Athot for the Day: Accounting for Household Finances

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Book: The Sea Shall Embrace Them (David W. Shaw)

The Sea Shall Embrace Them

- The Tragic Story of the Steamship Arctic -

by

David W. Shaw

The Free Press

2002

"A riveting story told by a superb writer." ― Walter Lord, author of A Night to Remember

The Sea Shall Embrace Them - The Tragic Story of the Steamship Arctic is not a dry account of what happened on that day in September of 1854 when the Collins Line's grandest transatlantic passenger vessel sank off the coast of Newfoundland, but one told with flair by a writer who understands the mayhem of tragedy inherent in any such tale.

Just sixteen months after the SS Arctic sank, the Collins Line's SS Pacific disappeared without trace on a transatlantic crossing (and has never been found).

Picturing: Pup in Car

While walking about here in Toronto this past weekend I noticed a dog monitoring me from an open car window. Immediately I said hi and asked the owner, who was sitting in the driver seat, if I could take a photo of her friendly-looking pup. She smiled readily and said: "Of course. She's friendly."

"Hi sweetie."

She hopped to the opposite side.

The owner's hubby returned and chased pup back to my side of the car. He had noticed what I was trying to do. With the new picture-popping advantage I captured the above moment.

I love dogs. I prefer cats, but any cute puppy gazing happily in my direction gets my attention.

Postscript: As a general rule, dogs are so happy to see us around and about and are more than willing to greet us. With cats, we get the distinct impression that we're... "serviceable", as in: "we serve them". To cats, we humans are barely able to tie our own shoes, are ocularly-challenged (seemingly unable to read a simple timepiece!), and are clumsier than an obese poodle.

Picturing: Downsview the Seagull Takes a Stroll

Whenever I look at this photo I hear Leroy Anderson's "The Syncopated Clock".

Athot for the Day: Yep, That Bad

Pierre Poilievre is the "Susan Alexander" of Canadian politics.

Quote: Me on Sharing Our Homes

"Cats are not pets, but roommates."

Yeah, and they never pay rent... but we let it go.

Picturing: A View from the Oxford University Grounds

As I walked along a path a beautiful sight stood before me, and my Canon AE-1. My first inclination was to capture this lovely textural mix of stone and flora.

That morning as I readied my day in my London hotel room I asked myself: "Where should I go today? I know where. Oxford! A day trip!"

To Paddington Station!

Oxford is a beautiful city.

Picturing: I'm a Star in Dover, I'm a Star in Calais

The post's title may come across as somewhat vain, I'm not even a star here in Toronto, but I thought it would be a cute play on Canadian singer Patsy Gallant's big disco hit song of 1977.

The refrain: "From Dover to Calais"

Picturing: HMS Alliance at RN Submarine Museum

Lord Horatio Nelson, the great and legendary Royal Navy admiral, no doubt dreamt of a fantastic naval machine having the ability to travel under the sea.

Yesterday I posted another piece on my visit to Portsmouth, UK. And at the end of that piece I wrote: "While at HMNB Portsmouth, I visited the insides of a sub...."

Indeed I did: the insides of HMS Alliance, a Royal Navy A-class (Amphion-class or Acheron-class) diesel-electric submarine. Essentially a Second World War sub, hence the "diesel-electric", she was literally opened up to the public in 1981, shortly after her decommissioning as a training ship, and now rests on dry-land cradles at the Royal Navy Submarine Museum in Gosport.

The above pic is the only one I took of the boat. Unfortunately, my camera was loaded with 100 ASA/ISO film, making sub-interior photography somewhat problematic — not instamatic. Besides, I enjoyed the tour so much that bringing my camera up to my eye was not a priority, certainly not in a submersible's cramped spaces. (I should have had my 28mm lens with me.)

