Aquile nell'infinito

If you like old airplanes, you'll love this movie. Seeing the B-36 and B-47 from the POV of people laying eyes on them for the first time was a trip. Despite it's slightly stilted propaganda dialouge, this is a film well worth watching.

As commented before, what makes this picture different from most "military PR" pictures is that it is quite frank on the sacrifices made by the people who serve and their families which still goes on today. It makes me wonder how we get people to serve when the pay and benefit are really a mere pittance, although I can understand why Dutch Holland took all those flights when whiny June Allyson is your wife.

As for the aircraft - what a visual treat to see these grand aircraft of a bygone era in vivid color. Almost makes up for the lackluster story.

On a side note, a commenter stated that the film erred in placing Thule AFB in Greenland, but the film is correct, Thule is in Greenland, not Iceland.

There are many movie couples who appeared on the silver screen that were made for each other. Their special talent lent their persona's to the films they were in and the formula worked as they were thrust together time after time. That is the story here as James Stewart playing Lt. Col. Robert 'Dutch' Holland is paired with lovable June Allyson as Sally Holland. The film is a reoccurring one as many annoyed reservists of this day and age can testify. Having done his air service duty during W. W. II, Bob Holland has taken his civilian job seriously and plans a long and lucrative career as third baseman for the St. Louis Cardinals. However, what was suggested as a 'part-time' job with the U.S. Airforce Reserves, becomes a dream stealing task when his reserve status is activated. Frank Lovejoy plays Gen. Ennis C. Hawkes who doesn't care what Holland like to do, he 'has a job' to do and the ballplayer has become part of the military team. Barry Sullivan plays Lt. Col. Rocky Samford. Unable to get a release from the military, Dutch makes the best of a bitter situation, one felt by many other reservists, and learns to fly the newest aircrafts, traveling around the globe. A supremely haunting musical theme accompanies this movie and Stewart/Allyson fans accept it as a heart warmer. I would tend to agree. ***

James Stewart flew more than 26 combat missions in WWII as the commander of a B-24. The infamous Ploesti oil field raids were the most dangerous of the war, and he flew a B-24 50ft off the deck on several runs.

This was a great man, and a fine, fine actor. His commitment to the U.S. Air Force SAC command resonated in this film. His courage in WWII and the courage and sacrifice of that entire WWII generation has been forgotten in what is left of America---the remaining oldsters of that generation, and their baby-boomer offspring who did not sandblast their brains with pot and booze back in the 60s and 70s being the only group that would enjoy this film and remember what it was all like back then. The rest of the "citizens' of this country register nothing when WWI or II is talked about. They do not even remember the Cold War and the hammer of nukes we all lived under, and still are threatened by.

The massive 10-engined (6 props, 4 jets) B-36 was the iconic cornerstone of 50s bomber tech. A magnificent leviathan that could fly for days at very high altitudes, and carry massive amounts of dumb bombs, or, in one aircraft, enough H-bombs to end the world. Google the B-36 and gaze upon an almost surrealistic machine that broke plates, glasses and windows when it flew over with a basso profundo propeller sound unlike anything ever heard before or since.

I remember my father pointing them out, very high in the sky, white contrails feathering back for miles behind them....and that roar.....distant and discordant...you could hear a B-36 fly over even at 40,000 feet.

"Strategic Air Command" was an extended showpiece for that airplane, and a beautiful piece of music, "Symphony of Flight" carries the film into the in-flight scenes that make the movie so transcending of an admittedly formulaic human drama. It is an amazing historical piece that actually shows the transition from props to full jets that the Air Force went through in the 50s. At the end, there is pristine footage of the B-47, the first U.S. jet bomber, and Stewart has an adventure with that.

The cockpit shots of the B-36 and B-47 probably drove Russian spies to a frenzy, but for an aviation buff they were the stuff of dreams.

The crash landing of Stewart's B-36 was done in miniature format, and actually was a weak point of the film. The model was too small to make the crash look realistic---Howard and Theodore Lydecker could have knocked that scene out of the park.....the bad weather landing of the B-47 at the end of the film was also done in miniature, and looked better, reminding me of how much fun special effects must have been in the pre-CGI days.

For an intimate look at a huge Cold warrior, and some beautiful music, plus a look at June Allyson's legs that could make the whole movie for you, I highly recommend "Strategic Air Command"

Without sounding like some "tech-head" and quoting all sorts of technical jargon, I've just got to say, that one of the main reasons for enjoying this Cold War pic is the sheer visual impact. The flight sequence where Dutch is sent out in a Peacemaker is incredible. The color, clouds, and air-to-air photography is stunning. My one thought through the movie was, "What a shame the Steady-cam wasn't around."

One of the classic film cable channels has been showing what appears to be a well restored print, and I wonder if a DVD version will be avaliable, at some date.

And, if you are a plane fan, seeing a B-36 in motion is impressive, too. It's something to see a flight deck that has no computer, digital display, ot high tech flight control. Dials! Propellers! Incredible!

And yes, being a car fan, too, I got a big charge out of this picture.

This is a great rainy/snowy/stay inside Sunday afternoon movie. Grab a drink, pop some popcorn, turn off the current world, and set "The Way-Back Machine" to the early 50's when the BAD GUY was a Bear, and the world was a safer place.