Un Yankee en la R.A.F.

This entertaining propaganda piece made before the US entered the war,was designed to rally support for the British war effort. Tyrone Power and Betty Grable,the biggest stars of 20th Century Fox,are teamed here for the only time in their career.Tyrone Power plays the typical daredevil pilot who is as egotistical as they come.But he also has devilish charm over women which I must say escapes me in this movie because he's so unlikeable.Betty Grable gives by far the best performance. I found her acting very natural,except for the script calling for her to love the slime ball character of Power.John Sutton as Power's rival is quite boring,so maybe Betty's choice of man wasn't too bad.

A Yank in the R.A.F. (1941)

This is pretty thin going stuff, and yet it's fun and warm-hearted and tinged with the drama of the times.

Context is everything here. 1941. The war is raging in Europe and Britain is being bombed by the Germans and they are trying to build up their forces to resist what seems to be an unstoppable foe. The U.S. is not yet in the war (that would happen in six months, but the movie makers couldn't know that for sure). All the U.S. is doing is supplying their future allies, Canada and Great Britain.

But in the air here at home (I write this from New York) was a sense of inevitability--we would eventually be drawn in to fight. This movie is part of the gearing up for that fact.

The lead is an American paradigm, Tyrone Power playing a cocky, charming, good-natured, and well-meaning young man who happens to be a pilot. What happens to him is what was happening to the country as a whole. And it boils down to this: he starts with innocence and selfishness and gets involved in stages, helping sell planes, helping fly planes, then actually doing battle runs over enemy territory.

That gives nothing away--it's the title of the movie.

What pulls him along? First just making some money. But then he meets an old flame played by Betty Grable (the number one pin-up girl for U.S. soldiers once they get involved) and Grable represents the U.S., too, because she's already in Britain helping the cause. Love ensues, but the problem is a handsome British soldier who begins to steal Grable's heart. A love triangle.

And because this is practically al propaganda film (not officially of course) you know that it will leave the audience (us) with the proper message of about doing the right thing and supporting the cause against the Nazi regime. There is even the shocking if not surprising current event built into the movie of the Germans vowing not to invade certain lowland countries and then, of course, invading them anyway.

Is this a great movie? Not by any means. But it's very well paced and the characters are warm and well-drawn, at least for such a "tale" as this. I wouldn't watch it a second time, but I'm glad I did this first one. And if you are the least bit interested in how Hollywood primed America for the war this slight film (along with "Casablanca" and many other movies) is a must-see.

And for those who care, the airplane scenes were done with the really R.A.F. (and a different film crew than the rest of it). The director (except for those scenes) is Henry King, who got his pilot's license in 1918, and who lived so long that in his last years he was the oldest active pilot in the U.S. I'm sure he gave some authenticity to the film at least in spirit.

Tyrone Power is so charismatic in this film that the rest of it hardly matters. His astonishing good looks and easy charm really make this film. But there is also good direction, a witty script, great Oscar-winning special effects and fine cinematography.

Betty Grable has never done much for me, but she's pleasant enough in this. But the aerial work, done mostly with models, is exceptionally strong particularly in a spectacular and believable recreation of the evacuation at Dunkirk. This is a war propaganda film, designed to encourage the USA to join the war in Europe - but it is not cloyingly over patriotic. And there are some very original moments - look at the scene where Power wakes up and doesn't know where he is. The camera stays in extreme close-up on his face for a long time, so we don't know where he is either. We see him go through fear and bewilderment as we hear strange sounds. Finally his face relaxes and the camera pulls back to reveal...well I don't want to spoil it for you, but this is a very strong directorial decision. Henry King is to be praised.

You'll enjoy this film.

This PearL Harbor like story that was released before the actual bombing of Pearl Harbor occurred does not have much going for it. Tyrone is roguishly handsome and gives all his scenes the necessary spark of a golden boy daredevil but it all comes across as very hollow as he jets off to London to join the war for monetary purposes to deliver bombs or is it flyers? over Germany. John Sutton, his boss and arch-rival with a very charming voice and demeanor provides good support to no avail. Betty Grableas the girl in one of her few dramatic parts (if this could be called a dramatic part)is fine but the probably with this movie is that it intends to only entertain and is afraid to dig any deeper than a few inches. Hammy speeches are delivered, strong scenes killed with ill-advised laughter and everybody talks and acts like children while playing grown adults. The battle of Dunkirk filmed in a swerving and swelling wide shot is gorgeous to look at. It is like a real life video game as filmed using models of the real thing by the technical crew. Such,it was nominated for a special effects Oscar. This is a typical DFZ production with not much to offer to the body or the soul.

Just saw it today for the first time, and I really loved it. I don't care if its labeled "propoganda" and I don't care if a bunch of guys here don't like it because its not some boring war movie with hours of flying sequences. I especially loved the review that mourned the fact that we didn't get to see more planes refueling. Honey, it's not a documentary!

It's charming and Grable's musical numbers are so fun! (And this is the first time I have ever liked Grable).. The tunes are fantastic. Today's Hollywood on its best day couldn't put together a movie have as cohesive or fun.

Best of all, it's got Tyrone Power who, along with Errol Flynn, are the two best looking, most charming male actors ever. Love love love it!