While watching "In Panama" a while back, I noticed some writing on the side of the seaplanes being launched from the ship, the ones the spy on the dock was trying to photograph.
It said "Indianapolis". As I haven't been able to see the same on the ship, it could be that different sources were used for the launching vs. the ship footage.
But, I think that the ship in the movie is very probably the "Indy". And, what an important and famous ship to be in our film.
It seems to me that if the ship in the footage isn't the Indy, it is of her class. If you do go out and search for images of her, and there are a lot, most were taken later in the war, so look different.
My resident military historian and fellow Chan fan, Jerry, tells me that the super structure that you see at the aft of the ship was removed later, when they got radar, didn't need it, and wanted the space to have a hangar and more airplanes.
The story of the Indianapolis is very interesting, and I would like to know if that really was her.
Where did they film the movie? Or, were they just using some stock footage? I had always wondered about the location before I noticed the seaplane wording, as they spend a lot of time talking waiting for their plane and you see the background.
We wondered if it was Long Beach. Even though we lived in LA County years ago, we don't recall spending any time in Long Beach, so we are not sure.
One more question - any idea what that kid with a sign is trying to sell? You know, when Mr. Godley visits the hat shop.
One more observation - we were always bothered by the fact that the doctor would leave a loose monkey in a lab with bubonic rats. I know, I'm over analyzing again, to quote Jerry.
Thank you for the information on the "Indianapolis." You have very keen eyes, indeed! I never noticed the name before on the plane being launched. I seem to recall thinking that one ship shown passing through the canal was the "Enterprise" aircraft carrier. This was certainly stock footage used by 20th Century-Fox for this film.
The seaplane scene was, I believe, as you suggest, shot either at Long Beach, or possibly at San Pedro. One can see oil wells in some of the shots in the distance. Also, at one point, what sounds like a pile driber can be heard in the distance. I think that the seaplane used in "Panama" was one of those that made the 26-mile flights to Santa Catalina Island.
I cannot reacll the sign held by a boy in the film, but there was one displayed on someone that translated reads "blind."
The loose monkey in the lab would undoubtedly have been a disaster waiting to happen! Possibly it had figured out a way to exit its cage?
Thank you again for your wonderful information on the battleship "Indianapolis."
Well, I don't feel like my eyes were very keen. After all I have watched this movie, probably every month or two, for the last umpteen years, and didn't notice it until early this year. Diana
