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Hindenburg: The Untold Story

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Initial release
  
24 April 2007 (Germany)

Budget
  
770,000 GBP

Director
  
Sean Grundy

Screenplay
  
Tony Mulholland

Hindenburg: The Untold Story moviesnetcommedia5hindenburgtheuntoldstory

Awards
  
News & Documentary Emmy Award for Outstanding Lighting Direction & Scenic Design

Cast
  
Michael Praed, Malcolm Tierney, John Shrapnel, Gerard Monaco, Mark McGann

Similar
  
The Hindenburg, 9 Dead Gay Guys, Hindenburg, Son of Darkness: To Die Fo, Staggered

Hindenburg: The Untold Story known in Germany as Das Geheimnis der Hindenburg ("The Secret of the Hindenburg") and Die Hindenburg: die ungeklärte Katastrophe, is a two-hour docudrama about the disaster of the Hindenburg, and the investigation that followed. It aired on May 6, 2007, to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the disaster. It was commissioned by Channel 4, ZDF, and the Smithsonian Networks to be produced by Pioneer Productions and has also aired on Discovery Channel Canada. Its original working title was Hindenburg and is also known as Hindenburg: Titanic of the skies (which should not be confused with Titanic of the Sky, a different documentary by Vidicom). The British version is narrated by Malcolm Tierney who plays the role of Hugo Eckener, while John Shrapnel narrates an alternative version which features interviews with survivors.

Contents

It provides a reenactment of the Hindenburg Disaster using a detailed computer animated model. The animation was done by Red Vision, which also did the animation for two previous documentaries on the Hindenburg Disaster: Hindenburg Disaster: Probable Cause and an episode of Seconds From Disaster. The film mainly focuses on the official investigation of the disaster. The live actions scenes were shot in Poland and later edited by Red Vision who had previously done animation on two previous documentaries on the Hindenburg Disaster: Hindenburg Disaster: Probable Cause and an episode of Seconds From Disaster.

Story

The film primarily focuses on the Hindenburg's demise and the official inquiry that followed.

Cast

  • Dr. Hugo Eckener: Malcolm Tierney
  • Commander Rosendahl: Mark McGann
  • Jean Rosendahl: Lorelei King
  • Max Pruss: Albert Welling
  • Herbert Morrison: Gerard Monaco
  • Joseph Späh: Simon Lowe
  • Nelson Morris: Michael Praed
  • Chief Steward Henrich Kubis: Thorston Manderlay
  • Werner Franz: Kamil Krawczykowski
  • Helmut Lau: Piotr Grabowski
  • Rudolph Sauter: John Edmondson
  • Colonel South Trimble (Jr.): Phil Goss

    • Filmmakers

  • Director Sean Grundy
  • Producer Vicky Matthews
  • Editor Martin Swann
  • Composer Andrew Hewitt
  • Cinematographer David Langan

    • Historical errors

  • Often there are fake newsreels showing the disaster, though the footage is real. These are fake as the narrator for all newsreels are shown as the same for all three newsreel companies, even though it uses the opening part of an actual newsreel of the disaster (Universal Newsreel, Movietone News Special). Also the footage does not match the proper newsreel, as the "Universal" one uses footage originally from the Pathé coverage of the disaster.
  • The Hindenburg appears to have crashed on solid concrete and grass. In reality the landing field was wet and sandy.
  • The newsreel cameramen do not stand on van roofs to film the disaster when the real newsreel cameramen stood on top of van roofs.
  • Some of the ways that the passengers survive is slightly inaccurate. Albert Sammt escaped with his hat on, but in this documentary he does not have his hat on. Lehmann also had his hat on when he escaped. Margaret Mather escapes with no scratches. In reality her hands were burned. Werner Franz has some small cuts on his head, but in reality, he never had any sort of injury at all.
  • Heinrich Kubis, the chief steward, is portrayed as suspicious of passenger Joseph Spah but also sympathetic of him saying "he was okay" and that he was only "feeding his dog." In reality, Kubis believed that Spah was saboteur of the airship.
  • The flag draped behind the commission and the flags waved by spectators have 50 stars, but the American flag at the time of the disaster would have only had 48.
  • Although Eckener may have been initially offered helium in 1929, little if any information is available as to whether this is true or not. The Hindenburg was designed to use hydrogen cells enclosed within a helium envelope, but with the rise of Nazi Germany and war looming over Europe, the United States government would not release the helium for the Hindenburg. The United States had the only large quantities of helium at the time.
  • The film states that one survivor, Margaret Mather, escaped without a scratch. Mrs. Mather was wearing a heavy coat and although she used it to shield her face and body, her hands were burned badly.

    • References

    Hindenburg: The Untold Story Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA