Raiders in the Sky (1953) User Reviews

Appointment Kept

[sol-kay · 7/10 · 17 November 2004]

***SPOILERS*** Somewhat talky but very good WWII movie set on an English airfield of RAF Lancaster Bombers in the late summer of 1943. Grounded Wing-Commander Tim Mason, Dirk Bogarde, who has flown 89 bombing missions over German occupied Europe seems to have developed a dislike of his airmen under his command who have anything to do with their loved one's back home.

Mason feels that their, the bomber pilots, emotions will get in the way of their ability in flying their dangerous bombing missions over Europe. One of those airmen pilot Pete Greeno,Bryan Forbes,who was just recommended for the DFC, Distinguish flying Cross, for bravery is called into his office and is chewed out by Mason for calling his girl, really his wife, after every mission to tell her in code that he was all right.

Greeno who had an appointment in London to receive his DFC at Buckingham Palace never made it there, on his next mission his plane was lost over the English Channel after a bomb run over the skies of Germany. Mason is deeply hurt by what happened to Greeno and his crew since he feels that he jinxed him by giving him the berating that he did before his last flight and that may have taken the edge, by not being allowed to call his girl, off his flying skills.

Meeting his wife Pam Greeno, Anne Leon, later to give his sympathy and condolences Mason is even more hurt to find out that Mrs. Greeno knew all about his attitude towards her as well as all the other wives and girlfriends of his air crews and hated him for it. Mason was also a bit hypocritical since he was itching to go on a bombing mission and has a girlfriend himself back in England Eve Canyon, Dinah Sheridan, a officer in Naval intelligence and also a war widow of a navy man who was lost at Dunkirk.

Troubled and almost suicidal on what he did to the Greeno's Mason takes his 90th mission , against orders, on a night-time raid over German controlled Holland and guides his Lancaster Squadron over the target where they dropped their bomb payload successfully and then returned to the safety of the British Isles due to Mason's courage under fire. Receiving an award for bravery instead of a court-martial Mason together with bomber pilot and friend of the late Pete Greeno Bill Brown,Bill Kerr, and the widowed Pam Greeno are seen at the end off the movie on a taxi going to Buckingham Palace for their appointment in London. Even more important, to Mason, the late Pet Greeno's wife Pam has changed her mind about him and due to his brave actions in the air over Holland knows that he was very mournful and sorry for what he did to her husband by browbeating him about her and, what seems like to me, forgave Wing-Commander Mason for it.

The movie "Appointment in London" not only shows the courage under fire of the brave men and women of the RAF in WWII but also the dedication and courage of their friends families and loved ones that they left behind who may have never seen them come back.

Bally Good Show.

[hitchcockthelegend · 7/10 · 1 March 2015]

It has something of an inauspicious title, in that it doesn't do justice to the film making craft and subject matter on offer here in Phillip Leacock's film.

Leacock and his lead man, the splendidly regal Dirk Bogarde, produce a war film of undoubted human depth. There's no sledge hammer tactics to try and curry favour with the critics and film goers alike, no clichés bogging the narrative down, this is an honest to goodness telling of the emotional trials, strains, fears and peeves of a Bomber Command Squadron in England preparing for a mission during WWII 1943. Even the inevitable romantic threads are handled with skill by the makers, never cloying and adding impact as the heroes get ready for the big bully off.

Some of the action sequences show their age, but that's fine in the context of old time cinema, while the likes of Twelve O'Clock High (which came four years before this was released) set the bar too high for Leacock's film to be unfairly compared with. Yet this earns its stripes, very much so, because as those wonderful Avro Lancaster's take to the skies and thunder though the clouds, you realise you care about every single one of those involved in the mission, both in the air and on the ground. 7.5/10

Good Show.

[rmax304823 · 7/10 · 9 March 2011]

We don't get to see that many movies about Bomber Command, though there are a goodly number of Eighth Air Force movies around. I guess American studios poured out more war movies but in the 1950s the Brits produced some hum dingers as well, and this is one of them.

It bears some slight resemblance to "Twelve O'Clock High" in its structure. The men are convinced their squadron is jinxed and Bogarde must snap them out of it. Lots of tense ground scenes with the full story of a bombing raid over Germany saved until the end. And, like Gregory Peck, Dirk Bogarde is a pilot who has "done his share of flying" and is now a ground officer, enforcing discipline on the men. In an emergency, he climbs aboard a Lancaster for his final mission -- number ninety. When the Master Bomber, who acts as a kind of coach during the raid, is shot down, Bogarde takes over and saves the day. The appointment in London involves decorations for some of the men, to be awarded at Buckingham Palace. The role of Squadron Commander, though, really belongs to someone like Jack Hawkins, who can convey both empathy and necessity. Bogarde is stern enough but brings a slightly personal, bitchy quality to the role.

