Le porte-avions X

The Movie was shot on the back lot of 20th Century Fox. The studio used sailors from NAS Longbeach Ca. as extras for about 2 weeks . In the Scene when a Bomb hits the Ship i am the first man on the fire hose . They had built part of a Carrier Deck over a lake and used SBD'S on this deck for close ups but then used film footage from actual battle scene's in between . This explains difference of planes and ships.

The best characteristic of this film is the fine quality of the film in terms of cinematic depth-of-field and clarity. There is excellent camera work, especially in the complicated action scenes. Each scene is balanced and seemingly well-edited. The theme of the movie is somewhat weak relative to the fight/no fight stance of the U.S. Navy, and it is overpowered by the many action scenes which resemble a "Victory at Sea" format. The facts of the battle at Midway Island as presented in this movie are somewhat questionable. The superior forces of the Japanese Imperial Navy could best any navy in early June of 1942. That good fortune played a role in the American fleet's victory is not in question, that poor planning and accident forced the Japanese Imperial Navy's tactics is also accepted. Beyond these general facts it is difficult to accept the overstatement that the position of the U.S. Navy was that "This is the battle we've been praying for." There is also some question in the film as to the accuracy of the reports concerning the U.S. torpedo planes' success. In essence, the Battle of Midway was decisive, and very lucky for the Americans. To present the battle and victory as well planned and well coordinated is misleading. A word on acting: Don Ameche as Commander Bingo Harper is outstanding. His performance is solid in terms of the classic dramatic hero. As commander, he never wavers from his responsibility, he does what must be done, and he understands both how much victory means and what price must be paid.

Three months after the greatest disaster in the american history with the surprise military strike of Pear Harbor by the imperial Japanese navy air service, December the 7th, 1941, the American HQ set up a desperate strategy based on a simulation of disarray within the American navy so that the Japanese confidence goes up artificially and incites them not to deviate from their supposed plan of campaign: to take ownership of Pearl Harbor, this objective implying beforehand a passage through Midway where the American navy is firmly waiting for the Japanese navy.

The film focuses on an aircraft carrier unexpectedly playing the role of a bait and we witness the daily life of these airmen forced to behave cowardly every time they meet a Japanese zero. The atmosphere is typical of old war movies: ultra-patriotic, childish and cheesy, pretty close to a propaganda film, in a certain manner. We globally remember the team spirit, the heroism of the airmen, the dignity of the entire crew and the excellent cinematography given the technical means of the time.

The movie itself is entertaining and rather predictable at times. Kind of like the movie mill war stories of that era. The roll played by Don Ameche was not a Don Ameche roll. Ameche is better known for his humor, IE: The Bickersons and Cocoon. The roll of a sad, by the book Navy officer must have been a stretch for him, but he did it in perfection. He became a dark shadow in scenes where he just walks through and always alone. The lonely man, hardly cracking a smile. Everyone hating him, tough to the point, lonely, misunderstood and doing the job he was appointed to do. It makes you wonder how many men had to be this way during any war.

Ameche should have won an Acadamy Award for his role in this movie.

Henry Hathaway made many of the best Hollywood films, particularly in the genre of hard action, especially at war. This is one of them, still in the beginning of his age of greatness but an important prelude to what was to follow. The main star here is not Dana Andrews but Don Ameche, who plays a totally different role from his usual repertoire, but he does it more than well. Cedric Hardwicke is an unnamed admiral of only one scene in the beginning, and among the others is Charles Bickford, reliable and indomitable as usual, as the captain, with clenched teeth. The story is the build-up to the battle of Midway half a year after Pearl Harbour, which changed the course of the war to American advantage. The six months before the battle was a perpetual humiliation, the Americans constantly avoiding confrontations with the Japanese for strategic reasons, and the marines getting rather frustrated about it. When finally everything is ready for the battle, it is an immense release, and the humiliation of running the gauntlet turns to triumph. As usual in Hathaway's films, much attention and importance is attached to the human side of the drama, and many of the sailors make great individual performances with stories of their own. Some get grounded, some commit unpardonable goofs, there is some intimate music as well, and some run into martyrdom. In brief, it's an excellent almost documentary panorama of the drama leading up to Midway, and it's well worth while following every stage of it - with many U-turns on the way. But Don Ameche makes the greatest impression, although far from sympathetic and almost hated but profoundly reasonable all the way.