Le voyage fantastique

Frequent fliers will find the portrayal of a TransAtlantic flight in "No Highway in the Sky" to be quaint, if not prehistoric. Security is non-existent, no metal detectors, no pat downs, no baggage search. Passengers have lots of space, smoking is permitted, and tours of the flight deck are offered. The stewardesses work in a spacious kitchen, with a stove, cabinets filled with dishes, and shelves of glassware. Men and women have separate restrooms, and the passengers are all well groomed and appropriately dressed. Flying has certainly evolved, or devolved since 1951.

However, beyond a review of the comforts of flying during the mid-20th century, Henry Koster's "No Highway in the Sky" is a decent little drama, highlighted by an impassioned performance by James Stewart. Set in England, Stewart is Theodore Honey, a scientist in an aircraft design and testing lab, who is studying the propensity of the tail wings on Reindeer aircraft to self destruct after about 1400 hours of flying. As the widowed scientist, Stewart is gangly, clumsy, and socially awkward; absent minded to the point of forgetting where he lives, he is focused completely on science and the problem at hand and largely dismisses other people. In a household cluttered with books, Stewart lives with his intelligent school-age daughter, whom he has isolated from other children. Perhaps overshadowed by his work in "It's a Wonderful Life" and "Harvey" during the same period, Stewart is nevertheless excellent in the part, and his speech to the aircraft committee has elements of his passionate "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington" rouser.

Although the personal aspects of the story are unconvincing, the screenplay by R. C. Sheriff, Oscar Millard, and Alex Coppel, which was based on a novel by Nevil Shute, does throw light on the aviation industry in Britain just after World War II. Pushed to prove his hypothesis, Stewart is sent to Labrador to find the missing tail of a recently crashed Reindeer. Unfortunately, he finds himself aboard a similar Reindeer that is nearing the critical point when he projects that the tail will disintegrate. The drama aboard the tense overseas flight involves Marlene Dietrich as Monica Teasdale, a glamorous film star; a touching Glynis Johns as Marjorie, a sympathetic stewardess; and Kenneth Moore as the co-pilot. Dietrich and Stewart, who were previously paired in "Destry Rides Again," work especially well together. Jack Hawkins appears as Scott, a new department manager, and Wilfred Hyde White makes a brief appearance as a researcher.

While uneven and unconvincing at times, "No Highway in the Sky" offers a priceless look at air travel more than half a century ago, a fine James Stewart performance, and the timeless beauty of Marlene Dietrich. Actually, Stewart's often befuddled Theodore Honey alone is reason enough to catch the film.

This is one of James Stewart's lesser known films made during the post WWII period when Stewart was unsure what direction his Hollywood career would take him. I recently discovered this film on cable and found it to play somewhat like a long "Twilight Zone" episode where Stewart's character who is a scientist tries to convince the pilot of a transatlantic flight that the airline's structure will collapse and that everyone will be killed unless they turn back. Fine performances by Stewart and the supporting cast make this a watchable film.

This movie is one of the few films about airplane disasters that really goes into the fundementals of design and construction problems. For it deals with metal fatigue, and how it causes an apparently marvelous airplane to become a death trap. The film is well written and acted by Jimmy Steward, Glynis Johns, Marlene Dietrich, and Jack Hawkins. There is nothing to say about that. I only feel that it is interesting to think of the author of the screenplay, Nevil Shute.

His real name was Nevil Shute Norway. He is remembered for his writing, in particular the novels A TOWN NAMED ALICE and ON THE BEACH. But he was also an aviation engineer. Working for Vickers, he helped design all types of aircraft. In particular, he helped in the building of the zeppelin R-100 which Vickers designed in a contest between private industry and the government. A Labor government in office was trying to demonstrate the superiority of government sponsored projects over private industry. The R-100 proved a perfectly adequate zeppelin, that did a maiden trip to and from Canada safely. The government sponsored R-101 crashed on its first voyage in France, and killed 44 out of 48 men on board, including the Secretary of State for Air, Lord Thomson (who had pushed the project) and most of the government's aviation experts. Shute wrote a very good account of his career as an engineer, and of the R-101 Tragedy, entitled SLIDE-RULE. I recommend reading it if you ever get a chance. It helps explain the experience he brought to the writing of NO HIGHWAY.

This movie is a great example early stress testing methods, even though the lead character (Mr. Honey, played by James Stewart) is a stereotypical scatterbrained genius. My favorite scenes were of the models and the vibration test chamber at the beginning of the film. The story is pretty compelling to watch, as Honey comes face to face with the horrible reality of his theory. Stewart puts a very human touch on what could have been a two-dimensional B-movie stereotype. He is just eccentric (in modern lingo, nerdy) enough to make you laugh, but when he stands up for something, watch out!

Naturally, engineering stories don't draw large audiences, so the only way I could finally see this movie was to spend $19.95 to buy it online. The money was well spent. My rating is 8 / 10.

Here is a film about people --real people, of conviction, and of character. The central problem, an aeronautical engineering equation, simply serves as a

vehicle around which unforgettable characters revolve. James Stewart is

simply wonderful as Mr. Honey, and Marlene Dietrich shines, and grows, as

"star" Monica Teasdale. An enduring film masterpiece for thoughtful adults.

The supporting actors are first rate: the daughter was surprising believable, the wonderful Glynis Johns in her usual dream performance. I rate it 9 out of 10, as these films will not happen soon again. Thoughtful dramas about flight and aeronautics abounded in the late 40's and 50's -- I recommend the British entry "The Night my Number Came Up" -- and should be studied and regarded by

serious film devotees.