As usual, the officers and men are a mixed group of Brits, Australians, and whatever people from Sheffield are called. There is an American major who slouches around, hands in pockets, wearing a big smile, acting as liaison officer to the RAF. He risks court martial by sneaking aboard on some raids and acting as tail gunner. You're likely to recognize him as the guarded Dr. Floyd in Kubrick's "2001." There are a couple of women too: a widow who is the object of rival affections, and a widow who generates sympathy. There is also the usual grabass in the mess hall, a kind of riot in which officers mark the ceiling with the inky prints of their bare feet. It's all rather good natured fun.

The final raid is shown from its planning stages until the landing of the last overdue Lancaster. It's pretty tense. Bogarde is aboard one of the planes and the dramatic structure could go either way.

I suspect that there may be more movies about the Americans' daylight precision bombing than about the British night-time area bombing partly because more combat footage is available from daylight missions. Of course, until fighters with sufficient range became available, daylight bombing meant unsustainable losses and the program was suspended for a while. The British program didn't do much better. Their losses were appalling. And the metric doesn't exist that would allow us to measure the airmen's suffering against that of the Germans beneath them. All the combatants took a terrific pummeling. War is an awful thing. One wonders why some of us seem so anxious to rush into the next one.

Tight script, great performances, amazing flying sequences

[alfa-16 · 4 January 2007]

This is an unusual film. As others have commented it is well made, tautly scripted and has very good central performances. But that isn't what singles it out.

It's commonly thought that night time area bombing by the RAF was a hit or miss affair, quite different from daylight precision bombing done by the USAAF. Whilst no one can argue that targets were easier to see during daylight hours, both the RAF and the Luftwaffe developed highly accurate methods of hitting their targets at night. In the fateful Dresden raid in February 1945, almost 95% of the RAF bombload fell within one mile of the markers placed with 50 metre accuracy by the Mosquito target illuminator aircraft. The following day, a quarter of the American daylight force sent to follow up bombed Prague, having mistaken one bend in the River Elbe for another.

This film depicts, at length, the method of target marking the flight path using coloured airburst flares, eliminating 'creepback' by approaching the target along different vectors, air and ground marking the target and using a 'Master Bomber' to control the incoming streams and give bomb aimers feedback on accuracy.

No medal was struck for Bomber Command and many of the crew themselves felt their contribution was best forgotten, so this film is one of the few accurate testaments to their courage.

A Wizard Prang

[malcolmgsw · 7/10 · 21 January 2023]

This is an eloquent tribute to the men of Bomber Command. It is staggering and appalling that they lost 55000 aircrew in the war. This was partly due to the utter ruthlessness of their commanfer,Arthur Harris,who was justifiably nicknamed "Butcher".

Dirk Bogardes cha.faster was based on Guy Gibson,who completed over 170 missions before being shot down over Holland in 1944,I have visited his grave.

Given that 30 missions was the norm he must have had nerves of steel. He was a complex man and Bogardes character reflects this. Gibson,like Bogardes character was a martinet and not much liked by his men. Without men like Gibson you cannot win a war.

3 Missions to Go!

[damianphelps · 7/10 · 16 January 2021]

A really good war movie without the rah rah that often comes along in such films. The great strength of the movie is the connection it creates between the audience and the characters.

Not so much a movie featuring battle sequences (until late) it focuses on the people involved and the relationships they have with those on and off the airbase.

Bogarde carries most of the interest being the lead but a full cast contributes necessary elements to the story and the bonds between them.

Simply enjoyable :)

A bit of romance, a lot of instruction, and a ton of action!

[mark.waltz · 7/10 · 15 August 2023]

A young Dirk Bogarde scores highly in this British war drama (one of the best post-war films dealing with World War II) as a squadron commander of the Avro Lancasters, and the mission flying over Germany that led to a big victory for the British and ultimately all the allies. He has a touching romance with a young war widow (Dinah Sheridan) who is enlisted in the wrens, and instructs preparations for the mission that dominates the later part of the film.

While the film's a bit slow getting started, it gets really good with the air battles of the second half, and thus the first part doesn't seem to slow it down as important details of the first part become clearer later on. This film is very subtle in getting the viewer involved, not hammering them over the head with needless propaganda, reminding the modern viewer that with the war over, they didn't have to try so hard. Definitely one of the films that led Bogarde to becoming a big star.

Probably the most realistic movie on Bomber Command in WWII

[simonsnape · 9/10 · 22 April 2006]

This is probably the most realistic drama filmed about Bomber Command late in WWII. The technical details are superb.. the right aircraft in the right locations with the correct props and background.

The acting really is first class and if it seems a little stilted then that's how it was then... if you don't believe me watch "Target for Tonight" which covered a Wellington Bomber mission early in the war and used real RAF crews .

There are no over the top heroics, but the mood is just right, with a constant tension even in moments of relaxation... the war had become a relentless exercise in mechanised killing with operational crews knowing that the chances of them living to complete a full tour of 30 operations was one in four at best, but they just got on with it. far better than "The Dam Busters".

