Beyond the Line of Duty (1942)
*** (out of 4)
Lewis Seiler Oscar-winning short about the career of Hewitt T. Wheless, a simple man working on a ranch who got the urge to join the Air Force and he soon found himself flying important missions during WW2. There's no doubt that this film was made to inspire other young men to join the forces and help fight WW2 so the preaching that happens throughout is understandable considering what the country was going through and what the goal of this short was. Wheless actually does a pretty good job at playing himself and he comes across as a very likable guy and someone whose story is interesting enough to make for a good film. Ronald Reagan narrates this short and an interesting twist is that he was President when Wheless would die in real life. In terms of technical achievement this film doesn't offer too much but it's still very entertaining and shows us a part of history. Look quickly for Glenn Strange playing a cowboy.
*** (out of 4)
Lewis Seiler Oscar-winning short about the career of Hewitt T. Wheless, a simple man working on a ranch who got the urge to join the Air Force and he soon found himself flying important missions during WW2. There's no doubt that this film was made to inspire other young men to join the forces and help fight WW2 so the preaching that happens throughout is understandable considering what the country was going through and what the goal of this short was. Wheless actually does a pretty good job at playing himself and he comes across as a very likable guy and someone whose story is interesting enough to make for a good film. Ronald Reagan narrates this short and an interesting twist is that he was President when Wheless would die in real life. In terms of technical achievement this film doesn't offer too much but it's still very entertaining and shows us a part of history. Look quickly for Glenn Strange playing a cowboy.