Movie "Air Force" Identity of "Mary Ann"

[gary1954]

THANK YOU GOD!!!!!,THANK YOU DAN

Lets put the thanks and praise in the correct order I'm just sayin' .... Great yob

[SPANNERmkV]

I don't have a lot to add to this- But what I do have is from someone who was on field- Sebring- in 43
From my Father William M. Price III to his mother Olga Price:

We lost an old B-17-B ("06") and everyone is damned careful about them. I just brought one down- The Capt. Refused to fly in it. Oh well! So now we haven't got a ship for the afternoon.
Hope you liked your Handkerchief from Dallas.
If you ever see the picture "Airforce" you can see one of the Old Bs that I've flown- They used the Mary Ann (01) from this field to shoot the movie. Some of our instructors flew the ship for them.
I've just put in about 10 hours in the Mary Ann when I first got here. The actors flub up on the cockpit procedure on the landing though. _the flap and landing gear switches are on the top of the control pedestal, but it didn't look dramatic enough to just reach up and flip the switches so they couldn't allow that, could they?
(end of letter relevant to this thread)

That's about all I know,

Don Price
AKA SPANNER
son of Pilot Wm. M. Price III
of the 384th BG (H)

[aerovin2]

That actually adds a good bit of information and I, for one, appreciate you sharing it. There are a few tidbits of information there that will help complete the story.

[SPANNERmkV]

That actually adds a good bit of information and I, for one, appreciate you sharing it. There are a few tidbits of information there that will help complete the story.

Scott,
What just occurred to me is- My Dad's logbook, including training, should have log entries that would include those B-17s.
Might that be of interest to your readers, if I can transcribe and/or scan them?

Keep up the GREAT work.

Don

[aerovin2]

Please scan or transcribe away; you can post low-resolution scans or whatever transcription you can do. We await patiently but eagerly.

[Dan Johnson]

Nice to see I'm not the only one who still thinks about old Mary Ann. Figured I'd move the photo I found on E-Bay of Mary Ann to this thread.

Flightline at Sebring I'd imagine.


Close up of the rear birds. Mix of early 17s


MD105


Got these two recently. No idea on the ID so maybe it's Mary Ann in her early days?

[partschaser]

In the last photo, any clues as to what happened to the nose of '52'? It looks to me like both pitot tubes were damaged and the right side has a dent in the side.

Bill K

[aerovin2]

I think what appears to be damage are pitot tube covers and fuselage reflection. Can't say for sure, though.

[Dan Johnson]

I agree with the boss. She's shiny and new. The covers are on the pitot tubes. The "dent" is the reflection OD the shiny unpainted propeller blades on the shiny new aluminum skin of the fuselage.

[SPANNERmkV]

FINALLY got out to the Commemorative Air Force Museum at West Houston and took some snaps of my Dad's logbook.
Unfortunately it does not show serial numbers on the planes he flew. But here are the dates from the first page at Hendricks- Sebring, Florida.

[Credible Sport]

I just picked up a copy of the book/script by Watson.
A fun read. The forward say the movie came about from a meeting with hap Arnold and Jack Warner.
I find this very interesting.

[Dan Johnson]

Saw this image on Ebay. Not worth 30 bucks for me, but figured I'd share the image in this thread. How's the mock up cockpit look?

[hang the expense]

The one photo out on the ramp with engine run-ups screams HOT even if it was early in the morning. Beautiful picture.

[hang the expense]

Any chance that the original Mary Ann had the large number 15 on the side of the nose? those that are paying attention will know why I ask.

[DryMartini]

Well, in answer to HTE's question, who found this picture -



It was one of about 18 pictures, all from Drew Field,
taken in early June, 1942.

So, we have Drew Field - Check - Air Force was shot around there
We have June, 1942 - Check - Air Force was shot between May and October
It is a B-17B - Check - Mary Ann was a B-17B
The guy wrote in the margin 'The "Mary Ann"' - Check - That was the name of the plane in the movie
The number 15 is on the nose - Oh... - Mary Ann was #10.

Unfortunately, it seems that this is more probably B-17B 39-001,
which was marked #15 in the movie.

However, I have a consolation prize:


I now have John Garfield's signature, found on the back of the picture!