British and Proud
05-06-2009, 07:12 PM
Name of Wing Commander's dog is headache for remake's producers
By Kathy Marks in Sydney
Wednesday, 6 May 2009
Wing Commander Guy Gibson VC with members of his squadron, whom he led on the 'dambusters' raid on the Mohne and Eder dams
A full-scale model of a Lancaster bomber has already been built, as has a replica of the famous bouncing bomb. But producers of a remake of The Dam Busters have yet to resolve one question: what on earth are they to do about a dog called Nigger?
The anachronistically-named black Labrador was the faithful companion of RAF Wing Commander Guy Gibson, who led the British mission to destroy German dams in 1943. The dog is central to the plot: not only was he the mascot of Gibson's 617 Squadron, but after he was killed in a car accident, his name became a codeword for the bombers' prime target.
While the name was still acceptable when the original movie was made in 1954, that is no longer the case. So the film-makers, who include New Zealander Peter Jackson, director of the Lord Of The Rings trilogy, are faced with an unenviable choice: ditch historical accuracy or risk widespread offence.
The executive producer, Sir David Frost, asked the actor Stephen Fry, who is writing the script, to propose alternative names, but rejected his suggestions. Sir David declared last month: "Guy sometimes used to call his dog Nigsy, so I think that's what we will call it. Stephen has been coming up with other names, but this is the one I want."
This week, however, Jackson denied that a decision had been made. His assistant, Matthew Dravitzki, told New Zealand's Dominion Post: "To stay true to the story, you can't just change it [the name]. We have not made any decisions yet. The script is still being written, and that decision ? will be made closer to the time."
Nigger featured in Paul Brickhill's 1951 book, The Dam Busters, which inspired the film. He also rated 12 mentions in the original movie.
Continues - http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/news/nigsy-trigger-nword-dilemma-bounces-on-for-dam-busters-ii-1680148.html
By Kathy Marks in Sydney
Wednesday, 6 May 2009
Wing Commander Guy Gibson VC with members of his squadron, whom he led on the 'dambusters' raid on the Mohne and Eder dams
A full-scale model of a Lancaster bomber has already been built, as has a replica of the famous bouncing bomb. But producers of a remake of The Dam Busters have yet to resolve one question: what on earth are they to do about a dog called Nigger?
The anachronistically-named black Labrador was the faithful companion of RAF Wing Commander Guy Gibson, who led the British mission to destroy German dams in 1943. The dog is central to the plot: not only was he the mascot of Gibson's 617 Squadron, but after he was killed in a car accident, his name became a codeword for the bombers' prime target.
While the name was still acceptable when the original movie was made in 1954, that is no longer the case. So the film-makers, who include New Zealander Peter Jackson, director of the Lord Of The Rings trilogy, are faced with an unenviable choice: ditch historical accuracy or risk widespread offence.
The executive producer, Sir David Frost, asked the actor Stephen Fry, who is writing the script, to propose alternative names, but rejected his suggestions. Sir David declared last month: "Guy sometimes used to call his dog Nigsy, so I think that's what we will call it. Stephen has been coming up with other names, but this is the one I want."
This week, however, Jackson denied that a decision had been made. His assistant, Matthew Dravitzki, told New Zealand's Dominion Post: "To stay true to the story, you can't just change it [the name]. We have not made any decisions yet. The script is still being written, and that decision ? will be made closer to the time."
Nigger featured in Paul Brickhill's 1951 book, The Dam Busters, which inspired the film. He also rated 12 mentions in the original movie.
Continues - http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/news/nigsy-trigger-nword-dilemma-bounces-on-for-dam-busters-ii-1680148.html