Angels One Five

Typical fare for post-war British cinema-goers - stiff upper lips versus the might of the Nazi war machine.

Told over a few short weeks in 1940, the plot follows Pilot Officer 'Septic' Baird (John Gregson) as a fledgling Hurricane pilot posted to an operational squadron during the Battle of Britain. 'Septic' struggles stoically in the face of his boisterous comrades, an earnest would-be girlfriend and impossible numbers of enemy raiders. The Station Commander (Jack Hawkins) puts a human face on the RAF hierarchy, burdened by the knowledge that the fate of the nation really does depend on the skill of his young pilots. 'The few' eventually grasp victory but it doesn't come cheap.

Admittedly wooden by today's standards but, through films like this, a whole generation built up their Saturday afternoon understanding of the RAF's 'finest hour'.

"Angels One-Five" would make a wonderful double-feature along with the 1969 classic "The Battle of Britain". While both films have to do with the same battle and the same time period, they both approach it from completely different ways. "Angels" is a personal film--showing one particular unit and especially one brand-new pilot to the group. On the other hand, "The Battle of Britain" tries to do the impossible--encapsulate the entirety of the battle in one film! Plus, "The Battle of Britain" is a stunning film because of its amazing aerial sequences--whereas those in "Angels" are not particularly good, though this really isn't the focus of the film--it's more on people.

Baird is a new pilot arriving in a replacement fighter plane. However, due to an accident (which really isn't his fault), he gets in hot water with his immediate supervisor. Then, after shooting down his first plane, he gets in hot water with the base commander! Can Baird manage to pull it all together and make himself useful or will he crash and burn (literally)? The film does a nice job of capturing the look and feel of the war from the point of view of Baird and he's a nice sympathetic character. While you don't learn much about how Britain prevailed, it is a nice portrait of one particular brave but inexperienced man--something rarely seen in war films. Very enjoyable and I actually have little to criticize--it was a top-notch production aside from the air sequences.

By the way, if you are an aviation nut like myself, you'll notice that the planes in both movies are completely different--mostly because of the supply of planes available to both productions at that particular time (one film borrowed planes from the Portuguese air force and the other from the Spanish--which were both still flying WWII vintage planes at the time the films were made). For example, in "The Battle of Britain", the only German bombers shown are HE-111s and British are mostly shown flying Spitfires (though many other types of planes were used in the battles). However, "Angels" shows the Brits flying Hurricanes (which is more realistic, as more of these were used during that time than the more modern Spitfires) and you see other German bombers (such as a Ju-88). So, you not only see the war from a different perspective, but entire different aircraft as well!

Angels One-Five is a story of the trials and tribulations of life on an RAF base during World War II. Some great scenes of Hurricanes on the ground, taking off, in the air and landing.

The Film is shot at RAF Neethley which I understand is actually RAF Kenley in real life. Some of the flying scenes look distinctly home-made however the story is powerful enough to forgive the shortcomings of the 1950s special effects department.

Lovely 1950s English accents and light hearted events go towards making this film quaint in style but the harsh reality of war is impressed upon the viewer making it a poignant but enjoyable experience.

I love this film and I return to it again and again and thoroughly enjoy it every time.

Highly recommended.

John Gregson is quickly christened "Septic" as he (sort of) arrives a Royal Air Force airfield at the height of the Battle of Britain. Everyone there is knackered - exhausted by the war, weary, tired and scared. They are led by the motivating "Tiger" (a decent effort from Jack Hawkins) who has long since mastered the carrot/stick approach to his flyers who are often little more than boys straight out of school or university. "Septic" is keen - but will he remain so? Can he remain so? People are dying all around him! It's actually quite a complex drama this. Some fine aerial photography and some familiar music help to illustrate just how perilous these men's daily lives were. The infrastructure that supported not just the pilots but their logistics and co-ordinating teams is also exposed in a way that cinema rarely tended to do - we realise a great deal more about just how the cogs and wheels interacted to makes the defence of the country against a determined - and outnumbering - foe was essential. A solid cast of British screen talent are in support - notably a rather stronger role for Michael Denison and, of course, you cannot have him without Dulcie Gray. The conclusion isn't what we'd expect, nor probably what we'd wanted either - but that adds a little authenticity to this well strung together wartime drama that is well worth a watch.

The story of life at an RAF base in Kent with focus on a young, cocky pilot (Gregson), the CO - The Tiger played by Jack Hawkins and Squadron Leader Michael Dennison.

Very stiff upper lip stuff this - everyone is called Bingo Biffo or Jacko and says Tally Ho a lot, with every pilot seemingly fresh from Eton. It's fun enough and the last 20 minutes are quite exciting plus it does quite nicely reflect the action of war linked in with ordinary life.