The Tuskegee Airmen (1995)

The true story of how a group of African American pilots overcame racist opposition to become one of the finest US fighter groups in World War II

Director:

Robert Markowitz

Writers:

Paris Qualles (teleplay), Trey Ellis (teleplay)

Stars:

Laurence Fishburne, Allen Payne, Malcolm-Jamal Warner

Nominated for 1 Golden Globe. Another 6 wins & 15 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Laurence Fishburne	...	Hannibal Lee
Allen Payne	...	Walter Peoples
Malcolm-Jamal Warner	...	Leroy Cappy
Courtney B. Vance	...	Lt. Glenn (as Courtney Vance)
Andre Braugher	...	Benjamin O. Davis
Christopher McDonald	...	Major Joy (as Chris McDonald)
Daniel Hugh Kelly	...	Col. Rogers
John Lithgow	...	Senator Conyers
Cuba Gooding Jr.	...	Billy Roberts
Mekhi Phifer	...	Lewis Johns
Christopher Bevins	...	Young Hannibal
Eddie Braun	...	Tail Gunner
Max Daniels	...	Left Waist Gunner
Jack Dwyer	...	Operations Officer
James Field	...	Conductor

Storyline

During the Second World War, a special project is begun by the US Army Air Corps to integrate African American pilots into the Fighter Pilot Program. Known as the "Tuskegee Airman" for the name of the airbase at which they were trained, these men were forced to constantly endure harassement, prejudice, and much behind the scenes politics until at last they were able to prove themselves in combat.

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Plot Keywords:

aviator | training | african american | racist | military | 

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Taglines:

The right spirit. The right attitude. The wrong color.

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Genres:

Drama | History | War

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for thematic elements and brief strong war violence

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

26 August 1995 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Tuskegee Airmen

Filming Locations:

Fort Smith, Arkansas, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$8,500,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

HBO Films, Price Entertainment

Technical Specs

Runtime:

106 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR

Color:

Black and White Black and White (archive footage) Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The footage used when the crews are viewing the sinking of the destroyer, which also appears in the TV series Black Sheep Squadron (1976), is footage of a Japanese rather than a German destroyer.

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Goofs

When the unescorted bombers are taking fire from the German planes, as the camera pans across the gunners in the midsection of the plane, it's obvious that the belts for the machine guns are loaded with blanks. In one shot, from the outside of the plane, looking in, the flat red tips, designating blanks, can be seen in the mouths of the rounds.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Young Hannibal: [chasing after biplane] Hey! Hey! Hey! Wait for me!

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Connections

Referenced in The 18th Annual CableACE Awards (1996)

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Soundtracks

One O'Clock Jump
Written by Count Basie
Used by permission of EMI Feist Catalog Inc. (ASCAP)

User Reviews

HBO continues its role as educator.

I love these World War II docudramas, and no one does them better than HBO. They take an important, but little known piece of the war, the focus on an individual, a group, or an action, where heroism, personal fortitude, or some other extremely admirable qualities have prevailed, but sadly overlooked, and build a story around the theme.

They get some great actors, many who have some sort of direct or distant connection to the cause, to contribute. The Tuskegee Airmen loads Larry Fishburne, Cuba Gooding Jr., Courtney B. Vance, Allen Payne, Malcolm Jamal Warner, and Andre Braugher all onto the same plate, and there's plenty of room for great performances from each of them.

The story is a little predictable, a little melodramatic, but no less inspirational.

After you see Tuskegge Airmen check out another HBO movie in this vein (Against the Wall, Rat Pack, Stalin, And the Band Played On, Citizen X, Gotti, Indictment:The McMartin Trial, When Trumpets Fade are some examples) once a week, it's educational, and tonic for your soul.