Strategic Air Command (film)
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| Strategic Air Command | |
|---|---|
.jpg/200px-Stategic_Air_Command_(film).jpg) Poster adapted for video cover |
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| Directed by | Anthony Mann |
| Produced by | Samuel J. Briskin |
| Written by | Valentine Davies Lt. Beirne Lay, Jr. |
| Starring | James Stewart June Allyson Frank Lovejoy Barry Sullivan Alex Nicol Jay C. Flippen Harry Morgan |
| Music by | Victor Young |
| Cinematography | William H. Daniels |
| Distributed by | Paramount Pictures |
| Release date(s) | March 25, 1955 |
| Running time | 112 min. |
| Country | USA |
| Language | English |
| Allmovie profile | |
| IMDb profile | |
Strategic Air Command is a 1955 American film starring James Stewart and June Allyson, and directed by Anthony Mann. This Paramount Pictures release was the first of four films that depicted the role of the Strategic Air Command in the Cold War era.
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[edit] Plot
"Jimmy" Stewart plays a United States Air Force Reserve officer recalled to active duty to fly B-36 and B-47 nuclear bombers for the Strategic Air Command. The film accurately portrays (although more from a 1951 than a 1955 perspective) the duties and responsibilities of being an Air Force strategic bomber pilot, and the strains such service places on family life.
Stewart's character is a professional baseball player recalled to active duty. He is injured on duty, which not only bars him from further flying (he leaves the Air Force at the end of the film) but also appears to end his baseball career. Some commentators speculated that the plot was inspired by Ted Williams who was drafted for Korean War service as a Marine Corps pilot, at the height of his baseball career [1].
[edit] Cast
- James Stewart as Lt. Col. Robert "Dutch" Holland.
- June Allyson as Sally Holland.
- Frank Lovejoy as Gen. Ennis C. Hawkes (character based on Gen. Curtis LeMay).
- Harry Morgan as Sgt. Bible, a flight engineer.
[edit] Production
In real life, Stewart had been a B-17 instructor pilot, then a B-24 squadron commander and group operations officer, completing 20 combat missions during World War II. At the time of filming, Stewart was a colonel in the Air Force Reserve; he was later promoted to brigadier general. Thus Stewart's character was not too far from a life he could have chosen.
Stewart's military service and lifelong interest in aviation greatly influenced the making of the film. He pushed for an authentic but sympathetic portrayal of the Strategic Air Command, which led Paramount to put together a strong cast of Hollywood veterans and production people including June Allyson, Frank Lovejoy (playing a character loosely based on the SAC commander of the day, General Curtis LeMay), director Anthony Mann, and even the top stunt pilot of the day, Paul Mantz[2].
The film includes some of the most dramatic aerial photography ever filmed, for which it was awarded a special citation by the American National Board of Review. It is also the only motion picture to highlight the B-36 (depicted in the poster reproduced in this entry), the largest warplane and mass-produced piston powered plane ever built, and the first delivery method for the hydrogen bomb. The B-36 was then near the end of its service life and about to be replaced by the B-52. The aerial footage was accompanied by a dramatic and soaring musical score composed by Victor Young. The film was made with the cooperation of the United States Air Force, and was partly filmed on location at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Florida, Lowry Air Force Base in Colorado and Carswell Air Force Base in Fort Worth, Texas.
Stewart's character is based on the real-life military career and actual mission flown by Brigadier General Clifford Schoeffler who crashed and survived an Arctic B-36 mission. Brigadier General Schoeffler was on site at Carswell Air Force Base during the filming of Strategic Air Command for consultation. [3]
[edit] Inconsistencies
The US Air Force was by 1955 fully integrated and the Women in the Air Force (WAFs) had been established as part of the regular air force since 1948. However, most of the women seen are housewives (only a few women in uniform are seen) and no non-whites are depicted in military uniform.
Jimmy Stewart's character appears to wear several military ribbons from the Korean War, the most notable is the United Nations Service Medal which can clearly be seen on his uniform. Yet, throughout the film, Stewart's character makes several references that he has been out of the military since the end of World War II.
[edit] Reception
The Storz Mansion in Omaha, Nebraska, was the scene of opulent parties celebrating the movie. The movie premier was held in Omaha and the premier party was held at the Mansion with guests including Jimmy Stewart and June Allyson, as well as the Strategic Air Command Commander Curtis LeMay.[4]
Shot in the new VistaVision process, the film was the sixth-highest grossing film of 1955.[5] Critics were lukewarm about the performances of all except Stewart, who was called "capable," "charming," and "competent."[6] Public reaction centered on the spectacular aerial footage, so that the B-36 and B-47 aircraft were arguably the real "stars" of the film. The film's release led to a 25% increase in Air Force enlistments[citation needed].
From today's perspective, the film's appeal lies in its homage to the personnel of the Strategic Air Command, whose competence in and dedication to their appointed task, strategic bombing, enabled the SAC maintain a credible nuclear deterrent and thereby ensure peace. These optimistic premises contrast starkly with those of Dr. Strangelove, released in 1964.
Spanish title: Nido de águilas ("Eagle's nest").
The B-47 cockpit used in the film is now on display at the March Field Air Museum in Riverside, CA. [7].
[edit] Awards
- 1955 Academy Award Nomination: Best Motion Picture Story (Beirne Lay Jr.)
- 1955 National Board of Review, USA: Special Citation to recognize the film's aerial photography
[edit] References
[edit] Notes
- ^ NY Times Review
- ^ Thomas 1998, p. 166.
- ^ [www.7bwb-36assn.org/reflect.html reflections]
- ^ "Can of the Month: Storz", RustyCans.com. Retrieved 5/12/08.
- ^ Dewey 1996, p. 356.
- ^ Jones, McClure and Twomey 1970, p. 178.
- ^ Strategic Air Command Nominations and Awards
[edit] Bibliography
- Coe, Jonathan. James Stewart: Leading Man. London: Bloomsbury, 1994. ISBN 0-7475-1574-3.
- Dewey, Donald. James Stewart: A Biography. Atlanta: Turner Publishing Inc., 1996. ISBN 1-57036-227-0.
- Jones, Ken D., McClure, Arthur F. and Twomey, Alfred E. The Films of James Stewart. New York: Castle Books, 1970.
- Thomas, Tony. A Wonderful Life: The Films and Career of James Stewart. Secaucus, NJ: Citadel Press, 1988. ISBN 0-8065-1081-1.
