Island in the Sky (1953)

A C-47 transport plane, named the Corsair, makes a forced landing in the frozen wastes of Labrador, and the plane's pilot, Captain Dooley, must keep his men alive in deadly conditions while... See full summary »

Director:

William A. Wellman

Writers:

Ernest K. Gann (screenplay), Ernest K. Gann (novel)

Stars:

John Wayne, Lloyd Nolan, Walter Abel

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
John Wayne	...	Capt. Dooley
Lloyd Nolan	...	Captain Stutz
Walter Abel	...	Col. Fuller
James Arness	...	Mac McMullen
Andy Devine	...	Willie Moon
Allyn Joslyn	...	J.H. Handy
Jimmy Lydon	...	Murray (as James Lydon)
Harry Carey Jr.	...	Ralph Hunt
Hal Baylor	...	Stankowski
Sean McClory	...	Frank Lovatt
Wally Cassell	...	D'Annunzia
Gordon Jones	...	Walrus
Frank Fenton	...	Capt. Turner
Robert Keys	...	Maj. Ditson
Sumner Getchell	...	Lt. Cord

Storyline

A C-47 transport plane, named the Corsair, makes a forced landing in the frozen wastes of Labrador, and the plane's pilot, Captain Dooley, must keep his men alive in deadly conditions while waiting for rescue.

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Plot Keywords:

canada | airplane | cigarette smoking | food rationing | navigation | 

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Genres:

Adventure | Drama

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

5 September 1953 (USA)

Also Known As:

William A. Wellman's Island in the Sky

Filming Locations:

Donner Lake, Truckee, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$967,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Warner Bros, Wayne-Fellows Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

109 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (WarnerPhonic/RCA Sound System) 4-Track Stereo (WarnerPhonic/RCA)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The general plot is based on a true story that the author, Ernest Gann related in his 1961 autobiographical book about his flying career, "Fate is the Hunter". He and other pilots searched successfully for a lost fellow pilot in the wilds of northern Canada during World War II.

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Goofs

When Lovatt died, he had curled up into a fetal position. He would have frozen in that position. When the crew buried him, he was straightened out.

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Quotes

Capt. Dooley: They're coming, boys. Boys, they're coming. Boys, they're coming!
[planes fly apast]
Capt. Dooley: I guess we're awful hard to see down here. Harder than we thought.

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Connections

Referenced in Lost in Space: Island in the Sky (1965)

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Soundtracks

"Blue Waters"
(uncredited)
Written by Emil Newman and Irving Newman

User Reviews

pretty good film

Despite the movie being confined to the frozen north of Canada and the narrowness of the plot (rescuing a downed plane), this movie was able to keep my interest and avoided the "claustraphobic-feel". That's because the movie, though very simple, is written and directed so well. It manages to throw in little moments of drama into the story whenever there is a chance for a lull and in the process pulls the viewer into the story. Plus, on top of that, the acting and supporting cast is excellent. PLUS, for you lovers of oddness out there, look closely at the adult Alfalfa Switzer (yes, from OUR GANG shorts) in an adult role (shortly before he got himself killed).