Oct 17, 2015 a few brave men in a very small boat risked their lives in unbelievable conditions. The reallife story behind disneys forthcoming coast guard rescue. Behind the incredible true story of the coast guard s most daring rescue attempt this link is to an external site that may or may not meet accessibility guidelines. The coast guard heard about the ship in distress and set out on a daring rescue attempt in which mostly every man on board was rescued. To prove to the crew that lowering the lifeboats was a bad idea, he cuts one loose and they watch it smash against the side of the ship, breaking into pieces. Coast guard hero watches 1952 rescue made into movie the. Jan 24, 2016 the mission is considered the greatest smallboat rescue in coast guard history and is the premise for the movie the finest hours, in theaters friday and based on the 2009 book of the same name. Coast guard motor lifeboat cg36500 is a historic, 36foot lifeboat that is berthed at rock harbor in orleans, massachusetts. The finest hours is based on the true story of two oil tankers, the pendleton and the fort mercer, that split in two during a storm off the coast of massachusetts in 1952. As the movie opens, it is wellfleet, ma, november 1951, and we get to know two coast guarders who are out on a double date. The daring rescue of those mariners is the subject of a forthcoming disney movie, the finest hours. A few brave men in a very small boat risked their lives in unbelievable conditions. Movie trailer for the finest hours the remarkable true.
Casey affleck bails out true ocean rescue saga the finest. The reallife story behind disneys forthcoming coast guard. A heroic actionthriller, the finest hours is the remarkable true story of the greatest small boat rescue in coast guard history. A lot of cape codders are looking forward to the soontobe released movie about the dramatic sea rescue carried out by members of the chatham coast guard station during the winter of 1952. More trailers and clips the finest hours trailer no. The finest hours relives a perilous, forgotten rescue. Mar 04, 2016 discover the story behind disneys the finest hours as author michael tougias takes you through the timeline of the real life events. Tougias and casey sherman and reprinted late in 2015 ahead of a major film version opening in nationwide release today jan. Disney sets the fighter scribes to adapt coast guard rescue. Webber, fitzgerald, livesey and maske were all awarded the gold lifesaving medal on may 7, 1952.
Chatham turns back the clock to 1952 to film the daring. The reallife story behind disneys forthcoming coast guard rescue movie. I listened to the rescue on the coast guard radio, ryder said. The heroic event is now a movie based on a book by the same name. Boat in heroic 1952 rescue gets a second life the boston globe. This was a hardship for the crew, as many rescues were of mariners at risk precisely because their vessels were at risk due to bad weather. Jan 30, 2016 they did that, a former rescue party member says of the 1952 incident. The finest hours movie highlights hope, faith, and fate.
Tougias and casey sherman and reprinted late in 2015 ahead of a major. What the movie gets right and wrong about the 1952 rescue. Jan 29, 2016 the remarkable true story behind the finest hours, as told by the two surviving members of the coast guard s most daring rescue. With chris pine, casey affleck, ben foster, eric bana. The movie, the finest hours, starring chris pine, casey affleck, and holliday grainger is a dramatization of the rescue. Fitzgerald was one of four coast guardsmen who left chatham in a 36foot wooden boat, at night in a blizzard, and in the teeth of 60foot waves, to rescue the. How a coast guard crew defied the odds and saved 32 lives.
Coast guards 1952 rescue of a sinking oil freighter during a ferocious storm is a wellcrafted tale of heroism in. Jul 26, 2014 cutters, an airplane and a lifesaving motorboat raced to rescue the vessel 20 miles off the coast. The finest hours brings to life the most daring rescue in the history of the u. The finest hours tries to mount an oldfashioned rescue movie. True story behind coast guard movie starring chris. The coast guard arrives at the chatham fish pier during the 1952 rescue of two tankers that broke in half during a noreaster off cape cod. A movie, the finest hours is being released on jan. Boat in heroic 1952 rescue gets a second life the boston. The scene, filmed in a cavernous building at the former fore river shipyard, is a recreation of what the us coast guard calls the greatest rescue by a small boat in its history. Cluff eric bana orders a daring operation to rescue the stranded men. A rescue crew from the chatham coast guard station, of which gouthro was close friends with, made the daring, and historical rescue. The author of the definitive account of the coast guard s greatest smallboat rescue on the movies accuracy.
Its crew received the coast guards gold lifesaving medal, a rare commendation. Its well known in seafaring circles, and it was the subject of a seasoaked nail biter of a book published in 2009, written by michael j. The finest hours is a 2016 american action thriller film directed by craig gillespie and produced by walt disney pictures. It was the winter of 1952 and a hurricaneforce storm was barreling. Famed 1952 coast guard rescue off chatham recounted in.
