The Flying Missile

Submarine commander Glen Ford wants in on the new guided missile program that Admiral Henry O'Neill is trying to get funding for. Ford also wants O'Neill's secretary, Viveca Lindfors. Neither goal is as easy to attain as he imagines, despite the conniving of his quartermaster, Joe Sawyer.

Glen Ford always looks realistic in a Naval uniform, even though he was a Marine during the Second World War. As for the impulse behind this movie, I suspect that the cooperation of the Navy was motivated in part to get Congressional funding for their guided missile program. Although the script goes pretty gar into the sacrifices-our-boys-make-for-this-country territory, it's mostly standard fare with some good shots of missiles taking off and passing over a flotilla. Director Henry gets good performances out of a cast that includes John Qualen, Jerry Paris, and Paul Harvey.

I stream videos in the background while I'm doing other work, and when I started this one, I wasn't expecting a lot. However, after a slow start, it grabbed me, and I ended up being distracted and not getting anything done. I also learned a few things I hadn't known, and followed up with a quick detour down a Wikipedia rabbit hole. All in all, a pleasant diversion.

Despite the presence of Glenn Ford, "The Flying Missile" is an awfully dull film. And, although the title makes it sound as if it's a sci- fi movie, it isn't.

The film is a boring story about some folks on a sub who insist that they learn to incorporate missiles onto their ship. But, this isn't done so they all go to missile training school. Along the way, their commander (Ford) strikes up a relationship with a not particularly interesting lady.

During the course of this film, you'll see a lot of stock footage that is often crappily assembled. For example, you'll see a Bearcat airplane without a large droptank (for fuel)--yet when it's in mid- air, it has one. And, when it lands, it's missing. Also, you'll see a V-2 style missile become some other sort of missile after it's launched! And, a jet chase plane, in some shots, sports propellers!! Talk about sloppy and indifferent to continuity.

So, what you have is a dull film with worthless footage. Need I say more?

It Never Ceases to Amaze.

The Parade of Never-Ending Boasting from the Governmental Influence on Hollywood in the Post-WWII Years.

Taking Victory-Lap After Victory-Lap at the Expense of Good Taste and Humility.

Yes We (the Allies) Defeated Evil in Another Us vs Them Slaughter for the Sake of Saving Humanity from Itself.

We Won the War...Hurrah.

A Good Example of the Hollywood Unbridled Assault on Movie-Goer Sensibility and Tolerance,

is those Prolog "Government is Your Friend" Embarrassments that got Tacked-On Otherwise Good Movies.

Some "Authority Figure" Reading from Cue-Cards About this and that to Pacify and Glorify.

Back to this Movie.

It is a Forgotten-Film and Deserves the Neglect.

Wasting Glen Ford and other Valuable Resources the Movie Plays-Out Like a Military Training Short.

Void of Creativity and Any Entertainment Value.

File this One in the Dust-Bin of Hollywood History with those Other Obsoletes.

Because this Contains Absolutely Nothing Worth Anyone's Time..

Paradoxically this early Cold War public information film masquerading as a feature would probably have worked better had less money been spent on it.

The basic storyline about launching missiles from cruisers is absorbing enough without the lengthy romantic and melodramatic digressions inserted into it without adding much to the film other than it's running time; while the casting of veteran character actors like John Qualen as Viveca Lindfors' 'comical' uncle and Henry O'Neill as her warm-hearted boss further heighten the old-fashioned feel of the piece.