History Trivia / RedTails

* HireTheCritic: A frequent topic on Aaron [=McGruder=]'s comic strip ''ComicStrip/TheBoondocks'' was [[Franchise/StarWars Jar Jar Binks]] and the racial stereotyping he portrayed. So when GeorgeLucas decided he wanted a screenwriter for ''Red Tails'' who knew how to write well for black people, guess who he chose to hire? That's right, Aaron [=McGruder=].[[note]]And he claimed he was so excited to work with George Lucas that the topic of Jar Jar never came up once![[/note]]

* DevelopmentHell: George Lucas originally developed the idea in 1988, with a scheduled release for 1992. A number of writers worked on the project until John Ridley was hired in 2007 to write the final screenplay, which was then subsequently revised by [[WesternAnimation/TheBoondocks Aaron McGruder]]. If what Lucas said on ''Series/TheDailyShow'' is true, another reason it took long to produce was because [[ExecutiveVeto Hollywood executives]] [[DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything did not think a movie with a mostly black cast would be successful or make money (Unfortunately, they were right this time since it did fail at the box office).]]

* DevelopmentHell: George Lucas originally developed the idea in 1988, with a scheduled release for 1992. A number of writers worked on the project until John Ridley was hired in 2007 to write the final screenplay, which was then subsequently revised by [[WesternAnimation/TheBoondocks Aaron McGruder]]. If what Lucas said on ''Series/TheDailyShow'' is true, another reason it took long to produce was because [[ExecutiveVeto Hollywood executives]] [[DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything did not think a movie with a mostly black cast would be successful or make money.]]

* HeyItsThatGuy:
** David Oyelowo is still saying [[Series/{{Spooks}} "fuck you!" to fascism]].
** [[Series/{{Spooks}} Adam Carter]] is a Bomber Command officer.
** [[TheWire Bubs and Michael]] have some very important ancestors.
** [[Series/NCISLosAngeles Kensi Blye]] is Lightning's girlfriend.
** [[Series/HouseOfCardsUS Raymond Tusk]] is General Luntz.

* DevelopmentHell: George Lucas originally developed the idea in 1988, with a scheduled release for 1992. A number of writers worked on the project until John Ridley was hired in 2007 to write the final screenplay, which was then subsequently revised by [[TheBoondocks Aaron McGruder]]. If what Lucas said on ''Series/TheDailyShow'' is true, another reason it took long to produce was because [[ExecutiveVeto Hollywood executives]] [[DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything did not think a movie with a mostly black cast would be successful or make money.]]

* HireTheCritic: A frequent topic on Aaron [=McGruder=]'s comic strip ''ComicStrip/TheBoondocks'' was [[Franchise/StarWars Jar Jar Binks]] and the [[AlienScrappy racial stereotyping he portrayed]]. So when GeorgeLucas decided he wanted a screenwriter for ''Red Tails'' who knew how to write well for black people, guess who he chose to hire? That's right, Aaron [=McGruder=].[[note]]And he claimed he was so excited to work with George Lucas that the topic of Jar Jar never came up once![[/note]]

* ActorAllusion: Cuba Gooding Jr. and Terrance Howard have both played members of the Tuskegee Airmen in the past. On top of that, Terrance Howard has previously played [[Film/IronMan a Lieutenant Colonel in the Air Force]] (well, Army Air Forces, given the time period.)
** Writer Aaron [=McGruder=] also has some previous experience with the subject. The main character's grandfather in ''TheBoondocks'' is a former Tuskegee Airman and occasionally features flashbacks to this period.

* HireTheCritic: A frequent topic on Aaron [=McGruder=]'s comic strip ''ComicStrip/TheBoondocks'' was [[Franchise/StarWars Jar Jar Binks]] and the [[AlienScrappy racial stereotyping he portrayed]]. So when GeorgeLucas decided he wanted a screenwriter for ''Red Tails'' who knew how to write well for black people, guess who he chose to hire? That's right, Aaron [=McGruder=].[[hottip:*:And he claimed he was so excited to work with George Lucas that the topic of Jar Jar never came up once!]]

* DevelopmentHell: George Lucas originally developed the idea in 1988, with a scheduled release for 1992. A number of writers worked on the project until John Ridley was hired in 2007 to write the final screenplay, which was then subsequently revised by [[TheBoondocks Aaron McGruder]]. If what Lucas said on ''TheDailyShow'' is true, another reason it took long to produce was because [[ExecutiveVeto Hollywood executives]] [[DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything did not think a movie with a mostly black cast would be successful or make money.]]

