One of Our Aircraft Is Missing (1942)

Directors:

Michael Powell
Emeric Pressburger

Writers:

Emeric Pressburger (story)
Michael Powell (written by) ...

Release Date:

27 June 1942 (UK)

Genre:

Action | Drama | War

Tagline:

1942s first blast of screen dynamite

Plot:

When the Nazis shoot down a British bomber, its crew seeks help from the Dutch underground.

Plot Keywords:

Resistance | Netherlands | Aviation | WWII | Patriotism

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Oscars.

Cast

Godfrey Tearle	...	Sir George Corbett, Rear Gunner in B for Bertie
Eric Portman	...	Tom Earnshaw, Copilot in B for Bertie
Hugh Williams	...	Frank Shelley, Observer / Navigator in B for Bertie
Bernard Miles	...	Geoff Hickman, Front Gunner in B for Bertie
Hugh Burden	...	John Glyn Haggard, Pilot in B for Bertie
Emrys Jones	...	Bob Ashley, Radio Operator in B for Bertie
Pamela Brown	...	Els Meertens
Joyce Redman	...	Jet van Dieren
Googie Withers	...	Jo de Vries
Hay Petrie	...	The Burgomaster
Selma Vaz Dias	...	Burgomeister's wife (as Selma Van Dias)
Arnold Marlé	...	Pieter Sluys
Robert Helpmann	...	De Jong
Peter Ustinov	...	The Priest
Alec Clunes	...	The Organist

Also Known As:

...One of Our Aircraft Is Missing (UK) (alternative spelling)
The Story of - - - - - - one of Our Aircraft Is Missing (UK) (complete title)

Runtime:

102 min | USA:82 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English | Dutch

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

UK:U | Australia:PG | Finland:S | Sweden:15

Filming Locations:

Boston, Lincolnshire, England, UK

Company:

Archers, The

Trivia:

John Seabourne Sr. directed the "Lobster Pot" scenes in the North Sea despite being seasick the whole time.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: The Germans are wearing First World War uniforms and equipment.

Quotes:

Else Meertens: Do you think that we Hollanders who threw the sea out of our country will let the Germans have it? Better the sea.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Dad's Army: Time on My Hands (#5.13)" (1972)

Downed RAF Bomber crew, aided by Dutch Resistance, try to return to Britain in early World War II.

Given that this movie was made about the then contemporary World War II times, without the benefit of a huge budget (compared to now), generations before computer graphics became the norm, it is refreshing to see a sensible depiction of those wartime conditions. Imagine making a picture of the bombing raids over Germany in the (I presume Mosquito) bombers, not known to be that secure from ground based A.A.C. fire— they could not fly higher, as could the later Lancasters. I feel the directors chose correctly in making it a character driven piece, with the action sublimated somewhat.

I caught this movie on a relatively new local TV station, it was one of their first offerings albeit in the early morning, I did not know about the movie before. What also surprised me was the appearance of later 'stars', Robert Helpmann, Peter Ustinov and Googie Withers, though she was fairly established by then. By co-incidence, I had viewed earlier that evening a British Documentary feature where the grandchildren of the original RAF bomber crew-members were to learn to actually fly a remaining WW II aircraft. And that reference was cool. The atmosphere exhibited in that doco, certainly the old time news clips, recent interviews of the veterans, rang true to the movie, especially with the actual ( or the perceived depiction if it was only that ) film of the raids over Germany and the resultant destruction.

The characterisations were laid back, as befits the RAF types, and the Dutch citizens, who organised the Resistance, were well played. Besides the unexpected cast members, there was another piece of 'recoginition' I found fascinating, and I hope it wasn't used in the film, (made in either 1941 or 1942, both are given in various sources), and gave away the Resistance as the war was only half over then. Of course the film makers had no idea how long the war would last or just what was in store for them. The pace of the film was a bit pedestrian, all the better I think, to enable the characters to be developed, and the bits of business the group had to 'endure' was fairly realistic, reasonably true to life. I guess there must have been some propaganda value in the movie as I couldn't imagine that opportunity would have been missed by the British authorities, maybe even instigated it, in league with the Dutch. I could hardly blame them.

All in all, I thought it was a fascinating movie, a benchmark. For others to come it also was a benchmark, to be creditable one had to do at least as well. Whether our later techniques make it easier, or convenient, or cost effective, or entertaining, or thought provoking, is a matter for our future, but looking back sixty odd years I think they produced a fine movie.