Mosquito Squadron (1969)

User Rating:

5.4/10   

Director:

Boris Sagal

Writers:

Joyce Perry (written by)
Donald S. Sanford (written by)

Release Date:

January 1969 (UK)

Genre:

War | Drama

Tagline:

To save England, he must sacrifice everything he loves.

Plot:

RAF Squadron Leader Quint Munroe wrestles with the loss in action of his best friend Scotty, falling in love with Scotty's widow Beth...

Plot Keywords:

Squadron | Bouncing Bomb | Mosquito | Military Installation | Bomber

Cast

David McCallum	...	Quint Munroe
Suzanne Neve	...	Beth Scott
Charles Gray	...	Air Commodore Hufford
David Buck	...	Sqn. Ldr. David 'Scotty' Scott
David Dundas	...	Flt. Lieut. Douglas Shelton
Dinsdale Landen	...	Wing Commander Clyde Penrose
Nicky Henson	...	Flt. Sgt. Wiley Bunce
Bryan Marshall	...	Sqn. Ldr. Neale
Michael Anthony	...	Father Bellague
Peggy Thorpe-Bates	...	Mrs. Scott
Peter Copley	...	Mr. Scott
Vladek Sheybal	...	Lieutenant Schack
Michael McGovern	...	Flt. Lieutenant Bannister

Runtime:

90 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

UK:PG (DVD rating) | UK:U (original rating) | Australia:PG | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15 | USA:G | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

MGM British Studios, Borehamwood, Hertfordshire, England, UK

Company:

Oakmont Productions

Trivia:

The Bouncing Bomb used in the film was a real weapon. Known as Highball (a smaller version of the Dambusting Upkeep bomb), it was originally designed by Dr. Barnes Wallis to be utilized against battleships, such as the Tirpitz. The Highball bomb weighed 1,280lb (580kg), carried 600lb (272kg) of explosive, and was small enough to be carried in tandem by a Mosquito fighter-bomber. Prior to release the bomb was imparted with a backward spin of 700-900 revolutions per minute, and dropped at high speed (360 mph (580km/h)) and low altitude (60 ft (18.2m)).

Goofs:

Anachronisms: When leaving their aircraft after missions, the aircrews are seen to have blackened cheeks - just like the World War 1 fighter pilots who returned from aerial combats bearing the same marks. However the airmen of the 1914-18 conflict received the facial smudges from cordite smoke that was blown backwards from the exposed breeches of machine guns mounted in front of the open cockpits of that era. The Mosquito had a closed cockpit and its forward-firing weapons were mounted in the nose - the gun breeches were not exposed, they were situated below the plywood floor of the cockpit and expended cartridge cases went through ejection ports. Mosquito pilots sometimes complained about feeling excessive vibration through their feet when firing long bursts with 20mm cannons, but never had to worry about streaked faces.

Quotes:

[During a low level flight to a target in France, Munroe's Navigator leans over to him]
Nav: I hope you brought your driving licence.
Munroe: Why?
Nav: Fly any lower and you're going to need it.

Movie Connections:

Edited from 633 Squadron (1964)

Much Maligned Movie!

I have watched this several times, purely because I had such a crush on David McCallum in the 1960s! It is his 70th birthday today (19 September 2003) and I suddenly feel very very old!!

I agree with other reviewers - some of the acting is dire, the script is poor, and the clothing and hairstyles are very 60s. Despite all that, I still find it quite watchable! Suzanne Neve is very sweet as Beth Scott, and David McCallum - well, I always liked Illya Kuryakin! For British viewers there are lots of familiar faces to spot among the cast - and isn't that half the fun of watching old movies on a wet weekend afternoon?!

Can't comment on the flying sequences or the planes, I'm afraid, because I don't know anything about them. I do think that if reviewers are going to criticise a film, though, they should at least get the names and facts right (yes, kilroy138, I'm talking about you!).

Not the best of WWII films, admittedly, but I don't think it deserves some of the other comments on this site. If it's on again on a quiet afternoon, curl up in front of the TV and give it a chance!