Dive Bomber (1941)

Director:

Michael Curtiz

Writers:

Frank Wead (story)
Frank Wead (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

30 August 1941 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

WINGS TO THE WIND...EYES TO THE SKIES! (original print media ad - all caps)

Plot:

A military surgeon teams with a ranking navy flyer to develop a high-altitude suit which will protect pilots from blacking out when they go into a steep dive.

Plot Keywords:

Blackout | Military | Flight Surgeon | Altitude Sickness | Flight School

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar.

Cast

  (Complete credited cast)

Errol Flynn	...	Lt. Douglas S. 'Doug' Lee, MD
Fred MacMurray	...	Lt. Cmdr. Joe Blake, squadron commander
Ralph Bellamy	...	Lt. Cmdr. Lance Rogers, MD, Flight Surgeon
Alexis Smith	...	Mrs. Linda Fisher
Robert Armstrong	...	Art Lyons - aviation designer
Regis Toomey	...	Lt. Tim Griffin
Allen Jenkins	...	Corpsman 2nd Class 'Lucky' James
Craig Stevens	...	Pilot Trainee Anthony
Herbert Anderson	...	Lt. Markham MD - assigned to Norfolk
Moroni Olsen	...	Senior Surgeon at San Diego
Dennie Moore	...	Ex-wife of Lucky James
Louis Jean Heydt	...	Lt. Swede Larson
Cliff Nazarro	...	Corpsman - Lucky's fast-talking buddy

Runtime:

132 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Certification:

Argentina:Atp | Finland:S | USA:Approved (PCA #7199) | Australia:PG

Filming Locations:

Cabrillo National Monument, Point Loma, San Diego, California, USA

Company:

Warner Bros. Pictures

Trivia:

According to the book The Casablanca Man: The Cinema of Michael Curtiz by James C. Robertson, this movie was one of the Warner Brothers studio's biggest box-office hits of 1941 and the film made a profit of more than $(US) 1 million.

Goofs:

Continuity: In the opening scenes showing pilots manning their planes, several bi-plane fighters are forward of the dive bombers. Later when the dive bombers take off the fighters are not shown taking off before them, nor are they visible on deck.

Quotes:

Lt. Cmdr. Joe Blake, squadron commander: [Nastily] Don't use your surgical touch on me, Doctor. I wanna collect my old age pension!
Lt. Douglas S. 'Doug' Lee, MD: Don't worry, you'll be a burden on the taxpayer for many years.
Lt. Cmdr. Joe Blake, squadron commander: You're no better at flying than you are with a knife.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Dive Bomber: Keep 'Em in the Air (2005) (V)

Soundtrack:

What's New?

A wonderful look at US Naval Aviation on the eve of World War II

While Dive Bomber has some formulaic elements, it is a glorious technicolor view of US naval aviation just before the US entered World War II. The air sequences include shots of aircraft (Vindicators, Devastators, Curtiss Hawks, etc.) that soon became obsolete and that I have never seen in any other technicolor film. The carrier scenes are set on the USS Enterprise the year before this ship fought in the Midway and Guadalcanal battles. The film is shot on location in San Diego, and I noticed landmarks like the Hotel Del Coronado and the Cabrillo lighthouse in the background. Thanks to Turner Classic Movies for playing this.