It's interesting to note that the crash of the Hindenburg, in which a mere 36 people (a little over 1/3 of its passengers and crew) died, is still being studied, written about, and put on film.
Nowadays airliners crash, on a fairly regular basis,killing everyone on board (sometimes hundreds of people) and within a few weeks they're all but forgotten.
How many are caught on film? That is the distinction of the Hindenburg.
I don't think a moving camera caught the explosion, I'm not sure, still pictures did, but moving cameras did catch the flames after the initial explosion.
Also the Hindenburg was one of the earliest disasters caught on film in this manner.
The Hindenburg has ended up on T Shirts. Sadly, I suspect the same will be done with 9-11.
Wasn't a shot of the Hindenberg used for the album cover of Led Zeppelin I? (A lead zeppelin indeed!)
Also, the tape of the reporter covering the event for WLS(Chicago)was is one of the most famous media events ever. "Oh, the humanity!" I just watched this film tonight and the recording of the reporter was on the DVD...it's still quite moving to this day.
As I recall a image of the Hindenburg was on the first Led Zepplin LP from '69.
It is one of the first major disasters to be captured by the mass media. As such, it had tremendous impact. Also, it is hard to forget the image of the majestic ship suddenly beching flame and black smoke, it's skin burning away and the skeleton crashing to the earth. It was truly a nightmarish vision.
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This sounds good, but only in theory. Next time you jump from a height of 100 ft, you have to tell me if it hurts less landing on concrete or on muddy ground. ;)
shareYou know, I can understand why people pay so much attention to the Hindenburg of all airship disasters. One, yes they got actual footage of it, hell they got footage from the inside when it happened...but consider this also, it was the Titanic of the skies. Titanic was the largest ship ever made, whether or not that was outdone since, I don't know, but there has as far as I know NEVER been an airship built bigger than the Hindenburg.
HOWEVER, I agree, only 36 people died, I mean why don't they do a movie about the USS Akron which has to date, as far as I know the HIGHEST number of fatalities with 75? OR, the British airship the R38, that didn't just explode, the seams tore open, it broke in half and the front half caught on fire and THEN exploded...personally, I consider that a worse fate, and a greater mystery, than the Hindenburg.
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This is true, but they're not the only ones worth looking at. I STILL want to see them do a movie about the R38, that would be on HELL of a time putting together that ship's demise for the film.
shareThe Germans completed and flew the GRAF ZEPPELIN II before the war, a sister ship to the Hindenburg, so I presume the two were about the same size/layout. They both (with the original GRAF ZEPPELIN-1928) were broken up for their aluminum alloy which went into Luftwaffe warplanes.
The R28's breaking up over Hull (England) on a training flight with an American crew would certainly be a good basis for a movie. But also the SHENANDOAH disaster when it broke into two pieces over the midwest during a severe storm... one piece crashed to the ground, while the crewmen on the other half flew it like a free balloon to a safe landing... a heroic accomplishment, I'd think! Unfortunately (for a movie), there was no fire/explosion (helium, remember?).
The disaster has a lot to do with the failure of airships to sell tickets. Airplanes and ocean liners were deemed safer. However, today, I might be very interesting in traveling by airship.
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