8/10
Excellent example of the use of short subjects during WWII to drum up support from civilians at home
11 April 2001
This short, winner of an Oscar, recreates the heroic actions of an Army Air Corp crew, focusing on the pilot, Hewitt T. "Shorty" Wheliss. This was used as a pitch for war bonds and stamps. It's very well done and deservedly won. Contemporary viewers will be interested in the narrator, one Ronald Reagan. A side note: playing a cowboy is an actor named Glenn Strange, who is best known to many as Sam the bartender of the Longbranch Saloon on "Gunsmoke" and also did a turn as Frankenstein's creation, one of many to follow Boris Karloff. Turner Classic Movies runs this as filler now and again and invariably runs it in March as part of its "31 Days of Oscar" setup. Recommended.
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