Air Strike (1955 film)

Last updated
Air Strike
Air Strike.jpg
Theatrical film poster
Directed byCy Roth
Written byCy Roth (screenplay)
Based onstory
by Cy Roth
Produced byCy Roth
Starring
Narrated byRichard Denning
CinematographyAlan Stensvold
Edited byDuncan Mansfield
Music byAndré Brummer
Production
company
Cy Roth Productions Inc.
Distributed by Lippert-Universal
Release date
  • May 6, 1955 (1955-05-06)
Running time
67 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Air Strike is a 1955 American drama film written, directed and produced by Cy Roth and starring Richard Denning, Gloria Jean and Don Haggerty; the supporting cast features former child star Billy Halop. [1] The plot involves pilots training at a United States Navy squadron preparing for the Korean War. [2] The film features the original song, "Each Time You Leave Me" by composers Sylvia Ostrow and André Brummer. [3]

Contents

Plot

U.S. Navy Commander Stanley Blair (Richard Denning), is in charge of a fighter-bomber squadron during the Korean War based on the USS Essex aircraft carrier. While training in the Atlantic Ocean, Blair's second-in-command, Lieutenant Dick Huggins (Don Haggerty) demands Ensign James Delaney (William Courtney) be transferred because he has exhibited a "lone wolf" attitude and an aggressive flying style. Blair intercedes explaining to the younger man that teamwork in the squadron is important.

Huggins also is facing family pressure as his wife, Marg (Gloria Jean) is pressuring him to take a shore assignment. Other men in the squadron are also facing difficult decisions: Lieutenant Anthony Perini states that he is only serving his term and then will return to law school, while Lieutenant Hal Alexander (Stanley Clements) wonders if he "has the stuff" to become a career Navy man like his father, who received the Navy Cross during World War II. Lieutenant Smith (William Hudson) reveals that Blair also received the Navy Cross in the war, during a fight near the Mariana Islands, where he bombed an enemy cruiser.

While on maneuvers, after Huggins disputes Delaney's claim that he has spotted an unidentified submarine, the conflict between the two results in Blair offering Huggins a transfer out of the squadron. On a training flight, when the squadron runs into dense fog, each pilot has to try to reach the carrier before running out of fuel. With his instruments out and fuel running low, Huggins gets lost. Delaney runs out of fuel and crash-lands, but is rescued. When he finds that Huggins is still in the air, he volunteers to lead Huggins to safety. When both are safely back on the aircraft carrier, they reconcile and the squadron is praised for coming out of a difficult situation with skill and bravery.

Cast

Production

Air Strike relied heavily on stock footage, noting before this film's opening credits, a foreword reads: "With grateful appreciation for the cooperation of the Department of the Navy and the Department of Defense." At the film's end, the following dedication appears: "The mighty air arm of the United States Navy with its control of the seas is a great part of this nation's security. Aggression can be stopped and peace maintained with a strong Navy. This story is dedicated to the men at sea with wings." In a news item appearing in the November 1953 issue of The Hollywood Reporter , producer Cy Roth had "obtained complete financial backing from San Francisco interests for his Coyt Productions schedule." Air Strike would become the first of the films produced by Roth. [4]

This movie underwent many changes at the request of the Department of Defense. For example, the lead characters were a young Jewish flyer and a young black flyer who are constantly being subjected to anti-Semitism and racism on the ship. The military said, "No, we don't want to show any kind of racism or anti-Semitism in this picture, you've got to change that." They also said, "We don't want a World War II-era picture, we want a movie set in the modern jet age." And Roth went nuts. He called his congressman, he wrote a letter to President Eisenhower — and the day after the White House got his letter of complaint, they sicced the FBI on him to see whether he was a Communist or not. Well, he finally caved in; he made the picture the way they wanted. So it was no blacks, no Jews, no propellers. If you look at this film, it's so bad, it looks like a home movie shot on an aircraft carrier. So this film was completely changed.

— David Robb, inJeff Fleischer, Mother Jones , Operation Hollywood [5]

Aircraft used

As noted in the onscreen film credits of Air Strike and in The Hollywood Reporter, sequences were filmed aboard the USS Essex (CVA-9) aircraft carrier, stationed in San Diego. The onscreen cast credit for the military extras reads: "The officers and men of the U.S.S. Essex (CVA 9); The "Fighting Falcons" of VF 142 Cougar Squadron." Additional sequences were shot at the Samuel Goldwyn Studios in 1954. [4] The aircraft that appeared in Air Strike are: [6]

Reception

Air Strike was primarily a B film, and although aerial scenes were notable, fell short in other aspects. In a later appraisal, film historian Michael Paris in From the Wright Brothers to Top Gun: Aviation, Nationalism, and Popular Cinema (1995) noted that the film was a "studio-based" approach to the Korean War era. [7] Film historians Jack Hardwick and Ed Schnepf dismissed the film as "propaganda", claiming that "the film credits should read: 'Made free by U.S. Navy'." [8] Aviation film historian Christian Santoir considered Air Strike as a historical document with "rare" film footage of U.S.Navy postwar jet aircraft. [6]

Related Research Articles

The Dictionary of American Naval Aviation Squadrons (DANAS) is a multivolume work published by Naval Historical Center of the U.S. Department of the Navy's Naval History & Heritage Command. It covers naval aviation in much the same way as the Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS) covers commissioned vessels.

