I just found this on Keiran Daly's blog.For anyone not familiar with what happened, in those less than politically correct times (1943) it was perfectly acceptable for someone to name their dog 'N*gger', which Guy Gibson did, and unfortunately the dog was run over and killed on the morning of Operation Chastise. 'N*gger' was then used as the code word to signify that the Mohne dam had been breached and I believe this was accurately portrayed in the 1955 movie 'The Dambusters'.

Now, in these slightly more politically correct time the movie is being remade (As to why it's being remade, that's a different question altogether!!) and the dog will now be named 'Nidge' to avoid offending people for obvious reasons.

Here's the big question - should they stick with the original or not?

Personally, I absolutely understand why they've renamed him but I don't particularly agree with it - I'm not a fan of rewriting history, even at the expense of offending people.

PS - The software on the website wouldn't even let me write the offending word in question, hence the asterisk in place of the I.

 They had to change it really but nidge sounds like a fly you want to swat...

As for remaking it, i have a bad feeling that it will just be awful, as Dambusters had a kind of old England feel to it. Knowing Hollywood, they will probably tagline it as Dambusters: Bouncing into your cinema screens soon!!!!!!

Have you noticed how they have edited the name of the dog in the original film so it can be seen nowadays? The film used to end with credits running over the grave - alas now no mention of it!!

As with Hollywood - you can possibly expect an American to have developed the Bouncing Bomb and the aircraft used were B17s!! Remakes of previous wartime fillms have not fared well in the past so I will eat my words if t turns out to be good!! After all the Americans discovered the Enigma machine!!!! Oh what a cynic!!!

 There was some talk a while ago that the new film will have access to information that was still classified when the original film was made. I've no idea what it could be though...   ...maybe Shax658 has it!

As Mickey Martin might have said: " Fair go cobber, these PC lot are a bunch of flamin' drongos!"

So, in honour of all the Aussie and Kiwi blokes who served with 617 Squadron, including our very own Les Munro who lives not too far from here, what about "Digger" as a bit of a compromise to appease the PC Police???? I like to think that Guy might even be able to live with it should he be quietly watching from afar.

I shudder to imagine just what Hollywood will do with it. Probably B-29s and gum-chewing yanks...and horror of horrors, lotsa girls and soppy stuff. By joves chaps; I do so hope that I am wrong.

For what it's worth the movie is being directed by a New Zealander (Christian Rivers), produced by another one (Peter 'Lord of the Rings' Jackson) and written by an Englishman (Stephen Fry).

Well, crikey ***; with the Kiwis both producing and directing, and with the gifted Stephen Fry working on the dialogue, this remake could well be a tip-top effort. I have no doubt that there will be quite a few Brits assisting as technical advisors at which you are jolly good.

Ho, jolly ho! That has made my day. I have just noticed that the Auto-Moderator system has cencored my opening words of the previous Posting. Now let me see...how can i rephrase??? Ah! I know! I say again:

"Well, crikey Richard; with the Kiwis........."

 

I have a black dog called ***, yes, ***. What's so wrong with that? Ike Eisenhower had a dog called ***. I gave him that name because, well, he's black. No offence intended to anyone in these so called politically correct days. It is not illegal here. So, no, I do not understand why the producers of the film felt they had to rename the famous dog.

Here again, the moderators have chosen to censor my post. Why?

 Hi Limamike,

 We are not actively moderating comments, there is an automatic system on this software that asteriks a list of words that it deems to be unsuitable. Therefore swear words and other such things (such as the thing you are talking about) is automatically moderated.

I think we still get what you are talking about though so it is fine!!

 Kind Regards

Mav

 I realy don't see what is the problem. *** was commonly in use in the past, the movie is about the past, so what is the problem?

The fact that the movie is being remade at all is a plus in my books. The original was great, but really does lack in some of the technical and visual aspects which are available today. I think the fact that Peter jackson is one of the driving forces behind the remake should bode well for the presentation. So much more information regarding the raid, the details of the bomb, as well as confirmed circumstances of aircraft losses are now available, that I, for one, am looking forward to the remake. As for the issue of Gibson's dogs name - if that is the only "modification", I have no problem with that - it certainly doesn't really detract any great amount from the overall accuracy of the film.

Perhaps we should wait until the film comes out before passing judgement.

In case anyone feels I am being biased somewhat toward the remake, you are correct. My uncle was killed on the Dams Raid - he was the navigator in F/L Bill Astell's aircraft (ED 864 AJ-B).

