Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site isis.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!allegra!mit-eddie!think!harvard!seismo!hao!nbires!isis!aburt From: aburt@isis.UUCP (Andrew Burt) Newsgroups: net.tv,net.sf-lovers Subject: Spielberg's sources discovered! Message-ID: <237@isis.UUCP> Date: Sun, 10-Nov-85 02:17:10 EST Article-I.D.: isis.237 Posted: Sun Nov 10 02:17:10 1985 Date-Received: Tue, 12-Nov-85 05:15:58 EST References: <311@ukecc.UUCP> <6552@duke.UUCP> Reply-To: aburt@isis.UUCP (Andrew Burt) Organization: University of Denver Math and Computer Science Lines: 61 Xref: watmath net.tv:3535 net.sf-lovers:11116 Contrary to the suggestion by the net.aviation folks that Spielberg scans the net for interesting Amazing Stories ideas, I suspect he uses methods far more devious -- he reads Andy Rooney. I'd like to draw your attention to an anecdote in Rooney's new book, "Pieces of my mind", entitled "Reunion" (page 321 in the paperback edition). It seems the story about the trapped ball-turret gunner is true... Ol' Andy was a reporter for Stars and Stipes, and at some point recently returned to England for a reunion of the 306th Bomb Group. In his description of the reunion he writes: Often the bombers came back badly damanged and with crew members dead or dying. In April of 1943 I was here when they came back from a raid deep in Germany and one of the pilots radioed in that he was going to have to make an emgergency landing. He had only two engines left and his hydraulic system was gone. He couldn't let the wheels down and there was something even worse. The ball-turret gunner was trapped in the plastic bubble that hung beneath the belly of the bomber. Later I talked with the crewman who survived that landing. Their friend in the ball-turret had been calm, they said. They had talked to him. He knew what they had to do. He understood. The B-17 slammed down on its belly... and on the ball turret with their comrade trapped inside it. I suspect such a story was big news back then. Does anyone remember anything of this sort (of those net-landers old enough to have been around and alert)? It's easy to see how Spielberg got wind of it, though. I missed the first ten minutes or so; was there any sort of dedication of the episode to that poor fellow and his family? (Now THAT would have been a good rating grabber!) Did anyone catch what military unit the B-17 was part of? Ah, well, the most amazing stories in life are true. In light of this I can see why he opted for the cartoon ending (which I thought was a cop out) -- it wouldn't do to present a true story when the format of the show is for the surreal. The real ending would have been good drama, too. (Heaven forbid A.S. should be good drama in addition to flat characters and thin plots.) But, of course, it violates the, "Thou shalt not leave thy viewers depressed" commandment. Overall, I thought the hour show was well done, but for the ending they tacked on it would better have been a half-hour segment. The other episodes to date have left me underwhelmed. On the other hand, if there were more substance on TV I wouldn't have so much time to read news... Andrew -- Andrew Burt University of Denver Department of Math and Computer Science UUCP: {hao, nbires}!isis!aburt CSNet: aburt@UDENVER