Sky Bandits (1986)

Through a series of circumstances, a pair of Old West gunfighters end up as fighter pilots in World War I.

Director:

Zoran Perisic

Writer:

Thom Keyes (original screenplay)

Stars:

Scott McGinnis, Jeff Osterhage, Ronald Lacey

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Scott McGinnis	...	Barney
Jeff Osterhage	...	Luke
Ronald Lacey	...	Fritz
Miles Anderson	...	Bannock
Valérie Steffen	...	Yvette
Ingrid Held	...	Mitsou
Nicholas Lyndhurst	...	Chalky
Keith Buckley	...	Von Schlussel
Nicholas Frankau	...	Ffolkes
Conrad Asquith	...	Hawkins
David English	...	Hamilton
Michael Jenn	...	Nicky
Simon Harrison	...	Aldiss
Bernice Stegers	...	Countess Olga
Tony Sibbald	...	Car salesman

Storyline

When two cowboys are captured in the old west trying to rob a bank, they are exiled to the front lines of World War I to fight alongside the British. They get into a bet to see if they can fly a Gunbus, they do but then end up in another base under an officer who is determined to hunt down a German airship.

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Plot Keywords:

pilot | bank | cowboy | zeppelin | airplane | 

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Taglines:

There's a new kind of adventure in the air.

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Genres:

Action | Adventure | War | Western

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Certificate:

PG

Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

31 October 1986 (USA)

Also Known As:

Gunbus

Filming Locations:

England, UK

Box Office

Budget:

$18,000,000 (estimated)

Gross:

$2,295,500 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

J&M Entertainment, London Front

Technical Specs

Runtime:

105 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color (Rankcolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The film holds the record (2002) for the largest number of craftsmen and technicians employed on a dramatic feature, with 532. The crew built enormous sets for war scenes, constructed buildings that were to be exploded, and built airplanes similar to those used in 1917.

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Goofs

In this film the officers rank insignia were on their shoulder epaulets as on WWII and modern British Army officers uniforms. In the first world war officers rank was shown on the sleeve cuffs.

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Soundtracks

"Welcome to the Mess Hall"
Composed by Slim Gaillard

User Reviews

Butch Cassidy Meets Indiana Jones

I have not seen this film since its theatrical release, but for some reason I was reminded of it recently while viewing The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (2003). Both films had interesting concepts that made attempts at historical juxtaposition; both had big budgets for action sequences and special effects; both were ultimate failures. One memorable scene that did show some originality was a depiction of a World War I German "Gotha bomber" as much, much bigger that the real thing, complete with a spiral staircase, a large wheel as on an ocean-going vessel, and a formally-uniformed commanding officer standing on the bridge. I hope that whoever imagined this did go on to bigger and better things.