IMDb RATING
6.7/10
2.3K
YOUR RATING
Fictionalized story of British aerospace engineers solving the problem of supersonic flight.Fictionalized story of British aerospace engineers solving the problem of supersonic flight.Fictionalized story of British aerospace engineers solving the problem of supersonic flight.
- Won 1 Oscar
- 9 wins & 5 nominations total
Rodney Goodall
- Little Boy
- (uncredited)
Donald Harron
- ATA Officer
- (uncredited)
Vincent Holman
- Factor
- (uncredited)
Jolyon Jackley
- Susan's Baby
- (uncredited)
Douglas Muir
- Controller
- (uncredited)
Leslie Phillips
- Controller
- (uncredited)
Anthony Snell
- Peter Makepeace
- (uncredited)
Sally-Jane Spencer
- Daughter of Philip
- (uncredited)
Robert Brooks Turner
- Test Bed Operator
- (uncredited)
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaThe flying sequences under the direction of Anthony Squire, were based at the Vickers aerodrome at Chilbolton near Nether Wallop in Hampshire. Squire managed to secure one of the last airworthy Avro Lancaster bombers for the task. The cameramen were positioned in the front and rear turrets while Squire conducted proceedings from the central astrodome. The Lancaster was replaced by a Vickers Valetta after all, but Squire had fallen asleep due to an oxygen supply failure. Luckily as he recalled, "They all woke up on the way down, like people in a fairy wood, but I didn't bother with the Lancaster again."
- GoofsIn the observatory, John tells Tony that the Andromeda galaxy is 700,000 light-years away; The best estimate since 1940 (when the known Cepheid variables were separated in two types by Baade) is 2.54 million light-years, BUT: this corresponds to 778,000 parsecs! So, it seems that parsecs and light years were somehow switched here in the movie.
- Quotes
Susan Garthwaite: [regarding an image of the surface of the moon, displayed via JR's telescope] What's that?
John Ridgefield: It's the moon.
Susan Garthwaite: I never knew it could look so unfriendly.
John Ridgefield: It's an unfriendly universe.
Susan Garthwaite: Do you believe that?
John Ridgefield: Unfriendly only because it's unconscious of our existence.
- Crazy creditsIn the opening credits, immediately after the human actors, are listed four British aircraft: The de Havilland COMET The Vickers-Supermarine ATTACKER The de Havilland VAMPIRE 113 The Vickers-Supermarine SWIFT Rolls-Royce 'Avon' Engine
- ConnectionsFeatured in Jet! When Britain Ruled the Skies: Military Marvels (2012)
- SoundtracksWith Sword and Lance
(uncredited)
Music by Hermann Starke
Featured review
Piece of cake!
Upon its release this enjoyed tremendous success critically and commercially but has sadly become one of David Lean's 'forgotten' films. This is a great pity as he has here achieved the perfect balance between matter-of-factness and emotional impact. This is aided not inconsiderably by the marvellous screenplay of Terence Rattigan who writes so well for actors and the score of Malcolm Arnold in this, his first collaboration with Lean. One of the hallmarks of a great director is the instinct of when to use and when not to use music. The absence of music is especially effective in the devastating sequence of Tony's final test flight. The perfomances are all out of the top drawer. Lean was apparently reluctant to use Ralph Richardson but was very impressed with the finished performance and used his talents again in 'Dr. Zhivago'. He fully deserved his British Academy award as JR, loosely based on de Havilland. Some considered Nigel Patrick a little too slick and lightweight to play a test pilot but we care what happens to his character which is all that really matters. This is easily the best of the three performances that Ann Todd gave for Lean although he is supposed to have remarked to a colleague: 'never put your wife in a film'. Her scenes with Richardson are fabulous and their troubled relationship beautifully written and played. There is a first-class performance also from John Justin who coincidentally served as a test pilot and flying instructor in WW2. This film succeeds in packing a punch whilst avoiding any melodramatics and needs to be filed under 'sorely in need of reappraisal'.
helpful•80
- brogmiller
- Apr 11, 2020
- How long is The Sound Barrier?Powered by Alexa
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Language
- Also known as
- Breaking the Sound Barrier
- Filming locations
- Chilbolton Aerodrome, Nether Wallop, Hampshire, England, UK(flying sequences)
- Production companies
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Budget
- £250,000 (estimated)
- Runtime1 hour 49 minutes
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 1.37 : 1
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