Documentary-bred, like his more acclaimed kid brother Richard, Philip Leacock uses his expertise with ‘actuality’ footage to cut together an intensely realistic, nerve-rattling bomb run that climaxes this otherwise modest, but more than modestly effective WWII RAF story. Co-written by the film’s composer, John Wooldridge, from his own wartime experiences, the first two acts may be strictly ground-based and observational, but still manage to load up on most of the customary flyboy tropes: a pilot’s lucky charm left behind on a run he’ll never return from; boys-will-be-boys behavior & singalongs; rival officers (one Brit/one Yank) in love with the same rare female officer; the awkward 'chin-up' visit from a freshly minted widow; and hoariest of all, a tantalizingly close goal of completed sorties over enemy territory. That'd be 90 missions for Wing Commander Dirk Bogarde, who finally gets his shot at the mark when (in another trope) a pre-raid runway accident opens up a slot for him to step into at the very last minute. Bryan Forbes shines as his American rival, with Ian Hunter solid in support running the station and Dinah Sheridan not quite able to keep the romantic angle from feeling shoehorned in. More like this and Leacock would have had a major career.
DOUBLE-BILL/LINK: The docu-realism of the final mission, covering most of the last two reels, closer to one of the great WWII documentary (long form) shorts than to a ‘50s WWII movie. Try this restored edition of William Wyler’s Oscar-winning THE MEMPHIS BELLE/’44 to see how close. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DW4F_ZMrS3A
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