Manfred von Richthofen

Manfred Albrecht Freiherr von Richthofen (May 2, 1892 – April 21, 1918) was a German pilot and is still regarded today as the "ace of aces". He was a very successful fighter pilot, military leader and flying ace who won 80 air combats during World War I.

The Red Baron in popular culture

The Red Baron has become a symbol for dexterity, daring and victory, combined with an element of tragedy both as being 'on the other side' and in his ultimate death.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The engine from von Richthofen's aircraft is on display in the Imperial War Museum in London as part of the War in the Air Exhibit. It still bears the damage sustained in that final crash.

Related Topics:
Imperial War Museum - London

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Von Richthofen has been the subject of numerous films, both documentary and fictional, including the grossly inaccurate 1971 Roger Corman movie, Von Richthofen and Brown, alternatively titled The Red Baron. An American frozen foods manufacturer has adopted his nickname on Red Baron Pizza accompanied by an image that looks disturbingly unlike von Richthofen.

Related Topics:
Roger Corman - Red Baron Pizza

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In the comic strip Peanuts, one of Snoopy's favorite fantasies portrays him as a World War I flying ace (Arthur Brown's nickname was Snoopy) who has a personal grudge against the Red Baron. Snoopy can never best the Red Baron, who is never seen. The conflict between Snoopy and the Baron was turned into a video game for the Atari system in the 1980s.

Related Topics:
Comic strip - Peanuts - Snoopy - Never seen - Atari

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The Royal Guardsmen's debut album was in 1966. Among other popular songs, they recorded the song Snoopy vs. The Red Baron which made it to number two on request charts. The Royal Guardsmen recorded a few other songs featuring Snoopy and the Red Baron.

Related Topics:
The Royal Guardsmen - 1966

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Corto Maltese, the most famous character of the Italian cartoonist Hugo Pratt, witnesses the defeat of the Red Baron in one of his adventures, where it's speculated that the Baron may have been killed by a single shot fired by a lone Australian gunman, although Corto Maltese himself doesn't believe it was the case.

Related Topics:
Corto Maltese - Italian - Cartoonist - Hugo Pratt

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

British comedian Adrian Edmondson played the Baron in the fourth season of Blackadder in an episode entitled "Plan D: Private Plane". The humor of his sole scene was based upon the differences in British and German culture, Edmondson's use of a clichéd accent and mannerisms, and his quick, meaningless death at the hands of Lord Flasheart (Rik Mayall).

Related Topics:
Comedian - Adrian Edmondson - Blackadder - Humor - Rik Mayall

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The World War I setting of George Lucas' television series The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles saw the appearance of the Baron (played by actor Marc Warren) in an episode where the young Indiana Jones is shot down over Germany.

Related Topics:
World War I - George Lucas - The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles - Marc Warren - Indiana Jones - Germany

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The troubled main character of DC Comics's Enemy Ace comics is modeled after the Red Baron. Hans von Hammer, as he was called, even flew a red triplane during WWI. Unlike Richthofen, Von Hammer survives to fly Messerschmitts (red, of course) in WW2, including the Me 262.

Related Topics:
DC Comics - Enemy Ace - Messerschmitt - Me 262

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

There have also been a number of WWI flight simulators involving Baron von Richthofen. They include "Hunt for the Red Baron," published by Sierra, and, "Red Baron" by Dynamix.

Related Topics:
Sierra - Red Baron - Dynamix

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

A song entitled "Not the Red Baron" by Tori Amos on her Boys for Pele album contrasts the feeling of shock and sorrow felt by the death of a well-known figure (in this case, the Red Baron) with the unnoticed death of the majority of pilots who were entirely unknown, making the point that a death is really a death, regardless of who it is; it is terrible to consider one death more important than another.

Related Topics:
Tori Amos - Boys for Pele

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In the cartoon, ', the Red Baron was protrayed as the mortal enemy of Mayor Manx's grandfather, called the Red Lynx. The grandfather was named the Blue Manx, the name of the prototype jet the Red Lynx highjacked later in the episode. Red Lynx was voiced by Mark Hamill.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

One of the characters in Mobile Suit Gundam, a hugely popular Japanese sci-fi military drama, a saga that spans over thirty years, is believed to be at least partially based on Baron von Richthofen. Char Aznable, nicknamed "The Red Comet" was a legendary pilot for the fictional Principality of Zeon, and pilotted a variety of mobile suits (weapons designed for outer space combat), always painted a trademark red. A variation on this character has existed in every new Gundam series produced, and their red mobile suits pay homage to the real life hero who was recognized as the "Ace of aces".

Related Topics:
Mobile Suit Gundam - Char Aznable - Principality of Zeon

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The American heavy metal band Iced Earth recorded "Red Baron/Blue Max" based on von Richthofen for their "Glorious Burden" album.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The Spanish heavy metal band Baron Rojo is named after the Red Baron (in Spanish), and their logo is a shadow resembling a pilot.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In the videogame ' an RC airplane called "Red Baron" can be controlled during a mission.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~