Captains of the Clouds (1942)

User Rating:

6.4/10   

Director:

Michael Curtiz

Writers:

Arthur T. Horman (story) and
Roland Gillett (story) ...

Release Date:

21 February 1942 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Drama | War

Plot:

Inspired by Churcill's Dunkirk speech, brash, undisciplined bush pilot Brian MacLean and three friends enlist in the RCAF but are deemed too old to be fliers.

Plot Keywords:

Bush Pilot | Speech | Canada | Hydroplane | Engagement

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Oscars.

Cast

James Cagney	...	Brian MacLean (bush pilot)
Dennis Morgan	...	Johnny Dutton (bush pilot)
Brenda Marshall	...	Emily Foster
Alan Hale	...	Francis Patrick 'Tiny' Murphy (bush pilot)
George Tobias	...	Blimp Lebec (bush pilot)
Reginald Gardiner	...	Scrounger Harris (bush pilot)
Air Marshal W.A. Bishop	...	Himself
Reginald Denny	...	Commanding officer
Russell Arms	...	Louis 'Alabama' Prentiss
Paul Cavanagh	...	Group Captain
Clem Bevans	...	Sam 'Store-Teeth' Morrison
J.M. Kerrigan	...	Foster (storekeeper / Emily's father)
J. Farrell MacDonald	...	Dr. Neville (from Churchtown) (as J. Farrell Macdonald)
Patrick O'Moore	...	Fyffe
Morton Lowry	...	Carmichael

Runtime:

114 min | USA:113 min (Turner library print) | Argentina:113 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Certification:

Argentina:Atp | Australia:G | Finland:S | Sweden:15 | USA:Approved (PCA #7627)

Filming Locations:

Canada

Company:

Warner Bros. Pictures

Trivia:

The graduation scene was an actual graduation ceremony of the R.C.A.F. with Air Marshal W.A. Bishop in attendance. He also attended the New York opening along with 200 R.C.A.F. cadets and other officials.

Goofs:

Continuity: When the bombers are being ferried to England and MacLean spots the enemy aircraft high on the port side and flying against the group. A following shot shows the Messerschmidt on the starboard side and flying in the same direction as the group.

Quotes:

Francis Patrick 'Tiny' Murphy: You know MacLean?
Scrounger Harris: Yeah, I've met him, but I don't like him.
Blimp Lebec: You don't like him? You should know how I don't like him!
Brian MacLean: And why do you say that? You know, I've always been very happy to see you. Look at Tiny. He never used to like me. Now he hates me.
[to Willie]
Brian MacLean: Willie!
Willie: Hello! Happy landings!
Francis Patrick 'Tiny' Murphy: [to Blimp and Scrounger] Oh, come on and sit down. Come on, come on here.
[to Willie]
Francis Patrick 'Tiny' Murphy: Listen, Willie, we want four black coffees and some cake.
[...]

Soundtrack:

Danny Boy

Two aviation movies for the price of a single admission

"Captains of the Clouds", it has always seemed to me, is two distinct movies wrapped up into one. What begins as a crisp, light-hearted, colorful story about bush pilots in Canada suddenly transforms itself into a single-minded grim documentary about the Royal Canadian Air Force in the opening days of World War Two.

I don't suppose this abrupt transition from a light-hearted, peacetime human-interest story to an intense procedural war drama would have occurred if the War had not coincided with the production of the film.

James Cagney and Dennis Morgan, the male stars, were well cast for the peacetime opening acts and scenes of "Captains...". Both of them being fine actors, they were also well cast for the grim wartime sequences.

This is an odd and fascinating film that bears watching again and again.