'The Lancaster bombing raid which climaxes the film is just about the best treatment of this subject I have seen.' Daily Mail 1953

[scorfield-51711 · 5/10 · 13 September 2016]

Not only does this film contain good solid performances, and also evidence the director's solid capabilities, but more importantly captures the tension and high risks of serving in Bomber Command in the Second World War. This is evident from the opening sequence ahead of the film's titles, with the reconstruction of the tense night-time take-offs, filmed at RAF Upwood in Cambridgeshire.

Throughout the film, the audience acquires a better feel for the sheer exhaustion of completing endless bombing sorties, together with the pain at the loss of comrades that those serving in these squadrons experienced. The degree of realism achieved was largely the result of the presence in the team of writers of John Wooldridge, who as part of his professional expertise also provided the typically bombastic score. Before becoming a film composer he had been a decorated member of Bomber Command, having flown 108 sorties over Europe, and had served alongside Dambuster Guy Gibson, before the latter's famed mission to destroy the dams in the Ruhr valley. Tragically, his life would be cut short by a car accident just five years after this production. The links with that famous bombing raid are further bolstered by the fact that Dirk Bogarde based his interpretation of Wing Commander Tim Mason on Gibson, while the same Lancasters used in this production would two years later be captured to magnificent effect as cinematic tribute to the 'Dambusters' in the much more revered film detailing their exploits.

Bogarde is nothing short of excellent in portraying a committed commanding officer who, despite his mental exhaustion of having flown 87 sorties, is determined to reach the milestone of 90 missions. Instead, he finds himself grounded by his superior officer, portrayed by Hollywood veteran, Ian Hunter, Errol Flynn's Richard the Lionheart. Though well-respected by his men, a combination of recent losses and near-misses gradually lead to the feeling that both Mason and the squadron are jinxed. This escalates after the loss of one of the most popular members of the squadron, Pilot Officer, Pete 'The Brat' Greeno, played by a youthful Brian Forbes. There is a short but powerful sequence where Mason, and the rest of the control room, stare in abject silence at the clock as 'The Brat's' Lancaster's final two minutes of fuel run out with no phone call of any sighting.

Bogarde's character holds himself responsible for the loss of this young pilot having reprimanded him prior to his fateful mission about endangering the secrecy of the squadron's missions. It transpired that Greeno had been sending coded messages to his girlfriend notifying her of his safe return after each completed mission. This sequence of events leads to one of the most memorable scenes of the movie when the lost pilot's wife, played by Michael Gough's then wife, Anne Leon, reveals that her deceased partner had hidden their marriage, conscious of his commanding officer's demands that nothing should interfere with their focus on the mission at hand.

By contrast, the weakest element of the movie is the stiff treatment given to what becomes the unconvincing love interest provided by Dinah Sheridan, obviously introduced to soften Bogarde's attitude to the importance of civilian life for his men. Her portrayal of a naval intelligence officer, Eve Canyon, widowed at Dunkirk is satisfactory enough, as is that of William Sylvester, later to become more recognisable for his role in Kubrick's '2001', as the other part of the love triangle, Mac the American observer. Yet, the stilted dramatisation of this love affair fails to ignite more than a flicker of interest. Of note at this point, this is the only occasion on celluloid that the real-life long-term partner of Bogarde, Anthony Forwood, would appear with him, portraying Sandy the Navigation Officer.

This depiction of a man burdened by his heightened sense of responsibility to his men and by his own mental exhaustion is magnificently played by Bogarde, in one of his finest but most underrated roles. When asked by Sheridan's character, 'How Do You Go On?', he earnestly replies 'By being scared someone will see how afraid you are'. Outside of these psychological factors, where the film achieves great dramatic effect is with its depiction of the final mission over occupied Holland to destroy a secret weapons facility. In terms of the plot line, when a pilot is injured by a bomb slipping out of its bay, Mason joins the crew, playing a crucial role as substitute navigator to the squadron when their initial attack badly misses the target. This nighttime raid fully captures the dangers to which bomber crews were exposed, with the added realism provided by Wooldridge's screenplay, while Philip Leacock's earlier expertise in his career as a director of documentaries, comes to the fore, with this extended sequence's subtle interplay between genuine pictures of a Bomber Command mission, special effect lighting, and realistic radio communication.

The title of the film not only is far better than that it acquired on its US release ('Raiders of the Skies') but has poignant significance to the film's storyline. The eponymous appointment refers to that which Bryan Forbes' character was never able to attend to pick up his Distinguished Flying Cross from Buckingham Palace for his bravery under fire. In the final scene of the film we accompany Mason, Eve, and a fellow pilot, as they head towards their own medals for gallantry, together with the widow of their lost colleague. Not that Dinah Sheridan approaching Buckingham Palace should have phased her in any way, as both her Russian grandfather and German father served as photographers to the royal family. The tribute the film's creator and producers wished to pay to the bravery of these men, involved in a war of attrition where casualties far outnumbered those of the Battle of Britain, is underlined by the epilogue contained in the closing credits: 'This story is humbly dedicated to all those airmen who were unable to keep an Appointment in London. Atmospheric despite its low key approach, this British feature sits comfortably against its much better known American counterpart, 'Twelve O'Clock High', released four years earlier.