* HeyItsThatGuy: David Oyelowo is still saying [[{{Spooks}} "fuck you!" to fascism]].
* HollywoodTactics: In addition to the StandardHollywoodStrafingProcedure, lampshaded in the movie itself, there is the requirement for the escorts to stay with the bombers. In this case, a RealLife strategy that actually made it ''more'' difficult for escorting fighters to protect the bombers, as they had a very limited opportunity to engage the German fighters who preferred hit and run tactics. The strategy eventually evolved to include fighters staying close to the bombers (showing the bomber crews that [[YouAreNotAlone they were protected]]), and more fighters farther out actively screening the formation against any incoming enemies.
** Similarly, the German fighters in the film's intro attacked the American bombers from their 6 O'Clock (straight behind). German pilots typically avoided doing this because American bombers were the most heavily protected from the rear (the tail gunner, turret gunner, and ball turret gunner could all fire at targets behind the bomber). Attacking from head-on not only helped to avoid some of these gunners, but it also increased the closing speed of the fighters relative to the bombers by around 400 knots, making the smaller fighters much more difficult to hit. Head-on attacks by German fighters was so common, later models of the B-17 included a [[MoreDakka new chin turret for the bombardier and two more gunner positions]] near the nose for the navigator and [[CommunicationsOfficer radio operator]].

* HomageShot: At least a few.
** We get a shot of the American fighters taking off in the distance, [[ANewHope as a pair of onlookers watch from a tower.]]
** We see the tail of a Mustang fighter slicing through the clouds before the rest of the plane rises into view, much in the style of ''Film/{{Jaws}}''.
*** Or ''{{Airplane}}'', which was making fun of ''Jaws'' with that shot anyways.

* ShownTheirWork: Some of the tactics used are accurate, including attacking a train head-on to minimize the danger of being hit by the AntiAir defenses on the train, and going into a power dive from high altitude to engage the German jet fighters (the P-51 Mustang was slower than the Me-262 in level flight, but could handily outdive it).

* ShownTheirWork: Some of the tactics used are accurate, including attacking a train head-on to minimize the danger of being hit by the AntiAir defenses on the train, and going into a power dive from high altitude to engage the German jet fighters (the P-51 Mustang was slower than the Me-262, but could handily outdive it).

** Similarly, the German fighters in the film's intro attacked the American bombers from their 6 O'Clock (straight behind). German pilots typically avoided doing this because American bombers were the most heavily protected from the rear (the tail gunner, turret gunner, and ball turret gunner could all fire at targets behind the bomber). Attacking from head-on not only helped to avoid some of these gunners, but it also increased the closing speed of the fighters relative to the bombers by around 400 knots, making the smaller fighters much more difficult to hit. Head-on attacks by German fighters was so common, later models of the B-17 included a [[MoreDakka new chin turret for the bombardier and two more gunner positions]] near the nose for the navigator and [[CommunicaitonsOfficer radio operator]].

* HollywoodTactics: In addition to the StandardHollywoodStrafingProcedure, lampshaded in the movie itself, there is the requirement for the escorts to stay with the bombers. In this case, a RealLife strategy that actually made it ''more'' difficult for escorting fighters to protect the bombers, as they had a very limited opportunity to engage the German fighters who preferred hit and run tactics. The strategy eventually evolved to include fighters staying close to the bombers (showing the bomber crews that they were protected), and more fighters farther out actively screening the formation against any incoming enemies.

* HollywoodTactics: In addition to the StandardHollywodStrafingProcedure, lampshaded in the movie itself, there is the requirement for the escorts to stay with the bombers. In this case, a RealLife strategy that actually made it ''more'' difficult for escorting fighters to protect the bombers, as they had a very limited opportunity to engage the German fighters who preferred hit and run tactics. The strategy eventually evolved to include fighters staying close to the bombers (showing the bomber crews that they were protected), and more fighters farther out actively screening the formation against any incoming enemies.

** We see the tail of a Mustang fighter slicing through the clouds before the rest of the plane rises into view, much in the style of ''{{Jaws}}''.

* ActorAllusion: Cuba Gooding Jr. is once again playing the role of one of the "Red Tailed Angels." Terrance Howard once again plays [[Film/IronMan a Lieutenant Colonel in the Air Force]] (well, Army Air Forces, given the time period.)

* HeyItsThatGuy: Lightning's girlfriend is [[{{NCIS Los Angeles}} Kensi]].
** ActorAllusion: Cuba Gooding Jr. is once again playing the role of one of the "Red Tailed Angels." Terrance Howard once again plays [[Film/IronMan a Lieutenant Colonel in the Air Force]] (well, Army Air Forces, given the time period.)

* HeyItsThatGuy: Lightning's girlfriend is [[{{NCIS Los Angeles}} Kensi]].

* TheShelfOfMovieLanguishment: Got stuck on it for a couple years while a distributor was found.