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  Apollo 13 (film): "Get a washing machine to fly..."

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Author Topic:   Apollo 13 (film): "Get a washing machine to fly..."
Paul78zephyr
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Posts: 675
From: Hudson, MA
Registered: Jul 2005

posted 05-14-2014 11:26 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Paul78zephyr     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
"If they could get a washing machine to fly..."

Other than the 'getting home' scene with Jules Bergman, this scene with Blanche Lovell (played brilliantly by Ron Howard's real life mother Jean Howard) is one of my favorite scenes from the 1995 film Apollo 13.

Although the incident in the Banshee aircraft at night is recounted in Jim Lovell's book Lost Moon there is no mention in the book - even anecdotally - of Mrs. Lovell ever saying that. Does anyone know if this was something made up by the screenwriters or if it is something Jim Lovell knew his mother to say and passed it on to the filmmakers?

Has anyone here ever spoken to Captain Lovell about this?

randy
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Posts: 2176
From: West Jordan, Utah USA
Registered: Dec 1999

posted 05-14-2014 11:40 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for randy   Click Here to Email randy     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
If memory serves, in the collectors edition of the DVD, listening to Jim and Marilyn narrating the movie, they say they don't know why that was included in the movie, because they don't remember her saying that.

Paul78zephyr
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Posts: 675
From: Hudson, MA
Registered: Jul 2005

posted 05-14-2014 11:57 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Paul78zephyr     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
That is very interesting. I guess I was hoping that is was really something Mrs. Lovell would have said about the piloting skills of her son not Hollywood poetic license.

garymilgrom
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Posts: 1966
From: Atlanta, GA
Registered: Feb 2007

posted 05-14-2014 03:57 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for garymilgrom   Click Here to Email garymilgrom     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
I didn't know Blanche was played by Ron's mom. Thanks for that!

Philip
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Posts: 5952
From: Brussels, Belgium
Registered: Jan 2001

posted 11-23-2016 05:31 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Philip   Click Here to Email Philip     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Another detail: In the walkout scene to the capsule, Lovell was wearing an Omega Speedmaster on the right wrist, not left as shown in the movie.

Blackarrow
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Posts: 3118
From: Belfast, United Kingdom
Registered: Feb 2002

posted 11-23-2016 06:55 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Blackarrow     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Well, that really is the giddy limit! I'll never watch "Apollo 13" again!

onesmallstep
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Posts: 1310
From: Staten Island, New York USA
Registered: Nov 2007

posted 11-30-2016 12:01 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for onesmallstep   Click Here to Email onesmallstep     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Another bit of artistic license in the movie is the scene where the original crew is posing for photos and Haise says someone said to bring along a pig on the flight for good luck. And Mattingly viewing the launch at the Cape next to his Corvette, when he actually was in Houston.

You could go on and on, but it doesn't detract from the movie.

All times are CT (US)

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