Is the movie Strategic Air Command a true story?
Stewart’s character is based on the real-life military career and an actual mission flown by Brigadier General Clifford Schoeffler, who crashed during an Arctic B-36 mission and survived.
What bomber was used in the movie Strategic Air Command?
B-36
The B-36 and B-47 bomber aircraft showcased in the film were such powerful deterrents against Soviet aggression in the 1950s that neither plane ever had to be used in combat.
How old was Jimmy Stewart when he made Strategic Air Command?
James Stewart: A True Military Man Soon to be 33, he was almost six years beyond the maximum age restriction for aviation cadet training, the normal path of commissioning for pilots. Stewart received his commission as a second lieutenant on January 19, 1942.
What planes did James Stewart fly?
Stewart had over 400 flight hours as a civilian pilot when he enlisted in the Army Air Corps in 1941, and became an instructor for both the B-17 and B-24.
Did Jimmy Stewart fly the b47?
Throughout his years in the Reserves, Stewart maintained familiarity as a SAC bomber pilot in the B-36, then the B-47, and finally the B-52.
Did Jimmy Stewart have a glass eye?
Jimmy Stewart, for the movie had to wear a glass eye. And this was a contact that covered his entire eye. It wasn’t like the contacts you wear today that maybe change your brown eyes to blue.
Did Jimmy Stewart fly a b52?
Stewart was a keen aviator and a great patriot, and he insisted on participating in a bombing strike against VC targets, flying a mission at the controls of B-52F 57-0149. Although best known to the general public as Hollywood actor, Stewart had also enjoyed a remarkable and distinguished military career.
What rank was Jimmy Stewart in the military?
Stewart entered the Air Force Reserve and retired after 27 years of service with the rank of major general, the highest-ranking Hollywood actor to serve in uniform.
Did Jimmy Stewart serve?
On March 22, 1941, Jimmy Stewart was drafted into the U.S. Armed Forces. He was assigned to the Army Air Corps as an enlisted man and stationed at Moffett Field, Calif. Stewart ended the war with 20 combat missions. He remained in the USAF Reserve and was promoted to brigadier general on July 23, 1959.
What kind of movie was Strategic Air Command?
It was the first of four Hollywood films that depicted the role of the Strategic Air Command in the Cold War era. Strategic Air Command was the second film released in Paramount’s new widescreen format, VistaVision, in color by Technicolor and Perspecta pseudo-stereo sound.
Who was the colonel in Strategic Air Command?
At the time of filming, Stewart, much like the character he portrays, was also a colonel in the Air Force Reserve, serving with the Strategic Air Command when on duty and at the time was qualified as a pilot on the B-47. Stewart’s military service and lifelong interest in aviation greatly influenced the making of the film.
Who was Harry Morgan in Strategic Air Command?
Harry Morgan as Master Sergeant Bible, a B-36 flight engineer. Stewart seen later in his Air Force career with a B-52. In real life, during World War II, Stewart had been a B-17 instructor pilot, a B-24 squadron commander, and a bomb group operations officer, completing 20 combat missions.
Who was general Schoeffler based on in Strategic Air Command?
Stewart’s character is based on the real-life military career and an actual mission flown by Brigadier General Clifford Schoeffler, who crashed during an Arctic B-36 mission and survived. Brigadier General Schoeffler was on site at Carswell Air Force Base during the filming of Strategic Air Command as a consultant.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MyDRqs8hleI
