The Cold Blue (HBO)

About The Cold Blue (HBO)

"The Cold Blue" is a WWII documentary that was released in 2019. The film uses colorized footage and voiceovers by the surviving U.S. Eighth Air Force crews to shed light on their experience in the deadliest air war the world had ever seen. The film is a tribute to those who were lost in the line of duty and to those who survived to tell their stories.

Making / Production

Directed by Erik Nelson and with the help of William Wyler’s daughter Catherine, the film uses original footage that was edited, colorized, and restored. "The Cold Blue" combines this footage with recent interviews of the remaining veterans, told in their own voices and words to give the audience a glimpse of their lives during the war.

Actors

• Claude Hensinger - A B-17 pilot recounted his story of survival after being shot down.
• Vince Speranza - A glider infantrymen, shared his experience on the front lines.
• Paul Haedike - A crew chief, spoke about the daily maintenance and repair of aircrafts.

Trivia / Interesting Facts

• The film features never-before-seen footage from director William Wyler who originally used it for his 1944 film "Memphis Belle: A Story of a Flying Fortress".
• The interviews of veterans used in the film were originally recorded for a project called "Voices of the Veterans".

Quotes

• "This is a movie about fear and about coping with it and about realizing what you have and being thankful for the basics." - Vince Speranza.
• "It was a terrible experience after every mission. You didn't know if you were ever coming back. The fear was incredible." - Paul Haedike.

Music, Soundtrack

• The entrancing score was composed by Richard Thompson and breathes life into the historic colorized footage.
• The soundtrack creates a moving atmosphere, blending perfectly with the soldiers' tales and helping to convey a spectrum of emotions.