I enjoyed this film, as although it only was tangentially a film about the Battle of Midway (probably the most important naval battle of WWII), it was a billion times better than the 1970s film "Midway". Midway was a very sloppy film--with tons of badly inserted file footage. Often, the footage was too grainy or featured planes that literally changed into different planes in mid-air! Here in "Wing and a Prayer", although some stock footage is used, it's used far less extensively and more seamlessly.
The film is about a lone US aircraft carrier who is given a lousy mission--to try to AVOID contact with the enemy and run whenever they are detected. The goal is to lull the Japanese into thinking the Americans are not prepared for war and are more vulnerable than they really were. But instead of just focusing on this 'big picture' approach, the movie specifically focuses on one small unit on board the ship. The impact of these unorthodox maneuvers on the men and their stories are the goal of this film.
The film is very entertaining. Much of this is because although the subject might seem a bit dry today, there are lots of nice vignettes and excellent acting. The main stars, Dana Andrews and Don Ameche, are good as always--this is certainly no surprise as both were great professionals. But it also helped that they had some excellent performances from supporting actors--most of which might not even be recognized today (aside from a young Harry Morgan). But to fans of old time cinema, the faces of Richard Jaeckel, Charles Bickford and others are a welcome sight--and provide nice and realistic color to the film. The only real sour note here was the ensign who flew with an Oscar (the award, not the Japanese plane)--this seemed ridiculous and out of place. A few of the real standout scenes were the plane that was stuck and couldn't pull out of a bombing run as well as the great scenes of the men on the ship listening to the airplane chatter as the battle raged on--their faces really said it all.
Overall, a nice depiction of the events leading up to Midway as well as of the battle itself. While the footage used wasn't perfect (see below), it was used well and the movie provided good entertainment and an explanation of what was happening to the folks back home during the war. Good and a must for aviation buffs.
FYI--For true aviation/navy nuts (like myself) only: Note that in some scenes the SB2C Helldiver dive bomber was featured. This plane did not begin service until later 1943--a year and a half after the events featured in the film occurred. You can't entirely blame Hollywood--they probably made good with what they had available to them at the time, as the Dauntless dive bombers were being phased out when the film was made. Also, while Avenger torpedo planes did fight at Midway, only six were available--as the plane was brand-new to the war in June 1942 Yet, in the film, there are lots of Avengers and none of the more widely used Devastators. Again, this info is only for maniacs like me who care about such details.
Also, ironically, footage for the film was shot on the USS Yorktown II-- ship that replaced the Yorktown. The old Yorktown had been lost at the Battle of Midway. Plus, the film almost makes it look as if the carrier in the film (never referred to by name) was the only US carrier in the battle, though the Hornet, Yorktwown and Enterprise all participated. You see other ships in the film, but no real mention is made of them.
The film is about a lone US aircraft carrier who is given a lousy mission--to try to AVOID contact with the enemy and run whenever they are detected. The goal is to lull the Japanese into thinking the Americans are not prepared for war and are more vulnerable than they really were. But instead of just focusing on this 'big picture' approach, the movie specifically focuses on one small unit on board the ship. The impact of these unorthodox maneuvers on the men and their stories are the goal of this film.
The film is very entertaining. Much of this is because although the subject might seem a bit dry today, there are lots of nice vignettes and excellent acting. The main stars, Dana Andrews and Don Ameche, are good as always--this is certainly no surprise as both were great professionals. But it also helped that they had some excellent performances from supporting actors--most of which might not even be recognized today (aside from a young Harry Morgan). But to fans of old time cinema, the faces of Richard Jaeckel, Charles Bickford and others are a welcome sight--and provide nice and realistic color to the film. The only real sour note here was the ensign who flew with an Oscar (the award, not the Japanese plane)--this seemed ridiculous and out of place. A few of the real standout scenes were the plane that was stuck and couldn't pull out of a bombing run as well as the great scenes of the men on the ship listening to the airplane chatter as the battle raged on--their faces really said it all.
Overall, a nice depiction of the events leading up to Midway as well as of the battle itself. While the footage used wasn't perfect (see below), it was used well and the movie provided good entertainment and an explanation of what was happening to the folks back home during the war. Good and a must for aviation buffs.
FYI--For true aviation/navy nuts (like myself) only: Note that in some scenes the SB2C Helldiver dive bomber was featured. This plane did not begin service until later 1943--a year and a half after the events featured in the film occurred. You can't entirely blame Hollywood--they probably made good with what they had available to them at the time, as the Dauntless dive bombers were being phased out when the film was made. Also, while Avenger torpedo planes did fight at Midway, only six were available--as the plane was brand-new to the war in June 1942 Yet, in the film, there are lots of Avengers and none of the more widely used Devastators. Again, this info is only for maniacs like me who care about such details.
Also, ironically, footage for the film was shot on the USS Yorktown II-- ship that replaced the Yorktown. The old Yorktown had been lost at the Battle of Midway. Plus, the film almost makes it look as if the carrier in the film (never referred to by name) was the only US carrier in the battle, though the Hornet, Yorktwown and Enterprise all participated. You see other ships in the film, but no real mention is made of them.