Something in my memory recalls that one of the aircrew who served with 617 Squadron was called ***. Or perhaps it was not ***, but Rick? But I am fairly sure it was ***. Or then again, it may have been an Irish chap called Mick?

Since we are on the subject of Gibson's dog, I thought the following article by Mr. John Junor which appeared in The Sunday Express of Jan. 14, 1988 might prove interesting. I will quote the article as it appeared, so please bear with me:

'An odd story from Woodhall Spa in Lincolnshire where last year a memorial was dedicated to the late Guy Gibson, VC's immortal Dambusters squadron which took off on May 16, 1943 from a local airfield on the historic raid on the Ruhr Dams.

After the dedication, Mr. Mike Kelham, the headmaster of a local school, St. Hughs, wanted to have a colour photograph of the boys and girls of the school chior in front of the memorial. The school's PE master, Mr. mark Upton, took the picture. He experienced one difficulty. A stray black labrador insisted on joining the group and resisted all attempts to shoo it away.

The finished picture, published in the January 15 issue of the Horncastle Standard shows it sitting in the middle of the group right in front of the memorial staring straight at the camer.  Whose dog was it? No one knows.

Only later was it remembered that Guy Gibson had a black labrador which would watch his master take off on raids and be there again to welcome him on his return. It's a matter of record that at mid-day on May 16, 1943, Gibson's dog ran out into the road and was killed.ibson gave instructions that it was to be buried on Scampton Airfield at midnight - the time he would be going in with his bouncing bomb.

The headmaster of St. Hughs believes in ghosts no more than I do. There has to be a rational explaination. But just the same, isn't it eerie that the stray black Labrador has never been seen again?'

And now, Ladies and Gentlemen, ..... something irreverent .....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_NMfBKrdErY

A bit off topic. But still on the subject of dogs and flight. Anyone remembers that Sabena RJ85 captain who used to take his dog (a Cocker Spaniel if I remember correctly) on board his passenger flights? This captain retired a only a few years ago.

rapier:

And now, Ladies and Gentlemen, ..... something irreverent .....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_NMfBKrdErY

 

I was halfway expecting the infamous Carling Black Label advert...

 

There are some Movies which should not be touched, remade or rethought. Dambusters, is one of these. Real Lancasters, B&W color, great Actors, even the specialeffects were great. Those traces coming out of the night, that was really something. Even Peter Jackson who did an outstanding remake of King Kong, should not touch this. Remake Wings from 1929, or Dawn Patrol, but leave Dambusters as it should.

As for the Dog... if you can't use its name don't use a name, Say "Come here boy." or "Sir, your dog...It's...it's been hit by a car..." I had a Dog named Cavan or should that be *****, but I called it Girl, Puppy, etc. as well. If you can't use N***** don't rename it. You honor the dog, you honor history, and you respect the story.

Cptn Tommy 

Rob Coppinger interviewed Jonny Johnson last year and he mentioned that there would be a remake of the film.  So at least we know that the directors have consulted with the few remaining survivors that can recount the historical facts.

 

Rob’s article and video can be seen here;

 

http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2007/11/02/218502/video-raf-dam-buster-veteran-george-jonny-johnson-talks-exclusively-to-flight.html

 

Jonny is quite an amusing chap…

 

 

In regards to Hollywood rewriting history, it probably shouldn't be forgotten that one of Britain's greatest directors (Sir David Lean) made a movie in 1952 called 'The Sound Barrier' which showed the British breaking the sound barrier before the Americans did.

I hazily recall seeing that film, but can't recall the bit where a British machine exceeded Mach 1.0. I wonder whether it was referring perhaps to the DH Swallow? I suspect that other aircraft may have just passed Mach 1.0 in dives at very high altitude during WWII. No hard evidence of course. There is an old story that a RNZAF F4U Corsair may have. I wonder how the name "Lassie" might be appealing for Guy's dog? Or perhaps "Rover"? Or "Winston"?

"The Sound Barrier" .....

..... retitled "Breaking the Sound Barrier" in the US .....

The original "Dambusters" film is a flawed classic. Full of grating technical errors. The scriptwriters played with the truth in many areas. The biggest howler is crediting Gibson with coming up with the spotlights solution to the height problem. Director/ Producer of the remake, Peter Jackson, is a perfectionists who also happens to like aeroplanes. He'll give the film the digital works. It'll reek a degree of exitement people who made the original could only dream about. He might just tell the truth about the raid. Didn't really achieve that much. Awful losses. Suppose it was good for morale at the time.