Post by Dave Homewood on May 4, 2006 21:14:28 GMT 12
A while back Craig (Corsair47) kindly sent me an excellent dvd set he picked up in Aussie called "Victory At Sea", which was a 26-part TV series by NBC made in 1952 about WWII. It uses real footage with an excellent narration by Leonard Graves, and a stunning musical score by Richard Rogers.
As well as the sea campaigns it shows land and air battles too. I have been watching the dvd set (it has all 26 episodes) off and on but am now really captivated by it and watching more and more. I'm about halfway through. Having studied documentary making I can say this is one of the best I've seen that makes use of stock footage. The editing is superb, and unlike most doco's the subject matter all seems to fit (instead of the usual Fw190 in the Battle of Britain sequences, etc...).
Anyway, one short section of footage really made me sit up and laugh. It is in an episode about the North African campaign and shows hundreds of Kiwi troops pouiring off a ship as they arrive in an Egyptian port. With them is a NZ soldier who is playing the bag pipes. In this short sequence it shows the piper playing, and nearby a group of local Egyptians are really getting into it, and are all doing an impromtu Highland fling. It's bloody hilarious.
Something I thought I'd never see, Arab's doing Scottish dancing. Just brilliant!
Here's a screen grab, but you have to see the motion picture to appreciate it. Great stuff.
This series by the way has some really amazing and superb footage, most of it in pristine condition - not all scratched and dusty like much stock film from those days. It also has a lot from the Japanese side which is interesting, showing planes I've never seen before, etc. And even the Kiwis and Aussies get mention. Being made in 1952 it's obviously in the days before the USA thought they did everything in the war, which is great because all the Allies get to share in this one. And it has actually explained stuff about battles I've never seen nor read before. I had no idea that in Operation Torch the US part of the invasion force actually sailed from the USA direct. I'd assumed they came down from the UK like the Brits and others involved. Stuf like that.
An excellent and highly recommended series. The set was released by these guys
www.flashbackentertainment.com
As well as the sea campaigns it shows land and air battles too. I have been watching the dvd set (it has all 26 episodes) off and on but am now really captivated by it and watching more and more. I'm about halfway through. Having studied documentary making I can say this is one of the best I've seen that makes use of stock footage. The editing is superb, and unlike most doco's the subject matter all seems to fit (instead of the usual Fw190 in the Battle of Britain sequences, etc...).
Anyway, one short section of footage really made me sit up and laugh. It is in an episode about the North African campaign and shows hundreds of Kiwi troops pouiring off a ship as they arrive in an Egyptian port. With them is a NZ soldier who is playing the bag pipes. In this short sequence it shows the piper playing, and nearby a group of local Egyptians are really getting into it, and are all doing an impromtu Highland fling. It's bloody hilarious.
Something I thought I'd never see, Arab's doing Scottish dancing. Just brilliant!
Here's a screen grab, but you have to see the motion picture to appreciate it. Great stuff.
This series by the way has some really amazing and superb footage, most of it in pristine condition - not all scratched and dusty like much stock film from those days. It also has a lot from the Japanese side which is interesting, showing planes I've never seen before, etc. And even the Kiwis and Aussies get mention. Being made in 1952 it's obviously in the days before the USA thought they did everything in the war, which is great because all the Allies get to share in this one. And it has actually explained stuff about battles I've never seen nor read before. I had no idea that in Operation Torch the US part of the invasion force actually sailed from the USA direct. I'd assumed they came down from the UK like the Brits and others involved. Stuf like that.
An excellent and highly recommended series. The set was released by these guys
www.flashbackentertainment.com
