What's wrong with this picture?

[dev_null]

Ceci n'est pas une response

It is period, not Hollywood, but it is posed -- either UPI or Life Magazine or something, can't remember now. Trying to remember the photog... Bert Stern? Pretty sure it's not Capa. IIRC it's during the liberation of Paris (so maybe they're looking to ward off Ivan? ;-> ). I believe the guy in the back is FFA, the one in the foreground is maquis? No idea where the two gendarmes came from... probably Vichy two days earlier. };->

 

[Travis McGee]

My take: it's staged. A couple of well-dressed, showered, hair-combed REMFs are phonying up an "action shot" to impress the "dames" with back in the states.

The real fighting is taking place about ten miles from these supply clerks.

 

[Old Fud]

Dave, if Oleg answered his question, please show me where. I've been over this thread 20 times, and his name is nowhere but the first entry, and I see no place where that "hand over the - - " comment is made either.

If we can all agree on anything, it is that this pix is posed.

That is a frame or a publicity shot from a Movie.
I'm positive. I notice that Bluebear is too.
There were TONS of WWII movies made in the 40's through the mid-60's, more than half in B&W.
I know those faces -- Just can't put names to them. (the Lt is NOT Martin Milner either.) I associate them with grade B films from the 50's.
You will NEVER see a real army officer with that gorgeous scarf tucked neatly into his neck -- that's Pure Hollywood. Not to mention the clean shiny boots.

Oleg, it's been a week now.
Why have you done this to us?

Fud

P.S. It's been a long nasty week, it's not over yet and I'm getting cranky.
Sorry.

 

[c_yeager]

Dave, if Oleg answered his question, please show me where. I've been over this thread 20 times, and his name is nowhere but the first entry, and I see no place where that "hand over the - - " comment is made either.

On the very first page of this thread, seventh post from the top. It reads:

Hand over the ejection port of the Sten...could get painful...not as painful as the 45 poined at his butt.

 

[davec]

as compared to this?

or this?

 

[Old Fud]

C, I swear to God that post wasn't there just 10 minutes ago. Honest!!!

I just found the car-keys that have been lost for the past 2 weeks, too.
They were hanging on the key-board next to the fridge. Sigh!!!!

Dave, yes, very much "As opposed to that."
With the exception of the first of the series (which might have been posed), all of them are characterized by their Homliness. Pictures of scruffy-looking people in ugly and mis-matched clothing in dirty surroundings. See also some of the realism in background folk --- the man holding his ears, another freedom-fighter in a T-shirt and German Helmet.
Now compare that to the spotless boots, the neatly tucked trousers and above all --- that Bee-Yout-i-ful scarf on our poster officer.
That's "as opposed to".

Fud.

 

[BluesBear]

It just looks lstaged. The lighting is too perfect. of course it is black & whoite and a lot could have been done in the printing. Dodging and burning can do a lot to enhance a B&W photo whereas colour is pretty much an all or nothing proposition. The detail quality of this photo is just so much better than any of the others posted indicating a large format camera, finer grain film careful staging, etc.

The Frenchman does NOT have his hand over the ejection port. He DOES however have his hand over the bolt channel, and that would be worse since the bolt slamming home would then shove his hand over the ejection port for the second round.

The two clowns in the back are obviously disconnected from the action.

Even if that is a watch on a left handed Lt it wouldn't matter because the US military in WWII only issued right hand holsters.
His 1911A1 isn't cocked either.

Why does he need a map? Is he wondering if he made a wrong turn at Alberquerque?

Only the GI is using cover. The Frenchman appears to be casually leanng against the automobile. I started to do a #4 kicking the tire on a used car caption in my earlier, humourous reply.

Audie Murphy was the most decorated United States SERVICEMAN of WWII. This included ALL branches of the service. That is why he later became a movie star. The book To Hell And Back is a must read.

 

[Joey2]

The one with the Sten needs a haircut?

 

[280PLUS]

No cute women brandishing assault weapons?

 

[Seraph]

Aside from a gun handling faux-pas or two, the biggest error I see is the depiction of two gendarmes in a combat zone, who are still oriented toward the front.

 

[4thHorseman]

What I see is the hammer is not back on the 45, The 45 is pointed at the other guys leg with his finger on the trigger, the officer has a cigarette and a map in his left hand while he about to get down and dirty, the French guy has a leg up looking probably at the same thing as the two Americans are looking at.
The officer's left collar device is on wrong.

 

[The_Antibubba]

The problem I see, Oleg, is that your models aren't fine examples of armed babe-itude!

 

[Mal H]

"What's wrong?"

The fact that they are obviously in France and there is a "Hotel Corona" on the street? (Should be "Hôtel Couronne".)

They are all looking up the street at impending danger while the hapless photographer is going to get whacked?

The obvious wrong thing is that the Lt. is about to shoot the resistance guy's leg. (I think that is Audie Murphy as School Belle noted.)

 

[CraZYWiLLiE]

No, that is NOT Audle L. Murphy.
He was the highest decorated soldier in the history of the United States.
To hell and back IS a must read...

He wasnt there anyway, he was in the 3ID.

Perhaps the french police in the background watching the action, and perhaps waiting for wine?

The french car actully runs?

45 in the butt...LMAO

 

[dasmi]

This picture is in the 2005 Springfield Armory catalog.

 

[eeyore]

280PLUS: No cute women brandishing assault weapons?

I was aware that my wife's grandparents lived in Holland during WWII, and that they weren't happy with the Nazi occupation. Grandpa was a police officer who would on occassion drive for Winston Churchill, and Grandma was the daughter of the chief of police. My wife has gathered over the years that they were involved in the Resistance at some level, but even in their 80's, they don't seem too comfortable talking about that time in their lives.

While visiting them this weekend, we were lucky enough to look through a couple of old photo albums. While looking over our shoulder at a picture of his wife (girlfriend at the time) at the age of 18 or 19, grandpa laughed at how she used to shoot a Sten gun from the hip. No picture of that, and I didn't think to ask where she put her support hand. He then moved on to talk about another picture.

Their lives help me put mine in perspective. The worst thing I had to do this weekend is pay two dollars per gallon of gas. I think I'll take that over having to house an occupying army.

 

[Mrs. Armoredman]

The worst thing I had to do this weekend is pay two dollars per gallon of gas. I think I'll take that over having to house an occupying army.

Amen. May it never come to pass. Just think what the Nazis would have done with the technology of today....