"Combat America" with Clark Gable
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- Опубликовано: 8 сен 2024
- Combat America" was produced, written, directed, and narrated by Clark Gable while he was on assignment with the 8th Air Force, developing a gunnery training film. Though it packs plenty of very exciting footage and , in many ways, it's as much a warm home movie as a hard bitten, wartime "information" film.
Gable flew missions with the 351st until he was ordered to stop by "the Brass." He felt he had to share the danger and experience what these B-17 crews were going through to make an honest film. I digitally color corrected. a copy of this film from the National Archives. Zeno, Zeno's Warbird Video Drive-In www.zenoswarbir...
Don't miss our Combat America DVD bit.ly/NVkGkh Visit our aviation DVD store at www.zenosflight... for the World's largest selection of World War 2 & vintage jet aircraft aviation videos
Gable chronicles the experiences of the men of the 351st Bombardment group, flying from the cool early morning mists of Colorado to the frigid skies over Germany. His affection and admiration for these men comes through loud and clear. This film is like a Kodachrome album out of the past, giving us snapshots of life on a front line American bomber base in the U.K. in 1943.
I watched a video with Clark Gable on his world war II experience which led me to this film.
MGM did not want him to go, nor did the president but he volunteered so they kept him out of as many actual combat missions as possible.
After quite a few missions that did not have many defenses, they sent him on one that seem to be easy in easy out, but turned out to be not so easy in or easy out.
He even have shrapnel go through the heel of his boot just missing him and out the top of the aircraft that he was a side gunner in.
It took a few months before MGM found out about what had happened and pressured the brass to release him from combat and bring him back home.
He wasn't happy about it, but the men saw that he had absolutely no problem was getting involved with the war and being in there at the same time with them in the fight.
It is rumored, by multiple sources, that he snuck aboard many other b-17s to take on unauthorized combat duties.
Do you think many of today's movie stars or musical talent would do the same thing as he did?
Or Jimmy Stewart or any other of the stars who could have had easier assignments but dove into combat with their fellow Americans?
It's hard for younger people nowadays to understand how things were back then. When this was made and released to theaters we hadn't won very much of anything yet; the war was going badly for us. There were no instant media back then. People didn't even hear about important battles for days afterward, and there was no TV to bring the sights of war into people's homes. What was going on over there was a dark unknown. I can imagine Gable's voice and the color shots going a long way to encourage the "home front."
This is a great historical artifact! Thanks for posting it.
Raise a glass for these boys. From the rescue boats, gunners, mechanics, bomb loaders, gunners, pilots, radio men, navigators, bombardiers. Thanks boys.
I got to fly on the Aluminum Overcast at the 2015 Sun N' Fun show in Lakeland Fla. It was one of the greatest thrills of my life to hear those engines roar to life and to feel the power of that beautiful machine rolling down the runway. We were enjoying a piece of history and trying to imagine the concentration, apprehension and the millions of things that had to be going through those young airmen's minds. They were loaded for bear and flying into the heart of the German homeland to a deadly welcome. God bless them all.
PLEASE EVERYONE WHO WATCHES THIS LEARN FROM HISTORY A LOT OF MY BUDDIES DIDNT MAKE IT I WAS IN THE PACIFIC FOR ABOUTTHREE YEARS ON TWO BEAUTIFUL CARRIERS THE SARATOGA AND THE YORKTOWN CV10 GOD BLESS ALL MY BROTHERS AND MY BROTHERS OUT THERE TODAY....GOD BLESS ALL OF YOU TRIUMPH.
Thank you for your service!!! I served in the US Navy in Intelligence
A little trivia. In the intro, Gable is a first lieutenant. He was promoted to captain (that's how he's addressed in the film) shortly after his arrival in England. Promoted again, Maj. Gable was relieved from active duty on June 12, 1944 when he became over-age for combat. He resigned his commission three years later. His discharge papers were signed by one Capt. Ronald Reagan.
My Father @ 19:40. Flew with the 351st, 509th, in the “Foul Ball”. Awarded the DSC.
I'm sure you felt proud seeing him in this film! We thank people like him for their service, sacrifice, and contributions.
@@AudiophileTubes Thank you for your kind comments. Long before I even knew of his heroism in battle I admired him as a man, husband, Dad, and employer. Gone now almost 5 years but ever loved and appreciated.
@@kenembree7459 You're welcome! Wow, my Korean Vet father passed away 5 years ago as well, and we dearly miss him. His was a 'sudden' passing, so it took us by surprise, but then again, he was 85. I think of him everyday, and know that I am not even half the man he used to be! All the best to you. I enjoyed reading about your dad.
What a fitting film for VETERANS DAY! Hosted by the legendary CLARK GABLE!
My grandfather & grandfather were veterans of the U.S.Army. Grandpa served in WWII & Korea as a Staff Sergeant! And,my father served in Vietnam as an Army Private. Both were
brave men who saw tremendous action & lived to tell about it. To both of them,I thank them
for their service! It serves as a powerful lesson,in life,you must stand tall & be brave!