A True Sleeper; Fine Drama with Romance, Tension and Aerial Battles

[silverscreen888 · 8/10 · 29 July 2005]

"Appointment in London" is an unusually-atmospheric, stylish and very-consistently-interesting late British WWII film. The subject is the pilots of British Bomber Command and the stresses they encounter in battles as the fly Lancasters in night missions over the European mainland. Specifically, the film features as its central character a dedicated pilot, played elegantly by Dirk Bogarde. He has completed 89 missions and survived, but very much wants his 90th. Due to fatigue and concerns for his well being, echelon grounds him. he is angry and frustrated, but during his time on the ground, he reconnects to life and wins lovely Dinah Sheridan, who acts very strongly as the widow of a naval intelligence type, winning her from breezy Willaim Sylvester, a U.S. pilot. The added tension in the film comes from Bogarde's desire to complete his third tour with one final mission, and the fact that everything about it sets up to be a "jinxed" mission from the start. I will not give away the breath-taking and vivid climax, but apart from some leisurely spots here and there, I will claim that director Philip Leacock has produced one of the best of all war films in "Appointment in London" The script was credited to Robert Westerby and John Woolridge, with cinematography by Stephen Dade and art direction by Donald M. Ashton. John Woolridge also wrote the fine original score, and costumes were contributed by Sheila Graham. In appearance, the film is very strongly made, and attractively photographed. The aerial sequences are very good and the recreated picture of wartime London is a big selling point for this hard-to-find film. Bogarde and Sheridan are extraordinarily touching and intelligent; I cannot recommend this film too highly as drama, as a war movie or as a cinematic "sleeper", one which in lesser hands would not have been as absorbing as it was made to be.

Six O'Clock Low

[writers_reign · 5/10 · 16 May 2008]

From my summary you are entitled to think I found this an inferior rip-off of Twelve O'Clock High and you'd be correct. Dirk Bogarde was no Gregory Peck and though he gives the battle fatigue resulting from leading 80 + missions his best shot he doesn't quite cut it. Of course, if you haven't seen Twelve O'Clock High (released a couple of years earlier) chances are you'll enjoy this take on life on a bomber station in World War Two. All the usual suspects are wheeled out from Brian Forbes to Sam Kydd and there's even William Sylvester and Bill Kerr to ensure a balance of nationalities. Unlike Twelve O'Clock High the film can't resist introducing the female element so Dinah Sheridan is trotted out as the target for a half-hearted rivalry between Bogarde and Sylvester. Check it out if you must then check out a real movie on the same subject, beginning with Twelve.

No clichés or extended heroics here

[krishkmenon · 9/10 · 2 February 2013]

I had seen this film when I was in school where it was shown as part of educational films screened by one of my schoolmasters who had himself served in the Royal Indian Air Force in Burma.Today I own a copy on DVD. The exploits of people in Bomber Command is brought out with extreme accuracy to the screen by creating an atmosphere that is taut and realistic. Dirk Bogarde gives one of his best performances as the Wing Commander who is definitely cracking under the stress of command but does not want to accept it. The scenes where he gives Bryan Forbes a dressing down will certainly strike a chord where his sense of responsibility to the team is exposed. The accuracy of operations of RAF Bombers during night sorties right from the point of take off, to the tension of the ground staff till their return is brilliantly photographed. There are no clichés or extended heroics quite common in similar films but dark realism of survival during the war with the atmosphere of the airfields and aircrew intact. Being the son of an Air Force officer who did some war service in India the realism is striking. I would certainly recommend it to the younger viewers who need to study such situations.

a testament to the Many who didn't keep their appointment !!

[zn1-58-147766 · 12 August 2011]

this is one of them films that really shows what the Bomber command boys were really at. we all get taught about the Battle of Britain and stuffy dowding, we rarely hear about how hard it was for those working for Bomber Harris, aircrews flying long jobs, the Squadron & wing commanders being pushed to the brink of destruction and beyond. but we also see the human side, WC mason is near the end of his tour of 90 jobs and is trying to keep his boys focused on the job both on the ground crews and in the air crews ,keeping their minds on the flying & Maintenance and not the women, which he thinks after one fatality and meeting the widow makes him realise he may be wrong, still he completes his tour and keeps his appointment. made in 1954 there were plenty of Lanc's still flying, today in 2011 there are 2 left in world flying and not many of the crews are left neither, My late neighbour was a Lanc Pilot, i didn't know till after he had died he never spoke of it, My grandfather was a hero in WW2 and so this neighbour..

if anything when ever this movie comes on MAKE SURE THE KIDS WATCH IT.. we always remember the few of fighter command, this films makes sure we remember the Many....and is a testament to flyers like Guy Gibson and his many many comrades who died for us..today...WATCH THIS MOVIE

Dated ' Much better stories out there than this 'sorry

[twridge · 4/10 · 6 August 2023]

I like Dirk Bogarde and checking out his movies - This was very weak effort / post war movie -Interesting in first 15 minutes watching Lancaster bombers taking off - don't often see that - usually B17 footage - but gets repetitive like watching a home movie -too much footage of same thing - landing and takeoffs But story much better told in movies like Johnny in the Clouds ( odd titile ) with John Mills and others or in Dambusters movie . This was a bit of 12 O'clock High with the British stiff upper lip - As I said the drama of Bomber command done much better in other movies - His next movie Linel was very , very good and going to rewatch that.

