When I was just 8 years old the movie "Tobruk" with George Peppard, and Rock Hudson, was filmed 20 miles away from my childhood home of Brawley, California. The actual film location was on the "Salton Sea" at the "Red Hill Marina".
Our local National Guard Armory was run by a Master Sergeant who was a member of our church. This NG Armory was home to an armored unit, and it was their tanks, duces, other equipment and vehicles that were used in the film. The youth group of my church was taken to the set, when they wre not filming, and we all got rides in the US M60 tanks and duces, and were allowed into the "Bunker". The bunker was made of timber and moulded cork, which was anchor bolted to the side of a large hill facing the Salton Sea. The cannon were also made from wood.
After filming I used to go back to the marina with my best friend, and his father, to fish. I would go to where the bunker had stood (it took a couple of years for it to all be torn down), and bring back chunks of the fortress bunker from when they blew a huge corner off the bunker when it was destroyed by "navy gunfire" in the film.
When I was 14 or 15 I went back, and I stumbled across where George Peppard's character was killed. As you may recall, Peppard donned a flamethrower which was hit and exploded, burning him to death. Well looking down at my feet was a hardened, and partially melted, section of George's face looking up at me which you are now seeing. There used to be more of it, but as it became more and more brittle I lost pieces of it over the years.
During the first attempt to blow up a section of the bunker for the film a problem arose. When they blew it one HUGE chunk was blown off instead of it spreading pieces all about, and they had to repair and then reshoot the scene, which then went right, producing the "chunks" you see here.
The pictures are of me and my sister when my family went out one day and they were not filming.
Hope you enjoyed this little story!
Regards,
Chuck
PS: Although you cant see it very well the Duce in a half has the palm and swastika on the door.
Our local National Guard Armory was run by a Master Sergeant who was a member of our church. This NG Armory was home to an armored unit, and it was their tanks, duces, other equipment and vehicles that were used in the film. The youth group of my church was taken to the set, when they wre not filming, and we all got rides in the US M60 tanks and duces, and were allowed into the "Bunker". The bunker was made of timber and moulded cork, which was anchor bolted to the side of a large hill facing the Salton Sea. The cannon were also made from wood.
After filming I used to go back to the marina with my best friend, and his father, to fish. I would go to where the bunker had stood (it took a couple of years for it to all be torn down), and bring back chunks of the fortress bunker from when they blew a huge corner off the bunker when it was destroyed by "navy gunfire" in the film.
When I was 14 or 15 I went back, and I stumbled across where George Peppard's character was killed. As you may recall, Peppard donned a flamethrower which was hit and exploded, burning him to death. Well looking down at my feet was a hardened, and partially melted, section of George's face looking up at me which you are now seeing. There used to be more of it, but as it became more and more brittle I lost pieces of it over the years.
During the first attempt to blow up a section of the bunker for the film a problem arose. When they blew it one HUGE chunk was blown off instead of it spreading pieces all about, and they had to repair and then reshoot the scene, which then went right, producing the "chunks" you see here.
The pictures are of me and my sister when my family went out one day and they were not filming.
Hope you enjoyed this little story!
Regards,
Chuck
PS: Although you cant see it very well the Duce in a half has the palm and swastika on the door.
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