SteyrAUG
09-27-15, 01:18
So like probably everyone else here in my age range, as a kid I dutifully watched "Baa Baa Black Sheep" every single week on NBC starting with the movie "Flying Misfits" in 1976 until the last episode in 1978. This began my fascination with the F4U corsair and Greg Boyington "as depicted" became a hero and role model.
I of course bought the DVDs when they were released and with the demise of "print" I decided to pick up a copy of his book and read it.
http://oi61.tinypic.com/14mb7e9.jpg
Got a used copy for a fair price. And flipping through it I find this.
http://oi62.tinypic.com/1477e8.jpg
Now I'm sure in 1977, at the height of the shows popularity, he probably signed thousands of copies of his book to cash in on his new found fame. The book was original published in 1958 so it was probably largely forgotten in 1976 except for those who knew a lot about WWII.
My copy is a Seventeenth edition so that sounds about right for a copy from around 1977. Not sure how rare something like this is, but also not sure how many are still floating around. Sure is kinda neat to have something signed by the man himself though. Won't be any more as we lost him in 1988.
Was also very surprised at the "real story" vs. the "tv show." Boyington commented that the show was "hogwash and Hollywood hokum" despite acting as technical advisor for the show.
Writer Stephen J. Cannell seemed to have mostly been inspired by the story of the Greg Boyington and the Black Sheep and then went right ahead and told his own tales. Cannell is actually a good writer and responsible for many great TV shows and he did write some memorable episodes of "Black Sheep" with "Up For Grabs" and "The War Biz Warrior" probably being my favorites.
But there was no Japanese Devil Ace known as Captain Harachi. In fact there wasn't even an Vella La Cava or an Espritos Marcos. Both were fictional locations based upon Vella Lavella and Espiritu Santo. Ironically much of the gun camera footage is genuine and some people were critical that actual "kills" were being shown on a tv show.
Ironically enough the show ran longer than Boyingtons time with the VMF-214 which began September of 1943 until he was shot down in in January 1944. On that day he tied World War I ace Eddie Rickenbacker's record of 26 enemy planes destroyed, before he was himself shot down.
He spent the rest of the war as a POW, and ironically credits this event with saving him from alcoholism. Like a lot of "heroes", especially those given MoH and presumed dead, he had a tough time after the war and worked a variety of jobs, the most long term of which seemed to be as a referee for professional wrestling. He also resumed drinking.
Fortunately he gained some newfound fame and income with the TV show, and despite it's many inaccuracies, he is mostly remembered as a hard drinking and "willing to bend the rules" American hero. Perhaps that is for the best, and probably a good thing I didn't read this particular book as a kid.
I of course bought the DVDs when they were released and with the demise of "print" I decided to pick up a copy of his book and read it.
http://oi61.tinypic.com/14mb7e9.jpg
Got a used copy for a fair price. And flipping through it I find this.
http://oi62.tinypic.com/1477e8.jpg
Now I'm sure in 1977, at the height of the shows popularity, he probably signed thousands of copies of his book to cash in on his new found fame. The book was original published in 1958 so it was probably largely forgotten in 1976 except for those who knew a lot about WWII.
My copy is a Seventeenth edition so that sounds about right for a copy from around 1977. Not sure how rare something like this is, but also not sure how many are still floating around. Sure is kinda neat to have something signed by the man himself though. Won't be any more as we lost him in 1988.
Was also very surprised at the "real story" vs. the "tv show." Boyington commented that the show was "hogwash and Hollywood hokum" despite acting as technical advisor for the show.
Writer Stephen J. Cannell seemed to have mostly been inspired by the story of the Greg Boyington and the Black Sheep and then went right ahead and told his own tales. Cannell is actually a good writer and responsible for many great TV shows and he did write some memorable episodes of "Black Sheep" with "Up For Grabs" and "The War Biz Warrior" probably being my favorites.
But there was no Japanese Devil Ace known as Captain Harachi. In fact there wasn't even an Vella La Cava or an Espritos Marcos. Both were fictional locations based upon Vella Lavella and Espiritu Santo. Ironically much of the gun camera footage is genuine and some people were critical that actual "kills" were being shown on a tv show.
Ironically enough the show ran longer than Boyingtons time with the VMF-214 which began September of 1943 until he was shot down in in January 1944. On that day he tied World War I ace Eddie Rickenbacker's record of 26 enemy planes destroyed, before he was himself shot down.
He spent the rest of the war as a POW, and ironically credits this event with saving him from alcoholism. Like a lot of "heroes", especially those given MoH and presumed dead, he had a tough time after the war and worked a variety of jobs, the most long term of which seemed to be as a referee for professional wrestling. He also resumed drinking.
Fortunately he gained some newfound fame and income with the TV show, and despite it's many inaccuracies, he is mostly remembered as a hard drinking and "willing to bend the rules" American hero. Perhaps that is for the best, and probably a good thing I didn't read this particular book as a kid.