IMDb > Captains of the Clouds (1942)

Captains of the Clouds (1942) More at IMDbPro »

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Overview

User Rating:
6.4/10   505 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
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Director:
Writers:
Arthur T. Horman (story) and
Roland Gillett (story) ...
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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 Comments:
Technicolor Cagney more (20 total)

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

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
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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:
The training facility depicted in the movie, "Uplands Air Base," actually exists near Ottawa, Canada. After WWII, it served as a jet squadron training base and later as a military helicopter transport facility. In 1995, the Canadian government shut down the base and it now serves as a reception area for VIPs. 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:
The Thin Red Line more

FAQ

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2 out of 2 people found the following comment useful.
Technicolor Cagney, 25 February 2008
Author: Michael_Elliott from Louisville, KY

Captains of the Clouds (1943)

*** 1/2 (out of 4)

Extremely exciting actioneer from Warner about a bush pilot (James Cagney) who pisses everyone off and then joins the Canadian Air Force to train pilots for battle in WW2. Top-notch acting, incredibly flight sequences and an all around good story makes this a wonderful little gem that really sticks out from the various war films produced in this era. I've had the chance to see this movie countless times over the years but kept pushing it back and I'm really kicking myself for doing that. The love triangle between Cagney, Dennis Morgan and Brenda Marshall is very well handled and doesn't come off simply as formula melodrama. This mixes in well when we hit the action stuff and the reasoning behind the constant battle between Cagney and Morgan. The entire cast does a great job in their roles and this includes the three leads as well as Alan Hale and George Tobias. The flight sequences are incredibly impressive and the ending is packed with intense action. The Technicolor (Cagney's first) also benefits the film greatly with all the beautiful locations and it really brings the blues out of the skies. The film was certainly made to be patriotic and it pulls that off extremely well with the ending.

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Hilarious (spoilers) Shopnowandsave
Top gun= Ripoff of this film? lfaught
Aircraft Flown By the Bush Pilots highwaystar50
Is this the one? michaelbdhcnet
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