Sunday Mirror (Northern Ireland)
Through the eyes of my dad, WWII Jewish air hero
Movie chief’s lost Memphis Belle footage brought back to cinema
A HOLLYWOOD boss who risked his life to film US bombers in action during World War Two was “a daredevil”, his proud daughter has said.
German-born Jewish director William Wyler went along on suicidal missions aboard a B-17, knowing that even if he survived being shot down the Nazis would murder him anyway.
Wyler, then aged in his 40s, flew with the young crew of an aircraft called Memphis Belle, whose exploits formed the basis of a 1990 movie.
In 1944 he made a documentary called A Story of a Flying Fortress about the crew, who became the first to do 25 missions over Europe. It was thought Wyler had used up all his footage – but 15 hours lay lost in the American National Archives for over 70 years until a researcher mentioned it to modern-day film maker Erik Nelson. The raw colour footage was faded but Erik restored it to its original glory,
seen in the photos above. And now it forms part of a new documentary called The Cold Blue, to be shown in UK cinemas on July 4. It includes interviews with nine veterans of the missions, whose voices narrate the 1943 events.
Wyler already had an established record as a director when he volunteered for the US Army Air Forces and was made a major. His daughter Catherine said: “My father didn’t want to miss a big thrilling thing like WWII.
“I think he was something of a daredevil and he said that, once you got up in the plane and started taking pictures, you forgot people were shooting at you.”
Film maker Erik said: “This project was a real labour of love. It celebrates men who saved the world 75 years ago.”
Ex-pilot Paul “Bud” Heideke, 93, said: “It’s so good, halfway through I imagined myself back on a mission.”
After the war Wyler won an Oscar for Ben Hur and propelled Audrey Hepburn to stardom in Roman Holiday. He died at 79 in 1981. Nine years later Memphis Belle, starring Matthew Modine, was released.