Where does my love of submarines come from?... Probably from a television series I loved in my youth. I missed Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea in its original 1964 to 1968 run, but did watch it religiously when Buffalo, NY, television station WUTV stripped it at 5pm on weekdays in the early to mid 1970s. The nuclear submarine SSRN Seaview was a great and fantastic machine, one commanded by one Admiral Harriman Nelson.

Picturing: Some Royal Navy Oberons at Portsmouth

Further to my post from yesterday, on a visit to Portsmouth, UK, years ago I took some snaps of a Royal Naval fleet, from yesterday to today. Above are Oberon-class submarines, diesel-electric boats, and the type operated by the Royal Canadian Navy from 1965 to 1998.

Looking at the pictures now I noticed how much the sky (and colour temperature!) had changed between my two shots: the top one I took from a small tourist boat; the bottom from a walkway.

I love submarines, and all things Navy. While at HMNB Portsmouth, I visited the insides of a sub....

Wow: From Zinnemann to Saint

Minutes ago I was reading up on Austrian-American film director Alfred "Fred" Zinnemann when I saw actress Eva Marie Saint listed — she co-starred with Don Murray and Anthony Franciosa in the director's 1957 flick A Hatful of Rain (which I've never seen).

My Wow: Ms Saint is still with us at 102 years of age! "She was born in nineteen twenty-four, which means she's now...."

She co-starred in the brilliant 1954 crime drama On the Waterfront, with Marlon Brando.

Picturing: HMS Warrior at Portsmouth, UK

My fascination with "ironclads" drew me to HMS Warrior, a warrior now berthed at the Portsmouth Historic Dockyard. Aye, she's a beautiful lady, and a fine ship!

I took the top photo while standing on the stern of a small tour boat. Of course, British seaside weather being what it is, my fellow tourists and I were blessed with a flash drizzle.

On the Speaker: The Linda Lindas Gotta Get Out

I'm looking forward to giving this a spin! I have their two previous albums, Growing Up and No Obligation. They are four very talented young ladies who have written some terrific songs.

I've heard a couple of samples from Gotta Get Out, and if they represent the level of songwriting on this album, then all I can say is I'm in for a treat! Tomorrow....

This Site and Moi Get an A.I. Overview ― Cool!

Yesterday I keyed-in my domain name improperly and ended up on a search result displaying the above. I found it to be very interesting in how it did an accurate overview of this website/blog.

Yikes!

The text, and text....

"Squibber is the personal website of Simon St. Laurent, a Toronto-based artist and former film and television technician."

Fine.

About the Website

"Content: Features personal photography, reflections on Toronto, memories of growing up as an RCAF (Royal Canadian Air Force) military brat, and posts about books and media."

Not bad.

"Background: The author is a former film and TV visual effects technician who previously worked on projects like Time Runner."

While I worked as an optical compositor with Film Effects - Toronto, that indeed was a film I worked on. It missed American Psycho (Film Opticals of Canada).

"Access: The site's content is actively updated and licensed for public viewing."

I made a joke online about this site being licensed for public viewing. Good scoop-around! Actively updated, yes — very important.

Scary stuff.

Picturing: One Super Film Crew Here in Toronto

It was a beautiful Sunday in November of 1989. We shot for two consecutive Sundays since we worked most of the time, it seemed. Actually, with the exception of the gent in the fedora, the crew was also crew at VTR Productions, which is how we all met. The project: a 35mm short film called "Visual Effects Matte Composite". I really should dig out that neg roll and have it digitized. (Another "I really should", yes.) The location is Sir Winston Churchill Park, a beautiful filming location.

The super film crew is, from left to right: Me, Mark, Nicole, Joe, Paul, Mike. Not shown: Jonathan.

Flatscreen Flick: The Fabulous Baron Munchausen

Last evening I was undecided in what movie I should watch. The good news was I did not take the standard forty-five minutes to decide. The Criterion set dedicated to Czechoslovakian filmmaker Karel Zeman is most excellent. There was a flick I had yet to knock off: The Fabulous Baron Munchausen (1962, original Czech: Baron Prášil) is just that, Fabulous... and Wonderful.

