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Post by nuuumannn on Oct 24, 2016 11:46:33 GMT 12
Anyone else see this? It did look good in the shorts. I read an interview with the lead actor in the herald at work last night - I couldn't watch it as I was working. The flying clips do look terrific.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Oct 24, 2016 11:58:52 GMT 12
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Post by kiwithrottlejockey on Oct 24, 2016 12:13:51 GMT 12
Please can you sell it to someone in UK so I can get to see as I can't get TVNZ on demand 😞 (Or put it on YouTube) pretty please!! Most big TVNZ programmes like that tend to end up being sold on DVD a few months later these days. That Jean Batton dramatisation is part of a series of historic dramatisations and was in fact the final one. I'd expect to see them all being released on a DVD set, possibly even in time for Christmas, based on past experience. Keep an eye out HERE and HERE and it should appear eventually.
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Post by Venomnut on Oct 24, 2016 15:51:12 GMT 12
I enjoyed it. Was anyone else surprised to see so many ZK registered aircraft in 'Australia'?
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Post by kiwithrottlejockey on Oct 24, 2016 16:16:36 GMT 12
I enjoyed it. Was anyone else surprised to see so many ZK registered aircraft in 'Australia'? Including a ZK-B-- I imagine they would have been pretty much non-existant pre-WWII. Does anybody know when ZK-BAA (presumably the first ZK-B--) was allocated?
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Post by Dave Homewood on Oct 24, 2016 17:03:20 GMT 12
What do the registrations really matter? They did a fine job on a limited budget but were unable to change all the lettering on the aeroplanes, but I don't think that matters a jot to most people. Maybe only the spotters and rivet counters. It could have been a lot worse, as with most aviation films, they could have used a Tiger Moth and a Harvard as the main two aeroplanes...
I have a question, after the Tasman flight, did Jean take her aircraft back to Aussie on a ship? She must have I guess. In the film she and the plane were suddenly back in Aussie and searching for the lost aeroplane.
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Post by nuuumannn on Oct 24, 2016 19:21:29 GMT 12
Just watched it on TVNZ on demand (my daughter thought Jean Batten was beautiful and looked like Princess Leia!). Very enjoyable; the flying shots were great and Kate Elliot did a brilliant job. Regarding the aircraft, in the credits there was special thanks to Jan Chisum and Guy Clapshaw for the loan of ZK-ADT and ZK-DPP, without which the film would not have been possible, or something to that effect. I also saw Fox Moth ZK-APT and Moth Minor ZK-AKM - one question, whose is the Ford Trimotor? The film was a combination of factual characters events set in a fictional narrative. It was filmed entirely in NZ, Auckland and Thames (of all places) so ZK regos can be forgiven (!). There is the questionable mention of Earhart's disappearance, which took place after Batten's first Tasman crossing, also, her book My Life wasn't published until 1938, after the events portrayed in the film. Nevertheless, it was really good.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Oct 24, 2016 21:06:40 GMT 12
What do you mean by "fictional narrative"?
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Post by Peter Lewis on Oct 24, 2016 22:21:19 GMT 12
Does anybody know when ZK-BAA (presumably the first ZK-B--) was allocated? The ZK-Bs started 1952. I don't have an exact date for ZK-BAA, but it left the UK (as G-AMKN) in Dec51.
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Post by planewriting on Oct 24, 2016 22:57:54 GMT 12
Back in 1987 I was working doors away from CAA and spent many a lunch hour going through my Register folder there comparing my records against the CAA cards. For BAA I noted their card gave the rego date as 16 April 1952. Aircraft were not registered strictly in order even back then. Consequently some of the AZ series were still to appear. This would arise quite likely through aircraft not being ready for their C of A or a licence strictly in order.
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Post by nuuumannn on Oct 25, 2016 12:02:52 GMT 12
The telling of the story has been altered to suit a TV audience, so some of the characters and timeline of events that take place are fictional, so, yes, fictional narrative.
