Just for starters. A screen grab.
In the midst of our hilarity while watching this movie, this shot came up and Keith immediately said, “Okay, this has to be where you start. This has to be your main screen grab.”
He rewound and paused it … a couple of times … and we were literally ROLLING around on the couch with laughter.
But he’s right!
Here, in this one shot, is the entire theme of the movie.
This is ridiculously HILARIOUS! I would not have survived that evening with you. I would have peed my pants numerous times.
David – HA!!!
Isn’t it perfect??
And what do you want to bet that Suzy Gilstrap – in her “unauthorized vehicle” disobeys the sign and ends up changing her whole life????
hahahahahahahahaha!!
Noticed that Clu Gulager is also in it. Guy always sounded, to me, like he was wheezing. He’s 80+ now. He’ll probably outlive me.
Perfect!!! As many times as I have seen this movie, I never realized the humor in that scene until now.
“Each man’s life touches so many other lives…” – (It’s a Wonderful Life)
Suzy’s all, “Eff the sign. I’m goin’ in.” HAHAHA
Glenn – yes indeed to the Wonderful Life quote!
Can you tell me if Bette Davis was actually up in those airplanes? It appeared to be real footage – not her in a studio with sky projected behind her … did the producer you spoke to mention anything? We were wondering about that!
And Gilstrap, too – there’s some long shots of the airplane – and it really looks like her in the cockpit. Obviously she’s not FLYING the thing … but it does look like it’s her.
Jen – hahahahaha yes!!! She rolls right on by to meet her destiny!
Her parents (Marion Ross and Clu Gulagher) don’t know a thing about it until she’s ready to solo! She has to sneak out of the house!
How do you sneak out of the house in a wheelchair? I’m just asking…. hahaha
Well she has a ramp and everything, of course! But the thing is she’s supposed to be at her YMCA class in the afternoons – but she lies to her parents, tells them she is at the Y – and then goes to the little airport instead!
Her parents insist on treating her like a baby, a toddler … and she has had enough!
She even starts to date (kind of) a boy (more on him later) … and he drives her out to the airport, helping her weave the web of lies that she is actually at her physically-disabled-classes at the Y.
Of course she ends up getting busted in her lie … and all hell breaks loose in her family when they realize what she has been doing.
It is all quite awesome, and made a huge impression on me as a 12 year old person.
I know I should be embarrassed that I just wrote “more on him later” about the boy in Skyward, as though it’s some huge and fascinating intrigue, but I’m not! Working on a big post about him!!
Suzy is the epitome of a rebel! Can’t wait to hear more about the boy and the “web of lies”! :)
Sheila – I don’t recall him mentioning if Bette Davis actually flew or not. Since she wore that cap all the time, there could have been a double wearing it for the distant shots. As far as Suzy, yes, the Associate Producer (Craig Huston) mentioned that she was in the back seat and the pilot was hidden from view. Here is a quote from Mr. Huston from same the letter I sent you earlier:
“Speaking of the camera operator: there is a scene in the film when the girl flies the Stearman for the first time. Part of that sequence is shot from above and slightly in front of her, looking down at her in the open cockpit with the ground passing below. One would think that a shot like that would be made by attaching the camera to the trailing edge of the upper wing, but one would be wrong. There was nothing really to attach it to, since the wing is fabric-covered and delicate. So instead, we strapped the operator to the wing, and he flew around the pattern with the camera hand-held, carefully framing the actual pilot in the front seat out of the bottom of the shot. His name was/is Neil Roach (now a well-respected Director of Photography), and he was known thereafter as “The Roach Mount.”
Glenn – Awesome stuff!
Yes, none of it looked like that blue-screen filming, where things are superimposed or fake. That looked totally real (the Gilstrap shot especially – I know just the one you mean). I was curious about Bette going up in the air – it seems that she was mainly in the enclosed cockpit – which would be easier to do in a stationary set back in the hangar. I mean, the woman was nearing 126 years old at that point!
So instead, we strapped the operator to the wing, and he flew around the pattern with the camera hand-held, carefully framing the actual pilot in the front seat out of the bottom of the shot.
That’s pretty damn cool.
Bette was game. If she had the opportunity to really be up there, she would’ve do so, no doubt.
The suspense is killing me! What happens next???