Air Strike (1955 film)
| Air Strike | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Directed by | Cy Roth |
| Produced by | Cy Roth |
| Written by | Cy Roth (screenplay) |
| Based on |
story by Cy Roth |
| Starring | |
| Narrated by | Richard Denning |
| Music by | André Brummer |
| Cinematography | Alan Stensvold |
| Edited by | Duncan Mansfield |
Production company |
Cy Roth Productions Inc. |
| Distributed by | Lippert-Universal |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 67 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Air Strike is a 1955 film written, directed and produced by Cy Roth. and stars Richard Denning, Gloria Jean and Don Haggerty; the supporting cast features former child star Billy Halop.[1] The plot involves pilots training at a United States Navy squadron preparing for the Korean War.[2]The film features the original song, "Each Time You Leave Me" by composers Sylvia Ostrow and André Brummer.[3]
Plot
U.S. Navy Commander Stanley Blair (Richard Denning), is in charge of a fighter-bomber squadron during the Korean War based on the U.S.S. Essex aircraft carrier. While training in the Atlantic Ocean, Blair's second-in-command, Lt. Dick Huggins (Don Haggerty) demands Ensign James Delaney (William Courtney) be transferred because he has exhibited a "lone wolf" attitude and an aggressive flying style. Blair intercedes explaining to the younger man that team work in the squadron is important.
Huggins also is facing family pressure as his wife, Marg (Gloria Jean) is pressuring him to take a shore assignment. Othe rmen in the squadron are also facing difficult decisions: Lt. Anthony Perini states that he is only serving his term and then will return to law school, while Lt. Hal Alexander (Stanley Clements) wonders if he "has the stuff" to become a career Navy man like his father, who received the Navy Cross during World War II. Lt. Smith (William Hudson) reveals that Blair also received the Navy Cross in the war, during a fight near the Mariana Islands, where he bombed an enemy cruiser.
While on maneuvers, after Huggins disputes Delaney's claim that he has spotted an unidentified submarine, the conflict between the two results in Blair offering Huggins a transfer out of the squadron. On a training flight, when the squadron runs into dense fog, each pilot has to try to reach the carrier before running out of fuel. With his instruments out and fuel running low, Huggins gets lost. Delaney runs out of fuel and crash-lands butis rescued. When he finds that Huggins is still in the air, he volunteers to lead Huggins to safety. When both are safely back on the aircraft carrier, they reconcile and the squadron is praised for coming out of a difficult situation with skill and bravery.
Cast
- Richard Denning as Cmdr. Stanley Blair
- Gloria Jean as Marg Huggins
- Don Haggerty as Lt. Richard Huggins
- William Hudson as Lt. John Smith (credited as Bill Hudson)
- Alan Wells as Anthony Perini
- John Kirby as David Loring
- Billy Halop as Lt. Cmdr. Orville Swanson (credited as William Halop)
- James Courtney as Ensign James Delaney
- Stanley Clements as G.H. Alexander
Production
Air Strike relied heavily on stock footage, noting before this film's opening credits, a foreword reads: "With grateful appreciation for the cooperation of the Department of the Navy and the Department of Defense." At the film's end, the following dedication appears: "The mighty air arm of the United States Navy with its control of the seas is a great part of this nation's security. Aggression can be stopped and peace maintained with a strong Navy. This story is dedicated to the men at sea with wings." In a news item appearing in the November 1953 issue of The Hollywood Reporter, producer Cy Roth had "obtained complete financial backing from San Francisco interests for his Coyt Productions schedule." Air Strike would become the first of the films produced by Roth.[4]
Aircraft used
As noted in the onscreen film credits of Air Strike and in The Hollywood Reporter, sequences were filmed aboard the U.S.S. Essex (CVA 9) aircraft carrier, stationed in San Diego. The onscreen cast credit for the military extras reads: "The officers and men of the U.S.S. Essex (CVA 9); The "Fighting Falcons" of VF 142 Cougar Squadron." Additional sequences were shot at the Samuel Goldwyn Studios in 1954.[4] The aircraft that appeared in Air Strike are: [5]
Reception
Air Strike was primarily a B film, and although aerial scenes were notable, fell short in other aspects. In a later appraisal, film historian Michael Paris in From the Wright Brothers to Top Gun: Aviation, Nationalism, and Popular Cinema (1995) noted that the film was a "studio-based" approach to the Korean War era.[6] Film historians Jack Hardwick and Ed Schnepf dismissed the film as "propaganda", claiming that "the film credits should read: 'Made free by U.S. Navy'."[7] Aviation film historian Christian Santoir considered Air Strike as a historical document with "rare" film footage of U.S.Navy postwar jet aircraft.[5]
References
Notes
- ↑ "Overview: 'Air Strike' (1955)." Turner Classic Movies. Retrieved: May 22, 2016.
- ↑ Erickson, Hal. "Synopsis: 'Air Strike' (1955). allmovie. Retrieved: May 22, 2016.
- ↑ "Music: 'Air Strike' (1955)." Turner Classic Movies. Retrieved: May 22, 2016.
- 1 2 "Notes: 'Air Strike' (1955)." Turner Classic Movies. Retrieved: May 22, 2016.
- 1 2 Santoir, Christian. "Review: 'Air Strike'." Aeromovies. Retrieved: May 22, 2016.
- ↑ Paris 1995, p. 190.
- ↑ Hardwick and Schnepf 1989, p. 51.
Bibliography
- Hardwick, Jack and Ed Schnepf. "A Viewer's Guide to Aviation Movies". The Making of the Great Aviation Films, General Aviation Series, Volume 2, 1989.
- Paris, Michael. From the Wright Brothers to Top Gun: Aviation, Nationalism, and Popular Cinema. Manchester, UK: Manchester University Press, 1995. ISBN 978-0-7190-4074-0.
External links
- Air Strike at the TCM Movie Database
- Air Strike at the Internet Movie Database