A quiet, realistic drama about a bomber squadron during the War

[robert-temple-1 · 8/10 · 3 June 2014]

This film was also released as APPOINTMENT IN London. Dirk Bogarde is the stalwart star of this wartime drama centered around the lives of the men of a bomber squadron based at Lincoln. A great deal of original aerial footage is edited into the film throughout, culminating in a huge bombing raid over Germany in the latter part of the film, which shows a genuine squadron flying in formation at night, and features the most astonishing real footage of the roaring inferno produced by such a bombing raid. There are also some shots of London in 1952 showing that there was still almost no traffic. Bogarde plays Wing Commander Mason, who at the beginning of the film has flown 87 sorties over Germany and is being urged on all sides to call it quits, but he is determined to go on until he completes 90 missions, because 'I have set my mind on it'. However, he is getting over-tired and everyone worries that he will make mistakes or simply not make it. My wife likes Bogarde a great deal. She used to be taken by her mother to tea with him and his mother in Denham Village when she was a child, when she became entranced by him and his peculiar charm. His mother was apparently rather butch. I only met him and chatted with him on one occasion, at Shepperton. He was certainly a major figure in the history of British cinema. He could be rather waspish, and was no heterosexual. One old friend of ours unexpectedly turned up on the credits of this film, Cecil Ford. He was credited as Assistant Director. I checked IMDb, and he had already been an assistant director for five years by this time. The next year he moved up to Production Manager. Dinah Sheridan plays the love interest in this film. Although everyone thought she was an English rose, Sheridan was really half Russian and half German. She did very well in the part, showing great restraint as 'a widow since Dunkirk' and not falling for the first airman she sees. Everyone in the film is very restrained indeed, and all the upper lips are stiff in the Old Style. This is seriously traditional British fare. Bryan Forbes does very well as an airman who doesn't make it. His wife is played by the interesting actress Anne Leon, who died long ago and made few films. She was very effective, but as she was no glamour gal, it seems she was not offered many parts. It is always a pity when people of talent are not properly recognised. In terms of names we might recognise today, Nigel Stock is uncredited as a co-pilot, not that you would notice. And that is about it. The film was ably directed by Philip Leacock, who went on to make another film with Dirk Bogarde three years later, THE Spanish GARDENER, and later in life was primarily a director of many popular television series. This film is probably about as realistic as you can get, as a portrait of Bomber Command in operation during the War. But it never sacrifices fiction for fact, and maintains strong story lines and dramatic narrative throughout, with all the accuracy serving to make it more moving and authentic.

The usual patriotism and courage

[Leofwine_draca · 5/10 · 26 March 2018]

Another day, another 1950s-era patriotic British WW2 movie with an ensemble cast of respected male actors and the odd female face (namely the formly Dinah Sheridan here). Dirk Bogarde once again places the introspective lead character, a bomber pilot jaded by the pressures of the war and the endless toll of men and planes lost on a daily basis. This is a film that focuses almost entirely on human rather than wartime drama, although there's a bit of stock footage inserted here and there. The calibre of the acting is enough to see this one through, although in an overloaded genre the tale was done better elsewhere.

Well written and well acted film which grabs and holds your interest. Don't be put off by the slightly stodgy title. It is truly an excellent film.

[d-bingham · 9/10 · 13 June 2007]

This is one of my favourite WW2 films and yet I only discovered it in the last few years.

The script is well written, the acting particularly by Dirk Bogarde and Dinah Sheriden is excellent and believable. The footage of night bombing raids and the master bomber techniques it shows is by far the best of any film covering this subject.

The film accurately portrays the life of a bomber squadron on "maximum effort". The pilot who survived because he went on leave before a high casualty raid. The fatigue and stress of being up night after night either flying or in the "Ops" room. The Wing Commander's sheer bloodymindedness and a sense of having to finish the tour is set against the knowledge of those around him that statistically his number should have come up several times already.

This is truly excellent film. It doesn't surprise me that it has escaped the list of great war films because of its slightly stodgy title but it's up there with some of the best.

Thoughtful,well made,with fine performances.Recommended.

