I thought
The Aviator, the recent flick about Howard Hughes, was pretty bad physics-wise. The computer-generated airplanes looked great, but didn’t move anything like real airplanes would move.
The HR-1’s power-off, gear-up slide through the berry patch — after a cartoonish “flareout” — lasted eighteen seconds before the camera cut away, the airplane still moving at a good clip, seemingly a constant speed (maybe they were greaseberries?). Plenty of time for Leo to mug for the camera. Plus he handles the controls like it was a skiploader, rather than a high-performance airplane. Jimmy Stewart, at least, knew how to “fly” an airplane in the movies.
And how about sound? Over the Hollywood Hills Leo and Cate whisper and coo to each other in the cockpit of a Sikorsky S-38 (Hughes’ real airplane was an S-43) as “Moonglow” plays softly in the background. That would have been kinda tough with the din from the unmuffled R-1340’s and prop tips mere inches from the cabin roof.
In the interview on the bonus disc, director Scorsese admits that before making this movie he knew nothing about aviation. No kidding. Howard Hughes was passionate about technical accuracy in his films; he would have hated the aviation scenes in this movie.
Of course the Ernie Gann - William Wellman collaborations (
The High And The MIghty; Island in The Sky) were very good technically. I loved the little bits of business in the C-47 cockpit by Andy Devine (an experienced pilot). You knew he knew what he was doing when he fiddled with that E6B.
I loved Mickey Rooney's helicopter pilot role as well. Rooney was a pilot. Not sure he ever had any helicopter experience, but he was a Navion owner.
How many extra seat cushions did Mick need in that Navion?
