The Black Sheep.

[Wild Root]

Yeah, any one remember this show? Good old Pappy Boyington
was played by Robert Conrad and they used real F4U Corsairs! What a show! The uniforms were ok, and the hair cuts were definitely 70's but, all in all I remember watching some of the last seasons when I was a kid. That my friends was my first encounter with WWII aircraft. It stuck to me ever since! The elegant curve of those gull-winged F4U's and the nice navy blue painted bodies with the big white stars on the wings.

Three years ago the History Channel was rerunning some of these episodes and I just loved watching what I watched 20 years before. Memories my friends, memories!

This isn't an attempt to start a WWII thread in a Movie/TV category. I just wanted to see who here remembers or watched it back in the day.

Cheers!

 

[PrettyBigGuy]

I remember watching that show as a kid. My Father and older brother used to build 1:48th scale WWII fighters. The ceiling of the bedroom my bother and I shared as covered with them!
One of the UHF stations back in Chicago used to play Baa Baa Blacksheep re-runs about 12 years ago but they called it "Black Sheep Squadron". I had a great uncle who used to be one of the pilots for the airplane footage for the show. I think he piloted one of the re-decoed Texans that they used for Japanese "Zeros"
21st Century Toys is now selling scale WWII fighters from all nations in 1:16th scale. The proportions are a little off but they are really well done. One of the planes they are now offering is "Pappy" Boyington's Corsair "Lucybelle". Check it out:
http://www.21stcenturytoys.com/images/badcatexclusive/10127s6%20-%20Corsair%20Lucybelle.jpg
.

The ceiling of my home office is now adorned with an F4U Corsair, P-38 Lightning, P-51 Mustang and a P-47 Thunderbolt (my personal favorite!). If I can find a place to fit it in, I may grab the Flying Tigers P-40 Warhawk

 

[Wild Root]

Cool! I used to build lots of WWII aircraft when I was a teen. I still have most of them, but they are in storage because I don't have room for them. I also have ceiling fans in every room of the place! So, hanging those up isn't going to work. I have one of my favorites displayed in my room though; it's a B-25 D that Testors came out a wile ago. It has the painted bombardier?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢s nose with four 50's. Has the green dragon on the nose as well. In this photo is the real one they made the model after. Cool photo to see the crew that flew this plane. The real thing sits off of the cost of New Guinea covered in barnacles. It was shot down soon after the photo was taken. There were no survivors.

Regards,

 

[Michael Mallory]

I was never a big fan of this show (which was, incidentally, originally titled "Baa Baa Black Sheep"), though it sometimes had some good flying footage. There was another short-lived series a few years later called "Tales of the Gold Monkey" that was a real hoot. It was a kind of "Casablanca" meets "Indiana Jones," with an intrepid hero flyer (who had a one-eyed dog) and a variety of eccentric characters inhabiting a bar on a South Pacific island in the late 1930s. I've always thought this was the inspiration for the old Disney cartoon series "Tale Spin."

 

[Wild Root]

"Tales of the Gold Monkey"

I say there, that sounds like a good show! I wouldn't doubt that it did inspire Tailspin! Do you remember some of the cast members??? Or, if there is a way to find any info or episodes that may be on DVD or something?

Ba Ba Black Sheep to me was great for the flying footage. It was poorly costumed in many respects but, it was good for the late 70's.

Take care,

Root.

 

[Brad Bowers]

I remember Stephen Collins played "Jake Cutter," the pilot, and Roddy McDowall played "Bon Chance Louis," the bar owner. This series only lasted one season, and was produced by Donald Bellisario, who also worked on "Baa Baa Black Sheep," among many other entertaining series.

If you get a chance, read "Black Sheep," by Bruce Gamble. It's the definitive history of VMF 214 during World War II. He also recently published a good biography of Boyington. I'd like to see good film version of Black Sheep, based on Gamble's book. I think the time is ripe for the retelling of this story.

Brad Bowers

 

[Michael Mallory]

Aside from Collins and McDowell (who played a variation of Louis Renault), there was Caitlin O'Heaney (a terrific actress who seems to have vanished) and, ironically, Jeff MacKay, who was also a regular on "Black Sheep." And one of the regulars, as I recall, was an actor with no legs.

