Air Force (1943)
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88% of critics liked it
(8 reviews) -
68% of users liked it
(342 ratings)
On December 6, 1941, a squadron of nine B-17 bombers takes off for Hickam Field, HI. The crew of the Mary Ann, including two new men, assistant radio man Private Chester (Ray Montgomery) and gunner Sergeant Joe Winocki (John Garfield), assembles for the flight, and in the first 20 minutes, the movie… More On December 6, 1941, a squadron of nine B-17 bombers takes off for Hickam Field, HI. The crew of the Mary Ann, including two new men, assistant radio man Private Chester (Ray Montgomery) and gunner Sergeant Joe Winocki (John Garfield), assembles for the flight, and in the first 20 minutes, the movie reveals certain things about the crew: the shadowy past of one, the mother of another, and the wife of a third; two of them are good friends with the sister of McMartin (Arthur Kennedy), the bombardier, who lives in Honolulu; the son of the senior member of the crew, Sgt. White (Harry Carey Sr.), is a pilot stationed at Clark Field in the Philippines. Then more characters make entrances: the aircraft commander Quincannon (John Ridgely); Weinberg (George Tobias), a Jewish mechanic from New York; and a man from a farm in the upper Midwest -- they all represent a broad cross-section of America as it saw itself, and the "regular guys" in the Army Air Force as it existed in 1941. The flight proceeds without incident. Winocki, an embittered, washed-out flight school candidate who accidentally killed another pilot, is about to leave the service when the weather report from Hickam Field is interrupted, and the radio man begins picking up transmissions in Japanese. The Mary Ann and the rest of the squadron fly right into the middle of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor unarmed and out of gas, and nearly crack up landing on an emergency field; no sooner do they make repairs than the crew comes under attack, and the plane takes off and makes for Hickam Field, which they find a flaming shambles. They fly on to the Philippines, stopping at Wake Island just long enough to meet a few members of the doomed Marine garrison, taking their company mascot, a dog, with them. At Clark Field, the Mary Ann and her crew finally go into action against the enemy, flying in alone against a Japanese invasion force; Quincannon is mortally wounded in the brief action, which leaves the plane damaged seemingly beyond repair. The remaining crew won't give up the plane, however, even when ordered to abandon and destroy her; they get the bomber off just ahead of the advancing Japanese, and survive to help bring retribution to the invading fleet and the Japanese empire. ~ Bruce Eder, Rovi
- Directed By
- Howard Hawks
- Written By
- Dudley Nichols
- Genres
- Drama, Action & Adventure, Classics
Unrated,
- In Theaters
- Mar 20, 1943 Wide
- Studio
- WARNER BROTHERS PICTURES
Critic Reviews
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Bosley Crowther, New York Times
Although it draws about the longest and most pliant bow that has ever been drawn in the line of fanciful war films and goes completely overboard in the last reel, it is still a continuously fascinating, frequently thrilling and occasionally exalting show.
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Dave Kehr, Chicago Reader
Howard Hawks finds a perfect vehicle for his study of the male group. William Faulkner polished the dialogue, but as a silent it would still be tremendously exciting and evocative.
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Christopher Lloyd, Sarasota Herald-Tribune
A cheery bit of war propaganda that feels cringeworthy today, in which American soldiers seem extraordinarily giddy about the prospect of near-certain death, coupled with some terrible special-effects miniatures.
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Emanuel Levy, EmanuelLevy.Com
The versatile Howard Hawks combines personal experience and knowing skills in directing this enjoyable WWII propaganda movie, which was nominated for four Oscars, winning one for editing.
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Steve Crum, Video-Reviewmaster.com
Gritty, emotional actioner made at height of WWII. Strong cast.
See more critic ratings and reviews on Rotten Tomatoes
Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)
Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)
No Featured Audience Ratings Found…
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Cast
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John Ridgely
as Capt. Michael A. Quincannon
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Gig Young
as Lt. Xavier Bill Williams
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Arthur Kennedy
as Lt. Tommy McMartin
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Harry Carey
as Sgt. R. L. White
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Charles Drake
as Lt. M. W. Hauser
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George Tobias
as Cpl. B. B. Weinberg
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John Garfield
as Sgt. John B. Winocki
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Ward Wood
as Cpl. Gus Peterson
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Ray Montgomery
as Private H. W. Chester
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James Brown
as Lt. T. A. Rader
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Willard Robertson
as Col.
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Moroni Olsen
as Col. Blake
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Edward S. Brophy
as Sgt. J.J. Callahan
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Richard Lane
as Maj. W.G. Roberts
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Bill Crago
as Lt. Moran
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Faye Emerson
as Susan McMartin
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Addison Richards
as Maj. Daniels
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James Flavin
as Maj. A.M. Bagley
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Ann Doran
as Mary Quincannon
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Dorothy Peterson
as Mrs. Chester
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Murray Alper
as Corporal of Demolition Squad
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Lynne Baggett
as Nurse
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Henry Blair
as Quincannon's son
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James Bush
as 2nd control officer
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Warren Douglas
as Control officer
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Ross Ford
as 2nd lieutenant
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Ruth Ford
as Nurse
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William Forrest
as Jack Harper
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Sol (Saul) Gorss
as Sergeant
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William Hopper
as Sergeant
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Marjorie Hoshelle
as Nurse
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James Millican
as Marine with dog
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Tom Neal
as Marine
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George N. Neise
as Hickam Field Officer
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Walter Sande
as Joe
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Theodore von Eltz
as 1st lieutenant
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Stanley Ridges
as Maj. Mallory
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Leah Baird
as 2nd nurse
- Ted Offenbecker
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Rand Brooks
as Co-pilot
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George Offerman
as Ground crewman
- Harry Carey Sr.
- James Brown (II)