Clark Gable was a patriot and he was all man! When he joined the military in WW2, he had already made "Gone With The Wind" and was the biggest star in hollywood. They do not make many men like that any more.
He goes in as a private and within two years he is a captain. Wow!
Eu tenho uma quedinha por ele ♥️
I live in Peterborough about 6 miles from
RAF Polebrooke where the base was.
There is just one hanger still standing and its now used as storage for Royal Mail containers to transport mail.
I have been there a few times to pick up containers in my HGV truck as I work for Royal Mail.
I have often just stood and looked around and tried to transport back to the time in this film and wonder what it was like.
This is the first time I've seen this film and it's fantastic to see the very hanger there I have been in in the background as they march past to the band on handover of base from RAF.
There were another 3 bases very near by used by USAF.
RAF Alconbury WW2 base and Tankbuster base untill mid 90s.
RAF Moleswoth former storage of Cruise missiles in 80s also WW2 base
RAF Connington again former USAF WW2 base.
All that remains there is the water tower with a memorial to the USAF servicemen 2 flag poles American and Union Jack.
Never forgotton for sacrifice they gave for us and US in WW2.
The railway stn in Oundle 1 mile from Polebrook that is now a house as the railway was closed in 1960s.
Apparently Clarke Gable was often seen driving his jeep around Peterborough and Oundle.
Always plesent to people and willing to sign autographs and have a picture with people.
Thank you for posting this
Great!! I've never seen the entire copy and obviously not with the quality I enjoyed here. My Dad's first cousin Peter Provencale is seen several times. Pete survived the war, stayed in and retired as Lt. Colonel
It's incredible to watch the battle scenes, especially in colour footage. If you didn't fight then Hitler and Nazi Germany would have walked all over Great Britain and their way of life. My father met Clarke Cable when he visited my Dad's RAF air force base, Polish Squadron, to boost morale. He let my Dad sit at his plane's controls and tour his plane which my father said made the much loved British planes look like tin cans inside. He was thrilled and thought Clarke Gable was a real gentleman.
Forever respect
Col William A Hatcher Jr is an ancestor of mine and it is nice to finally see what he looked like in uniform. "The Old Man", as Gable referred to him, was only 37 LOL!
RIP my great uncle who I never met. 26 years old B-17 Pilot, 2nd Lt. W. T. Sheehan 334th Squadron, 95th BG., 8th AF..shot down by fighters over Berlin May 24, 1944. 3 POW, 7 KIA from the "Torandao" B-17G 42-39924. RIP to all brave men on all sides who faced death in the skies.
Thank you for posting this. Im reading Fireball about Carole Lombard and the author mentions this doc.
Thank you for posting this rare movie! It allows us to see clearly what these brave men experienced in their time preparing for and fighting in WW2. This movie is also personal favorite of mine, as I can feel nostalgic seeing one of my relatives who appears in the movie and has a few lines in it.
Kregg Johnston if I may ask who is your relative in this film?
Sure, he was one of the gunners in the movie.
ruclips.net/video/7SJQYG_GskY/видео.html
Real Heroes
The 8th Air Force had a really rough time, losing planes and thousands of men because they had to go it alone, before fighters were able to finally make it all the way to the target and back.
Thank you 🤩🤩🤩💖💖🇺🇸🇺🇸
Watch the fire fight from inside the bomber incredible footage.
Definitely the best of that kind of footage. Hair-raising too. And just from one mission.
Thanks for posting. My dad flew with the 351st. I never thought I would see his base. Is there a DVD of this available?
+Bill K See
www.zenosflightshop.com/Clark_Gable_s_Combat_America_DVD_p/combatdvd.htm
Zeno
"An air base in Colorado" - Ent Army Air Force Base, Colorado Springs I'll bet! It became the first Olympic Training Center and athletes' housing was the BOQ, Batchelor's Officer's Quarters.
Someone said that you had a better chance of hitting a hole in one than making it through the required 25 missions needed to go back home.
Gable mad another training film about the B-17 titles "Ditch and Live" It was about ditching the bomber.
This docu. is ten times better than "Memphis Belle" that won an Academy award for best documentary the same year this film was made (1943).
This film was obviously produced by MGM.
Bravo!
Great unit the 351st Bomb group at Polebrook although it is incorrect when Gable says they had no loss on their 1st mission they lost 2 bombers on May 14 1943 but from then on throughout all of 1943 they had few losses to go with a impressive record of success
50 cal bullet. $.06... now $50... that's inflation.
+bfrance2002 Reminds you of the Lone Ranger's "silver" bullets. Even he paid less per bullet.
That's great thanks
I know that most of us do not realize that there were actual combat film showing planes being shot down and men losing their lives. There was not computer generated movies in WWII and I give credit to Clark Gable and those airmen that were part of this movie. I saw film of my father leading his men to a battle in Bruyeres France where many of his men lost their lives.
