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Island in the Sky ()


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A C-47 transport plane, named the Corsair, makes a forced landing in the frozen wastes of Quebec, and the plane's pilot, Captain Dooley, must keep his men alive in deadly conditions while waiting for rescue.

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Cast verified as complete

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Capt. Dooley
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Captain Stutz
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Col. Fuller
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Mac McMullen
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Willie Moon
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J.H. Handy
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Murray (as James Lydon)
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Ralph Hunt
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Stankowski
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Frank Lovatt
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D'Annunzia
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Walrus
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Capt. Turner
Robert Keys ...
Maj. Ditson
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Lt. Cord
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Sgt. Harper
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Wally Miller
Jim Dugan ...
Gidley
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Rene
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Fitch (as Louis Heydt)
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Wilson
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Swanson
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Gainer (as Touch Connors)
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Sonny Hopper (as Carl Switzer)
Cass Gidley ...
Stannish
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Breezy (as Guy Anderson)
Anthony De Mario ...
Ogden (as Tony De Mario)
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Billy Lee Aimone ...
Boy (uncredited)
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Murray's Wife (uncredited)
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Stutz's Navigator (uncredited)
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Moon's Wife (uncredited)
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Server in Officer's Mess (uncredited)
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Mechanic (uncredited)
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Dusty - McMullen's Co-Pilot (uncredited)
Billy Lunde ...
Boy (uncredited)
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Fitch's Co-Pilot (uncredited)
Richard Walsh ...
(uncredited)
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Mike Moon (uncredited)
Tim Wellman ...
Jim Moon (uncredited)
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Narrator (uncredited) (voice)
Phyllis Winger ...
Margaret - Girl in Flashback (uncredited)

Directed by

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William A. Wellman

Written by

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

Produced by

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Robert Fellows ... producer (as a Wayne-Fellows Production)
John Wayne ... producer (as a Wayne-Fellows Production)

Music by

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Emil Newman
Hugo Friedhofer ... (uncredited)

Cinematography by

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Archie Stout ... (photographed by)

Editing by

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Ralph Dawson

Art Direction by

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James Basevi

Set Decoration by

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Ralph S. Hurst ... (as Ralph Hurst)

Makeup Department

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Web Overlander ... makeup artist

Production Management

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Nate H. Edwards ... production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director

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Andrew V. McLaglen ... assistant director (as Andrew McLaglen)
Richard Birnie ... second assistant director (uncredited)
Richard Morrison ... second assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department

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

Sound Department

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

Special Effects by

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Alex Weldon ... special effects

Camera and Electrical Department

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Don Christy ... still photographer
William H. Clothier ... aerial cameraman (as William Clothier)

Costume and Wardrobe Department

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Carl Walker ... wardrobe
Joan Joseff ... costume jeweller (uncredited)

Music Department

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

Script and Continuity Department

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Sam Freedle ... script supervisor

Additional Crew

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Ernest K. Gann ... technical advisor
Al Murphy ... production assistant (uncredited)
Crew believed to be complete

Production Companies

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Distributors

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Special Effects

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Other Companies

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Storyline

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Plot Summary

Pilot John Dooley and his crew of four are flying an Air Force mission in a Douglas C-47 Skytrain (the military version of the DC-3). They experience icy conditions in the uncharted wilderness near the Quebec-Labrador border. Dooley is a former airline pilot who had been pressed into duty hauling war supplies across the northern route to England. Unable to make radio contact for bearings, they land on a frozen lake far from settled country and can only provide an approximate position to rescuers. Compass readings were unstable in this region. Dooley must keep his men alive while waiting for rescue in the extreme winter cold with temperatures plummeting to -70 degrees Fahrenheit and limited food. At headquarters, Col. Fuller gathers fellow airmen, close colleagues of Dooley, who are determined to find the downed crew before the men succumb to hunger and the cold. The search pilots experience frustration and fear when their initial attempts are unsuccessful. From the sketchy data they have, it seems Dooley went down on the far side of a range of mountains that doesn't even appear on their maps. In the face of an approaching storm, they are unsure as to what their final attempt should be. A wrong decision will doom the missing crew. The downed crew are able to use a hand-cranked generator to send a weak signal that will hopefully be picked up. Written by Garon Smith

Plot Keywords
Taglines With All the White Hell of the Wasteland Against Him Dooley Was Beating His Way Back! See more »
Genres
Parents Guide View content advisory »
Certification

Additional Details

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Also Known As
  • William A. Wellman's Island in the Sky (United States)
  • William A. Wellman's Island in the Sky (United Kingdom)
  • L'aventure du grand nord (France)
  • Aventure dans le Grand Nord (France)
  • Das letzte Signal (Germany)
  • See more »
Runtime
  • 109 min
Country
Language
Color
Aspect Ratio
Sound Mix
Filming Locations

Box Office

Budget $967,000 (estimated)

Did You Know?

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Trivia This was one of just three films released theatrically in "WarnerPhonic" sound, an early four-channel surround sound system. Unfortunately, only the mono version of the soundtrack has survived. See more »
Goofs As The Corsair begins her forced landing on the lake, three crew members - all 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. See more »
Movie Connections Featured in David Mamet (2007). See more »
Soundtracks Island in The Sky See more »
Quotes Capt. Dooley: [to navigator Murray] You're a lousy guy to sleep with.
See more »

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