MovieChat Forums > Riptide (1984) Discussion > This may sound like a stupid question . ...

This may sound like a stupid question . . .

posted 18 years ago by vossmail
7 replies | jump to latest

I was just wondering . . . Why/how the helicopter got eyes/mouth painted on it?
I'm not sure but didnt it chrash through a billboard?

[–] ejs7921 17 years ago

The Screaming Mimi was a chopper from their Viet Nam days and they painted her pink with the face. I think all 3 were vets but it's been too long since I have seen an episode.

[–] locham2011 17 years ago

Yes, all three were vets, but that doesn't explain the face and the eyes. And the colour! And the name?!

Anyone?

j.U.d.E. - they misunderestimated me

[–] ejs7921 17 years ago

during the different wars, pilots would name their planes and choppers so maybe the Screaming Mimi was named after someone they knew or maybe they just put their heads together and came up with a name. as for the color, pink because Mimi is a female. that's the best I can come up with.

[–] rycki1138 11 years ago

The term screaming meemie was given to certain types of bombs that made a whizzing screaming sound as they were coming out of the air before they hit the ground and exploded. All three were vets of Vietnam, so this is probably where the name came from. As for the color and face I couldn't tell you for sure, but probably so that it would be remembered. They did run a detective agency and the helicopter is memorable because of the way it's painted. Sort of like a logo for their agency.

(knock,knock,knock) Penny (knock,knock,knock) Penny (knock,knock,knock) Penny

[–] Moscoso1967 13 years ago

Why not? The show needed an easily recognizable helicopter and they obviously went for something they thought looks original and funny.

[–] iwals 11 years ago

It is possible that the pink is a primer coat and the paint job wasn't finished. As for the face, it is a military tradition of sorts. Fighter planes were often painted with shark teeth to look more menacing.

Nobody gets to be a cowboy forever.

[–] rycki1138 11 years ago

It is possible that the pink is a primer coat and the paint job wasn't finished.

This was the reason for the pink submarine in Operation Petticoat. They were painting the submarine and had white primer and red primer, but didn't have enough of either for a primer coat of the entire submarine, so they mixed both together and painted it pink. At the time they thought that it wouldn't matter because it would be painted gray over the primer anyway, but then they couldn't get any gray paint because of a shortage during the war.

(knock,knock,knock) Penny (knock,knock,knock) Penny (knock,knock,knock) Penny