Strategic Air Command (1955)

60% of users liked it
(981 ratings)

Inspired in part by the true story of baseball great Ted Williams, who after serving in World War II was drafted to serve in the Korean War just as his baseball career was taking off, Strategic Air Command stars James Stewart as "Dutch" Holland, a star third baseman with the St. Louis Cardinals.… More Inspired in part by the true story of baseball great Ted Williams, who after serving in World War II was drafted to serve in the Korean War just as his baseball career was taking off, Strategic Air Command stars James Stewart as "Dutch" Holland, a star third baseman with the St. Louis Cardinals. "Dutch" served with distinction as a fighter pilot during World War II, and as the Air Force adds new B-36 and B-47 jets to their arsenal, they need experienced men to fly these new weapons in our atomic deterrent force, and Holland is called back to duty. He's not terribly happy about this development: he loves baseball, his team is doing well, and his wife Sally (June Allyson) is expecting a baby. But you can't fight Uncle Sam, and Holland becomes a reluctant but proud member of the S.A.C., where he and his fellow pilots man the jets that will be our first line of defense should the cold war turn hot. While Strategic Air Command's story hasn't dated well (and for a military drama, there's surprisingly little action), James Stewart and June Allyson make the most of their material, and the aerial footage remains impressive. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Rating, Runtime: Unrated, 1 hr. 54 min.
Directed By: Anthony Mann
Written By: Valentine Davies, Lt. Beirne Lay Jr.
Genres: Drama, Action & Adventure, Classics

In Theaters: Mar 25, 1955 Wide

Critic Reviews

Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews
It soars when in the air, but remains static when on the ground.

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

Featured Audience Ratings

jay n

The stars of "The Glenn Miller Story" reunited for this middling entry about ball player Dutch Holland's career in the air force. Some of the aerial photography is impressive and both stars give professional performances but the movie moves at a poky pace with little of… More
The stars of "The Glenn Miller Story" reunited for this middling entry about ball player Dutch Holland's career in the air force. Some of the aerial photography is impressive and both stars give professional performances but the movie moves at a poky pace with little of any great import happening. Not bad but not worth seeking out either.
Barry L

As an antiwar film this fails miserably but I can tell you one thing...I wouldnt fancy being up there in one of those planes for as long as they were....nasty. Good perfomances from Stewart as usual.

Cast

            James Stewart as Lt. Col. Robert "Dutch" Holland

            June Allyson as Sally Holland

            Frank Lovejoy as Gen. Ennis C. Hawkes

            Barry Sullivan as Lt. Col. Rocky Samford

            Alex Nicol as Ike Knowland

            Jay C. Flippen as Tom Doyle

            Bruce Bennett as Gen. Espy

            James Millican as Gen. Castle

            James Bell as Rev. Thorne

            Richard Shannon as Aircraft Commander

            John R. McKee as Capt. Symington

            Henry Morgan as Sgt. Bible

            Don Haggerty as Major Patrol Commander

            Glenn Denning as Radio Operator

            Anthony Warde as Colonel

            Strother Martin as Airman

            Helen Brown as Nurse

            Vernon Rich as Capt. Johnson

            Harlan Warde as Duty Officer

            House Peters Jr. as Air Force Captain

            Richard Lupino as Lieutenant Controller

            William Pullen as Controller Okinawa

            Rosemary De Camp as Mrs. Thorne

            Len Hendry as General's Aide

            William Hudson as Forecaster

            "Peanuts" Lowrey as Ballplayer

            Memo Luna as Ballplayer

            Stan Musial as Ballplayer

            Red Schoendienst as Ballplayer

            Enos Slaughter as Ballplayer

            Max Power as Reporter
See full cast