Hell's Horizon

A. flight crew goes on an unescorted bombing run on the bridges over the Yalu River during the Korean War.

It's an interesting cast, with John Ireland, William Schallert, Hugh Beaumont, and Bill Williams in the crew. One of the problems with it is that it fits neatly into the World War Two Flyer Squadrom genre of the period. Change a few lines of dialogue, and convert Marla English from an Okinawan to a Scottish lassie, and you have a decent movie of the previous war. Since most of it is shot on a stage decorated like a bomber's cockpit, it's clearly a very cheap feature, with little to recommend it.

Due to adverse weather conditions, a small squadron of bomber pilots and their crews stationed in Okinawa during the Korean War have no choice but to sit in their makeshift barracks while awaiting orders. To that effect, one young, enlisted man named "Buddy Lewis" (Larry Pennell) tries to spend as much time with one of the local women by the name of "Sami" (Marla English), who clearly likes him as well. One particular problem, however, is that an officer he works with named "Captain John Merrill" (John Ireland) also fancies Sammi and thinks nothing of abusing his rank to take advantage of the situation. Another potential situation involves another bomber crew member named "Sergeant Al Trask" (Hugh Beaumont), who is experiencing marital difficulties while stationed overseas, and it's affecting his morale to quite an extent. Now, rather than reveal any more, I will just say that this was an adequate Korean War movie, which started slowly but improved about halfway through. Admittedly, the casting of Marla English as the Japanese love interest wasn't entirely convincing; however, aside from that, this turned out to be an adequate B-movie, and I have rated it accordingly. Average.

This is not just a B-feature with second rate actors making the best of a dreary story about bombing in bad weather and meeting with disaster, but actually a very interesting drama with many significant ingredients. Perhaps the most interesting thing about this film is the music, as this film introduced Chet Baker, and he plays the trumpet quite a lot in the beginning. John Ireland makes a good job as the "true grit" captain, and all the other actors are excellent as well. This group of fliers are stationed on Okinawa in 1952 and having a dull time, when they get the assignment of bombing a strategic bridge in North Korea, because this is the Korea war. The mission is carried out with looming complications and some unnecessary risk-taking, and there are casualties. So there is a significant tragic element as well. But it's a first class drama, although generally brushed aside and neglected as second rate, but it will hold a position on par with the two John Wayne aircraft disaster films some years earler, but it's Chet Baker and that trumpeter that you will remember.

The B-29 Superfortress bomber was essentially obsolete by the time frame (1953) of this film. It was a propeller-driven strategic bomber designed for World War II, however the jet age of the late 1940s and the jet fighters developed after the war made the plane vulnerable. The losses the USAF suffered in 1950 of B-29s on day bombing missions over North Korea to the Soviet MiG-15 jet fighter flown by the North Korean Air Force (using Soviet pilots) forced the USAF to switch to night bombing missions. After the 1953 Korean armistice, the USAF switched rapidly to jet bombers such as the B-47 and B-52. The older World War II propeller-driven bombers were phased out.

This film is one of a few films that shows a daylight bombing mission over North Korea and the plane is attacked by jet fighters. The ensuing drama of the plane getting back to Kadena Air Base (where the B-29s were stationed, unmentioned in the film) is what makes this a good war film that is worth watching. The other secondary elements of the film are watchable, but not notable.

About the best use of stock footage I've seen. Make no mistake, there are ZERO shots of aircraft flying, taking off, even exteriors on the ramp that are shot for this movie, or even models. It's all tent city on a soundstage, interior of a (probably real but scrapped surplus) B29, and stock footage.

But it sorta works. They voice over things like the crew checking out the plane as the stock footage isn't that great resolution, it's mid shots, and one 50s USAF guy in all his gear looks very much like another.

Falls apart a bit in the action scenes where the footage cannot decide what altitude they are at (and it is scripted, sorta matters), the enemy aircraft are several /different/ USAF aircraft, and... oh, they bomb China. That also was briefed, but they forget when picking impact footage.

Well acted, pretty well scripted. Okay photography, and the in-aircraft scenes are awfully well done; the pilot ones are the only with pretty soundstage blocking, others feel very personal. Apparently had a good advisor, everyone does stuff that at least feels very authentic, everything deliberate.

Yes, the Korean love interest is super duper a white chick, and it's not just racist but is distractingly wrong.

Otherwise the worst thing about the film is the editing. It's just indifferent. Many shots too long, some too short and it cuts between unimportant things. The stock footage also falls prey to this; it could have used 90% less of it, and done almost everything from inside the aircraft, not just as a character study but as claustrophobic action. Those were already the best bits.