Red Skies of Montana (1952)

When a large forest fire breaks out in the mountains of Montana, a squad of 'Smoke Jumpers', the paratroop-corps of fire-fighters in the U. S. Forest Service, is flown to the scene from ... See full summary »

Director:

Joseph M. Newman

Writers:

Harry Kleiner (screenplay), Art Cohn (based on a story by),

Stars:

Richard Widmark, Constance Smith, Jeffrey Hunter

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Richard Widmark	...	Cliff Mason
Constance Smith	...	Peg Mason
Jeffrey Hunter	...	Ed Miller
Richard Boone	...	Richard 'Dick' Dryer
Warren Stevens	...	Steve Burgess
James Griffith	...	Boise Peterson
Joe Sawyer	...	Pop Miller

Storyline

When a large forest fire breaks out in the mountains of Montana, a squad of 'Smoke Jumpers', the paratroop-corps of fire-fighters in the U. S. Forest Service, is flown to the scene from their regional headquarters in Missoula, Montana. The Forest Rangers, under Cliff Mason, put out the blaze, but several of the fire-fighters are killed. Ed Miller, son of one of the dead rangers, thinks he died because Mason was a coward, and sets out to prove it.

---

Plot Keywords:

montana | ranger | fire | coward | forest ranger | 

---

Genres:

Action | Adventure | Romance

---

Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

February 1952 (USA)

Also Known As:

Smoke Jumpers

Filming Locations:

Davis Point, Lolo National Forest, Missoula, Montana, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation

Technical Specs

Runtime:

99 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Film debut of Gregory Walcott.

---

Connections

Version of The 20th Century-Fox Hour: Smoke Jumpers (1956)

User Reviews

Like Paratroopers They Jump

The skies of Montana are red because of forest fires and this film is about the men who jump into those fires to put them out. Red Skies Of Montana's main feature is the on location cinematography in Missoula, Montana in a national park of the smoke jumpers who go in from the air like paratroopers to contain and then extinguish forest fires.

Sad to say the film is tied to a rather pedestrian plot situation. Joe Sawyer who is a veteran smoke jumper is among many killed when they're caught in a fire that springs up and overwhelms the men of Richard Widmark's crew. Widmark is the only one who survives, he's rescued by head smoke jumper Richard Boone. Widmark is suffering burns and a bad case of amnesia as to what happened.

Of course there is an inquiry, but that does not satisfy young Jeffrey Hunter who is Sawyer's son and who believes Widmark personally culpable for Sawyer's death. That's the basis for the conflict in the film and if you're any kind of veteran film watcher you know how this will resolve itself.

But the incredible location cinematography done in color and with newsreel footage of men actually fighting the fires is the main feature of Red Skies Of Montana. Some of the best you'll ever see. I'm really surprised the Motion Picture Academy did not recognize this film for both editing and color cinematography.

To see a good film about some brave men who now include women in their ranks by all means see Red Skies Of Montana.