My enjoyment level was such that the flick's eighty-three minutes just flew by.

The other two feature films in the Criterion boxed set are: Journey to the Beginning of Time (1955, Cesta do pravěku) and Invention for Destruction (1958, Vynález zkázy), aka The Fabulous World of Jules Verne. Interesting story: Two of my film school instructors knew Karel Zeman ("Zee-maan") from back home. They seemed to be tickled when I told them that I had seen Journey and Invention on the big screen. My introduction to the latter was courtesy of at least two viewings on German television when I was a kid.

The extras are of typical Criterion quality. Filmmakers Terry Gilliam, Tim Burton, and Koji Yamamura talk of how Zeman influenced and inspired them. No doubt! Wes Anderson is another one.

Next: The 101-minute documentary from 2015, Film Adventurer Karel Zeman (Filmový dobrodruh Karel Zeman).

Genius filmmaker!

Picturing: Visual Effects Supervisor at Film Opticals

Visual effects artist/supervisor Francois Aubry is working at the 'layout' table, no doubt setting something up for me to composite. Our time at Film Opticals of Canada was generally fun, even with the sometimes extended hours: very extended hours. Many times we dropped our work off at Deluxe/Film House at the wee hours of the morning. ("You're kidding me! You're having a coffee?!")

Picturing: Brighton Beach Promenade Walk, UK

Those readers who are into British fashion trends would probably accurately date this picture from the early 1990s. Brighton, England, is a favourite place of mine.

Picturing: Beautiful Seaside Waters at Portsmouth, UK

Such a beautiful seaside, said I as the surf wetted my feet.

Picturing: A Plaque on Toronto's Fairmont Royal York

"The Shops on the Lobby & Avenues Level at Fairmont Royal York"

Good to know!

Toronto Star Star Week Newspaper Clipping from 1976

On the 13th of this month I took a look back at the old SF television series Space:1999. While looking for a particular file this morning I noticed a clipping that should have been included. While undertaking some research through the Toronto Star online archives last year, I stumbled upon an issue of that paper's then television-listings magazine, Star Week. Given that this then young teen was still a regular television viewer in 1976, I figured a peruse would bring back memories.

Space:1999 was given a full coast-to-coast network run by the CBC (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation) in its 1976/77 television season. The Ceeb promoted the heck out of its new fall lineup. Based on the quick series of clips, Space looked "souped-up" (as I described it at the time). I had been a little disappointed in that show's first year. Year Two was a bit different and, as it turned out, better... and I'm guessing the CBC's program-buyers felt the same way.

(In my television market, southern Ontario, and many other markets, actually, the first year of Commander Koenig and his Crashing Eagles was relegated, for the most part, to Saturday mornings ― which is how I saw it: 10:30 on CKVR, "Channel 3", a CBC affiliate.)

The clipping above is from Saturday, September 18, 1976. Look for the 5:00 listing. I did. By the way, the episode that day, if memory serves, was either "The Metamorph", the show's Year Two premiere episode, or the immediate follow-up, "The Exiles". (The CBC had kicked off the proceedings by running Space:1999's series-premiere episode "Breakaway". I had no need to see it again, but that scheduling move made sense in that it set up the show for those viewers who didn't know the series premise. However, it's possible that that spectacular, but claustrophobic and single-minded, episode turned them off from coming back!)

Anyway, that's enough of that; I'm no longer a wide-eyed television-watching teen, but a cynical adult who hasn't even bothered to hook up his television aerial.

The good news is, I'm getting better at 'file management'.

Postscript: Note that at 2:30pm, Channel 10 ran the feature film It Came from Outer Space (1953). Far out!

Picturing: Toronto Condo Development Graffiti

 

North side of Bloor Street West, just east of Spadina Road.

(I dig the funhouse-mirror effect.)

Athot for the Day: By Any Other Name, Not!

Pierre Poilievre, der geistlose Elf.

