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IMDb > Captains of the Clouds (1942)

Captains of the Clouds (1942) More at IMDbPro »

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Overview

User Rating:
6.4/10   508 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Down 6% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
Writers:
Arthur T. Horman (story) and
Roland Gillett (story) ...
(more)
Contact:
View company contact information for Captains of the Clouds on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
21 February 1942 (USA) more
Genre:
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. full summary | add synopsis
Awards:
Nominated for 2 Oscars. more
User Reviews:
Oh, Canada! more (20 total)

Cast

  (in credits order) (verified as complete)

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
Owen Cathcart-Jones ... Chief flying instructor (as S/L O. Cathcart-Jones)
Frederick Worlock ... President of court-martial
Roland Drew ... Officer
Lucia Carroll ... Blonde
George Meeker ... Playboy
Benny Baker ... Popcorn Kearns (bush pilot)
Hardie Albright ... Kingsley
Ray Walker ... Mason
Charles Halton ... Supt. Nolan
Louis Jean Heydt ... Provost Marshal
Gig Young ... Student pilot (as Byron Barr)
Tod Andrews ... Student pilot (as Michael Ames)
Willie Fung ... Willie (cafe owner)
Carl Harbord ... Blake
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
P.G. Abercrombie ... Flying instructor (uncredited)
Lane Allen ... Canadian (uncredited)
Sam Ault ... L.A.C. Grove (a Texan) (uncredited)
Barry Bernard ... Gilbert (uncredited)
Wing Commander Brian ... Wing commander (uncredited)
Walter Brooke ... Duty officer (uncredited)
James Bush ... Sergeant pilot (uncredited)
Joseph Carr ... Man (uncredited)
James Craven ... Instructor (uncredited)
Leslie Denison ... Flight lieutenant (uncredited)
Charles De Ravenne ... French Canadian (uncredited)
Don Dillaway ... Instructor (uncredited)
Tom Dugan ... Bartender (uncredited)
Sergeant-Major Dave Duncan ... Sergeant-Major (uncredited)
Flying Officer Evans ... Flying Officer (uncredited)
Gerald Fielding ... Flight Lt. Holt (uncredited)

Pat Flaherty ... Drill sergeant (uncredited)
John Gallaudet ... Colby (uncredited)
Squadron Leader Greene ... Squadron leader (uncredited)
Herbert Gunn ... Aircraftsman (uncredited)
Tom Hamilton ... Man (uncredited)
Winifred Harris ... Red Cross collector (uncredited)
John Hartley ... Cranbrook (uncredited)
Stuart Holmes ... Man entering hotel (uncredited)
J. Anthony Hughes ... Hunter (RCAF applicant) (uncredited)
Jack Hyde ... Man (uncredited)
Ellis Irving ... Commanding officer (uncredited)
Charles Irwin ... Chief ground instructor (uncredited)
John Kellogg ... Aircraftsman Lawrence (uncredited)
Frank Lackteen ... Indian at Foster's (uncredited)

Harry Lewis ... Mr. Burton (RCAF applicant) (uncredited)
Miles Mander ... Winston S. Churchill (voice) (uncredited)
Anthony Marsh ... Officer (uncredited)
Edward McNamara ... Man buying dog team (uncredited)
Ray Montgomery ... Aircraftsman Hodges (uncredited)
Will Morgan ... Flying instructor (uncredited)
Gavin Muir ... Orderly (uncredited)
George Offerman Jr. ... Mechanic (uncredited)
George Ovey ... News vendor (uncredited)
Henry Rowland ... German pilot (uncredited)
Harry Seymour ... Piano player (uncredited)
Charles Smith ... Chateau Laurier bellboy, Ottawa (uncredited)
Sergeant-Major Spratt ... Sergeant-Major (uncredited)
James Stevens ... Indian (uncredited)
Rafael Storm ... Playboy (uncredited)
Emmett Vogan ... Chateau Laurier desk clerk (uncredited)
Billy Wayne ... Mechanic (uncredited)
Frank Wilcox ... Flight Lt. Wood (uncredited)
Billy Wilkerson ... Indian at Foster's (uncredited)
Larry Williams ... Duty officer (uncredited)
Flying Officer Willis ... Liaison officer (uncredited)
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Directed by
Michael Curtiz 
 