CVA-01 Unbuilt 1960s class of UK aircraft carriers

CVA-01 was a proposed United Kingdom aircraft carrier, designed during the 1960s. The ship was intended to be the first of a class that would replace all of the Royal Navy's carriers, most of which had been designed before or during the Second World War. CVA-01 and CVA-02 were intended to replace HMS Victorious and HMS Ark Royal, while CVA-03 and CVA-04 would have replaced HMS Hermes and HMS Eagle respectively.

<i>Hell Divers</i> 1932 film

Hell Divers is a 1932 American pre-Code black-and-white film from Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer starring Wallace Beery and Clark Gable as a pair of competing chief petty officers in early naval aviation. The film, made with the cooperation of the United States Navy, features considerable footage of flight operations aboard the Navy's second aircraft carrier, the USS Saratoga, including dramatic shots of takeoffs and landings filmed from the Curtiss F8C-4 Helldiver dive bombers after which the movie was named.

<i>633 Squadron</i> 1964 film

633 Squadron is a 1964 war film directed by Walter Grauman and starring Cliff Robertson, George Chakiris, and Maria Perschy. The plot, which involves the exploits of a fictional World War II British fighter-bomber squadron, was based on the 1956 novel of the same name by former Royal Air Force officer Frederick E. Smith, which itself drew on several real RAF operations. The film was produced by Cecil F. Ford for the second film of Mirisch Productions UK subsidiary Mirisch Films for United Artists. 633 Squadron was the first aviation film to be shot in colour and Panavision widescreen.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">VFA-213</span> Military unit

Strike Fighter Squadron 213 (VFA-213) Blacklions is an aviation unit of the United States Navy based at Naval Air Station Oceana, Virginia. It was established in 1955 and is currently equipped with the F/A-18F Super Hornet. The squadron is assigned to Carrier Air Wing Eight and uses the radio callsign Lion.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">VFA-103</span> Military unit

Strike Fighter Squadron 103 (VFA-103), nicknamed the Jolly Rogers, is an aviation unit of the United States Navy established in 1952. VFA-103 flies the F/A-18F Super Hornet and is based at Naval Air Station Oceana, Virginia (US). The squadron's radio callsign is Victory and it is assigned to Carrier Air Wing Seven.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">VF-51</span> Military unit

VF-51, Fighter Squadron 51 was an aviation unit of the United States Navy known as the "Screaming Eagles". It was originally established as VF-1 on February 1, 1943, redesignated as VF-5 on July 15, 1943, redesignated as VF-5A on November 15, 1946, redesignated VF-51 on August 16, 1948, and disestablished in March 1995. Until its disestablishment, VF-51 was the oldest fighter squadron in continuous service with the Pacific Fleet.

<i>This Mans Navy</i> 1945 film by William A. Wellman

This Man's Navy is a 1945 World War II film about U.S. Navy blimps directed by William A. Wellman and starring Wallace Beery, Tom Drake, Jan Clayton and James Gleason. The supporting cast features Selena Royle and Beery's brother Noah Beery Sr., and presents a rare opportunity to see both Beery brothers work together in their later years. The picture is also one of the very few films, other than training films, to depict U.S. Navy airship operations.

<i>Jet Pilot</i> (film) 1957 film by Josef von Sternberg

Jet Pilot is a 1957 American Cold War romance film directed by Josef von Sternberg and starring John Wayne and Janet Leigh. It was written and produced by Jules Furthman, and presented by Howard Hughes. Filming lasted more than eighteen months, beginning in 1949. The last day of shooting was in May 1953, but the Technicolor film was kept out of release by Hughes due to his tinkering until October 1957, by which time Hughes had sold RKO. Universal-International ended up distributing Jet Pilot.

<i>Gallant Journey</i> 1946 film by William A. Wellman

Gallant Journey is a 1946 American historical film written, produced and directed by William A. Wellman and starring Glenn Ford, Janet Blair and Charles Ruggles. The film is a biopic of the early U.S. aviation pioneer John Joseph Montgomery. Gallant Journey depicts his efforts to build and fly gliders, from his childhood through to his death in 1911. The chief stunt pilot for the film was Paul Mantz. It was produced and distributed by Columbia Pictures. It is also known by the alternative title The Great Highway

<i>Storm Over the Pacific</i> 1960 Japanese film

Storm Over the Pacific is a 1960 Eastmancolor Japanese war film directed by Shūe Matsubayashi. The story is an account of a young Japanese bombardier, Lt. Koji Kitami stationed aboard the Japanese aircraft carrier Hiryu and his participation in two battles in the Pacific during World War II, the attack on Pearl Harbor and the Battle of Midway.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carrier Air Wing Six</span> Military unit

Carrier Air Wing Six (CVW-6) was a United States Navy aircraft carrier air wing whose operational history spans from the middle of World War II to the end of the Cold War. Established in 1943 as Carrier Air Group Seventeen (CVG-17), it would be re-designated several times during its establishment, including Carrier Air Group Six (CVG-6) as the second unit to be so designated. The first Carrier Air Group Six served for just over two years during World War II, but drew on the history of the Enterprise Air Group established in 1938 and active in the early battles of the Pacific War, being disestablished after the first year of the conflict. During its time in USS Enterprise (CV-6), it was the Navy's only carrier-based air group to carry out three complete tours of duty during World War II.

