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 Airmen see the German destroyer, it is steaming through the water; when they strafe the destroyer, it is obviously at anchor.

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Quotes

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

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Connections

Featured in Siskel & Ebert: Desperado/Dangerous Minds/Mortal Kombat/Beyond Rangoon/Lord of Illusions/The Tuskegee Airmen (1995)

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Soundtracks

Straighten Up and Fly Right
Written by Nat 'King' Cole and Irving Mills
Used by permission of EMI Mills Music, Inc. (ASCAP)
Master used by permission of EMI Music Publishing

User Reviews

Powerful Historical drama about the first squadron of negro air pilots during WW2.

Tuskegee Airmen is a timeless movie. Lawrence Fishburn plays the role of grudging hero to its maximum potential. The bad guys are racist and ignorant, but they are consistently confronted with the truth of their stupidity. This movie tells the tale, without an overtly biased point of view. There are certainly black men who failed to qualify as pilots during WW2, just as there were white. The racial struggle is brought to light without alienating anyone. The acting is extraordinary, the air fight scenes are power packed and the story is life itself. You must see this film.