BootDigest
Such a frustrating disappointment
Stellead
Don't listen to the Hype. It's awful
Console
best movie i've ever seen.
Freaktana
A Major Disappointment
jacobs-greenwood
A pleasant enough Air Force propaganda piece, with appropriate thanks to this branch of our country's military service in the closing credits; it also includes all the requisite elements for a CinemaScope production – impressive widescreen shots of the titled aircraft taking off, landing and an in-flight refueling, and even some impressive aerial shots of North Africa (including the Pyramids). Its story and the dramatic elements that hold it together are fairly rote and not particularly compelling.It begins with a 19 year-old Natalie Wood, playing the daughter of Karl Malden and Marsha Hunt, and being courted by 40 year-old Efrem Zimbalist Jr.. Of course, Malden's character isn't too keen about it while, surprisingly, Hunt's doesn't seem to care. The fact that Malden plays a career master sergeant mechanic that doesn't trust nor respect flyboy Zimbalist Jr. (per their history during the Korean War six years earlier), who's now his commanding officer, is a regularly recycled plot point as well.Then again, the film's message is meant to convey the value of the B-52 to our nation's security to the audience of its time (during the Cold War) whereas other superior dramas (Strategic Air Command (1955) and, later, A Gathering of Eagles (1963)) were focused on the U.S.A.F.'s leadership challenges.Directed by Gordon Douglas, its screenplay was written by Irving Wallace from the novel by Sam Rolfe. Movie fans will recognize Dick Elliott, Juanita Moore (don't blink or you'll miss her), and Stuart Whitman among the uncredited actors in the cast.
jimakros
i just saw this from the DVD release.Its an enjoyable movie,as long as one doesn't ask too much.This is a simple story of a career technician of the air-force,and his problems with his daughter and a Colonel who dates her and whom he knew back from the Korean war.Natalie Wood who plays the daughter is in her blooming youth here. Malden is a pleasure to watch in his simple working man role,also his life doesn't look half-bad,he has a lovely wife and daughter and a job he loves and he is really good at.In fact,the America in the 50's look in beautiful widescreen and Technicolor,is the main the thing i liked about this movie. The subplot is about the B-52 bomber of course,and the movie shows in detail this huge aircraft.Its not really a plane very suited for movies,unlike fighter planes,but for airplane fans its interesting. All in all,i think its a decent movie but mostly for people who like airplanes.
leeawood
I was stationed at Castle AFB from 1956 to 1960 (93rd Field Maintenance Squadron) and watched the filming of the flight line segments. I even have some black & white pictures of Natalie with some of my squadron mates. The high point was the low altitude flyover of a flight of B-52s. The segment where the landing gear is jammed was done in our maintenance hanger with the bomber on jacks with wheel well doors open. An iris on the lighting gave the impression of the wheel well doors opening as the iris was opened. In the finished film it looked very realistic. My one complaint was the scene of a B-52 flying with it's gear down after being refueled by a KC-97, that just wasn't done.
stevetowsley-2
This was a popular and often-run feature in the late 50s which had the advantage of a good cast in Karl Malden, Efrem Zimbalist, Jr., and Natalie Wood. "Flight" was very popular science in the 50s and the subject matter produced many films with big stars (Jimmy Stewart played in more than one of these, "Strategic Air Command" and "Spirit of St. Louis" to name a couple). "Bombers B-52" and "X-15" (with Charles Bronson) shared double bills in my neighborhood on more than one occasion, as these films were likely to draw in a good crowd of young and enthusiastic boys who were probably building the plastic model kits at home as well.
