This title caught my eye at my local library when I found out Gene Kelly was one of the stars and this was one of his few straight roles-the kind not having him singing and dancing. He's not the lead, though, instead that goes to one Franchot Tone with the leading lady being Marsha Hunt. Anyway, Tone plays a fighter pilot among 5 of them, of which Kelly is also one, who gets chosen to destroy a Japanese carrier during World War II. Before that happens, we find out through reminiscences of Kelly and the others-among whom also includes Van Johnson, early in his career-what made Tone the way he is. I'll stop there and just say this was quite a compact (only 71 minutes) but entertaining drama that I just watched. The director was George Sidney on one of his early features after initially helming many of the M-G-M-produced-only "Our Gang" shorts. He'd eventually make a lot of successful movies for the studio like Thousands Cheer, Anchors Aweigh, and The Three Musketeers ('48 version), all of which would subsequently also star Gene Kelly.

While some aspects of this film seem a tad hokey, overall it's a very good and enjoyable film and I am sure it did a lot to shore up support at home for the war effort.As the film begins, there's a rag-tag group of American, British and Dutch soldiers fighting off the Japanese attack in the Pacific. The new leader of this group asks for a pilot to volunteer for what probably is a suicide mission--there is only one flyable plane left and he's to use it against a major Japanese attack. All the American pilots quickly volunteer but the Captain (Franchot Tone) is chosen because of his bravery and because he has a crazy idea he can rig up a bomb to his Seversky P-35 fighter and attack the nearby Japanese aircraft carrier. Considering that by the time this film was made the P-35 was an obsolete plane, it was indeed a fools errand.After Tone leaves, the five five remaining officers talk about what sort of man Tone was and what may have led to his volunteering for such a mission. So Tone's unusual story is told through a series of rather interesting flashbacks.In the end, Tone attacks the carrier and fights off Japanese planes that in midair mysteriously turn into British Spitfires (due to a poor use of stock footage--a common problem in films of this era). And considering that it's a wartime propaganda film, it's almost a foregone conclusion what happens next--though it is still a very tense and exciting portion of the film.Overall, this is a better than average war film with decent enough action, but more importantly a good story to support it.

I'm usually not that fond of movies that use flashbacks to tell a story, but I would have to make an exception for this one. It reminds me, in some ways, of another movie, High Barbaree, which used the same gimmick. Van Johnson even appeared in both. There are some major differences though. While High Barbaree was a rather sappy movie with a pretty weak story line, this production had a punch.It involves a raggedy group of five American pilots left on an isolated island in the Pacific during the early days of WW II. They are commanded by a Dutch Major and there is only one patched up plane left to attack the Japanese carrier that threatens to destroy them. All five pilots volunteer for what amounts to a suicide mission. Guess which pilot the Major picks.From here on, we move from flashback to flashback, and little by little learn everything there is to know about Pilot #5. It stretches the imagination a little to realize that all the other pilots knew him in some capacity in civvy street. When the Dutch Major asks who this brave volunteer is, they all put the jigsaw puzzle together piece by piece.His life before this heroic mission is the real story. It begins with a naive young man, in love, and with dreams of a successful law career. We find him tempted by greed and power into a life of corruption. He loses the girl, his self respect, and his career. Of course he has to redeem himself or how else could be become the hero of this movie? Unlike High Barbaree, this story is compelling and ends with an action packed bang.About the cast. Franchot Tone plays the hero. No matter how many movies I've seen him in, I always see him as Franchot Tone - not the character he plays. Still, he isn't bad in this one. Marsha Hunt plays the love interest. I always thought she got the shaft during the blacklist. She was talented, beautiful, and could really sing, but her politics got in the way of her career. The only other principal player was Gene Kelly. Nothing like the song and dance man you might remember him as. He plays a straight dramatic role, and does it well. I mentioned Van Johnson. This was early in his career and he has an incidental support role as one of the pilots. The rest of the cast are somewhat familiar contract players.There is a lot of propaganda in this movie. As a matter of fact, there is a rather ridiculous speech at the end of the movie, where the Dutch Major compares corrupt politicians and greedy landowners to Mussolini and declares them all fascists. Maybe Marsha Hunt should have passed on this one.

It was great seeing this picture and seeing a great beautiful Lady, and actress named Marsha Hunt. She appeared in many pictures in Hollywood and in this picture she stars with a leading man of the 30's and 40's Franchot Tone, (Lt. George Braynor Collins),"Advise and Consent",'62. Marsha Hunt,Fredie Andrew/Collins),"Blue Denium",'59, was not appreciated as she should have been in Hollywood and was not given the proper roles she deserved. In this picture she plays a woman caught between two men, Gene Kelly (Lt. Vito S. Alessandro)," Brigadoon",'54, who is madly in love with her and also lets her know how he really feels. There are flash backs in this film about all these men who are pilots and fighting against Japan in WW II. It was very interesting seeing Gene Kelly acting instead of "Dancing In The Rain", as he did in the many musicals he use to appear in for MGM. Van Johnson (Lt.Everett Arnold),"Subway in the Sky",'59, even appeared in this picture very young and just starting out in his career. A great film with many great Classic actors. It is nice to know that Marsha Hunt will have a Birthday on Oct 17th, she will be 87 years younger!