That roughly translates to English as: "PP, the loser."

Wrapping Up Star Trek's 60th: That Fantastic Theme!

Alexander Courage's brilliant and beautiful Star Trek theme is the proper way to close my "60th" posts. The composer nailed "Star Trek" when he wrote its title tune in late 1964. Contained within is the magnificent eight-note "Enterprise" theme.

All other's need not apply.

In the early 1980s, Eric Kunzel and the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra commissioned Courage to arrange his famous signature tune for concert performance.

The performance here by the WDR Funkhaus Orchestra, conducted with great gusto by Holly Hyun Choe, is absolutely splendid.

What a wonderful tune!

Star Trek 60th: Three Books from the Archives

The three Star Trek books above are what I found after some digging. They're not in any of my bookcases. I keep such books hidden so visitors don't end up getting the wrong idea about me.

Trivia: I've been to just one Star Trek convention. In the summer of 1988 I went with two friends to Toronto Trek 2. We found it a very interesting experience. It was then I realized I'm a 'mild' fan.

Picturing: Friend Jonathan at the AGO

At the wonderful Art Gallery of Ontario.

Strolling Downtown Toronto Early This Morning

Union Station's "Great Hall".

In front of Union Station.

(That's the CN Tower center distance.)

Early morning walk at Front and Bay.

Friend Jonathan posing in front of a chromed-steel sculpture.

Lunchtime at the Four Season Cafe&Bistro.

The food was great! We'll be going back!

I had the Signature Chasiu Egg Rice plate.

Delicious food, and reasonably priced!

After lunch, Jonathan and I visited the AGO (Art Gallery of Ontario). This superstar had not been there in years. Wonderful and amazing place; the visiting exhibit is "The Impressionist Revolution: Monet to Matisse from the Dallas Museum of Art". Details are here. I'll post a few pics tomorrow!

A Real Star Trek: Looking Back at D.C. Fontana

"No script, no movie!"

 ― Ludvik Dittrich (film school instructor)

WRITTEN BY

D.C. FONTANA

Dorothy Catherine Fontana, perhaps better known as “D.C. Fontana”, was an important force in creating Star Trek and its mythology. Credit too often goes to the Great Bird of the Galaxy himself, Gene Roddenberry, as being the great all-encompassing Trek creator. As noted by Desilu studio exec Herb Solow and associate producer Robert Justman, there were many stellar contributors to the show that started it all, including but not limited to: cinematographers; designers; composers; and writers.

With Ms Fontana’s passing, there is not a lot of key Star Trek production people still with us; however, David Gerrold, creator of Tribbles, as in “The Trouble With Tribbles”, is still writing and publishing at 82... which means he was just 23 when he scripted that famous Trek. Oh, my.

In the then male-dominated dramatic television arena, undoubtedly it was a woman’s touch that helped humanize Star Trek, supplying vital stories and dialogue to characters powered by what my brother describes as “The Beatles Cast”. Ms Fontana had said in interviews that there were female writers working in television in the mid-1960s but they tended to work on non-drama programs. Roddenberry assigned Fontana, his then assistant, the story editor position after he read what she had rewritten of "This Side of Paradise", a script by another writer. (She had earlier written "Charlie X" ― the 5th episode shot in series production.) In this coveted staff role Fontana not only wrote her own scripts, but, as per the job requirement, rewrote others, helping shape the stories into the series whole. Along with other staff writers, she even took a stab at polishing Harlan Ellison's "The City on the Edge of Forever". (When I interviewed Mr Ellison in 2007 I did not broach the subject of "City" since his feelings are well documented; including by him.)


Music composers will say that talking or writing about music is clumsy. Best to listen to the music. The same could be applied to writing about writing.

The following quotes are out of context for the uninitiated, but one can surmise what is going on. It also shows how in television drama writing, every word must count. Not only moving the story forward, but revealing character.

