Hiroshi Tasogawa’s All the Emperor’s Men – Kurosawa’s Pearl Harbor offers fascinating “what might have been” insights into the classic movie Tora! Tora! Tora!

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Thanks!

It attracted this plastic model fan! I've read some shorts on Kurosawa's input and sacking. I too have wondered what the film could have been. Still, it is a great flick and worth watching again and again.

Hi Tim! My Uncle Carl was nominated for an Academy Award for his work on Tora! Tora! Tora!

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0066473/awards
(Carl Biddiscombe, Best Art Direction in the listing)

Uncle Carl was actually a set decorator ( http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0081128/?ref_=ttawd_awd_3 ) having many years of tv experience. He was the set decorator for series like Sea Hunt, Perry Mason, Streets of San Francisco, Lassie, etc..... AND the original 8 episodes of Star Trek in 1966!

Carl told me an interesting story about the making of Tora. He and Walter Scott travelled the world looking for authenic, working Pearl Harbor planes... as by 1970 they were quite rare. They finally found some ...and you know where they found them? Still in active service in the Spanish Airforce! (SPAF) They reached a deal with the Spanish govt to buy them and shipped them off to California for painting/marking to reflect the planes as Pearl Harbour era...and they also heavily modified/painted several as Zero's and Vals, as authentic working Japanese examples were just not available anywhere in the world for use in the movie.

Although he didn't win the Oscar for Tora, Carl had the Nomination Award, an impressive document in its own, mounted on the wall behind his desk in his home office in Laguna Hills....a house he bought from Gene Roddenbury actually.

We lost Carl in 2000 and I miss him greatly. He was good at what he did, but he was a valuable and loved family member most importantly.

RIP Uncle Carl!
-Tim Biddiscombe

Fascinating stuff, thanks for sharing!