Island in the Sky (1953)

Director:

William A. Wellman

Writers:

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

Release Date:

5 September 1953 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | Drama

Plot:

A C-47 transport plane, named the Corsair, makes a forced landing in the frozen wastes of Labrador, and the plane's pilot...

Plot Keywords:

Canada | Airplane | Cigarette Smoking | Food Rationing | Navigation

Cast

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
Regis Toomey	...	Sgt. Harper
Paul Fix	...	Wally Miller
Jim Dugan	...	Gidley
George Chandler	...	Rene
Louis Jean Heydt	...	Fitch (as Louis Heydt)
Bob Steele	...	Wilson
Darryl Hickman	...	Swanson
Mike Connors	...	Gainer (as Touch Connors)
Carl 'Alfalfa' Switzer	...	Sonny Hopper (as Carl Switzer)
Cass Gidley	...	Stannish
Herbert Anderson	...	Breezy (as Guy Anderson)
Tony De Mario	...	Ogden
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Dawn Bender	...	Murray's Wife (uncredited)
Gene Coogan	...	Stutz's Navigator (uncredited)
Ann Doran	...	Moon's Wife (uncredited)
Ed Fury	...	Server in Officer's Mess (uncredited)
John Indrisano	...	Mechanic (uncredited)
Tom Irish	...	Dusty - McMullen's Co-Pilot (uncredited)
Fess Parker	...	Fitch's Co-Pilot (uncredited)
Richard Walsh	...	(uncredited)
Michael Wellman	...	Mike Moon (uncredited)
Tim Wellman	...	Jim Moon (uncredited)
William A. Wellman	...	Narrator (voice) (uncredited)
Phyllis Winger	...	Margaret - Girl in Flashback (uncredited)

Directed by
William A. Wellman

Writing credits
Ernest K. Gann		(screenplay)
Ernest K. Gann		(novel "Island in the Sky")

Produced by
Robert Fellows	....	producer (uncredited)
John Wayne	....	producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
Emil Newman
Hugo Friedhofer		(uncredited)

Cinematography by
Archie Stout		(photographed by)

Film Editing by
Ralph Dawson

Art Direction by
James Basevi

Set Decoration by
Ralph S. Hurst		(as Ralph Hurst)

Makeup Department
Web Overlander	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Nate H. Edwards	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Andrew V. McLaglen	....	assistant director (as Andrew McLaglen)

Art Department
Joe LaBella	....	property man (as Joseph La Bella)

Sound Department
Ed Borschell	....	dialogue recording
Earl Crain Sr.	....	dialogue recording
William A. Mueller	....	sound: WarnerPhonic (as William Mueller)

Special Effects by
Alex Weldon	....	special effects

Camera and Electrical Department
Don Christy	....	stills
William H. Clothier	....	aerial cameraman (as William Clothier)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Carl Walker	....	wardrobe
Joan Joseff	....	costume jeweller (uncredited)

Music Department
Arthur Lange	....	composer: additional music (uncredited)
Emil Newman	....	musical director (uncredited)
Herbert W. Spencer	....	orchestrator (uncredited)
Lloyd Young	....	music editor (uncredited)

Other crew
Sam Freedle	....	script supervisor
Ernest K. Gann	....	technical advisor

Production Companies

• Warner Bros. (presents) (as Warner Bros. Pictures)
• Wayne-Fellows Productions (as A Wayne-Fellows Production)

Distributors

• Warner Bros. (1953) (USA) (theatrical) (as Warner Bros.)
• Warner Bros. Films (1954) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. (1955) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• Paramount Home Entertainment Finland (2007) (Finland) (DVD)
• Paramount Home Video (2005) (USA) (DVD)
• Yleisradio (YLE) (2008) (Finland) (TV)

Also Known As:

"William A. Wellman's Island in the Sky" - UK (complete title), USA (complete title)

Runtime:

109 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

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

Certification:

Finland:S | USA:Approved (PCA #16574) | Sweden:Btl | Australia:PG | West Germany:12 (f) | UK:U | UK:U (video rating) (2007)

Filming Locations:

Donner Lake, Truckee, California, USA

Company:

Warner Bros.

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.

Goofs:

Factual errors: As Corsair begins her forced landing on the lake, three crew members - non pilots - are standing behind the pilots looking out the windows. Under no circumstances would non pilots be there. They would be in crash position against the bulkhead in the rear area, not standing in the cockpit.

Quotes:

Capt. Dooley:[to navigator Murray] You're a lousy guy to sleep with.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Lost in Space: Island in the Sky (#1.3)" (1965)

Soundtrack:

Island in The Sky

Island in the Sky

Free at last. AMC Channel is showing Island in the Sky & The High and the Mighty the weekend of July 16 & 17. Get your recording equipment ready. I have been waiting almost fifty years to see this movie again. I think it was the first time I ever saw John Wayne in a movie. I was about 13. As the hero he was bigger than life to me at the time. He never gave up even if the situation looked hopeless. As I grew older and thought of the movie at times I was even more impressed with his actions. I hope now that the Wayne family has released it to TV they will also release it with a new set of DVDs. I have checked this web site often to see if there were any new info on the release or showing of this movie.