Captains of the Clouds (1942)

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.

Director:

Michael Curtiz

Writers:

Arthur T. Horman (story), Roland Gillett (story),

Stars:

James Cagney, Dennis Morgan, Brenda Marshall

Nominated for 2 Oscars.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
James Cagney	...	Brian MacLean
Dennis Morgan	...	Johnny Dutton
Brenda Marshall	...	Emily Foster
Alan Hale	...	'Tiny' Murphy
George Tobias	...	Blimp Lebec
Reginald Gardiner	...	Scrounger Harris
W.A. Bishop	...	Himself (as Air Marshal W.A. Bishop)
Reginald Denny	...	Commanding Officer
Russell Arms	...	Louis 'Alabama' Prentiss
Paul Cavanagh	...	Group Captain
Clem Bevans	...	Sam 'Store-Teeth' Morrison
J.M. Kerrigan	...	Foster
J. Farrell MacDonald	...	Dr. Neville (as J. Farrell Macdonald)
Patrick O'Moore	...	Fyffe
Morton Lowry	...	Carmichael

Storyline

Brian McLean is a ruthless bush-pilot in Canada. He offers some other pilots an opportunity of earning a lot of money, but he marries the girl-friend of one of them. After listening to Churchill's famous "Blood, Sweat and tears" radio address he and some other pilots decide to join the RCAF - and his superior is always the pilot who's girlfriend he has married. Due to this and the fact, that McLean doesn't like to obey he gets troubles.

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Plot Keywords:

bush pilot | speech | canada | enlistment | asian stereotype | 

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Genres:

Action | Drama | War

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

21 February 1942 (USA)

Also Known As:

Corsários das Nuvens

Filming Locations:

Canada

Company Credits

Production Co:

Warner Bros

Technical Specs

Runtime:

114 min 113 min (Turner library print)

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The film opened simultaneously in New York, London, Ottawa, Cairo, Melbourne, Toronto, Winnipeg and Vancouver. The R.C.A.F. transported film copies to these cities.

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Goofs

As MacLean is coasting up to the dock he's moving at would be at least speed walking pace; he throws his mooring rope to Emily on the dock after she catches it the view switches back to him and his plane and it has completely stopped. There is no way a float plane could stop that quickly.

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Quotes

Francis Patrick 'Tiny' Murphy: You know MacLean?
Scrounger Harris: Yeah, I've met him, but I don't like him.
Blimp Lebec: You don't like him? You should know how I don't like him!
Brian MacLean: And why do you say that? You know, I've always been very happy to see you. Look at Tiny. He never used to like me. Now he hates me.
[to Willie]
Brian MacLean: Willie!
Willie: Hello! Happy landings!
Francis Patrick 'Tiny' Murphy: [to Blimp and Scrounger] Oh, come on and sit down. Come on, come on here.
[to Willie]
Francis Patrick 'Tiny' Murphy: Listen, Willie, we want four black coffees and some cake.
[...]

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Crazy Credits

Sincere appreciation is expressed to Major the Honorable C.G. Power P.C., M.C., Minister of National Defence for Air (Canada) and to Air Marshal L.S. Breadner D.S.C., Chief of the Air Staff, Royal Canadian Air Force, without whose authority and generous co-operation this picture would not have been brought to its splendid conclusion. We also wish to express our thanks to Air Marshal Bishop, V.C. and other officers and men of the R.C.A.F. who, in the making of the picture, are portrayed in the actual performance of their regular duties.

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Soundtracks

"Rule Britannia"
(1740) (uncredited)
Music by Thomas Augustine Arne
Played as background music in Willie's restaurant after Churchill's speech
Reprised near the end after Churchill's speech

User Reviews

formulaic and, at times dopey, but still a lot of fun

Okay, I'll admit that this film is NOT Shakespeare! In fact, at times the plot is VERY VERY formulaic and silly but somehow the overall package is still quite entertaining.

Jimmy Cagney is the main lead of the film, though it actually has an ensemble cast consisting of Dennis Morgan and other Warner Brothers regulars. And unfortunately, the worst part of this film is Cagney's character, as he plays essentially the exact same character he played in so many Warner films. You know,...the brash and obnoxious guy who seems greatly in need of a comeuppance (such as in THE FIGHTING 69th and MANY other films). It's too bad, as the rest of the plot is very very good and this is a wonderful propaganda film meant to bolster support for the war. In fact, the more I think about it, Cagney's character and how it was written so derivatively is the only real problem in the film. It's a shame really, as apart from this the acting is excellent and the Technicolor scenes of the Canadian wilderness and flying are beautiful.