Bat*21
| Bat*21 | |
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 Theatrical release poster |
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| Directed by | Peter Markle |
| Produced by | Michael Balson (producer) Mark Damon (co-producer) David Andrew Fisher (Executive producer) Evzen Kolar (line producer) Gary A. Neill (producer) Jerry Reed (executive producer) David Saunders (co-producer) |
| Written by | William C. Anderson (book) William C. Anderson (screenplay) and George Gordon (screenplay) |
| Starring | Gene Hackman Danny Glover Jerry Reed David Marshall Grant Clayton Rohner |
| Music by | Christopher Young |
| Cinematography | Mark Irwin |
| Editing by | Stephen E. Rivkin |
| Distributed by | Starlight TriStar Pictures |
| Release date(s) | October 21, 1988 |
| Running time | 105 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Box office | $3,966,256 |
Bat*21 is a 1988 film directed by Peter Markle, and adapted from the book by William Charles Anderson.[1] Set during the Vietnam War, the film is a dramatization based on the true, costly, and controversial rescue of a U.S. navigator officer from North Vietnam. The film stars Gene Hackman, Danny Glover, and Jerry Reed.
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[edit] Plot
During the last days of the Vietnam War, Lieutenant Colonel Iceal E. "Gene" Hambleton, United States Air Force, is the sole survivor of the crew of an EB-66 electronic warfare aircraft, which is downed by a surface to air missile over enemy territory. The plane, callsign Bat Two-One, was doing electronic scans preparatory to a major bombing strike.
Hambleton (Hackman) makes radio contact with Birddog (Glover), the pilot of a Cessna Skymaster, flying a Forward Air Control mission near where the EB-66 was destroyed. Birddog (Captain Bartholomew Clark) becomes Hambleton's link to rescue.
Hambleton, an expert on electronic weapons systems, is known to the North Vietnamese, who begin an all-out search, attempting to capture him. Meanwhile, American forces begin an all-out attempt to rescue him.
Knowing that it is too dangerous for rescue aircraft to come to where he is, and knowing that the bombs will soon be falling where he is, Hambleton devises a plan to reach safer territory. He plots a course to the river which is the boundary of the target area, then communicates his intended path to Birddog in a code composed of various golf courses he knows well. This will allow the rescuers to keep track of his progress, making it easier for them to pick him up.
[edit] Production
The film was filmed entirely on location in Sabah, Malaysia, with the assistance of the Malaysian government. Resources, locations and other assistance were supplied by the Royal Malaysian Army and the Royal Malaysian Air Force, which also supplied aircraft and pilots, including Captain V. Thiagarajah, who flew both on and off camera.
One unique aspect of this film is that the flying scenes featuring primary actors were filmed live, in the air, often in low-altitude, high-speed maneuvering. The proof of this can be seen in various scenes, where the actual pilot's hands can be seen reflected in aircraft windows as they operate the controls.
John Moore's "Behind Enemy Lines" similarly reprises the story of the rescue of a downed navigator played by Owen Wilson and also features Gene Hackman.
Executive producer David Andrew Fisher was also the director of Toy Soldiers (1984) and of Liar's Moon (1982).
[edit] Comparison to real life
Portions of the film were highly dramatized, including the climactic battle. Some characters were composites of real people, while others were created for the film. However, some other details were accurate, including the fact that Captain Larry Potts was of African American ancestry.[2][3]
The actual rescue took over eleven days, during which a major attack was delayed, resulting in numerous South Vietnamese soldiers being killed and wounded. Several attempts were made to recover Hambleton. Two helicopters were lost and members of its crews were killed or captured. A Forward Air Observer aircraft was shot down and USAF 1Lt Bruce Walker and USMC 1Lt Larry Potts parachuted to the ground safely, eluding capture. In an ensuing attack, six more Americans lost their life attempting to rescue him. The Vietnamese, alerted by the intense efforts to find the flyer, increased their efforts to find Hambleton. Walker was discovered and killed by the Vietnamese forces. Hambleton was finally rescued by U.S. Navy SEAL Lt. j.g Thomas R. Norris and VNN Petty Officer Third Class Nguyen Van Kiet during a night-time, covert operation more than 2 miles (3.2 km) behind enemy lines.
[edit] References
- ^ Anderson, William C. BAT-21 Prentice-Hall, 1980. ISBN 0-13-069500-9
- ^ "Walker, Bruce Charles (FAC-POW/MIA), Capt". TogetherWeServe.com. http://airforce.togetherweserved.com/usaf/servlet/tws.webapp.WebApp?cmd=ShadowBoxProfile&type=Person&ID=81801. Retrieved 31 October 2011.
- ^ Cutler, Thomas J.. "Lest We Forget: Larry Fletcher Potts; VF-126". http://www.usni.org/magazines/proceedings/2004-09/lest-we-forget-larry-fletcher-potts-vf-126. Retrieved 31 October 2011.
[edit] External links
- Bat*21 at the Internet Movie Database
- Original Book by William Charles Anderson - http://www.amazon.com/BAT-21-ebook/dp/B005GXNJF4
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