<i>Dive Bomber</i> (film) 1941 film

Dive Bomber is a 1941 American aviation film from Warner Bros. Pictures, directed by Michael Curtiz, and starring Errol Flynn and Fred MacMurray. The film is notable for both its Technicolor photography of pre-World War II United States Navy aircraft and as a historical document of the U.S. in 1941. This includes the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise, one of the best-known U.S. warships of World War II.

<i>Mariners of the Sky</i> 1936 film by Nate Watt

Mariners of the Sky is a 1936 American comedy-drama film directed and produced by Nate Watt, in his directorial debut. The film stars William Gargan, Claire Dodd and Douglas Fowley. Filmed with the cooperation of the U.S. Navy, it was a mild recruiting film in an era when the United States military was gearing up for a future war.

<i>Dragonfly Squadron</i> 1954 film by Lesley Selander

Dragonfly Squadron is a 1954 American war film directed by Lesley Selander and starring John Hodiak, Barbara Britton and Bruce Bennett. The film is set in the period shortly before and during the invasion of South Korea by North Korean troops.

<i>Air Hostess</i> (1933 film) 1933 film

Air Hostess is a 1933 American Pre-Code aviation-themed melodrama based on a serial published in a 1919 True Story Magazine article called Air Hostess by Grace Perkins, also known as Dora Macy. Director Albert Rogell who had moved from shorts to B-films, had been interested in aviation having already helmed a similar feature, The Flying Marine (1929). In Air Hostess, the studio had attempted to merge flying and romance. Advertising stressed, "A date in the skies ... a rendezvous in the heavens...where love zooms with thrill after thrill ... but finds a happy landing!"

<i>Sky Devils</i> 1932 film

Sky Devils, also known as Ground Hogs, is a 1932 American Pre-Code aviation comedy film, starring Spencer Tracy as a draft dodger who blunders into a war zone.

<i>Captain Eddie</i> 1945 film by Lloyd Bacon

Captain Eddie is a 1945 American drama film directed by Lloyd Bacon, based on Seven Were Saved by "Eddie" Rickenbacker and Lt. James Whittaker's We Thought We Heard the Angels Sing. The film stars Fred MacMurray, Lynn Bari and Charles Bickford. Captain Eddie is a "biopic" of Rickenbacker, from his experiences as a flying ace during World War I to his later involvement as a pioneering figure in civil aviation, and his iconic status as a business leader who was often at odds with labour unions and the government.

<i>Wings of Fire</i> (film) American TV series or program

Wings of Fire is a 1967 American made-for-television action-drama film for broadcast on National Broadcasting Company (NBC), directed by David Lowell Rich. The film starred Suzanne Pleshette, James Farentino, Lloyd Nolan, Juliet Mills, Jeremy Slate and Ralph Bellamy. The plot concerns a female pilot wanting to become an air racer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Swede Vejtasa</span> United States Navy officer

Stanley Winfield "Swede" Vejtasa was a United States Navy career officer and World War II flying ace. During the Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands, he was credited with downing seven Japanese aircraft in one mission, becoming an "ace in a day".

References

Notes

  1. ↑ "Overview: 'Air Strike' (1955)." Turner Classic Movies . Retrieved: May 22, 2016.
  2. ↑ Erickson, Hal. "Synopsis: 'Air Strike' (1955). allmovie . Retrieved: May 22, 2016.
  3. ↑ "Music: 'Air Strike' (1955)." Turner Classic Movies . Retrieved: May 22, 2016.
  4. 1 2 "Notes: 'Air Strike' (1955)." Turner Classic Movies . Retrieved: May 22, 2016.
  5. ↑ Fleischer, Jeff (September 20, 2004). "Operation Hollywood: How the Pentagon bullies movie producers into showing the U.S. military in the best possible light".
  6. 1 2 Santoir, Christian. "Review: 'Air Strike'." Aeromovies. Retrieved: May 22, 2016.
  7. ↑ Paris 1995, p. 190.
  8. ↑ Hardwick and Schnepf 1989, p. 51.

Bibliography

  • Hardwick, Jack and Ed Schnepf. "A Viewer's Guide to Aviation Movies". The Making of the Great Aviation Films, General Aviation Series, Volume 2, 1989.
  • Paris, Michael. From the Wright Brothers to Top Gun: Aviation, Nationalism, and Popular Cinema. Manchester, UK: Manchester University Press, 1995. ISBN   978-0-7190-4074-0.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.