A-2s in the movie Catch-22

[Phantomfixer]

I was watching Catch-22 the other night. Of the book was better but there were alot of A-2s in the movie along with tons of other flight gear and just cool planes and footage. I was wondering if the the A-2s were issue or a Hollywood piece. Being made in 1970, there were alot of original A-2s around and in Hollywood too. It seems that a few studios purchased surplus gear after the war for pennies. There were squadron patches on the jackets too. Any insight....or thought

 

[Fletch]

Fun anecdote...

After the war, a Hollywood costume shop picked up hundreds of A-2 from military surplus. These jackets were rented out over and over by the film studios, from "Twelve O'Clock High" to "Catch-22."
[...]
BTW, by the time "Catch-22" started filming, so many of the movie A-2s had been stolen that extras in the background wore brown-dyed long-sleeve T-shirts.

Source

 

[Phantomfixer]

Fletch, your source mentions the Flybaby. What a neat little plane. I had the chance to buy one. It was that or a car. Had to go with the car but always wished I bought the plane instead.

So then the few close ups were issue A-2s? It is nice to know that they (A-2) where appriciated even in the 70's. A local militaria shop that was open then had stacks of them and were being sold at 25.00 ea. Not firsthand knowledge but that is what the local collectors tell me anyway. The jackets in Catch-22 look very salty but solid. wonder where they are now... who has them...

 

[SIGGY]

Catch 22 jackets

Hello PhantomPhixer, as to the emblems on the jackets in the movie ,I haven't seen it in some time but one emblem I do recall is a very close slightly altered patch for the 488th Bomb Sqd which was with the 340th Bomb Group, it's worn by "Yossarian" in the scene where the doc is looking at his head,anyway this patch is very close to the original that was done by "Alex Raymond" who was artist for the Flash Gordon cartoon/comic books,the only difference in the design is that the nude woman is holding the lightning bolt in her right hand where as the original has her holding it raised above her head in her left hand ,she also has her left hand more behind her on the movie patch where as on the original she has her right arm in a pointing forward position.

Anyway just my bit of observation on it .

 

[Phantomfixer]

Hi Siggy,

was the 488 BS of the 340BG in the Med? just curious to see how close the military adviser was.

 

[DutchIndo]

Fletch, your source mentions the Flybaby. What a neat little plane. I had the chance to buy one. It was that or a car. Had to go with the car but always wished I bought the plane instead.

So then the few close ups were issue A-2s? It is nice to know that they (A-2) where appriciated even in the 70's. A local militaria shop that was open then had stacks of them and were being sold at 25.00 ea. Not firsthand knowledge but that is what the local collectors tell me anyway. The jackets in Catch-22 look very salty but solid. wonder where they are now... who has them...

I remember 65.00 Garands at Long Beach Surplus in the early 70s. They had a barrel full of stocks which you picked out. You would then go to the counter and buy the Barrel and receiver. My friend bought one in High School but couldn't convince my Dad to buy me one. I remember when they had the B-25s from the Movie at Tallmans Museum at the OC Airport.

 

[Kid Mac]

Joseph Heller, Catch-22 author, flew as a B-25 bombadier with the 488th Bomb Squadron, 340th Bomb Group, 12th Air Force. He was based in Italy. He flew 60 combat missions; he said most were milk runs -- combat but lack of intense opposition.

 

[Phantomfixer]

The movie left out sooo much of the book as is usual with Hollywood. But still a fair representation of the book. As far as old garands and A-2s... shoulda woulda coulda. or going going gone...

 

[MPicciotto]

I believe one of the B-25's is now Briefing time at the Mid-Atlantic Air Museum.

Also having read the book several times and seen the movie 3 or 4 times I would say that the movie was one of Hollywood's better renditions of a book. Had the movie included everything that was in the book it would have been several hours long. And although some aspects are done a little differently or portrayed a little differently then in the book I feel that the essence of the intent of the author was well captured in the movie, unlike many other movies.

Matt