Starlift (1951)

Air Force fliers Rick Williams and Mike Nolan attempt to meet film star Nell Wayne, with whom Rick shares a hometown but not much else. Fellow film stars Doris Day and Ruth Roman mistakenly... See full summary »

Director:

Roy Del Ruth

Writers:

John D. Klorer (screenplay), Karl Kamb (screenplay),

Stars:

Doris Day, Gordon MacRae, Virginia Mayo

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Doris Day	...	Doris Day
Gordon MacRae	...	Gordon MacRae
Virginia Mayo	...	Virginia Mayo
Gene Nelson	...	Gene Nelson
Ruth Roman	...	Ruth Roman
Janice Rule	...	Nell Wayne
Dick Wesson	...	Sgt. Mike Nolan
Ron Hagerthy	...	Cpl. Rick Williams
Richard Webb	...	Col. Callan
Hayden Rorke	...	Chaplain
Howard St. John	...	Steve Rogers
James Cagney	...	James Cagney
Gary Cooper	...	Gary Cooper
Virginia Gibson	...	Virginia Gibson
Phil Harris	...	Phil Harris

Storyline

Air Force fliers Rick Williams and Mike Nolan attempt to meet film star Nell Wayne, with whom Rick shares a hometown but not much else. Fellow film stars Doris Day and Ruth Roman mistakenly believe Rick to be very close to Nell and arrange for him to meet her. The pair begin to form a match, especially after Nell, Doris, and Ruth arrange for Hollywood stars to perform for G.I.s in transit to and from the Korean War, at Travis Air Base. But Nell thinks Rick is getting ready to ship out to the war, when in reality, he and Mike ferry troops part of the way then return to Travis Air Base with returning soldiers. Nell is furious with Rick for letting her believe he was headed to a war zone, especially because the press has made a huge story of their romance. Meantime, a new program, Operation Starlift, has been set in place by the Air Force and the Hollywood studios, whereby stars are flown to San Francisco to perform for the outbound and inbound troops. Movie stars such as Randolph Scott,...

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Plot Keywords:

korean war | air base | movie premiere | military hospital | reference to youngstown ohio | 

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Genres:

Musical

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English French

Release Date:

16 May 1952 (Australia)

Also Known As:

Efthyma koritsia, ponira agoria

Filming Locations:

Warner Brothers Burbank Studios - 4000 Warner Boulevard, Burbank, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Warner Bros.

Technical Specs

Runtime:

103 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Goofs

In a shot of the troops boarding their aircraft at Travis AFB the number on its tail is 8399. When a jeep pulls up in front of supposedly the same aircraft its number (on the nose) is 2600.

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Connections

Featured in Hello, He Lied & Other Truths from the Hollywood Trenches (2002)

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Soundtracks

"'S Wonderful"
(uncredited)
Music by George Gershwin
Lyrics by Ira Gershwin
Performed by Doris Day

User Reviews

More of a variety show than a movie; interesting to fans!

As a movie this barely rates a 4 but for movie fans of the 1940s period, it's almost a must-see and rates a 9 as a variety show! I was drawn to watch this by the presence of Richard (Captain Midnight) Webb who plays the Colonel in charge of the event. What surprised me was the stunning performance of Doris Day. Outside of 'Calamity Jane', I've never seen her put over a song better than she does here. Randolph Scott is memorable as well, even if he doesn't see much screen time. It's been a while since I saw the movie but I was almost sure Humphrey Bogart put in an appearance. With so many familiar faces, it's hard to keep track. If it ever turns up on a TV station near you, be sure to catch the Doris Day sequence, if nothing else!