Flight Lieutenant

Sam Doyle (Pat O'Brien), discredited pilot, has a son who becomes a test pilot for the United States Army Air Corps, just prior to World War Two. What must Sam do to regain his former respectability, both in his son's opinion and that of the military?

When the film begins, Sam Doyle (Pat O'Brien) is involved in a crack-up in his plane and his co-pilot is killed. He's blamed for the accident and is forced to leave the country and fly in South America, as he's had his license revoked. This is tough, as his son, Danny, idolizes him and Sam leaves him behind to be raised by others.

Years pass. Now Danny (Glenn Ford) is in flight training school but is having problems. Despite many hiccups, he does manage to graduate and when Sam learns this is about to occur, he takes off for the States to see him get his wings. But during this short trip, Sam pretends that he's some big-shot in South America. And then, when he introduces his dad to his girlfriend, Susie, Sam tells him that Susie is the daughter of the man who died in the plane crash with him a decade ago! Danny is an honorable guy and lets her know...and she gives him the door.

Danny then takes off for South America...only to learn his dad is NOT a big shot with the airline. But he leaves, keeping up the pretense that all is well and soon he's back in the States. Now Danny is a test pilot...and Sam realizes he needs to stop hiding and himself joins the service as a lowly private. By now, Susie and Danny have patched things up...so what's next?

In many ways, the plot of this film is reminiscent of the novel "Lord Jim"--where a man makes a mistake and spends the rest of his life trying to undo that mistake. It's a bit heavy-handed at times but otherwise what you'd expect from this sort of film.

Flight Lieutenant finds Pat O'Brien as a disgraced former flier who brings up his son under an assumed name and the kid grows up to be Glenn Ford. As these kind of films go, of course the son develops an interest in flying and joins the Army Air Corps.

Wouldn't you know it, Ford falls for Evelyn Keyes who's daughter of the guy that got O'Brien cashiered from the army. Now if you can't predict where this one is going you haven't seen too many of these old aviation flicks.

The film has some nice aerial sequences and fans of the vintage planes will enjoy seeing it. Normally I'm a sentimental fellow, but Flight Lieutenant was just a bit too sappy for me. And I'm a fan of both O'Brien and Ford.

There is a nice performance by Frank Puglia as the priest who's parish is located near the ramshackle airline in South America where O'Brien works. By the way if the sets look familiar I think they were used three years earlier in Only Angels Have Wings.

I wouldn't be recommending Flight Lieutenant for other than aviation fans and Pat O'Brien and Glenn Ford fans.