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kissing the cloud tops is this SAC B-36 laying down its vapor trails TOM TUTWILER, ASC, shooting from another B-36 with a VistaVision altitude of over 40,000 feet. camera, captured these rare shots for “Strategic Air Command.”
To shoot from this type plane alone, I had to design four different camera mounts: for the B-36 nose, the forward “bubble” or gun port, and two for the aft gun ports.
On our return to the studio from the survey of the Air Force bases, detailed specifications for building the various camera mounts were turned over to the studio’s camera department. In the meantime, we had arranged with Paul Mantz to supply his famed B-25 camera plane for our use in making some of the aerial shots.
This assignment marked the first time that the Mantz camera plane had ever been used for VistaVision photography. It was therefore necessary to completely alter the camera mounts in both the nose
and the tail to accommodate the Vista¬ Vision cameras. Mantz’s ship was used in filming all aerial shots that did not require going to extreme altitudes. When it was necessary to shoot from heights of around eight miles and travel at near sonic speeds, one of the Air Force’s jet aircraft was used as a camera plane. It was such a plaiie that Tom Tutwiler used in shooting the rare, unearthly pan¬ oramic shots at 40,000 feet that highlight the climax of the picture.
Altogether, the aircraft used in the action or the photography of “Strategic Air Command” included the aforemen¬ tioned B-36s, the Mantz B-25 camera plane, B-47 bombers, H-19 helicopters, KC-97 in-air refueling ships, T-33 jets,
C-97s and C-124 Globemasters. The hel¬ icopter was also used as a camera plane for special shots.
This cooperation and permission to shoot SAC in actual operation was ex¬ tended us by the Air Force because it was felt the film could be a definite contribution to national security. Fur¬ thermore, the special type of mature in¬ dividual SAC requires for personnel is not easy to find. The film illustrates the type of temperament a man must pos¬ sess to be eligible for duty in SAC.
Col. 0. F. Lassiter, one of the nation’s most renowned pilots, was given leave from his duty as Director of Operations, 12th Air Division, March Field, to act as technical advisor and liaison officer with (Continued on Page 547)
PAUL MANTZ’s famed camera plane was used by cameraman Tutwiler to shoot a great many scenes for “Strategic Air Com¬ mand.” Photo shows nose mounting VistaVision cameras.
TAIL OF SAME plane, showing canopy removed from the aft camera position. It was necessary to modify the camera mounts in both nose and tail in order to accommodate VistaVision cameras.
American Cinematographer
September, 1955
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