[ianlouisiana · 8/10 · 3 November 2008]

Unlike Fighter Command whose exploits were painted across the skies of Southern England during the endless summer of 1940,Bomber Command never caught the public imagination.These were not glamorous public school chaps with silk scarves and Brylcreemed hair downing a brace of Huns before tea,gleaming Spitfires and intrepid Hurricanes doing Victory Rolls whilst beating up the airfield as the Waafs waved out of the Control Tower.No,these were mainly working class grammar school boys sitting in freezing aluminium tubes, little more than lethal containers of H.E and volatile fuel,in the pitch dark 5 miles above Occupied Europe in skies full of white hot metal shards any one of which,at any second,could turn their aircraft into a fiery coffin.Some chewed the ends of pencils whilst calculating the target's co - ordinates on paper,some tracking the amount of fuel being used,others scanned the sky for enemy fighters.Some flew the plane which took considerable strength to keep on a straight and level course under ideal conditions,let alone being bounced around in a hazardous sky where your every instinct is to drop your bombs and race home ASAP.These men displayed dour,determined courage night after long night in a bitter war of attrition.A standard tour of operations consisted of 30 missions,their chance of survival a little over 30%. Wing Commander Mason (Mr D.Bogarde)has flown 87 missions,the equivalent of spitting in The Grim Reaper's face several times.He is determined to complete his third tour despite opposition from his Commanding Officer and the M.O."Appointment in London" tells the story of his fight to survive against all the odds. Superficially resembling the mighty "Twelve o' clock high",closer study reveals more differences than might be immediately apparent.Gregory Peck's character was imposed on a failing squadron whose popular C.O. suffered a breakdown,Mason has been on base for a long time and is well - liked and respected,Peck a martinet where Bogarde tolerates his pilots' horseplay,for instance.There is no doubt "Twelve o' clock high" is the superior movie,but that doesn't make "Appointment in London" a poor one. Much of the pleasure is in the supporting cast,Mr A.Shaw as "Smithy",the adjutant,a much older man,outwardly stuffy,a veteran of the Great War and a man who has seen too many airmen die to allow himself to become affected.Mr C.Victor as the village publican and confidant to aircrew,paternal and compassionate,a splendid bit of acting.Mr C.Singer in a customary senior NCO role as the Flight Sergeant in charge of the groundcrew who lend the planes to the fliers and hope they take good care of them and,last but not least Mr S.Kydd as the mechanic who finds his pilot's lucky charm and is confronted late at night by an angry Mr Bogarde.This is a key scene in the movie as Bogarde's anger(mainly against himself) manifests itself in an exchange that graduallly moves from aggression to awkwardness to genuine respect.It is beautifully played by these two fine actors. My only personal caveat with the film is the complete lack of anything resembling affection between Mr Bogarde and Miss D.Sheridan as the naval officer he falls in love with.I'm sorry I just didn't believe in them as a couple.No spark,no chemistry,no nothing.Maybe it's me. All round though,"Appointment in London" is a well - made,interesting and enjoyable film with lots of well - loved faces.I recommend that you watch it.

In the end a moving and accurate testament to Bomber Command

[andrewg-747-30514 · 2 September 2011]

I quite love this film. It DOES feel a bit talky because it's predominantly so ground based...but the depiction of Wing Commander Mason's 90th "op" puts it into a class of its own. I love the audio in the raid of the Pathfinder commander...Has such an urgency and veracity which is irresistible. I agree that it's not in the same class as "12 o'clock High"...For me the film Gregory Peck should have won his Oscar for..it truly is a "maxium effort"..but it's an elegant and high quality cinematic testament to the heroism of Bomber-Command. I like too the Aussie pilot played by Bill Kerr in his darker blue RAAF uniform. We Aussies were there in high numbers like so many Commonwealth aircrew who included my Pilot-Officer Uncle Arthur(Nash)shot down with the loss of all in a Wellington bomber on a night raid over Dusseldorf.

The last few are the hardest...

[planktonrules · 8/10 · 31 August 2016]

Some of the best war films have been movies about the Allied bombing campaign of WWII. "Command Decision", "12 O'Clock High" and "Raiders in the Sky" are all excellent films--though the latter is set at a British bomber base whereas the first two are about American bases. While I wouldn't quite put this film in the same level as the other two in quality, it is awfully close and well worth your time.

The film centers around Wing Commander Mason (Dirk Bogarde). He's a very good pilot. However, his 87 missions is wearing on him and he's long overdue to be retired from the front line. Oddly, instead of being happy about this, Mason insists on being able to at least reach 90...and then he'll quit. The film is a nice portrait of Lancaster pilots and crew and because it was made not too long after the war, the filmmakers were able to use three airworthy bombers--which added to the realism.

So why do I think this one isn't quite up to the level of the American films? Well, mostly because Mason just seems to take the whole thing in stride (apart from insomnia) and he seems amazingly well adjusted...taking away from the tension that DID come because the other two films focused so strongly on the emotional toll. Still, a nice tribute to these brave men and well worth your time.

Good Film

[Gatorman9 · 8/10 · 2 October 2016]

I am surprised I haven't run across this one before discovering it recently on-line. What most of the other reviews have said is true. The bombing sequence at the end of the movie has a documentary quality to it readily evoking MEMPHIS BELLE -- not the disappointing 1990 movie, but the 1944, William-Wyler-directed wartime documentary released by the United States Army Air Forces during the war itself. It is also a highly detailed treatment that illuminates the RAF's night-time area bombing tactics far beyond else ever dramatized. By the same token, the entire rest of the film tends to be a straightforward representation of what it was like for participants in that phase of the war, remarkable as a movie for its minimization of histrionics. It deserves at least a bare minimum of a 7 on IMDb.