One of the most daring rescues in coast guard history. Last surviving crewman of greatest small boat rescue in. The t2 tanker ships were prone to splitting in two in cold weather. Jan 28, 2016 webber, fitzgerald, livesey and maske were all awarded the gold lifesaving medal on may 7, 1952. I had the great honor of getting to know andy, not only writing the book, but also working on our film, the finest hours. The survivors climbed down the jacobs ladder visible before. Attleboro man was on the pendleton when it sank in 1952. The finest hours, the true story of the us coast guards famous 1952 rescue of crewmen from a stricken oil tanker in a savage storm, is a. Presented in digital 3d and imax 3d, the film will transport audiences. The new disney movie the finest hours depicts a legendary coast guard rescue in 1952. The reallife story behind disneys forthcoming coast guard rescue movie, the finest hours. Jan 28, 2016 the true story behind a coast guard rescue depicted in disneys the finest hours is amazing enough that it didnt require corny romantic embellishments that threaten to capsize. The film stars chris pine, casey affleck, ben foster, holliday grainger, john ortiz, and eric bana, and chronicles the historic 1952 united states coast guard rescue of the crew of ss pendleton, after the ship split apart during a noreaster off the new england coast.
Disney has just release its first trailer from its new film the finest hours, based on the remarkable true story of the greatest small boat rescue in u. The finest hours this basedontruestory about the u. With michael redgrave, richard wattis, michael denison, walter hudd. Chris pine and casey affleck topline a dramatization of a remarkable 1952 rescue at sea. The screenplay, written by eric johnson, scott silver, and paul tamasy, is based on the finest hours. In 1952, a massive winter storm split an oil tanker in two, off the coast of cape cod, trapping more than 30 sailors on board. The stern of the ss pendleton rests on a sandbar off the coast of cape cod shortly after the 1952 disaster. On a small lifeboat faced with frigid temperatures and 70foot high waves, four members of the coast guard set out to rescue the more than 30 stranded sailors trapped aboard the rapidlysinking vessel. The ships sinking and crew rescue along with breakup and rescue of its sister ship fort.
The first trailer for the film was released last week, underscoring the bravery of the coast. The medal is the highest honor for the coast guard. The film centers on what is considered the greatest smallboat rescue in. Thad allen said bernies genius was creating the art of the possible where none existed. The movie stars chris pine, ben foster and eric bana, and will be released. The coast guard makes a daring rescue attempt off the coast of cape cod after a pair of oil tankers are destroyed during a blizzard in 1952. Nov 16, 2018 chatham the last surviving member of the coast guard crew aboard the motor lifeboat 36500 during the historic 1952 rescue of 32 seamen off the stricken oil tanker pendleton rescue has died. Aug 12, 2011 disney sets the fighter scribes to adapt coast guard rescue book the finest hours. Jan 12, 2016 a lot of cape codders are looking forward to the soontobe released movie about the dramatic sea rescue carried out by members of the chatham coast guard station during the winter of 1952. Jul, 2015 the reallife story behind disneys forthcoming coast guard rescue movie, the finest hours.
Famed 1952 coast guard rescue off chatham recounted in book. Film about dramatic coast guard rescue off chatham opens this. But the boston strong movie is already in the works. On february 18, 1952 two world war two era t2 tanker ships, the pendleton and the fort mercer split in half within 40 miles of each other in a. I just watched the movie and have immense respect for the crew and the coast guard in.
The coast guard called it the greatest rescue by a small boat in its history. The ships broke in half, or halves, and while more than one rescue mission took place that day and night, the film version of the finest hours focuses on the fourman coast guard. When algernon discovers that his friend, ernest, has created a fictional brother for whenever he needs a reason to escape dull country life, algernon poses as the brother, resulting in ever increasing confusion. Jan 26, 2016 the most amazing stories often turn out to be the true ones. Sybert casey affleck, the pendletons chief engineer and senior officer on board, takes charge after the captain was lost with the bow section. The coast guards daring rescue of the men aboard those ships became the subject of the finest hours, a 2009. Hollywood chose to tell half the story of this daring. Meet the real bernie webber, miriam, richard livesey and andy fitzgerald.
In february of 1952, one of the worst storms to ever hit the east coast struck new england, damaging an oil tanker off the coast of cape cod and literally ripping it in half. Coast guard s 1952 rescue of a sinking oil freighter during a ferocious storm is a wellcrafted tale of heroism in. They brought all but one to safety in a wooden motorboat designed to hold no more than 16 people. On this day in 1952, one of the most daring rescues in the history of the. Unlike the coast guard s more recent motor lifeboat, the 47 foot motor lifeboat, the 36 foot class was piloted entirely from an open cockpit, where crewmembers were exposed to the elements. It is considered to be the greatest small boat rescue in history. They did that, a former rescue party member says of the 1952 incident.