*  *  *

From "Charlie X":

KIRK: You go slow. You be gentle. I mean, it's not a one-way street, you know, how you feel and that's all. It's how the girl feels, too. Don't press, Charlie. If the girl feels anything for you at all, you'll know it. Do you understand?

...

KIRK: Charlie, there are a million things in this universe you can have and there are a million things you can't have. It's no fun facing that, but that's the way things are.

From "Journey to Babel":

SPOCK: Any competent officer can command this ship under normal circumstances. The circumstances are not normal. We're carrying over one hundred valuable Federation passengers. We're being pursued by an alien ship. We're subject to possible attack. There has been murder and attempted murder on board. I cannot dismiss my duties.

AMANDA: Duty? Your duty is to your father.

SPOCK: I know, but this must take precedence. If I could give the transfusion without loss of time or efficiency, I would. Sarek understands my reason.

AMANDA: Well, I don't. It's not human. That's not a dirty word. You're human, too. Let that part of you come through. Your father's dying.

SPOCK: Mother, how can you have lived on Vulcan so long, married a Vulcan, raised a son on Vulcan, without understanding what it means to be a Vulcan?

AMANDA: If this is what it means, I don't want to know.

SPOCK: It means to adopt a philosophy, a way of life, which is logical and beneficial. We cannot disregard that philosophy merely for personal gain, no matter how important that gain might be.

AMANDA: Nothing is as important as your father's life.

SPOCK: Can you imagine what my father would say if I were to agree, if I were to give up command of this vessel, jeopardise hundreds of lives, risk interplanetary war, all for the life of one person? 

AMANDA: When you were five years old and came home stiff-lipped, anguished, because the other boys tormented you saying that you weren't really Vulcan. I watched you, knowing that inside that the human part of you was crying and I cried, too. There must be some part of me in you, some part that I still can reach. If being Vulcan is more important to you, then you'll stand there speaking rules and regulations from Starfleet and Vulcan philosophy, and let your father die. And I'll hate you for the rest of my life.

SPOCK: Mother

AMANDA: Oh, go to him. Now. Please.

SPOCK: I cannot.

From "This Side of Paradise":

LEILA: I love you. I said that six years ago, and I can't seem to stop repeating myself. On Earth, you couldn't give anything of yourself. You couldn't even put your arms around me. We couldn't have anything together there. We couldn't have anything together anyplace else. We're happy here. I can't lose you now, Mister Spock. I can't.

SPOCK: I have a responsibility to this ship, to that man on the Bridge. I am what I am, Leila, and if there are self-made purgatories, then we all have to live in them. Mine can be no worse than someone else's.

…

MCCOY: Well, that's the second time man's been thrown out of paradise.

KIRK: No, no, Bones. This time we walked out on our own. Maybe we weren't meant for paradise. Maybe we were meant to fight our way through. Struggle, claw our way up, scratch for every inch of the way. Maybe we can't stroll to the music of the lute. We must march to the sound of drums. 

SPOCK: Poetry, Captain. Non-regulation.

KIRK: We haven't heard much from you about Omicron Ceti Three, Mister Spock.

SPOCK: I have little to say about it, Captain, except that for the first time in my life, I was happy.

From "Yesteryear", from the animated Star Trek series:

SPOCK: Every life comes to an end when time demands it. Loss of life is to be mourned but only if the life was wasted.

Star Trek Composer Gerald Fried's Fight Music

The famous "Star Trek fight music" was composed by Gerald Fried. He would often joke that his ASCAP (American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers) royalty cheques would keep coming in, years after he wrote that percussive and driving piece for the Star Trek episode "Amok Time". ("The Ritual / Ancient Battle / 2nd Kroykah", its cue-sheet name, was reused for two subsequent episodes.) Television series such as The Simpsons and feature films like The Cable Guy paid homage and money.

Mr Fried was director Stanley Kubrick's first composer. They had known each other since childhood so it made sense that the oboist/composer and the photographer/filmmaker would get together to make some film art: Day of the Fight (1951) and Paths of Glory (1957), for example.

