Directed by: Michael Caton-Jones
Starring: Matthew Modine, Eric Stoltz, D.B. Sweeney, Tate Donovan
Revealing mistake: The B17 that crash lands in the beginning appears quite realistic, until during a head on shot when you can see daylight through the clear nose from a window in the back of the plane. This shows it to be model as in the real plane bulkheads would block this from happening.
Revealing mistake: When C-Cup's nose gets clipped and the guy falls out, it is most obviously a doll/dummy falling out.
Factual error: Phil Lowenstein, the navigator, is hungover when boarding the Memphis Belle. It is obvious to all concerned that he was severely intoxicated the night before the mission. He'd be grounded on the spot and confined to quarters – and this happened a lot in real life.
Sgt. Virgil Hoogesteger: I know exactly what I'm gonna do.
Richard Rascal Moore: Oh God, Virg, if I have to hear one more word about that stupid restaurant.
Sgt. Virgil Hoogesteger: It's not stupid! At least I've got a plan! What are you gonna do after the war, huh?
Richard Rascal Moore: Come to your restaurant and rob it.
Trivia: Very few flyable examples of the B-17 existed at the time of the shooting of the movie. One airplane "stood in" for several by having its decals changed. The B-17G featured in the film has since undergone a meticulous restoration and now lives in Renton, Washington, USA. Though it is fully flyable, certain certification issues with the Federal Aviation Administration have kept it grounded.
Answer: That would be a flare being fired from the aircraft. Yellow ones meant the aircraft had sustained serious damage, although that was often self-evident, and a red one meant that there was a seriously injured crewman on board - prompting first aid teams to be ready to meet the aircraft once it had landed. Their was also an unofficial green flare that meant someone had completed their tour of duty.
Farmersboy