Wayne Morris was the man who tested my father in his solo flight during training in becoming an F6F Hellcat pilot in VF-20 (Fighting 20) of Air Group 20 (AG-20) who were on the USS Enterprise CV-6 from August 24th to December 6, 1944 and on the USS Lexington CV-16 from December 11, 1944 to January 26, 1945. In five and a half months of action, 41 AG-20 personnel lost their lives on the Enterprise and 30 on the Lexington.
My dad was in the air force. After that he was an ambulance driver in Detroit Michigan and took Veronica Lake to the hospital 🏥🇺🇸 My dad was always my hero!!💕 love all these black and white movies ❣️
Released July 1941 in movie theaters. Thanks for this patriotic movie, a movie I have never seen. Brian Donleavy was a WWI veteran. My father was drafted May 1941. He started as an enlisted man, then tested and accepted to OCS. I enjoy these WWII era movies considering this pre Pearl Harbor. Wayne Morris was a decorated Navy fighter pilot during WWII, I wonder if this movie lit the fuse for his interest in flying ? 😊
The Bombers in this movie were the Boeing Model 299 which by the time of this movie were designated as the B-18 Bolo. The Army Air Corp. was flying the YB-17 at the time, which was latter designated as the B-17A. Shortly before we entered WWII the B-17B was introduced with the new iconic tail shape, a Top and Ball Turret and open Waste Gunner positions. It was this B Model that earned the name Flying Fortress. The C and D Models had changes in Engines and gun caliber. The F Model was equipped with the twin 50 cal. Tail guns. The G Model which 8,680 were produced, was fitted with a front Chin Turret with twin 50s. Then came the Boeing B-29
William Holden was everything a man should be, Veronica Lake everything a girl should be, and Constance Moore everything a lady should be. Everyone is so perfectly dressed, and the planes are gorgeous too... Wow! Thanks a lot. I had never seen that movie.
Everything a man should be? Don't think so, the rest of the men in the country inlisted and fought unlike Hollywood's army. Maybe the real man your talking about is Wayne Morris.
@@olderthanyoucali8512 It's just a way to speak, a way to express my admiration to him, not a philosophical truth, or historic or human. Can't you see that ? Always argue about everything !
@@olderthanyoucali8512 fyi the following Hollywood actors fought in world war 2 David niven Mel Brooks Jimmy Stewart Kirk douglas Jason robards Clark gable Psul Newman And later lee marvin.in later wsr and buried in Arlington no less and came from a military family whose ancestors fought in previous wars
My father joined the Army Air Corps not long after this movie was made. He flew BT-13s and T-6s during primary flight training, class 42H (August 1942), but not sure where. He was 6'-4" tall so after graduation was transferred to a B-25 training squadron in Bennettesville, SC. By 1943 he was flying B-25 bombing missions out of N. Africa. During the early 1960s our family would drive through Bennettesville on the way to Myrtle Beach from Charlotte on our annual summer vacation. Passing by the former Army Air Corps base, that still had one of the large hangers standing proud, Dad would tell us interesting war stories about his flight training there. Yep, watching this movie was awesome for me. My dad ended up serving in the AAC and later USAF for 21 years before retiring. He was quite a pilot!
*+ + + + +* Jimbo.....!!! 👌 My Dad and 3 uncles flew Spitfire fighters for the RAAF (Royal Australian Air Force) during The Battle Of Britain, 1940 = 4 left Queensland / 2 returned home...... RIP to All brave defenders of Liberty. ✔ And OH..... I have many fond memories of lovely Thailand (too)!!! 😎
@@elmagodelmaryahoo Salute also to your brave father and your 3 uncles. Sorry that 2 didn't return home. Yes sir, RIP to all those wonderful Allied heroes fighting against tyranny and oppression, especially those, like your uncles, who paid the ultimate price! Let's hope we can all avoid another horrible world war with the more and more belligerent communist China. But if so, so be it to preserve Liberty for all. Regarding Thailand, probably one of the best places to be throughout this pandemic. Don't know how Thailand dodged the CCP Virus bullet but thank God and/or Buddha the pandemic here has been mainly an inconvenience. Cheers! 👍😁
Am 61..never seen this before. But what a lineup....Real leading men...hard to beat Holden. The old Hollywood machine really cranked them out in those days.
