IMDb RATING
6.3/10
4.1K
YOUR RATING
An ex-pilot and current baseballer is recalled into the U.S. Air Force and assumes an increasingly important role in Cold War deterrence.An ex-pilot and current baseballer is recalled into the U.S. Air Force and assumes an increasingly important role in Cold War deterrence.An ex-pilot and current baseballer is recalled into the U.S. Air Force and assumes an increasingly important role in Cold War deterrence.
- Nominated for 1 Oscar
- 1 win & 1 nomination total
Rosemary DeCamp
- Mrs. Thorne
- (as Rosemary De Camp)
John McKee
- Capt. Symington
- (as John R. McKee)
Harry Morgan
- Sgt. Bible - Flight Engineer
- (as Henry Morgan)
Mary Ellen Batten
- Woman in Cafe
- (uncredited)
Helen Brown
- Nurse
- (uncredited)
Glen Denning
- Sgt. Jones - Radio Operator
- (uncredited)
Bess Flowers
- Party Guest
- (uncredited)
Don Haggerty
- Major - Patrol Commander
- (uncredited)
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaJames Stewart joined the Army Air Corps during World War II, and flew combat missions in Europe. At war's end, he transferred to the Reserve as a colonel. He remained an active pilot in the Air Force Reserve, and was trained on the B-36 and B-47 bombers which he flew in this film. He flew one combat mission over Vietnam in a B-52. He retired as Brigadier General James Maitland Stewart, USAFR in 1968. In 1985 he was promoted on the retired list to Major General (by his friend, President Ronald Reagan), making him the highest ranking member of the military of anyone ever in the acting profession.
- GoofsAt one point, Dutch refers to his old aircraft as a B-24, not a B-29 as mentioned earlier in the film (an understandable mistake, since Jimmy Stewart commanded a B-24 Liberator during WWII, flying 29 combat missions).
- Quotes
Sergeant: [Seeing General Hawkes speaking to the men on the flight line while smoking a cigar, whispering to Holland] Sir, that cigar. Doesn't the general know that the aircraft might explode?
Lt. Col. Robert 'Dutch' Holland: It wouldn't dare.
- ConnectionsFeatured in Entertainment This Week Salutes Paramount's 75th Anniversary (1987)
- SoundtracksThe Air Force Takes Command
Music by Victor Young
Lyrics by Ned Washington and Major Tommy Thomson Jr.
Featured review
fantastic but not everyone's "cup of tea"
I'll be very quick to admit that this is NOT a film that would appeal to everyone. In fact, those who love the film are probably in the minority. So why did I like the film so much and consider it among Jimmy Stewart's best films? Well, I love airplanes as well as history and this film is a great lesson about the beginnings of the Strategic Air Command that was created after WWII in response to Soviet expansion. From the historical standpoint and combined with some of the very best aviation footage ever created, it's a fantastic film. Just watching the B-36 and B-47s flying in very vivid color (VISTAVISION) on a large screen is very inspiring and breathtaking to air aficionados. About the only downside, and this is only a minor gripe, is that occasionally the story itself involving Stewart and his wife, June Allyson, seems a tiny bit hokey. However, overall, this is a wonderful film.
UPDATE--After doing this review, I later read some of the other reviews and was very surprised with one that said how unbelievable the older Jimmy Stewart was in the film! This was pretty funny, since Stewart was in the air force reserves and did fly these planes for real--even eventually retiring as a brigadier general well after this movie was made. So apparently, at least according to some, Stewart wasn't believable even though he DID fly SAC bombers in real life!
UPDATE--After doing this review, I later read some of the other reviews and was very surprised with one that said how unbelievable the older Jimmy Stewart was in the film! This was pretty funny, since Stewart was in the air force reserves and did fly these planes for real--even eventually retiring as a brigadier general well after this movie was made. So apparently, at least according to some, Stewart wasn't believable even though he DID fly SAC bombers in real life!
helpful•414
- planktonrules
- Dec 29, 2005
Details
Box office
- Gross US & Canada
- $6,500,000
- Runtime1 hour 52 minutes
- Sound mix
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