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Post by ZacYates on Oct 25, 2016 12:36:51 GMT 12
I was very skeptical and expecting a whitewashed version of Jean's life, particularly where men and money were concerned. By focusing on her relationship with Beverley Shepherd - and by having a brief, semi-tantrum by Jean when asked about using men - the writers sidestepped that very well. I just finished watching it and am very impressed. Bravo Filmguy and all involved!
I was initially disappointed that DPP wasn't altered to have the British rego but it didn't take away from my enjoyment of seeing a silver Gull flying around the world one iota. I've waited so, so long to see Jean's life and flights portrayed on screen and feel they did exceptionally well. The wideshot of the Gull surrounded by crowds at Mangere brought a big smile to my face. At the same time, the very brief interaction between Jean and her father was very well done.
My only complaints are very minor: the first newspaper coverage of the Stinson's disappearance showed a Dragon (although I put that down to The Media not knowing the difference ;-) ) and that Jean's lonely life afterward and her death were so under-covered. I seem to remember promos referring to the mystery of her life, and didn't see any of that.
I only wish this had received a cinematic release. I would have dearly loved to pay to see this on a cinema screen. The emotion of the search, likewise the emotional meeting of Jean and the Gull - and the reunion after her self-imposed grounding - really tugged at my heartstrings. And the aerial cinematography was simply breathtaking.
Again, bravo to all concerned! Bravo!
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Post by nuuumannn on Oct 26, 2016 2:28:38 GMT 12
Yep, Zac; I agree - it was great. regarding the Stinson, on an unrelated note, there used to be a full scale repro Stinson at Air World Wangaratta made for a documentary about one of the ANA Stinsons that crashed - I don't know whether the programme was about the one Shepherd was killed in or the 1945 crash attributed to structural failure. I wonder what ever happened to that.
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Post by steveh on Oct 26, 2016 7:28:26 GMT 12
Apart from the already mentioned ZK- regos & using God Defend New Zealand where it should have been God Save The King, I thoroughly enjoyed the film. Having read Ian Mackersley's book & knowing what to expect & what was missing in no way detracted from that enjoyment. I thought too that Kate Elliot was fantastic as Batten. Steve.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Oct 26, 2016 8:00:38 GMT 12
regarding the Stinson, on an unrelated note, there used to be a full scale repro Stinson at Air World Wangaratta made for a documentary about one of the ANA Stinsons that crashed - I don't know whether the programme was about the one Shepherd was killed in or the 1945 crash attributed to structural failure. I wonder what ever happened to that. It was not a documentary, it was a TV drama film called The Riddle of the Stinson, starring Jack Thompson as the farmer who actually located the aircraft, and it was indeed based on the 1937 disappearance of Beverley Shepherd's Stinson. A good film. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Riddle_of_the_Stinson
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Post by Dave Homewood on Oct 26, 2016 8:09:29 GMT 12
& using God Defend New Zealand where it should have been God Save The King I must admit I never picked up on that, however it could be argued that it was not out of polace to use God Defend New Zealand. The lyrics were written by Thomas Bracken in 1870, and music was added in 1876 to create the song, which fast became very popular, and it remained so popular that is the reason why in 1940 it was decided to adopt it as New Zealand's National Song (this is of course before "We Don't Know How Lucky We Are, Mate" was first sung by Fred Dagg!!). It was adopted as a second National Anthem in November 1977 when this country started to win a lot of sporting events and it became embarrassing to hear Britain's anthem being played at kiwi victories. God Save The Queen still remains our National Anthem too by the way, many people do not know that. But God Defend New Zealand was certainly around, and popular, in the 1930's all the same.
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Post by nuuumannn on Oct 26, 2016 11:06:34 GMT 12
That's it! Good memory. Good ole Jack Thomson - there was a time when he starred in everything. Now, I wonder what happened to the Stinson they built for the programme.
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Post by ZacYates on Oct 26, 2016 17:42:18 GMT 12
Classic Aircraft Sales/Classic Wings Downunder handled the sale of all the Airworld aircraft including the Stinson replica (I remember the many, many aircraft being advertised!), from memory Graham O and co provided updates as the various items went to their new homes. They may be able to say - if I remember I'll try and trawl through my back issues to find out.
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