Zeppelin (film) - Production and Locations

Production and Locations

The Zeppelin was a 40-foot (12 m) model based on the R33 class of British Rigid Airship, which was itself based on the German LZ76 captured intact in September 1916. A replica of the control car was constructed for closeup and interiors, copied from the intact control car of the R33 held at the Royal Air Force Museum London; other interiors were built from plans held by the museum. Exterior shots using the model were filmed over a large water tank in Malta,

Air combat scenes were filmed in Ireland using Lynn Garrison's collection of World War I replica aircraft, originally assembled for 20th Century Fox's The Blue Max. During the aerial sequences one of the SE5a replicas, flown by Irish Air Corps pilot Jim Liddy, collided with the Alouette helicopter. Five people were killed, including Burch Williams, brother of Hollywood producer/director Elmo Williams.

The scenes showing the sheds in which the Zeppelin was housed were filmed at the R100/R101 sheds at Cardington, Bedfordshire in England.

Photographs taken from the air to depict the fictional Glen Mattock and Balcoven Castle were shot over Carreg Cennan Castle in Wales.

As a work of fiction the film differs from reality on several points.

The film begins in August 1915 and ends in the first few days of September, with the LZ36 commissioned on 1 September. The actual LZ36 was commissioned on 8 March 1915, and whilst its film counterpart crashed on its first mission, the real LZ36 (military designation L 9) was destroyed by an accident in its hanger on 16 September 1916, after having carried out more than 80 sorties against the British.

Admiral Sir William Reginald Hall was British Director of Naval Intelligence and was referred to as either Admiral Hall or as Blinker Hall during the film. Although he was indeed head of Intelligence from late 1914, he was only made a Rear Admiral three years later, and during the timescale of the film would have held the rank of Captain.

While passing over Newcastle on its return home the film airship was attacked by supposedly new British SE5a fighters. In reality the prototype SE5a did not fly until the year after the story is set.