Today's movie stars would never go to war. The nature of war has changed. Wars are of a political nature. WW2 was a no brainer. Stop Hitler and Tojo or die. Either way, I salute today s warriors. T Y G.I.s. T Y Zenos Warbirds, well done.
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Russias unproveked attack on Ukraine appears to be a 1939 reenaction.@@cartercrosgrovecrosgrove1660
Das est fantastish!..
Thank you so much for this !!!!!!
I guess the focus is as good as can be expected for a post on the internet. I think I will look into aquiring a copy of this and a few other of the 'home' movies that are still available and hope they are in better viewing condition. My grandkids won't see them anywhere else, that's for sure, with the present bunch of Anti-American Cartel B*****DS running the country into the ground.
USS.Lexington CA -16 and USS. Roosevelt CA- 42
turn on the closed caption, it become a different movie
No sound!
Corny? Yes, by todays standards, but remember the audience that it was made for, this is not a put down comment, people wanted to hear that their boys were doing well over there.
One eye opener for me...I had never heard that air gunners had to sign their guns out of store before action, then clean them and sign them in after. That was the sort of thing I thought that the Ground Crew did.
nope, gunners cleaned their guns, and tried their darndest to check the same ones back out again. my oldest brother was a waist gunner on a B17. 31 missions and only wounded twice.
@@ronhaynes9667 The gunners took meticulous care of their guns, their lives depended on it. While they were required to remove the guns and turn them in after a mission, Usually they would clean them themselves after debriefing. It was common for them to actually take the bolts with them to bed to reduce any chance of them freezing up while in storage in unheated armory huts.
Anyone knows if any of the crew survived the war?
Quan Tjonna Yes the entire crew of Lt Theodore Argiropoulos completed the 25 mission tour and survived
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oh yes this is for the ladies too semper fi triumph
I think Archie bunker was a mechanic in WW2
Groll 37..actually not if you're referring to Carroll O'Connor. He was in the Merchant Marine.
Which was one of the more dangerous lines of occupation in WWII
@@warplanner8852 He means Archie Bunker, who had been in the USAAC in WW2. A great scene in the episode where Archie gets stuck in an elevator with an African American and a Hispanic couple. The Hispanic man's wife gives birth in the elevator. Discussing what they did in the war, Archie says to the black man, "When I was in W-W-2 the only place we'd see youse guys was cleaning the latrines." The black gentleman replied, "Well, when I was in Army Intelligence, I would have never seen you!" Classic All in the Family and one of the best episode of the series.
Hey there. Expressive! race ragged What do you think, guys?
Whats the other kind of cake?
Jo O Gable was being clever the other cake is a bad one in this case clearly Gable meant a purposely sabotaged cake
skipped to the combat scenes
Groll 37 you are an idiot the whole film is so good the non Combat scenes are even better I dare to say they are more interesting and personal
He Clark went, were was John Wayne or Ronald Reagan, and they call them Patriots
+samuel matias: Jimmy Stewart was there, too. He remained in the reserves and when he died he was a Brigadier General. Wayne and Reagan pretended to be soldiers, supposedly to boost morale back home.
Ronald Reagan was in the Army Reserves stateside, making training movies. Most people don't know that Reagan had very poor eye sight and wore glasses even during the 30's. Reagan couldn't pass a physical for front line service but did his bit as best he could .... more than many today.
@@Largo64 From all I've read, Wayne tried a couple times after 1943 to get involved in the War. But honestly was more concerned about his movie career. There were many others like that.
NO SOUND
+Bruce Fultz There's sound and has been for three years., Check your settings.
Zeno
The American military had the best looking uniforms in its history during WW2. Today's uniforms look like sacks from a Salvation Army store.
The Germans hired Hugo Boss to design their uniform. They were very stylish. US uniforms looked like thrift store cloths.
+John Ferguson ......... and wouldn't say thrift store but I think they were more Suited 4 battlefield engagements and not designed for psychological effect
William Thurston General Marshall had a huge influence on the design of the US uniforms. They were very functional except for the spats;functional but not stylish. US uniforms were basically disposable. Combat units would simply toss out a lot of the clothing when they came off the line for R and R.
They weren't called spats, they were called gaiters. And puttees were also still a thing early in the war.
I agree modern uniforms are comfy as hell but also looks very temporary - badges/patches put on with Velcro? Sheesh!
Gable and Jimmy Stewart and others served in WWII. (John Wayne did not.) Its hard to imagine an Alec Baldwin or any other current actor doing the same even if our "homeland" were attacked. Sniveling, arrogant empty people.
Times have changed. Besides, how do you know? Perhaps if there was a large scale war (WW3?), they would have served.
a wonderful archive..but so corny
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This movie is really fun, but really weird.
1:46 💟💕💟
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