December 7, 1941
On this date sixty-eight years ago, the U.S. Naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii was attacked, plunging the country into World War II. Today, on Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day, we honor the brave men and women who served their country then and those who have continued to defend our freedom since.
This weekend, I had the great pleasure of spending time with a veteran of that war, my grandfather Julian Taylor. We took the family to Disney's Hollywood Studios for many reasons, not the least of which is that Lights, Motors, Action! Extreme Stunt Show is one of my grandfather's favorite attractions. As it turns out, there are several references to Pearl Harbor, World War II and the "Greatest Generation" throughout the Studios.
Guests visiting the Studio Backlot Tour first stop in at the Special Effects Water Tank. The pre-show area contains props and models from several big-budget action movies, including the 2001 epic Pearl Harbor, starring Ben Affleck, Josh Hartnett and Kate Beckinsale. Portions of the actual large-scale models of the U.S.S. Arizona, Oklahoma and West Virginia used in the film are on display here.
Rounding the corner into the show, you may also catch a glimpse of this photo of Director Michael Bay on the set of Pearl Harbor, shooting in a massive water tank.
During the water tank show, Guest volunteers are selected to portray starring roles in scenes on a PT boat and in a ship's engine room. The "movie" in production here is the fictional Harbor Attack. Since the scenes are played for laughs, out of sensitivity there's no direct reference to Pearl Harbor in this portion of the show.
Pearl Harbor gets one more nod on the tour, though, as the shuttles pass by two prop planes used in the production of the film.
Check back over the next couple of days for more of the wartime storytelling details discovered at Disney's Hollywood Studios, and take a moment today to remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice so many years ago.
No comments:
Post a Comment