A much overlooked film; deserves a far higher rating here

[Brucey_D · 9/10 · 15 January 2017]

Appointment in London: It is 1943, and a Wing Commander of Bomber Command is fighting his personal demons whilst edging towards his 90th (and final) operation over Germany, flying Avro Lancaster bombers.

To put this film into context it was made in 1952, from a story written by a WWII veteran who had himself survived over 100 operations. Most of the film's outdoor sequences were shot at RAF Upwood (http://www.rafupwood.co.uk/) which was at that time home to a squadron of soon-to-be obsolete Avro Lincoln bombers. These appear in the background and (at a distance) pass well enough as Lancasters, a few of which were of course used for the closer shots.

Britain in 1952 was still suffering the after-effects of WWII; petrol had not long come off the ration, but rationing was to remain on many basic foodstuffs for another two years to come. Most folk didn't have two beans to rub together, yet the country faced the prospect of the developing Cold War, which could have turned hot at any time.

Despite near bankruptcy, the UK was in the midst of developing it's V bomber force (the iconic 'Vulcan' had just made its maiden flight) and the nuclear weapons that they would carry; a product of the 'freedom at any cost' mentality which must have prevailed during WWII.

Bomber Command's role in WWII is today in some danger of being overlooked. It should not be forgotten that for several years they were the sole means of striking back at the enemy, and that they arguably waged what remains the most costly air war ever fought; whilst the US Eighth Air Force suffered appalling aircrew losses (~26000 casualties), Bomber Command lost over twice as many, but from a smaller complement. Their losses averaged over 44%, and their daily losses were on occasion almost inconceivable, in some instances exceeding (say) the total losses of Fighter Command during the whole Battle of Britain.

The effect of this air campaign will be debated for decades to come, but in round numbers -even without allowing for the bombing damage itself- it is estimated that at any one time it cost the Germans the use of about 1000 operational fighter aircraft, several hundred thousand men, about 10000 of the lethal 88mm gun (which was also one of the most devastating anti-tank weapons of WWII), millions of shells, and all the manufacturing facilities and infrastructure to support them.

However Albert Speer (Germany's armaments minister during WWII) was in no doubt about the significance of the air war against Germany. Years after the war he is quoted as saying that "... No one has yet seen that this was the greatest lost battle on the German side".

This is one of the few films that makes any real attempt to show what the bulk of Bomber Command's operations would have been like in 1943; night ops over Germany, with a high loss rate. The final operation in the film is portrayed as a mission against a secret weapon facility in Germany; this is quite realistic, echoing the real 'Operation Hydra' of August 1943, in which the V2 development facility at Peenemunde was bombed, causing significant delays to the missile programme.

It is all played in a rather understated fashion in this film, and it perhaps lacks the drama of some other WWII films. (And of course there are a few goofs; e.g. the final scenes 'wartime London' show cars without blackout gear and a few 1950's unibody models...) Yet it is a very good, and rather significant film that is sadly underrated. Without films of this sort, important parts of our history may soon be forgotten.

Near to me, there are still the remains of dozens of WWII airfields. In most cases they are just crumbling back into the landscape, home to little more than old ghosts and fading memories. I can't imagine what it would have been like over 70 years ago, but films like this can give you some idea.

Definitely worth watching.

One of the Finest RAF Bomber Movies Ever Made!!!

[zardoz-13 · 10/10 · 9 May 2019]

"War Lover" director Philip Leacock's black & white World War II epic, "Appointment in London," aka "Raiders in the Skies," ranks as one of the finest British films produced about the Royal Air Force. Dirk Bogarde stars as Wing-commander Tim Mason. He has flown 87 missions. He admits he doesn't get much sleep, attributing it to the stress of command. The anxiety weighing heavily on Mason alarms his troubled superiors. Group Captain Logan (Ian Hunter of "The Adventures of Robin Hood") and Flight Surgeon Mulvaney (Walter Fitzgerald of "The Rigger") ponder the option of relieving Mason of his command. Probably one of the best British bomber pilots alive, he argues that both his knowledge and skill have enabled him to survive against long odds. Indeed, Mason is shooting for 90 missions. He assures Mulvaney he is willing to be shipped off wherever the RAF wants to send him if he can attain his goal. The flight surgeon knows he should reassign Mason, but he allows him to continue flying the four-engined Lancasters into the heart of Nazi Germany at night. Historically, the British bombed the Nazis after dark, while the U.S.A.A.F. flew missions in broad daylight. Mason has to contend not only with himself and his superiors but also some of his own men in the performance of his job. Nicknamed 'the Brat,' one British pilot (Bryan Forbes of "Yesterday's Enemy") incurs Mason's wrath because he has learned the fellow has been sending coded-confidential messages by telegrams after each mission. The Brat refuses to explain the circumstances surrounding this ill-advised behavior. Mason warns him the Germans could easily catch on to this practice, and he'd be endangering his own colleagues.

