your information if requested.

Another gross error in your first story on Colonel Dryden is that the implication that he was, individually, awarded the Congressional Gold Medal recently. ALSO NOT TRUE. Through the efforts of the New York Senator, this medal was awarded to the Tuskegee Airmen, authorizing all Tuskegee Airman to receive this award. It was not awarded for individual achievements, as implied, but for the role played by the T/A in breaking the color ban for pilots, a civil rights accomplishment, not for their military achievements.
Had this award been given for their military achievements alone, it should also have been awarded to each and every other fighter group
in WWII whose records exceeded those of the Tuskegee Airmen. In my opinion, this was a "political award" instead of a military award. No other bomber or fighter units have been awarded this Medal, only Unit Citations. These are facts. Check them out, and here's to more factual reporting and a better AJC.

Most sincerely,

Robert H. Powell, Jr.
Author/Editor/Historian/Pilot 352nd Fighter Group
1545 Rainier Falls Dr
Atlanta, GA 30329
404-636-3747