Air Force (1943)

The crew of an Air Force bomber arrives in Pearl Harbor in the aftermath of the Japanese attack and is sent on to Manila to help with the defense of the Philippines.

Director:

Howard Hawks

Writer:

Dudley Nichols (original screenplay)

Stars:

John Garfield, John Ridgely, Gig Young

Won 1 Oscar. Another 1 win & 3 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
John Ridgely	...	Pilot
Gig Young	...	Co-Pilot
Arthur Kennedy	...	Bombardier
Charles Drake	...	Navigator
Harry Carey	...	Crew Chief Sgt. White
George Tobias	...	Asst. Crew Chief
Ward Wood	...	Radio Operator
Ray Montgomery	...	Asst. Radio Operator
John Garfield	...	Aerial Gunner Joe Winocki
James Brown	...	Pursuit Pilot - Passenger
Stanley Ridges	...	Major Mallory
Willard Robertson	...	Colonel at Hickam Field
Moroni Olsen	...	Col. Blake
Edward Brophy	...	Marine Sgt. J.J. Callahan (as Edward S. Brophy)
Richard Lane	...	Maj. W.G. Roberts

Storyline

On December 6, 1941 nine B-17 bomber set off on a flight from San Francisco to Hawaii. One of the bombers, the Mary Ann, is commanded by 'Irish' Quincannon. The bombardier, Tommy McMartin, has a sister living in Hawaii and the co-pilot, Bill Williams, is sweet on her. The men are all highly professional with the exception of aerial gunner Joe Winocki, a bitter man who has every intention of leaving the army air corps. They arrive at Hickam Field on the morning of December 7, just as the Japanese are attacking Pearl Harbor and other military facilities. All of the men prepare to face the enemy, including Winocki whose attitude changes quickly. The bomber and its crew will participate in many missions but not all will survive.

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Plot Keywords:

reference to franklin d. roosevelt | bomber | japanese | hawaii | pearl harbor | 

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Taglines:

The name of their love was Mary Ann.

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Genres:

Action | Drama | History | War

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English Japanese

Release Date:

20 March 1943 (USA)

Also Known As:

El bombardero heroico

Filming Locations:

Santa Barbara, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$2,646,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Warner Bros.

Technical Specs

Runtime:

124 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

These B-17Bs had the old-style tail section; later modifications beefed up the section that corrected its structural deficiencies..

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Goofs

At the end of the movie B-17 pilots are shown preparing to attack Japan, which is 862 miles away, according to a sign. Except for Doolittle's Raid in 1942 with two-engined North American B-25 "Mitchels" off a Navy carrier, the only bombers that attacked Japan were Boeing B-29 "Superfortresses," in 1944 and 1945, and Consolidated B-24 "Liberators" and Consolidated B-32 "Dominators" that bombed in 1945. The B-29s and B-32s flew from Saipan and Tinian, which were over 1,000 miles from mainland Japan. The B-24s flew from Okinawa, which were much closer. Americans never had airfields close enough from which B-17s could reach Japan.

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Quotes

Pilot Irish Quincannon: Pilot to crew: take a good look at Pearl Harbor. Maybe it's something you'll want to remember.

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Crazy Credits

Opening credits prologue: FOREWARD "It is for us the living .... to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced ..... It is ......for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us ..... that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth." Abraham Lincoln

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Connections

Edited into War and Remembrance: Part IV (1988)

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Soundtracks

It Don't Mean a Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing)
(1923) (uncredited)
Written by Irving Mills and Duke Ellington
Played on the radio aboard the B-17 airplane
Partially sung by George Tobias

User Reviews

An Air power picture that fits the mood of the time it was made..

One of the great things about motion pictures in this country is how they change with the times. Take this picture for example which came out in 1943. The U.S. was in the thick of the war and this was a film like many made during that time to stir patriotic fever and make Americans "hate the evil yellow enemy" (and the Nazis too!). It's full of everything to make the viewer feel good about our boys who are doing the fighting. A B-17 bomber crew where there seems to be no problems, only the desire to "Shoot down Japs" Now go forward about six years to 1949 and "Twelve O'Clock High" and watch that film about B-17 Bomber Crews. Could "Air Force" have cut it with movie goers any time after 1946? Could "Twelve O'Clock High" have made it with a 1943 audience? Probably not. So watch this picture and remember when it came out and what the mood in this country was and you'll truly enjoy it. Also don't forget to see "Twelve O'Clock High" as well, maybe right after seeing this one.