The opening scene when the bombers land at their isolated airbase following a raid reminded me of the first moments of Walter Grauman's "633 Squadron." Perhaps Grauman saw this movie and felt planes landing at the outset would be a great way to start the Cliff Robertson vehicle. "Night Fighters" lenser Stephen Dade does a splendid job of capturing the action, with excerpts from German propaganda films of soldiers loading and discharging their weapons. As in all British war movies, a dame springs up moments after the opening credits. Happily, "Appointment in London" features an attraction dish in a military uniform, Eve Canyon (Dinah Sheridan of "Dark Secret"), who later assesses Mason's aerial bombing raid. Literally, Mason runs into her on the way to a briefing. She is standing beside her broken down automobile on the highway. He stops and sorts out the problem with her engine. Suddenly, an American officer on loan to the RAF, Mac (William Sylvester of "Gorgo"), takes a seat behind the steering wheel and offers to drive Eve to their point of destination. At this point, nobody knows that she is in the service. Mac goes out on a few dates with Eve, but Eve has her eyes clearly on Mason. The interest that Mason takes in Eve is contrary to his belief that pilots should not have romance relationships, because they might do stupid things in combat. Eventually, 'the Brat' dies and his wife, Pam Greeno (Anne Leon of "Reach for the Sky"), visits Mason and asks about her husband and his death. Naturally, Mason is prohibited from confiding in her. Instead, Mason takes her to the pub where 'the Brat' associated with his friends between bombing raids.

Eventually, Mulvaney and Logan ground Mason. Nevertheless, he manages to commandeer a Lancaster when the pilot injures himself when a bomb slips out of the bay and nearly explodes. The pilot is in no shape to sit behind the controls, so Mason takes over. Mac warns him that a court-martial awaits him for these antics. Anybody, Mulvaney and Logan are considerably surprised when they learn that Mason is flying one of the Lancasters to the target. Clear-headed and brave, Mason assumes command of the bombers and they hit their target. Of course, Mason is in for a reprimand after Logan recognizes Mason's voice. Meantime, during the big finale, over Germany with anti-aircraft fire blasting the hell out of the night skies around them, these valiant British pilots, bombardier, and gunners wait impatiently as they zero into their target. The suspense is palatable. You don't know when the anti-aircraft fire is going to rip into the fuselage. Again, Mason uses his wisdom and knowledge to save the day.

Philip Leacock enjoyed a long and successful career in film and television. Later, he would direct, twenty-five episodes of "The Waltons," twelve episodes of "Gunsmoke" and many other tv episodes for "Bonanza," "Rawhide," and "The Mod Squad," This vintage World War II movie about the men flying the Lancaster heavy bombers is unforgettable without being too violent.

Canyon Passage

[richardchatten · 8/10 · 5 November 2022]

Although strictly speaking a film about bombers most of the drama is derived from the interaction of the characters, who you genuinely care about. When at the finale (SLIGHT SPOILER COMING:) we finally see a bomb raid over Germany the film still concentrates on the crew rather than the planes.

Philip Leacock directs with his usual sensitivity, while Dirk Bogarde gives an early example of his power to convey passion beneath a buttoned-down exterior. Dinah Sheridan provides an attractive heroine as the delightfully named Eve Canyon. Further down the cast list Bryan Forbes is one of many who gives a poignant performance, but was his harmonica playing on the soundtrack actually his own?

A Great Film Made With Love & Remembrance.

[mch2469 · 9/10 · 16 July 2021]

Such a throughly enjoyable film and very much a thank you to those who served, I got the real sense that this was made by a number of ex-service personnel involved in making this film. I say that because unlike so many war films of this period, this film recognises so many more than 'just' the air crews who were involved in supporting these bomber crews but also the ground crew, the administration personnel and the local civilians and the lives they had during war..... don't misunderstand me when I say this because I don't mean the film is documentary or instructional style.... far from it!

Whether, briefly or with a little detail this film was able to incorporate all aspects of the significant involvement by those who were also there or there about's like the ground crews, etc. Rather than the aircrews. I am sure this film was able to remind people at the time just what it took to put a bomber aircraft in the air and be able to deliver it's 'payload'. We see that throughout the film, from technicians, mechanics, ordinances, administration services, medical services, the down time in town, the support structure in terms of welfare and well-being etc...... it's all very well placed in the story and I think the makers here wanted to do that without looking over sentimental or a weaker story..... This film is most certainly not a romance and the little time we see with the women here are there for several reasons like as intelligent officers..... This film for me, shows and tells me that the war was won by Everybody on the Island of Britain not just those on the frontline, so to speak.

Having watched a good number of films from the 1940's - 1950's I would rate this above a lot of similar films of the time and I really enjoyed watching it..... I would recommend this film to anyone who has got as far as reading the reviews here....!