For television Fried wrote much music for the shows The Man from U.N.C.L.E. and Gilligan's Island, and many others.

The man himself sent me the above photo in October of 1991 after I wrote him a very un-fan-like letter. (A Note of Appreciation.)

Gerald Fried died in February of 2023, shortly after his 95th birthday, but his association with a certain television program will ensure his work lives on... and his estate will continue to receive those ASCAP cheques.

Once a Geek, (Almost) Always a Geek ― a Star Trek

The above was posted to my bedroom wall for a few years when I was in my teens. A classic poster, I bought it in early 1977 and I still have it... rolled up in the archives.

Oh, I guess I should say what television series it collages: Star Trek

In case you didn't already know.

Well, I am doing a 60th anniversary series....

Picturing: Criterion Title Solaris on Blu-ray from BSV

Last evening I posted a piece on Toronto's new Criterion retail store. Located at 129 John Street, in the city's downtown core, it will be a go-to place for film collectors from these parts ― and beyond. There are a few Criterion titles in my collection, and for some time now I've been meaning to add Andrei Tarkovsky's 1972 intellectual Mosfilm masterwork, Solaris. I first heard of the flick in late 1976 after finding a discarded issue of Scholastic magazine in my history classroom. Inside was a review: the critic found the framing to be static; he said something along the lines of, "characters walk in and out of frame". Well, when I finally got around to seeing the film, I realized there was a little more than that to the picture. That certain screening in 1986 at Toronto's Bloor Cinema revealed a lot more. The house was packed; the audience, attentive. One could hear a pin drop.

This morning I walked down to Toronto's most superb home-video store, Bay Street Video, and added another title to my small Criterion collection.

Oh, I just realized I forgot all about that label's new store....

Nex time!

* * *

Postscript: While at BSV this morning I learned they carry the "Imprint Films" line. The Battle of Britain deluxe set retails for a wee bit more than what I paid for Solaris. Next time!

Streaming: Battle of Britain Day ― 86th Anniversary

Battle of Britain 86th: Battle of Britain Day 1990

The poster said all I had to know. On September 15, 1990, there would be a celebration to remember on the River Thames. That of "Battle of Britain Day, 1990". This World War Two history buff did not plan his trip to coincide with the event, but through a quirk of fate I happened to be in London, England, and would be be able to attend the fireworks.

I stood among a large crowd on the river's south bank, metres upstream from Tower Bridge. The sky darkened, the vintage searchlights fired up, probing and irradiating a low cloud ceiling. All that was missing was the drone of unseen Heinkel, Dornier, and Junkers aircraft. The Blitz was terrible for London's denizens throughout the summer of 1940, so nobody was celebrating the act of war, but the repelling of invaders... German "Luftwaffe" bombers. (Since there had been no definitive and crippling blows to the Royal Air Force, necessary if "Unternehmen Seelöwe" [Operation Sea Lion], the invasion of England, was to have any chance of succeeding, Adolf Hitler lost interest and turned his attention to the east.)

Music blazed from sparking loudspeakers as fireworks of all colours and stripes rose streaking from a barge anchored to the sparkling waters before us. For many Brits here, this sight and sound must have been emotional. I too was feeling it: Composer Ron Goodwin's magnificent themes for the films Battle of Britain and 633 Squadron were the perfect accompaniment, and helped lift us all up high. (Aces High!)

That event was the 50th anniversary of the great battles fought in the skies over England. Now we're at the 86th. Time flies.