As of 2020, this movie is still not available on either VHS, DVD or Blu-Ray, but it got posted on RU-vid. And there you have it. This movie snared an Academy Award for the visual effects by Gordon Jennings and Farciot Edouart and for best sound effects.
growing up in the late 60 and early 70's I couldn't get enough of these old movies and this one I haven't seen before. Great action, story plot and my favorite...the world war two planes! Awesome movie I must say.
Growing up I was surrounded by Vets, my dad built airfields during the war ( he died when I was 9 in 67) my stepdad liberated islands in the Pacific - Guadalcanal to Okinawa as a Marine. 1 uncle, Army Air Forces followed behind my stepdad as a Crew Chief on B 17s, later B 29s. Another uncle spent the war aboard a CA the USS Augusta, Another one G2 for Gen Patton My mother reskinned heavy bombers, other aunts also worked in War production plants. Father in law was in the British Army in N. Africa with Monty and so on. They fought , then went on to enjoy the peace they fought so hard for.
One of the reasons you might have missed this one is that the film was never, to my knowledge, released on VHS or DVD. The copies that have circulated appear to have been made off of (ripped from) online presentations such as this one.
My father and uncle were both in the air corps during WWII. They both washed out of pilot school. My uncle became a bombardier on a B17 and flew the Dresden Raid. My father was a gunnery instructor in Texas. His claim to fame was turning a 3-day pass into a 9-day pass so he could visit his parents in California. The first thing that happened when he got back to the base was standing next to an officer who was asking another officer if he had heard about a sergeant who turned a 3-day pass into a 9-day pass.
Although Ray Milland was a pilot in real life and was an instructor to US Army trainee pilots during the war, he was rejected for the US Army because of injury and had previously been in the British Army, serving in the Queen's Household Cavalry.
I've seen this s couple of times. Veronica Lake's break through role, William Holden was great as were the flying sequences of the BT-13s and AT-6s. Very interesting. If you like this film try "Thunderbirds: Soldiers of the Air" with Gene Tierney, beautiful movie.
Way back in 1960, our family's old address was Coolhurst in West Whittier California and our family's new address is on Tropicana Way, La Habra, California, so new was it, there were no backyard fences, that were yet to go up. I WAS A FOUR YEARS OLD, out the back door, was several backyard areas that were fenceless, open space. That had VERONA addresses. So, close to Lake, Veronica, I am going PEEK-A-BOO Bang crazy! Too, it seems from this.
This is film finally is getting the exposure it deserves. For a long time, it was very difficult to find a copy to view; I don't believe that ít has ever been released on VHS or DVD. It's not a great film, in my view; but it's a good film and thoroughly enjoyable. And Lake is lovely.
Most actors were 4F, some were from the trenches, (Lee Marvin). During the war Goebbels had taught us the power of the cinema in politics so actors were considered important for the war effort.
I missed this too. My stepfather was a mechanic on the Flying Tigers out of Northern India. Worked on planes flying the Himalayan Hump. Was going to be a pilot but was color blind. Being a mechanic probably saved his life. Gone now. Still very proud of him.
Ah, the notorious colour blind test! In the RAF this was the first thing you did as a would-be pilot. It simply consisted of a little book, with numbers in colour on multi-coloured backgrounds.Through the book, the numbers slowly mirged into the background..............if you couldn't read them, your pilot days were over before they started.
@@Firebrand55 Actually very happy he was a mechanic. Might not have survived those dog fights over western China. Met a friend of his who did pass his eye tests. They got together about once a year. Different times. Lots of skill back then. Respect all of them.
