DAMBUSTERS 75 RESTORED FILM
128 FLYPAST June 2018
COMMEMORATING THE 75TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE FAMOUS WWII RAID
“Dragon in Wales scanned the
negative at an incredibly high
resolution, and then it really is a
time-consuming matter of putting
each frame through a restoration
process. Think of it in these terms- film runs through a camera at 24
frames per second, and The Dam
Busters is two hours long. That gives
you some idea of the amount of
work involved.
“Over time film footage can
deteriorate or become unstable so
you have to clean it up and look
at density fluctuations within the
negative. You then have to do
the same thing with the audio,
which is a more straightforward
process, relatively speaking. It’s all
done manually and is very labour
intensive, but ultimately is very
rewarding, and the results speak
for themselves. I’ve seen the final
version and it does look and sound
fantastic.”
BIG SCREEN
The revamped film had its premiere
on April 14 at the International
Bomber Command Centre in
Lincoln, barely 7 miles from
Scampton, where the modified
Lancasters of 617 Squadron took off
on that fateful night.
During World War Two,
Lincolnshire became unofficiallyknown as ‘Bomber County’. It was
home to a third of all RAF Bomber
Command stations and, due to
the area’s flat geography, lent itself
perfectly to runways and air bases.
Lincoln Cathedral was probably
the last British landmark the
squadron saw as it took
off, making the nearby
International BomberCommand Centre an apt venue for
the restored film’s premiere. The £12.5
million attraction opened in January
to commemorate those who served
and supported Bomber Command
and to recognise the
significant contribution of
Lincolnshire to the outcome
of World War
Tw o.“WHEN YOU SEE AIRCRAFT FLYING AT LOW LEVEL OVER THE
LAKES, THEY REALLY ARE DOING EXACTLY THAT”
Above
Robert Shaw (left)
as F/Sgt John Pulford
alongside Richard
Todd as Gibson.Above right
A restored still from
‘The Dam Busters’,
featuring Michael
Redgrave (centre) as
Barnes Wallis.Right
Richard Todd (left) on
set with Gp Capt John
Whitworth.