Reconnaissance Pilot (1943) User Reviews

Photo Joe

[boblipton · 6/10 · 18 September 2023]

William Holden is the son of a World War One Air Ace who is now a general. He's also top man in his class at fighter pilot school. When word comes that his father has been killed in action, he just wants to kill the enemy even more. So of course he's disappointed when he's assigned to aerial reconnaissance.

Of course the glamor jobs in the Army Air Corps was fighter pilots, and the pilot of the bomber, who could unload lots of explosives in a symbolically sexual frenzy. But finding the targets for the bombers, or the site of the hidden air field for the fighter pilot to fight against was the mission of the Reconnaisance pilots, and this three-reel film tries to make it clear why it's important, with Ralph Byrd, Arthur Kennedy, George O'Hanlon, and Kim Hunter to help make the point.

holden still in top form

[sventimiglia23582 · 10/10 · 10 October 2000]

away from hollywood and still in top form on this 30 min. doc/short is holden. if you don't like shorts or war films you won't enjoy this one however if you are a war film fan or a bill holden fan you'll love it. the war scenes are excellent and the other scenes have that touch of holden all over them.

He wants to kill...and they want him to take photographs.

[planktonrules · 24 June 2017]

Political Correctness alert!! This film was made for pilots to see during WWII and it is very colorful in its derogatory language about the enemy, the Japanese. This was the way of things and the US was at war...do if you cannot hear this without becoming enraged, watch something else.

The film begins showing Lt. Cummings (William Holden) returning home from the war. Then the picture digresses, showing him in flight school. During this time, he learns that his father was killed in action and this gives him a strong incentive to be the best in his class. He says "I wanna kill Japs...that's what my father would want me to do"...and is upset when he learns that he was TOO good in his class. Instead of being assigned to a fighter squadron, he's being assigned to fly a hot P-38 fighter....on photo reconnaissance missions. This means he'll be flying high, flying fast AND without guns!!

Overall, this is a well made educational film. However, I am not going to rate it, as it's not intended for consumption by the general public and I also have nothing conventional to which to compare it. Worth seeing for airplane and history buffs....or someone wanting to see all of William Holden's films.