Paint-by-numbers Air Force recruiting film piloted by paint-by-numbers hack Mervin LeRoy. There's something about agnoidal Lloyd Nolan delivering cliched lines that just adds up to docu-snooze. The visit by the Senator so the base chief can over-explain what goes on at Edwards Air Force Base is particularly galling. And having an affair with the dish behind the desk? He's old enough to be her grandfather. I can see why flying geeks like this movie, though. It's cool to see all the old planes America put to use pointlessly dropping bombs in various world sh**h*les. Bill Holden is believable as the tortured former Korean POW. Is there anything that man couldn't make you believe? No wonder he absolutely owned the 50s. One other note - the musical cues are as obvious as the plotting and dialogue. Maybe it was subbed out to an intern. If you have a b*ner for vintage fighter planes or peak Holden, this movie is worth watching once.

***SPOILERS*** Trying to prove to himself and the US Air Force that he still got it, guts and a pair of you know what, washed out air flight commander Maj. Lincoln "Link" Bond, William Holden, wants a chance to get back in the cockpit and test pilot the newest and fastest jet planes that the US military has in it's arsenal. The trouble for Link is that he lost his nerve while being held as a POW in North Korean where he was forced, under extreme torture, to sign a confession that he used chemical and biological weapons against North Korean civilians.Given a chance by the boss of Edwards Air Force Base and good friend Brig. Gen. Bill Banner, Lloyd Noland, Link while trying to screw his head back on later gets involved in an altercation with fellow flier Maj. Bromo Lee, Murray Hamilton, at the base officers club that almost has him grounded for life. It was Maj. Lee who felt that he was to fly the new and improved X-2 jet plane that Link was assigned to pilot in it's maiden flight. The fact that Link wanted to walk away from the confrontation, in that Lee was so drunk that he couldn't stand on his feet, was soon discovered through dozens of eye witnesses to the event has Gen. Banner reinstated Link to fly the plane. Link of course was looking after his friend Gen. Banner, who in suffering fainting spells, was in no shape to fly the plane himself as he at first planned to do. Ther's also link's old flame Gen. Banner's secretary Connie Mitchell, Virginia Leith, who feels that Link is not the at his best, due to his alcohol or drinking problems, to fly the plane either. ***SPOILERS*** Link finally gets his wish to fly the X-2 only to have it brake up in mid-air some 10 mile above the earth with him losing consciousness as he was bailing out. But as things turned out Link's parachute opened up just in time thus preventing him to crash land, on his head, and get killed as he finally hit the ground breaking both his legs in the process. As the movie ends Link out of the base hospital, against orders, embraces Gen. Banner who's to leave for a higher position, Let.General?,in a desk job in Baltimore and rides or flies into the sunset with Connie Mitchell who's now, after breaking up with him, back as his once ex and now study girlfriend.P.S Check the fun loving and lovable without a care in the world James Garner as USAF pilot Let. Col. Joe Craven. Garner is so cool and untouched by the dangers he faces flying jet planes in the movie that when he end up falling to his death from his out of control plane at 4,000 feet after his parachute failed to open that for a while you don't even realize that that it was him who was killed! Maybe by Garner wearing an oxygen mask at the time of his fatal crash you didn't recognize who he was!

Released from capture while serving in the Korean War, test pilot William Holden (as Lincoln "Linc" Bond) wants his military job back. Since he cracked while being tortured, there are trepidations about Mr. Holden's character and ability to carry out dangerous flight tests, but Edwards Air Force Base test center leader Lloyd Nolan (as William "Bill" Banner) decides to give Holden a chance. An even older man, Mr. Nolan has some retirement issues of his own. Also, Nolan is dating nicely figured young secretary Virginia Leith (as Connie Mitchell), who used to hang with Holden...Holden produced "Toward the Unknown" for himself, and it is not surprisingly a routine and unremarkable star vehicle. Given Holden's age, it might have been more interesting to make his character a World War II veteran with added back-story about the intervening years. Nolan is always good, here with a role that unfortunately leaves blanks in both his physical ailments and relationship with an amusing L.Q. Jones (as Sweeney). Trouble-maker Murray Hamilton (as Bromo) livens up his scenes. In his first appearance, future TV super-star James Garner plays a sympathetic part.***** Toward the Unknown (9/27/56) Mervyn LeRoy ~ William Holden, Lloyd Nolan, Virginia Leith, Charles McGraw

William Holden at his best, a great cast with LLoyd Nolan as base Commander. Good story, marvelous air sequences and a lot of special airplanes since the movie airport is Edward Air Force Base (ex Muroc ) where all the USAF prototypes made test flights. In the movie there are several interesting planes like the XF-92 Dagger, the Martin XB-51, Lockheed F-94 C Starfire, Boeing B-50 and Bell X-2, X-3 Stiletto , Convair B-36, Convair C-131, The Thunderbirds on F-84 F. A must for all aviation buffs and Holden's fan. This movie is seldom seen and is not available on the VHS or DVD market. Among the actors, a very young James Garner .