8mm Forum: The Battle of the River Plate

This is topic The Battle of the River Plate in forum General Yak at 8mm Forum.

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Posted by Graham Ritchie (Member # 559) on March 23, 2009, 06:23 PM:

It must be war movie month [Roll Eyes]

I seem to be watching a few lately, who can remember this one. I saw it at the Odeon in Glasgow when it was released, I would have been four in 1956 at that time but I am sure I was about 11 when I saw it, strange [Roll Eyes]

filmed in "VistaVision" one thing that always stood out was the use of the US Heavy Cruiser "Salem" as the "Admiral Graf Spee" very impressive photography especially near the end as she slowly sails out of the harbour to meet her fate.

The "Salem" was decommissioned in 1959 and was put into Mothballs for 35 years until she was re-commissioned for the US Naval and Shipbuilding Museum in Quincy, Massachusetts.

From time to time Super8 prints do crop up not sure if its in colour or just B/W or if its out as a full lenght feature or abridged.

Graham. [Smile]

Posted by Yanis Tzortzis (Member # 434) on March 23, 2009, 08:30 PM:

Graham,

I've got a 4x400 Walton print of it, b/w and in fairly good quality.Don't know if another company offered it,but I'g guess that,like most Walton prints,it's not a full feature.

Posted by Stewart McSporran (Member # 128) on March 24, 2009, 04:14 PM:

I picked this up on DVD recently - I was really looking forward to the long shots of the ships in line abrest through my video projector. I think this film coupled with 'In Which We Serve' were the reasons I joined the Navy!

Imagine how p***d off I was to discover that the transfer was 4:3 letterboxed to 16:9. I've noticed this on more than a few titles over the past year and it really gets my goat - how hard can it be to do a proper anamorphic transfer?

Posted by Hugh McCullough (Member # 696) on March 24, 2009, 07:06 PM:

For the various VistaVision aspect ratios, and VistaVision projector, please go to
www.cinephoto.co.uk/misc_film_8.htm

Posted by Graham Ritchie (Member # 559) on March 27, 2009, 05:59 PM:

Thanks Yanis
Its a pity it was not relased in colour "would have been good" as most Walton prints have lasted well.

Stuart
I was a bit disappointed that the DVD was not 16:9 and was only had mono sound, a film like that deserves better other DVDs like Local Hero is the same not 16:9. I bought a later copy of Local Hero as this time it was marked as a 16:9 transfer however it was just the same as my original.

Stuart there are some quite interesting naval DVDs that are worth getting one of which is from the Imperial War Museum its called "Close Quarters" 1943.

Graham.

Posted by Christopher Way (Member # 1328) on April 20, 2009, 10:18 AM:

With regards to Sea War films, I can remember on joining the Navy at HMS Ganges (Signal School), and being shown films actually called "Sea Wars", by our then Divisional Officer, Lt. Briggs who was the Signalman survivor off HMS Hood. You can imagine thse lessons were the bees knees as they say.

In the film "Battle of the River Plate", the Achilles, which was one of my last ships in the Royal Navy, was actually then a New Zealand ship, HMNZS Achilles.

I do have a habit of watching closely on films such as these to see how close the producers and directors get to the real matters of naval life. For instance is the correct signal flying, is the semaphore correct, is the morse code correct. In the older films 90% are correct. In to days films, its just a case of waive a few flags, and make sounds like morse code.

Anyway, I have been searching for the "Sea War" films, to no avail. I have even been in contact with the Royal Naval Film Unit at Portsmouth. No Luck.

Regards, Chris

Posted by Steve Klare (Member # 12) on April 20, 2009, 11:01 AM:

Watching many films as an expert is interesting business!

Attention to detail is always expensive and it's often more profitable just to try to fake it and please the 99% that don't know any better.

I work in electronics and really enjoy watching the media pretend they have a clue what they are talking about when they discuss electricity.

Posted by Graham Ritchie (Member # 559) on April 21, 2009, 01:18 AM:

"HMNZS Achilles" was sold to the Indian Navy and was recommissioned on the 5th July 1948 as "INS Delhi" she remained in service with the Indian Navy until decommissioned for scrap at Bombay on the 30th June 1978. In the 50s movie "The Battle Of The River Plate" she played the part of "HMNZS Achilles" but her actual name was "INS Delhi" as by this time was owned by the Indian Navy.