*The actor 'Harry Davenport' had a career that spanned decades, long before there was any 'Vaudeville'...back to the days of 'Magic Lantern' shows in tents when 'still photos' were shown on a screen accompanied by piano and 'live actors' would be dressed in costumes that matched the photos of real events with famous people...like 'Lee's Surrender' or 'The Death of Lincoln' and so on* ______ *Davenport knew and had worked-with the 'Booth' family dynasty of 'Stage Actors', something almost no one living could claim by the time of this movie* *What a life he had!*
Definitely a Good Story with 23 year old William Holden and 19 year old, sultry bombshell Veronica Lake.... her 1st major role. 👌 The aerial "acrobatics" of the BT flight trainers was well done, while the footage of the BTs and B-17 Flying Fortresses in squadrons was really quite beautiful. Holden's emergency landing in that small farm field was pretty Cool TOO... turning "on a dime"!! 😎 "Ballzy" pilots forever _'Pushing The Envelope'_ where sadly the film evolved to unpredicted tragedy.
@@overcastfriday81 And was at the same time gung-ho pro-war -- so long as it was others doing the fighting and dying. There are still people who believe he was actually a hero of some kind.
Ray Milland learnt to fly while serving in the British Army before becoming an actor, he was also a crack shot and superb horseman. Veronica Lake learnt to fly in 1946.
Randolph Field is now Joint Base San Antonio, has a neat museum on the base and a lot of history there…. Base is located 14 miles east of downtown San Antonio.
Interesting sub-plot with the Al and Sally show for a pre-WW II USAA training film. Also some fine close ups of our finest Heavy Bomber. Great cast of young future superstars. What's not to like?
Steven 125, Morris was an Ace, the only previously famous Actor to become one as a fighter pilot in WW2!, four distinguished flying crosses .he also is credited with the sinking of enemy ships.
Up in the air - junior birdmen up in the air - upside down. up in the air - junior birdmen with their noses to the ground! Haven't remembered that one for years....
If you are fan, Veronica Lake's only Technicolor film was "Bring on the Girls" with Eddie Bracken, also made during the war. Different vibe but still very cool. It's on youtube somewhere.
I've wondered the same thing. Modern actresses all seem to lack any unique qualities. And you couldn't accuse any of them of having been to finishing school!
I had never heard of this movie before. I'm currently reading Jimmy Stewart's biography titled Bomber Pilot, written by Starr Smith. This movie is mentioned in the book
It seems like some of the comments complain about the accuracy and military security of the movie. They seem to forget that these movies weren't made for military purposes, they were made for civilian entertainment. For that purpose, the movie was just fine. I say, just stop being such a stickler for detail and enjoy the movie as the entertainment it was intended to be.
To get the USA military to help you make a movie like this, you will paint them in a great light or you will not be helped making the movie. Propaganda!
At least this is either the original movie, or it is the first direct copy of the original movie. that's why it is so sharp and clear in details. A person can always tell if it is such, as the movie that is bleary in details is a copy of a copy. Copies of copies are always fuzzy and bleary in all details.
This was a good watch. Really enjoyed Veronica Lake’s performance. Thank goodness she died before she could ruin any more of William Holden’s (Al’s) life!
Later on that year was the battle of LA---for REAL. Ack-Ack guns firing...spotlights...but no enemy planes, TWO nights in a row. It was all spoofed in the movie: "1941".
Best thing that ever happened was when aircraft came under the banner of the Air Force. Funny thing was, years ago, our Iroquois 'copters, were originally airforce, then went backwards into the army in Australia..lol. My dad was airforce and he couldn't figure why...it was a flying machine...but you can't figure what goes into the services bosses' minds. He was a transport pilot in WW2 over New Guinea. But I think it was the 70's the 'copters ended up in the army.
@19:30 The Link Blue Box trainer was the first full instrument flight simulator ever built. It was invented by Edwin Link in 1929 and was used to train half a million pilots in instrumented flight for WW2. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-7gK54YZ_8eI.html I worked at Link Simulators (now L3) in the early 1990s. There was a Blue Box on display in the main lobby of their Binghamton, NY corporate office. Really cool to see the thing being used back in the day.
It was Hollywood films like this that went that extra mile when it came to supporting the growing war effort that was on the verge of consuming all aspects of American life in the early 1940's. I imagine this must have been the movie that inspired so many young Americans to join the Army Air Forces; the branch of the military that became the Trump card in ensuring victory in WW2.