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gmasher
Reviews
Fighter Squadron (1948)
Watch it with the Mute button on
With all the comments about Teutonic Mustangs, there should probably be some clarification. Obviously, in postwar America, we didn't have a plethora of captured MEs and FWs to operate - there were sufficient times when Mustangs were mistaken for ME-109s by gunners in the bomber formations that Hollywood's use of P-51s is forgivable. For the record: The "Luftwaffe" P-51s were from the CA ANG unit at Van Nuys; the P-47Ds were from an east coast ANG squadron. The film was shot primarily at Oscoda Army Air Field, Michigan (eventually re-named Wurtsmith AFB), with the grand finale airfield strafing sequence shot at Van Nuys. The belly tanks for one pivotal scene (jettisoned in defiance of orders to "stay with the bombers") had to be scrounged from a variety of surplus locations - hard to believe, considering just 3 short years earlier there had been in mass production. The aircraft carry 9th AF unit markings to match the only extensive color P-47 footage shot during WWII.
For all this effort, the plot line is still reminiscent of most prewar or WWII-era "gung ho" propaganda films - right down to the recycling of the musical score from Errol Flynn's "Dive Bomber" (if I'm lying, I'm dying). All the hokey subplots are best enjoyed either with a case of your favorite adult beverage, or with the "mute" button activated - or both. Enjoy the airplanes, because you'll never see that many Thunderbolts in the air again.
In the DVD-VHS department, I get the feeling the film is owned by Turner/TCM, as that's the only channel where I've ever seen it aired. You might try schmoozing Ted Turner to get him to release it...
Strategic Air Command (1955)
Jimmy Stewart isn't ACTING
Granted, I'd give the film a lower rating if it wasn't for the aerial sequences and all the 'eye candy' on the Carswell and MacDill ramps - but the wonderful thing is that, particularly in the cockpit 'process' shots, Stewart isn't acting - it's a pilot doing what a pilot does, and that's what I find most entertaining in this movie. A lot of people whine about June Allison, but she plays the archetypal Air Force Wife - a fairy-tale representation, I'm sure some former SACers would admit, but I would consider her performance to be an example necessary for a lasting marriage in SAC. Besides, it's not a very different formula from her portrayal in "The Glenn Miller Story" or "The McConnell Story." Her character was a 'necessary evil' for 1956 audiences if you were going to make a 'date movie' - so it's best to learn to just live with it and just enjoy the AIRPLANES.
Memphis Belle (1990)
"Animal House" Joins the 8th Air Force
It is my heartfelt belief that no clearly thinking individual who considers him- or herself to be a student of either WWII aviation history or modern cinematography could possibly find this to be a good (or even decent) movie, from ANY standpoint. The lost potential in this film is monumental - between gathering the hardware which provides an authentic backdrop (aircraft, uniforms & flight gear, restoring a former WWII base for filming, etc.) and selecting a capable cast, the entire effort was shot in the head when it came time for the script - not to mention some model sequences which, in spite of emerging technology, still just flat don't 'work.' The juvenile behavior of the crew, particularly IN THE MIDDLE OF THE MISSION, was abominable. For me, the only shining moment was the exchange between John Lithgow and David Strathairn over the letters from home, voiced over with the gun camera footage. Beyond that, the overall film was deplorable. And after that much expenditure of effort to be wasted, I wouldn't look for any other producer to undertake a similar theme. Spielberg tackled the infantry ("Saving Private Ryan"), Eastwood has done justice to the Marine Corps ("Flags of our Fathers") - but you'll have to contend with THIS monstrosity for an 8th Air Force tribute.
Want the real story of the 8th Air Force? Watch William Wyler's original "Memphis Belle" documentary - or Dana Andrews' performance in Wyler's "The Best Years of our Lives."
Toward the Unknown (1956)
Makes "The Right Stuff" look like kid's stuff
"The Right Stuff" tried hard to capture the feel of Edwards and the 'golden age' of flight testing - but "Toward the Unknown" outdoes the later film in spades. In spite of the cut-n-pasted love story with the wooden Virginia Leith, this film catches the flavor of USAF flight testing with William Holden's credible performance as a previously up-and-coming aviator tries to regain his stature following a tormented experience as a POW during the Korean War. The "pilot speak" is dumbed down just enough for the civilian audience, and the flying sequences are well done - no models here. As a footnote, Holden is a composite of real-life test pilot Pete Everest (with whom Holden developed a fast friendship during filming) and Walker "Bud" Mahurin, whose Korean War POW experiences were woven into the script (although Mahurin never attempted suicide). In fact, there are striking similarities (surely purposeful) in appearance between the leading actors and their real-life counterparts: Stand Holden next to Everest, and Lloyd Nolan next to General Al Boyd, and you'll see what I mean.
I have a VHS copy I had made from a deteriorating 16mm print of the film which I picked up off eBay (the friend who made the tape said the emulsion was chipping off the celluloid as he taped it, it was in such poor condition), so I'll have to live with that until a DVD becomes available - which, according to a credible source, won't happen until the Holden estate reaches an agreement with the production company. I do know a print of the film was furnished to the Edwards AFB theater recently for a showing to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the original premier of "Toward The Unknown."
The Hunters (1958)
How NOT to adapt a novel to film, but still fun to watch
If you've never read the book, watch the movie first - then go find the novel for the real story. It could be categorized as "autobiographical fiction" as the author, James Salter (nom de plum) flew as a pilot with the 335th Fighter Interceptor Squadron, 4th FIW at Suwon, Korea during the war. Robert Wagner's character is a thinly veiled caricature of ace Jim Low. Mitchum is typically laconic (and I do enjoy him in this role, in spite of, or including, the schlocky love story) and the F-86s are fun to watch. Richard Egan plays well as the retread group commander who pairs Mitchum and Wagner, much to Mitchum's initial distaste. The DVD in widescreen is the best way to go, and while a far cry from "The Bridges at Toko-Ri," it's still a keeper in my book.
Air Cadet (1951)
"Oh, you beautiful doll, you!"
The plot is predictable, especially considering the film is, for all intents and purposes, a recruiting film. It's also a thinly veiled rework of the earlier Berne Lay script, "I Wanted Wings." As a matter of fact, the barracks interior scenes at Randolph AFB, early in the film, utilize the same sets used for the aforementioned 1941 classic. The neat thing is the combination of aircraft and "actors" - the T-33 two-seat jet trainers are some of the earliest models, prior to the installation of ejection seats. There is also a liberal sprinkling of single-seat F-80s used throughout as well. For the flight gear aficionado, the pilots wear the first production "hard hats," the P-1 helmet. Among the actors are actual USAF personnel. Future Mercury 7 astronaut Gus Grissom is mentioned in the IMDb listing as a cast member, but I'm going to have to watch it again to pick him out. More recognizable for me was Col. Leon Gray - he gives a speech to the new jet students about the sophistication of their aircraft, how it will "talk" to them. Gray was a highly decorated WWII veteran who flew photo reconnaissance P-38 Lightnings in the European theater. He went on to command one of the first P-80 squadrons at March Field, then took command of the first RF-80 (reconnaissance version of the Shoioting Star) wing in the USAF.
If you're an early jet nut, this movie is a "must have" in your collection.