A Yank in the R.A.F. (1941)

Director:

Henry King

Writers:

Darrell Ware (screenplay) and
Karl Tunberg (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

9 February 1942 (Sweden)

Genre:

Action | Adventure | Drama | Romance | War

Tagline:

ROLLICKING ROMANCE! GLORIOUS ADVENTURE! (original ad - all caps)

Plot:

Tyrone Power is a pilots' pilot, but he doesn't believe in anything beyond his own abilities. He gets...

Plot Keywords:

German Officer | German Soldier | Beautiful Woman | Nazi

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar.

Cast

Tyrone Power	...	Tim Baker
Betty Grable	...	Carol Brown
John Sutton	...	Wing Commander Morley
Reginald Gardiner	...	Roger Pillby
Donald Stuart	...	Corporal Harry Baker
Ralph Byrd	...	Al
Richard Fraser	...	Thorndyke
Denis Green	...	Flight Lieutenant Redmond
Bruce Lester	...	Flight Lieutenant Richardson
Gilchrist Stuart	...	Wales
Lester Matthews	...	Group Captain
Frederick Worlock	...	Canadian Major
Ethel Griffies	...	Lady Fitzhugh
Fortunio Bonanova	...	Headwaiter
James Craven	...	Instructor

Also Known As:

A Yank in the RAF (Australia) (video catalogue title) (International: English title) (alternative spelling)
A Yank in the Royal Air Force (International: English title) (informal title)
The Eagle Flies Again (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

98 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Mirrophonic Recording)

Certification:

USA:Approved (certificate #7276) | Canada:PG (video rating) | Australia:PG | Finland:(Banned) (1942-1946) | Finland:S

Company:

Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation

Trivia:

The scenes with the Spitfires were filmed in the UK. The Spitfires were from 602 squadron under the command of Squadron Leader Sandy Johnstone who were resting in early 1941 in Scotland after fighting in the Battle of Britain.

Quotes:

Tim Baker: Well, I haven't looked at another girl since you left.
Carol Brown: Well, I've looked at other men.
Tim Baker: Maybe, but I'll bet you didn't look at them the same way you looked at me that first night in Kansas City. Remember?... You were going east, and I was going west; then we saw each other, and I was going east!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Blue, White and Perfect (1942)

Soundtrack:

Bless 'em All

A YANK IN THE R.A.F. (Henry King, 1941) **1/2

This watchable flagwaver (made prior to the Pearl Harbor attacks) – actually the first of seven films I'll be watching to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Tyrone Power's death – has a cocky American mail flyer itching for action and joining the R.A.F. in England; though his first mission consists in merely spreading anti-Nazi leaflets across Berlin skies, he then hits upon the idea of throwing out the packages outright in order to smash the German searchlights underneath!

While stationed in London, he conveniently runs into dancer-cum-nurse Betty Grable (amusingly drawing her attention by affecting a Cockney accent – conveniently filmed from behind, so that the actor could be dubbed! – soon after his arrival) and, despite the girl's 'reluctance', rekindles their affair from back home. Of course, during the course of the film, she also contrives to perform a couple of brief musical numbers and show off her famous legs a lot. Equally predictable, though, is the romantic complication wherein Power's British superior (John Sutton) also falls for the heroine, going so far as to propose to her – while amiably pompous/cynical sidekick Reginald Gardiner provides the comedy relief (just as obligatory in films of this era).

Even if the film is nowadays rightly criticized for the unrealistic depiction of war-torn England, the film succeeds well enough at what it set out to do – entertain (via action, drama and laughs), but also instill in home-grown audiences a sense of duty for the war effort in Europe. During aerial sequences, shots of the actors in the studio are skillfully blended via special effects with stock footage of actual battles; still, having Power bloodily shot down at Dunkirk and then making a mockery of his so-called war wounds simply to dupe Grable into submission is a bit much! Director King helmed several of the best vehicles tailored for Fox's reigning male star of the era but, being essentially lightweight, this isn't one of them – if still emerging to be "not essential but very enjoyable" (to quote a line spoken by John Sutton in the film in respect to his invitation to walk Grable home) and that's mainly due to the undeniable Power-Grable chemistry displayed via their comic/romantic banter throughout the film.