God Is My Co-Pilot (1945)

During WW2, American volunteer pilots are stationed in China where, as part of the Flying Tigers unit, they dog-fight against Japanese warplanes.

Director:

Robert Florey

Writers:

Robert Lee Scott Jr. (book) (as Col. Robert Lee Scott Jr.), Peter Milne (screenplay)

Stars:

Dennis Morgan, Raymond Massey, Dane Clark

Cast

Credited cast:
Dennis Morgan	...	Col. Robert Lee Scott
Dane Clark	...	Johnny Petach
Raymond Massey	...	Maj. Gen. Claire L. Chennault
Alan Hale	...	Big Mike Harrigan
Andrea King	...	Catherine Scott
John Ridgely	...	David 'Tex' Hill
Stanley Ridges	...	Col. Merian 'Steve' Cooper
Craig Stevens	...	Ed Rector
Warren Douglas	...	Bob Neale
Mark Stevens	...	Sgt. Baldridge (as Stephen Richards)
Charles Smith	...	Pvt. Motley
Minor Watson	...	Col. Caleb V. Haynes
Richard Loo	...	Tokyo Joe
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Addison Richards	...	(scenes deleted)
Donald Woods	...	(scenes deleted)

Storyline

Robert L. Scott has dreamed his whole life of being a fighter pilot, but when war comes he finds himself flying transport planes over The Hump into China. In China, he persuades General Chennault to let him fly with the famed Flying Tigers, the heroic band of airmen who'd been fighting the Japanese long before Pearl Harbor. Scott gets his chance to fight, ultimately engaging in combat with the deadly Japanese pilot known as Tokyo Joe.

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Plot Keywords:

china | flying tiger | fighter pilot | american soldier | claim in title | 

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Taglines:

MEN OF DESTINY IN THE BATTLE-TORN SKIES OVER CHINA! (print ad - Lubbock Avalanche Journal - Lindsey Theatre - Lubbock, Texas - July 8, 1945 - all caps)

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Genres:

Action | Adventure | Biography | Drama | War

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Certificate:

Passed

Did You Know?

Trivia

This film's earliest documented telecasts took place in both Salt Lake City and in Tucson Saturday 28 July 1956 on KUTV (Channel 2) and on KDWI (Channel 9), in Cincinnati Wednesday 1 August 1956 on WKRC (Channel 12); it first aired in Wichita Thursday 27 September 1956 on KAKE (Channel 10), in Los Angeles Monday 22 October 1956 on KNXT (Channel 2), in Phoenix Thursday 29 November 1956 on KVAR (Channel 12), in Salt Lake City Friday 7 December 1956 on KUTV (Channel 2), and in Miami Tuesday 25 December 1956 on WTVJ (Channel 4).

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Goofs

When Scotty and Big Mike take off for Asia over the hump, they're in a Douglas C-47. Upon arrival it shows a Curtiss C-46 coming in for final and then finally another shot of a different C-47 landing.

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Quotes

Big Mike Harrigan: [Last lines] They who had scorned the thought of any strength except their own to lean on learned at length, how fear can sabotage the bravest heart. And human weakness, answering to the prod of terror, calls: "Help us, O God." Then silence lets the silent voice be heard, bringing its message like a spoken word, "Believe. Believe in me. Cast out your fear. Oh, I am not up there beyond the sky, but here, right here in your heart. I am the strength you seek. Believe."... And they believed.

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Connections

Referenced in Cheers: Fear Is My Co-Pilot (1986)

User Reviews

A good representation of war movies made in the '40's

This movie helped the P40 to become my favorite warplane of all time. They used E models for the filming of this movie which would have been correct for mid-1942. The enemy planes incorrectly referred to as Zeroes were actually AT6 Texans which were almost always used in other movies as well. The flying scenes were filmed at Luke Air Force base in Arizona. The Flying Tigers fought against the Japanese Air Force which flew Ki-43 'Oscars'. The Imperial Navy pilots flew the Zero and were not involved in that conflict. The other thing that you see written often about the Flying Tigers is that they were fighting the Japanese "years before" Pearl Harbor. The truth is only Chenault was in China in the '30's helping out. The ground crews, pilots, and planes were not in place until November of 1941. Their first combat mission occurred on December 20, 13 days AFTER Pearl Harbor. Dennis Morgan, Alan Hale, & Richard Loo play their characters very well. Some people today are offended by all of the racial slurs that are uttered. But when this movie was made in 1945, the Japanese were the hated villains. The soldier's dilemma of taking lives as their duty versus what the 10 commandments says is dealt with tastefully in this movie. It's an enjoyable film that represents movies of the 1940's well.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English Japanese

Release Date:

7 April 1945 (USA)

Also Known As:

God Is My Co-Pilot

Filming Locations:

Warner Brothers Burbank Studios - 4000 Warner Boulevard, Burbank, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$1,970,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Warner Bros.

Technical Specs

Runtime:

90 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1