Here is a photo of the battleship "HMS Hood" during her trials in Scotland later to be sunk with the loss of 1.419 lives by the Bismark in 1941

My old boss had served as a Petty Officer on her prior to being transfered as chief engineer onto smaller craft operating in the English Channel. The reason I mention this was during my apprentiship he would often light up his pipe [Eek!]

and tell navy stories to our customers at that time we had a American submarine base on our doorstep and they thought his old navy stories were just great, we never made any money in that garage "to much talking" but he did have a good and interesting life. With old photos of the ships he served on "and in uniform" hanging on the wall you could always tell if some poor victim was in for one of his long ones [Roll Eyes]

by the amount of tobacco being stuffed into his pipe this was away back in the late 60s.

Of all the movies ever made "The Cruel Sea" would be top of the list based on the novel by Nicholas Monsarrat I have read the book and would highly recomend it

PS If you ever visit Glasgow go to the "Transport Museum" there you will see the Shipyard model of "HMS Hood" plus many more great ships that were built on the Clyde. we did this trip back in the early 90s, its well worth the visit.

Graham.

Posted by Keith Ashfield (Member # 741) on April 21, 2009, 06:32 AM:

Another good naval film is "The Yangtze Incident - The Story of HMS Amethyst" (US Title "Battle Hell") starring Richard Todd.

This film was made in the same year as "Battle of the River Plate" and it used the actual H.M.S. Amethyst. She was brought out of storage to participate in the film and she was very badly damaged during the actual filming. This was due to a special effects explosion that was made too big and it blew a hole in the hull, flooding the engine room. The Amethyst was then sent to the breakers yard for scrapping and another vessel was then used to complete the rest of the filming. The Amethyst supposedly sustained more damage during filming of the movie, than it did during the actual battle itself, which took place in April 1949.

The River Orwell, in Suffolk, doubled as the Yangtze River during the making of this film.

Posted by Christopher Way (Member # 1328) on April 21, 2009, 10:20 AM:

River Orwell which runs between Felixstowe and Harwich, in Suffolk, England which doubled as the Yangtze River during the making of this film, ran along the edge of HMS Ganges where I did my initial Naval Training. As the Amethyst's main engines were no longer operational, HMS Magpie stood in for shots of the ship moving. HMS Teazer stood in for both HMS Consort and HMS Concord.

My Father in Law served on the Amethyst during this incident, as a gunners mate. He use to tell me the story so many times that I could now as he has passed away, carry the story on. Bless him.

A great film, as is the Cruel Sea, probably have to agree the best. Based on the Flower Class Corvettes, which invariably ran the Russian Convoys, later during the war.

I do think if some of the actions within a film as such, is true, at least for the likes of me, it makes it, or can make it more authentic, if that is the right word to use.

Regards
Chris

Posted by Keith Ashfield (Member # 741) on April 21, 2009, 10:42 AM:

"The Yangtze Incident" is one of my favorite "War Films", Chris. It doesn't get shown on T.V. very often and I don't think it is available on DVD either.

I am fortunate to have a very nice print on Super 8mm (full feature). A cast of well-known British actors (William Hartnell - "The original Dr Who", Donald Houston, Sam Kydd, Barry Foster and of course, Richard Todd) all make the film very believable (the worst casting part is Akim Tamiroff, as the Chinese commander, Colonel Peng). I think that what makes it all the more interesting is that it was one of the lesser known Naval actions fought by the British Navy. A classic film.

PS There is a very moving tale about Simon, the Amethyst's cat/mascot who won the PDSA Dicken Medal for his services and receipt of wounds, during the engagement.

http://catdefender.blogspot.com/2007/11/simon-hero-of-yangtze-incident-is.html

Posted by Martin Jones (Member # 1163) on April 21, 2009, 11:46 AM:

http://www.play.com/Search.aspx?searchtype=r2alldvd &searchstring=the+yangtze+incident&page=search&pa=search&go.x=38&go.y=13

According to the first review it is not the cut-down TV version.

martin

Posted by Keith Ashfield (Member # 741) on April 21, 2009, 12:00 PM:

Thanks for that info Martin. I must admit I haven't checked the DVD listings recently. I do find that Optimum do tend to "butcher" films that they release with regards to "re-mastering and content".

I think I'll stick with my superb Super 8 print until someone, if ever, decides to do the film justice on DVD.

Posted by Christopher Way (Member # 1328) on April 24, 2009, 07:54 AM:

Hi Keith.
I got my DVD copy from Amazon. It is the full version, and the cover is as you have shown in your previous post. It is a good version, and enjoyable to watch.

I remember the story of the cat, as I had to do a Naval History thesus on this story during my initial Naval Training.

Regards.
Chris

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