*  *  *

Battle of Britain 86th: Book on the Battle

The Battle of Britain

- The Greatest Battle in the History of Air Warfare -

by

Richard Townshend Bickers

Salamander Books Ltd

1999

*  *  *

Battle of Britain 86th: Battle of Britain (1969)

Battle of Britain was a troubled feature film production complete with massive cost overruns and a shoot that seemed to have no end, this historical aviation epic provides some satisfaction for those movie fans who want to see a breed of filmmaking that will never be seen again. No film company today could afford to make a film like Battle of Britain, at least not one using exclusively the same production methods ― much of it would be done using fake CG fakery, by people who've never taken the time to see how an aircraft, like a Spitfire or Heinkel, twists and turns in the sky. (Try YouTube.) As far as the film as a film goes: It depends on whether the viewer can enjoy a 132-minute story about a critical moment of history. The Royal Air Force's warding off of the mighty German Luftwaffe during the summer of 1940.

What one sees are grand air battles and an abundance of name-actors (at that time, of course). Christopher Plummer, Susannah York, Laurence Olivier, Michael Caine, Curt Jurgens, Robert Shaw, and Trevor Howard are a few of those stars who play historical characters or 'average people' swept up in that pesky thing we humans almost never ask for but often get: War. In this case World War II.

A highlight of many: "The Battle in the Air." It makes me a firm believer in cinema's capabilities.

Kudos must go to director Guy Hamilton (1922 - 2016) for giving a somewhat unwieldy story, one with necessary density, some personality; and for remembering the people, who are so often forgotten in these epics.

*  *  *

Battle of Britain 86th: Battle of Britain Film Extras

My dad took me to see Battle of Britain when it hit the "Astra", CFB Baden-Soellingen's movie theatre. We were living in then West Germany, specifically in a small town, surrounded by Germans, which somehow enhanced my movie-going experience. Not only do I love the sound of that language but in this movie the Germans actually speak Deutsche.

To illustrate how big of a deal this movie was at the time, there was a live-from-London television special one evening celebrating its premiere. German television network ARD or ZDF (I can't remember which) picked up the live feed: There were searchlights and men dressed in vintage uniforms manning an ack-ack gun placement. I could hardly wait to see the movie.

Unfortunately, producing-studio and distributor United Artists lost a lot of money on Battle of Britain. The film did not 'travel' much outside of Europe (read: the USA), which it had to do in order to make back the investment. As a tie-in documentary hosted by actor Michael Caine outlined most effectively, regular folk, including those on the Isles, could tell you next to nothing about the battle. And this was less than thirty years after the events. The idea of an ignorance of one's own history as being an 'American' thing is a false one. (Author Clive Cussler recounts a sobering personal experience in his terrific non-fiction book, The Sea Hunters, where he was taken aback by some of his fellow Americans ― politicians in this case ― not knowing, or, more importantly, not even caring, about their own history.)

Director Guy Hamilton, guiding light of Battle of Britain, claimed that United Artists lost ten million dollars (late 1960s currency) on the deal.

As a child what I liked was Battle's spectacle: The wide-screen; the colour; the music; the you-are-there vibe.

The now-defunct "Festival Theatres" repertory chain here in Toronto would screen the film every few years, and I would be there with interested friends.

As I've told people over the years: "Battle of Britain was my Star Wars."

*  *  *

Battle of Britain 86th: Battle of Britain DVD

Battle of Britain

Directed by

Guy Hamilton

United Artists

1969

*  *  *

Battle of Britain 86th: The Film Score

Battle of Britain

- Original MGM Motion Picture Soundtrack -

Music Composed and Conducted by

Ron Goodwin

"Battle in the Air" Composed by

Sir William Walton

*  *  *

Battle of Britain 86th: The William Walton Score

Walton

Battle of Britain Suite

- Sir William Walton's film music Vol. 2 -

Sir Neville Marriner Conducts

The Academy of St. Martin in the Fields

Chandos Records Ltd

1990

*  *  *

Battle of Britain 86th: Final Thought for the Day

"Music blazed from sparking loudspeakers as fireworks of all colours and stripes rose streaking from a barge anchored to the sparkling waters before us. For many Brits here, this sight and sound must have been emotional."

― September of 1990, as I stood near the River Thames for a "Battle of Britain" 50th Anniversary commemoration.