Frank's A2

[Johnny English]

Does anyone know the history behind the A2 worn by Frank Sinatra in Von Ryan's express

 

[kojax]

good movie seen it 2-3 times........

 

[greyhound68]

This is from the Acme Depot an excellent web site for A2 jacket nuts. Here is the answer to your question.


14. Does Bob Crane wear a vintage A-2 in "Hogan's Heroes," and is it the same jacket as the one worn by Frank Sinatra in "Von Ryan's Express"?

Second question first: Yes, the jacket is the same, and this has been confirmed by Bob Crane's son Bob in interviews associated with the 2002 film, Auto Focus. In this film about Bob Crane, Greg Kinnear plays Crane and wears the original jacket, which has remained in the possession of Crane's son.

Now, for the jacket itself. It is not a vintage A-2, but was likely made by a costume department. While it is certainly reminiscent of original A-2 jackets, a close examination will reveal that it is not.

There is no throat clasp.
There are no collar snaps.
The lining is very dark and appears to be rayon. For the early part of the Hogan's Heroes series the lining over the collar stand is a contrasting tan color. This is later changed to the darker color, perhaps because the jacket was relined.
The wind flap over the zipper is much too narrow.
Furthermore, the leather appears unusually thin and soft, likely to improve comfort under film lights, the leather color is very dark and not like most vintage A-2's, and the shoulder decal, which does not look quite like originals, lacks the "Army Air Forces" text.

Update: Now that the first season of "Hogan's Heroes" is out on DVD, I have had a chance to examine the jacket which Bob Crane wears in the pilot episode (filmed in black & white). This jacket is distinctly different from what he wore in subsequent episodes and, while it is made of a heavier leather and looks more like a vintage A-2, I believe that it is either also a costume department jacket or a commercial copy. The knits have very heavy ribbing like athletic sox, the snaps on the collar are huge, the collar itself is pretty oversized, and there is no throat clasp. The AAF insignia on the shoulder sleeve also does not have the "Army Air Forces" text. Some other actors, however, do appear to wear vintage A-2's, and there are some nice B-3 jackets, B-15's, and other wartime jackets to be seen in this and later episodes.

 

[JRaptor]

This is from the Acme Depot an excellent web site for A2 jacket nuts. Here is the answer to your question.
Update: Now that the first season of "Hogan's Heroes" is out on DVD, I have had a chance to examine the jacket which Bob Crane wears in the pilot episode (filmed in black & white). This jacket is distinctly different from what he wore in subsequent episodes and, while it is made of a heavier leather and looks more like a vintage A-2, I believe that it is either also a costume department jacket or a commercial copy. The knits have very heavy ribbing like athletic sox, the snaps on the collar are huge, the collar itself is pretty oversized, and there is no throat clasp. The AAF insignia on the shoulder sleeve also does not have the "Army Air Forces" text. Some other actors, however, do appear to wear vintage A-2's, and there are some nice B-3 jackets, B-15's, and other wartime jackets to be seen in this and later episodes.

Don't forget Sgt.Carter's(Larry Hovis) D-1!