They were four coast guardsmen at the chatham lifeboat station who volunteered. The true story behind a coast guard rescue depicted in disneys the finest hours is amazing enough that it didnt require corny romantic embellishments that threaten to capsize. Film about dramatic coast guard rescue off chatham opens. On february 18, 1952, a fierce storm hammered the new england coast, generating waves that topped 70 feet. Hours later, radar at the coast guard station showed the two broken pieces of the pendleton. Coast guard braved 80foot waves and a blinding noreaster to face the impossible. The story behind the disney movie the finest hours youtube. The historic rescue, known as the greatest small boat rescue in coast guard history, was documented by casey sherman in a book that was later portrayed in a disney movie, the finest hours. More see chris pine as a coast guard captain in trailer for. The mission is considered the greatest smallboat rescue in coast guard history and is the premise for the movie the finest hours, in theaters friday.
What the finest hours gets right and wrong about the 1952 rescue attempt of the pendleton oil tanker off the coast of cape cod, mass. They shrugged it off and said they were just doing their job. Telling the true story of a 1952 coast guard rescue, it justifies its wave after wave of wellrendered cg water, bearing down relentlessly on the films heroes. Kung fu panda 3 and the finest hours 2016 see more. The finest hours tells epic tale of coast guard triumph.
Spotlight to shine on decadesold daring rescue at sea cbs news. Cg36500 saves 32 lives off monomoy as pendleton goes down. Hollywood chose to tell half the story of this daring coast. This book completely blew me away with how two large tankers split in half during a huge winter storm, and the heroic rescue efforts that were made during horrible weather conditions.
The heroic rescue of the pendleton crew, 1952 new england. The daring rescue of 32 men from the broken tanker ss pendleton on feb. This movie is a film about the courage of seemingly ordinary people under great stress, and is faithful to the spirit of the rescue and the traditions of valor that run deep in the us coast guard. On february 18, 1952, a massive noreaster struck new england, pummeling. What the finest hours gets right and wrong about the 1952 rescue attempt of. Eric bana, and chronicles the historic 1952 united states coast guard rescue. Just off cape cod, two 500foot tankers were broken in half by the heavy seas. Coast guard academy uses disneys the finest hours as example of leaders of character abstract. On february 18, 1952, four coast guardsmen set out from station chatham in a thirtysixfoot motor lifeboat to locate the mortally wounded t2 tanker pendleton and rescue. Melvin gouthro of wrentham wasnt the only local connection to a maritime disaster and miraculous rescue 64 years ago off cape cod that movie goers. Chatham turns back the clock to 1952 to film the daring pendleton rescue chatham lighthouse and coast guard station covered in snow for the finest hours filming. Coxswain bernard webber was told to pick his crew and rescue the shipwrecked sailors. Presented in digital 3d and imax 3d, the film will transport audiences to the heart of the action, creating a fullyimmersive cinematic experience on an epic scale.
The most amazing stories often turn out to be the true ones. The finest hours tells the story of a worldfamous coast guard rescue that took place off the chatham coast in 1952. The greatest small boat rescue in coast guard history, a true story theresa mitchell barbo, john galluzzo, w. Finest stars chris pine and casey affleck as members of the coast guard who attempted to rescue men from a stricken tanker off the coast of cape cod in 1952. Feb 15, 2016 t he finest hours, the true story of the us coast guards famous 1952 rescue of crewmen from a stricken oil tanker in a savage storm, is a strange hybrid of a movie. When speaking at bernie webbers funeral in wellfleet, mass. Casey affleck bails out true ocean rescue saga the. It was really my first big rescue in the coast guard and i wanted to be on. Retired coast guardsman from wrentham recalls daring sea. The new film, which stars chris pine and casey affleck, is based on the true story of one of the most dangerous and daring rescue attempts in coast guard history.
She was sold in 1948 to national bulk carriers, serving until february 1952 when she broke in two in a storm. Its crew received the coast guard s gold lifesaving medal, a rare commendation. Deadline broke the news that eric johnson and paul tamasy, writers of 2010s the fighter, have optioned the movie rights to the book. Script to be written by paul tamasy and eric johnson. Built in 1946, it is notable for its involvement in the 1952 ss pendleton rescue, one of the most daring such events recorded in the history of the united states coast guard.
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