Höllenreiter der Nacht

This film from Republic Pictures is a tribute to the B-29, the long range bomber that helped win the war in the Pacific. In many ways, I enjoyed it...and in others, I certainly didn't. It's a shame, as it really could have been a dandy picture.

The story is a semi-fictional account of the introduction of the bomber in the Pacific theater during WWII. It mostly follows the crew of one particular B-29 through the course of 1943 to the end of the war. I appreciate the film and its attempt to honor men who truly sacrificed so much. In particular, there is a scene involving Sgt. Erwin that is amazing and moving...mostly because it's a true case of heroism. Much of the film, unfortunately, is also made up using too much stock footage--footage that often didn't integrate well into the movie. The worst case was where P-51 Mustang fighter planes became P-39 Airocobras....planes that really did NOT look alike and even non-airplane buffs will notice. In addition, the studio head's girlfriend, Very Ralston, was unfortunately used in the film and as usual, her acting was amateurish and her Czech accent inexplicable.

For a much better film about the bomber, try 1952's "Above and Beyond" with Robert Taylor.

By the way, in this copy of "The Wild Blue Yonder" on YouTube, someone was having fun with the film and inserted a very, very brief clip of a 727 airliner (it first flew in 1963)! It obviously could not have been in the film originally, since it came out in 1951!