A Korean War fighter pilot hero returns home to test fly the new Sabre jets despite his wife's uneasiness regarding his job.
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Title: The McConnell Story (1955)
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Cast
| Complete credited cast: | |||
| Alan Ladd | ... | Capt. Joseph C.'Mac' McConnell, Jr. | |
| June Allyson | ... | Pearl 'Butch' Brown | |
| James Whitmore | ... | SSgt. / Maj. / Col. Ty 'Dad' Whitman | |
| Frank Faylen | ... | Sfc. Sykes | |
| Robert Ellis | ... | Bob Brown | |
| Willis Bouchey | ... | Newton Bass | |
 |
Sarah Selby | ... | Mrs. Brown |
| Gregory Walcott | ... | 1st Military Policeman | |
| Frank Ferguson | ... | Mechanic | |
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Plot Summary
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Storyline
Mac's plans to settle down and raise a family are upset by the Korean War. He goes as a fighter pilot and returns a hero, the first triple ace of the war. His neighbors have built a home for Mac and his devoted wife and their three children. Now he has an offer to test pilot new Sabre Jets. His wife is uneasy but knows she cannot ground her man. Written by Ed Stephan <stephan@cc.wwu.edu>
Plot Keywords:
test pilot | korean war | tragic ending | death of title character | death of protagonist |Taglines:
The real thing! The true story of America's first triple jet ace!Certificate:
See all certifications »Parents Guide:
Add content advisory for parents »
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See more on IMDbPro »
See full technical specs »
Details
Country:
USALanguage:
EnglishRelease Date:
2 December 1955 (West Germany) See more »Also Known As:
Wolkenstürmer See more »Filming Locations:
Warner Brothers Burbank Studios - 4000 Warner Boulevard, Burbank, California, USA See more »Edit
Box Office
Gross USA:
$3,500,000, 31 December 1955Company Credits
Show more on
IMDbPro »
Technical Specs
Runtime:
Color:
Color (WarnerColor)Aspect Ratio:
2.55 : 1
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Pearl 'Butch' Brown: Why?
Capt. Joseph C.'Mac' McConnell, Jr.: Because when I look at you, you cut me into pieces.
See more »
(uncredited)
Music by Harry Warren
Played after Mac turns on the light in the room
See more »
Did You Know?
Trivia
Alan Ladd broke a rib just before the shooting whilst he took a shower. See more »Goofs
Sykes is wearing incorrect rank stripes. He is shown with the five stripes of a Sergeant First Class, but his stripes include the diamond of a First Sergeant. A sergeant with a diamond in the center, a Sergeant First Class, would wear a total of six stripes instead of five. See more »Quotes
Capt. Joseph C.'Mac' McConnell, Jr.: I think I'm going to call you 'Butch'Pearl 'Butch' Brown: Why?
Capt. Joseph C.'Mac' McConnell, Jr.: Because when I look at you, you cut me into pieces.
See more »
Soundtracks
Jeepers Creepers(uncredited)
Music by Harry Warren
Played after Mac turns on the light in the room
See more »
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Even for a 1950s "wave the flag" movie, this film's plot is just, well, very bad. It is cliche ridden and inaccurate. The real Capt. Joe McConnell, Korea's highest scoring ace, got all his 16 air to air victories in just the last six months of the Korean War, and was shot down once himself. This could have made for an exciting docudrama. Instead, the director chose to do something less than a high school drama presentation showing June Allison flittering around with her screechy dialogue and Alan Ladd wearing his G-suit too low on his waist. (Never mind the inaccuracies like showing Ladd in a B-17 in WW 2, when McConnell was a B-24 nav).
The "aerial combat sequences" were laughable, especially the F-86s waltzing to AFN radio.
A much better period piece is "The Hunters" with Robert Mitchum.