"Where is our Navy? Why doesn't it fight?" In the aftermath of the Pearl Harbor attack, the U.S. Navy in the Pacific is stretched thin, torn between trying to defend against an expected attack on the U.S. West coast or striking a decisive blow against the Japanese. The unnamed U.S. Aircraft Carrier (An amalgam of U.S.S. Enterprise and U.S.S. Lexington) embarks on a series of "see me, I'm here" feints which results in aircrew losses. Various subplots detail shipboard life in 1942 as the sailors and flyers wonder when they will get a chance to attack the enemy. Then, the campaign turns serious and the fleet gathers near Midway island to strike the Japanese navy. Squadron attacks fail, then succeed, as the enemy fleet loses ships and aircraft. Then it is the turn of The Carrier to come under attack as the Japanese torpedo and dive bombers swarm in for the kill. This film was made as the war in the Pacific was still going on, but after the battle of Midway, so some carrier aircraft seen are later models. A rousing wartime action adventure for war bond drives. 6.5/10
This is quite an interesting story depicting the lives of sailors and airmen aboard an American aircraft carrier shortly after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbour in 1941. Their task, is however, a bit different. They are to sail around the Pacific trying to give their enemy the impression that their fleet is disorganised and dispersed widely whilst their sister ships actually mass near Midway for a battle royal. This decoy mission has disadvantages for the crew though - they must be visible to the Japanese, but not engage them - a dangerous task made much more difficult and frustrating because they are determined to avenge their murdered comrades. It falls to Don Ameche ("Harper") to manage this air crew led by Dana Andrews ("Moulton") that features quite a few "individuals" who have scant regard for authority or discipline. First amongst them is the handsome, Hollywood heart-throb "Scott" (William Eythe) as well as the recent recipient of a Presidential citation "Cookie" (Kevin O'Shea) both of whom have their own plans for the war... The narrative provides us with a well trodden story as the youngsters start off hostile to their commander but gradually come round to his own way of thinking - before an epic battle at the end. The acting isn't up to up much either - a few scenes from Charles Bickford and Sir Cedrick Hardwicke give a certain gravitas, but really it is the aerial photography and battle scenes that helps this to fly, as it were. They are great to watch, plenty of well staged aero-acrobatics interspersed with actuality that gives a decent sense of the peril. It takes far too long to get anywhere exciting, though, and offers nothing new to the genre.
In this exciting spy drama, enemy agents endeavor to steal the plans for a top secret silent aircraft. The plane's inventor wants to sell his invention to other countries but his government will only allow it if the test flights fail. The prototype is sabotaged and crashes on the first test, killing the pilot. The commanding officer shoulders the blame and ends up court-martialed. He then goes to the enemy agents and wins their trust.
When an in-flight collision incapacitates the pilots of an airplane bound for Los Angeles, stewardess Nancy Pryor is forced to take over the controls. From the ground, her boyfriend Alan Murdock, a retired test pilot, tries to talk her through piloting and landing the 747 aircraft. Worse yet, the anxious passengers — among which are a noisy nun and a cranky man — are aggravating the already tense atmosphere.
A dog trains for the battlefield and becomes a crucial part of the United States military. This 1945 short documentary film was nominated for an Oscar for Best Live Action Short, One-Reel.
Lt. Franta Slama is a top pilot in the Czech Air Force who is assigned to train a promising young flier, Karel Vojtisek, and they soon become friends. When Nazi Germany invades Czechoslovakia in 1939, they both reject the authority of their new leaders and escape to England where they join other Czech exiles in the RAF. While flying a mission over England, Karel crash lands and happens upon the farmhouse of Susan, a young woman whose husband is in the Navy. Karel soon falls head over heels for Susan but, while they enjoy a brief fling, in time Susan decides she prefers the company of the older and more worldly Franta. As Franta and Karel struggle to maintain their friendship despite their romantic rivalry.
This 1942 fictionalized biopic chronicles the true story of how two of the most remarkable men in aviation history - visionary Spitfire designer R.J. Mitchell and his test pilot Geoffrey Crisp - designed a streamlined monoplane that led to the development of the Spitfire.
In World War I France, a pilot falls in love with the wife of his friend and superior officer.
This documentary is a captivating account of the defense of Wake Island by a small contingent of United States Marines and civilian contractors. From December 8th until December 23rd, 1941 the defenders thwarted an aerial attack and an attempted amphibious landing from a naval task force before finally being overwhelmed by the third attempt by the Japanese Imperial Navy.
A look at the life of legendary American pilot Amelia Earhart, who disappeared while flying over the Pacific Ocean in 1937 in an attempt to make a flight around the world.
The story of a group of men, an Army Rifle company called C-for-Charlie, who change, suffer, and ultimately make essential discoveries about themselves during the fierce World War II battle of Guadalcanal. It follows their journey, from the surprise of an unopposed landing, through the bloody and exhausting battles that follow, to the ultimate departure of those who survived.
A biopic depicting the life of filmmaker and aviation pioneer Howard Hughes from 1927 to 1947, during which time he became a successful film producer and an aviation magnate, while simultaneously growing more unstable due to severe obsessive-compulsive disorder.
Richthofen goes off to war like thousands of other men. As fighter pilots, they become cult heroes for the soldiers on the battlefields. Marked by sportsmanlike conduct, technical exactitude and knightly propriety, they have their own code of honour. Before long he begins to understand that his hero status is deceptive. His love for Kate, a nurse, opens his eyes to the brutality of war.