 

[MK]

There was a thread about Tales a while back. It might have been on the old lounge. I thought it was interesting and managed to buy a DVD of the pilot episode. It seemed pretty obvious that they were inspired by Raiders of the Lost Ark. Unfortunately it had the trappings of most TV shows that are trying to rip off a movie. The concept had potential....but the execution falls short.....far short. Sit-com actors shouldn't be cast in dramatic roles....with a few exceptions. Kate Capeshaw is a prime example.

Except the air plane footage and few other bits......it was lame. I will say that in one scene the actress was wearing some period lingerie....tap pants if memory serves me. That was nice.

Baa Baa Black Sheep had all these girls running around looking like Farrah Fawcett.

 

[Michael Mallory]

Actually, I think the opposite is true: dramatic actors shouldn't be cast on sitcoms. I'd hate to see Sean Penn on a sitcom, but Tom Hanks, Jodie Foster, Sally Field, Robin Williams and Will Smith, all of whom started out on sitcoms, have done okay in films.

 

[Wild Root]

Good point!

Regards.

 

[Michael Mallory]

On the other hand, I can also see MK's point, in that I'd REALLY hate to see Jerry Van Dyke's King Lear.

 

[Wild Root]

Yes, that's also a good point.

 

[MK]

Originally posted by Michael Mallory
Actually, I think the opposite is true: dramatic actors shouldn't be cast on sitcoms. I'd hate to see Sean Penn on a sitcom, but Tom Hanks, Jodie Foster, Sally Field, Robin Williams and Will Smith, all of whom started out on sitcoms, have done okay in films.

Agreed. I knew someone one would pull Tom Hanks out of their hat. Robin Williams is a great example too. That is why I said there were exceptions. I will say with all of those actors mentioned....I feel safe in saying that they were cast in comedic motion pictures and made slow transitions to dramatic roles.

Jim Carrey made progress in that direction with The Truman Show.

The typical garden variety sit-com has over the top, stagey (sp?) performances (ala Kapshaw) that don't work well in dramatic roles.

 

[Batou]

Speaking of "Tales of the Gold Monkey"

Anybody remember "The Ultimate Adventures of Brisco County Jr."? That was a fun one as well.

 

[Matt Deckard]

I was a big fan of Brisco County Jr. I thought it was taken off the air way before it's time.

They now use the theme song during alot of the Olympics broadcasts.

 

[farnham54]

I really enjoyed watching the Black Sheep on the History channell--though the re-running of the episodes was my first encounter with them. I especially enjoyed the snippets of interviews with various aviators during Commercial breaks.

Regards,

Craig

 

[Badluck Brody]

I think BSS is still playing??

Check some of the tv land listings, I think it's actually still running once in a while.

They ran reruns daily when I was in grade school. Pappy always reminded me of my Grandpa, from pics when he was younger and fighting in the Pacific during WWII.

Also luved Brisco County Jr. But also like Ned Blessing "story of my life".

Brody

 

[Jake]

Black sheep squadron

I relate to the black sheep squadron as it was aired about the same time I started flying. Just like Wildroot, I guess it really got my intrest started in WWII aircraft. I also liked the fact the real Pappy Boyington would occasionally guest star on the show as a visiting general. I managed to get his book autographed by him at Oskosh before he passed away. Tales of the Gold Monkey was also one of my favorite shows even if it was a little corny at times. Loved watching the Grumman Goose fly.

 

[zeus36]

There was a thread about Tales a while back. It might have been on the old lounge. I thought it was interesting and managed to buy a DVD of the pilot episode....

Here is that link to the old post, but it is small:

http://www.thefedoralounge.com/showthread.php?t=1890

 

[BellyTank]

Speaking of old TV shows...

Anyone remember "Bring 'Em Back Alive"?
Bruce Boxleitner 1982/83.
It was pretty crazy and had kinda hybrid military vehicles- 2 motorbikes joined together, Sherman tanks on boat hulls...Krazee...
http://epguides.com/BringEmBackAlive/guide.shtml

B
T