I Was rewatching The Thin Red Line again, Strange looking M-1 Garand in the Film!

[Hobe Sound AK]

The 1988 Film the Thin Red Line, I was watching it again, as it was one of the few Movies in the Pacific, with the Army and not those damn Jarheads. Other than the Post War M-1 Carbines in the Film with the Post War Bayonet Lug, I saw what was a M-1 Garand with an M-14 Upper hand guard! how is that possible? Knowing that the M-14 came out in 1957, and the M-1 Garand stopped in 1957. Did they start replacing the Upper Wood with the M-14 one? Would it even fit? Hope your Garand Guys know. Paul

[Helen Keller]

Cause it's not really a good movie, and the general public doesn't notice crap like that vs it being full of so-so movie stars.

[Schuetzenman]

IMO no an M14 upper handguard would not fit on an M1 Rifle.

[Hobe Sound AK]

They must have changed the type of Upper Handguard in M-1 Production at the end, or else, Someone had a M-14 with out a Magazine in it. I froze the scene the Movie, and yes I could see it clearly. see that dark brown Bakelite Upper Handguard of a M-14. The scene was of a Man in the Prone Position firing his M-1 at the Japs. As he gets up, you can see the Upper handguard. this was the only M-1 I noticed this way, Must have been a M-14 without a Magazine in it, maybe that ran short or Rifles for the Movie? I don't know. thanks for replies.

[Full Otto]

have you tried this place?
http://www.imfdb.org/wiki/The_Thin_Red_Line

Might be some info or discussions about it around there someplace
Some of the pictures kind of look like what you're saying but just different colors of the wood from what I can tell

[tank_monkey]

They must have changed the type of Upper Handguard in M-1 Production at the end, or else, Someone had a M-14 with out a Magazine in it. I froze the scene the Movie, and yes I could see it clearly. see that dark brown Bakelite Upper Handguard of a M-14. The scene was of a Man in the Prone Position firing his M-1 at the Japs. As he gets up, you can see the Upper handguard. this was the only M-1 I noticed this way, Must have been a M-14 without a Magazine in it, maybe that ran short or Rifles for the Movie? I don't know. thanks for replies.

How about giving us a screencapture so that we can see what you're seeing.

And yes, IMFDB guys most likely would have caught that if it were the case, so I'm curious. :)

[Hobe Sound AK]

I will see if I can find a Photo, however I know what the M-14 Handguard looks like, that dark Brown Bakelite. I wonder if they started making a Baklite upper for the M-1, No it was not just a differrent color of Wood. Thanks for all the replys so far. Paul.

[Faulkner]

I've never been able to watch that movie completely through.

[therewolf]

More than likely the props department was trying hard to get enough authentic looking rifles

for the assault scenes in the movie. You would think props managers would have kept the

spotty rifles more into the background, and displayed the more authentic looking rifles in the

forefront. In the case of a movie filmed 40+ years after WWII, there are probably not that

many props managers who can embrace accurate authenticity, or directors who care enough

to hire an advisor willing to walk them through it.

However, in the 50+ year after the fact, Saving Ryan's Privates, I thought they did a pretty

good job with WWII era weaponry. IMO, that was truly a period piece.

[tank_monkey]

You would think props managers would have kept the

spotty rifles more into the background, and displayed the more authentic looking rifles in the

forefront. In the case of a movie filmed 40+ years after WWII, there are probably not that

many props managers who can embrace accurate authenticity, or directors who care enough

to hire an advisor willing to walk them through it.


The PROPMASTER usually tries to be authentic, but it's the ARMORER or WEAPONS WRANGLER who is in charge of guns (if they're live firing). Either way, it's not the fault of either of those guys since the Director and the DP (director of photography) are the dudes who make the decision of what to showcase and what not to. A lot of it's Murphy's Law as well. It invariably is the one stuntman who has a crap broken prop gun .... who ends up front and center of the camera's view during a battle scene. doh! :D

[therewolf]

The PROPMASTER usually tries to be authentic, but it's the ARMORER or WEAPONS WRANGLER who is in charge of guns (if they're live firing). Either way, it's not the fault of either of those guys since the Director and the DP (director of photography) are the dudes who make the decision of what to showcase and what not to. A lot of it's Murphy's Law as well. It invariably is the one stuntman who has a crap broken prop gun .... who ends up front and center of the camera's view during a battle scene. doh! :D

Oh, sorry, not up on all the La-La Land jazz.

Point is, some movies directors and producers, or whatever their job

title description is, this very minute, go to the expense and trouble of

getting it right, others obviously don't, as they feel the story is a higher

priority. I have to agree with tank_monkey, if you're going to do a historical

war feature, you are going to be playing to a tough crowd, who deserve to

see authentic equipment of the given era.

[Hobe Sound AK]

Does anyone have one of those large M-1 Data Books? Perhaps what i saw was a 1957 M-1 Garand? Knowing the M-14 was coming that Year, perhaps they just made a Wood verson of the M-14 Upper Handguard, that would fit, for the M-1 for the last Year. Paul