Writing credits
Arthur T. Horman (story) and
Roland Gillett (story)

Arthur T. Horman (screenplay) &
Richard Macaulay (screenplay) &
Norman Reilly Raine (screenplay)

Produced by
William Cagney .... associate producer
Hal B. Wallis .... executive producer
 
Original Music by
Max Steiner 
 
Cinematography by
Wilfred M. Cline (director of photography)
Sol Polito (director of photography)
 
Film Editing by
George Amy 
 
Art Direction by
Ted Smith 
 
Costume Design by
Howard Shoup (gowns)
 
Makeup Department
Perc Westmore .... makeup artist
 
Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Frank Heath .... assistant director (uncredited)
 
Sound Department
C.A. Riggs .... sound
 
Special Effects by
Byron Haskin .... special effects
Rex Wimpy .... special effects
 
Stunts
Paul Mantz .... stunt pilot (uncredited)
Harvey Parry .... stunts (uncredited)
 
Camera and Electrical Department
Elmer Dyer .... aerial photographer
Winton C. Hoch .... aerial photographer
Charles A. Marshall .... aerial photographer (as Charles Marshall)
 
Music Department
Leo F. Forbstein .... musical director
 
Other crew
Owen Cathcart-Jones .... technical advisor (as Squadron Leader O. Cathcart-Jones)
Frank Clarke .... chief pilot: Warner Bros.
Henri Jaffa .... associate technicolor color director
Natalie Kalmus .... technicolor color director
Hugh MacMullan .... dialogue director
 
Thanks
Air Marshal W.A. Bishop .... thanks (as Air Marshal Bishop)
Air Marshal L.S. Breadner .... sincere appreciation: Chief of the Air Staff, Royal Canadian Air Force
C.G. Power .... sincere appreciation: Minister of National Defence for Air, Canada (as Major the Honorable C.G. Power)
 
Crew verified as complete


Production CompaniesDistributors
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Additional Details

Runtime:
114 min | USA:113 min (Turner library print) | Argentina:113 min
Country:
Language:
Color:
Color (Technicolor)
Aspect Ratio:
1.37 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Mono (RCA Sound System)
Filming Locations:

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
This was the first Hollywood picture to be filmed entirely on location in Canada. more
Goofs:
Factual errors: The flag observed flying at the "backwoods" settlement, and being displayed on the walls in side the pub are the British Union Jack. They should have displayed the Canadian Flag, which until 1965 was a red flag with the British Union Jack in the upper left hand corner, and the full color crest of the Canadian Dominion in the lower 1/3 of the right side. more
Quotes:
Emily Foster: Hey! What brought you back?
Brian MacLean: A whim.
Emily Foster: Well you can keep on going.
Brian MacLean: Oh you don't know me. I have a whim of iron!
more
Soundtrack:
Captains of the Clouds more

FAQ

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1 out of 1 people found the following review useful.
Oh, Canada!, 27 January 2008
7/10
Author: Cactus-7 from Austin, Texas

This is one of my favorite films, but not because of Cagney or Morgan. Brenda Marshall is the jewel in this picture's crown. She provides the blue-jean wearing, North Country beauty in the film and drives the fly-boys crazy. Marshall, who bears a resemblance to Madolyn Smith Osborne, wants to get to the big city regardless of how she gets there. The resulting competition among pilots keeps the story line from being completely aviation oriented. This is a good look at Canadian bush aviation in the 1930's and the cast is excellent. As with all films of this period, airplanes are shown doing things that are aerodynamically impossible, but it doesn't take away from the picture. There are even early aeromedical ideas about how G-forces affect the human body. Filmed entirely on location in Canada, much of the scenery is stunningly beautiful. Canadian politics are even slipped in during graduation ceremony when Air Marshal Bishop refers to pilots from "loyal Quebec." All in all a fun film.

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