Captains of the Clouds (1942)

User Rating:

6.4/10   

Director:

Michael Curtiz

Writers:

Arthur T. Horman (story) and
Roland Gillett (story) ...
(more)

Release Date:

21 February 1942 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Drama | War

Plot:

Inspired by Churcill's Dunkirk speech, brash, undisciplined bush pilot Brian MacLean and three friends enlist in the RCAF but are deemed too old to be fliers.

Plot Keywords:

Provost Marshall | Luftwaffe | Three Strip Technicolor | Aerial Photography | Chorus Line

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Oscars.

Cast

James Cagney	...	Brian MacLean (bush pilot)
Dennis Morgan	...	Johnny Dutton (bush pilot)
Brenda Marshall	...	Emily Foster
Alan Hale	...	Francis Patrick 'Tiny' Murphy (bush pilot)
George Tobias	...	Blimp Lebec (bush pilot)
Reginald Gardiner	...	Scrounger Harris (bush pilot)
Air Marshal W.A. Bishop	...	Himself
Reginald Denny	...	Commanding officer
Russell Arms	...	Louis 'Alabama' Prentiss
Paul Cavanagh	...	Group Captain
Clem Bevans	...	Sam 'Store-Teeth' Morrison
J.M. Kerrigan	...	Foster (storekeeper / Emily's father)
J. Farrell MacDonald	...	Dr. Neville (from Churchtown) (as J. Farrell Macdonald)
Patrick O'Moore	...	Fyffe
Morton Lowry	...	Carmichael
Owen Cathcart-Jones	...	Chief flying instructor (as S/L O. Cathcart-Jones)
Frederick Worlock	...	President of court-martial
Roland Drew	...	Officer
Lucia Carroll	...	Blonde
George Meeker	...	Playboy
Benny Baker	...	Popcorn Kearns (bush pilot)
Hardie Albright	...	Kingsley
Ray Walker	...	Mason
Charles Halton	...	Supt. Nolan
Louis Jean Heydt	...	Provost Marshal
Gig Young	...	Student pilot (as Byron Barr)
Tod Andrews	...	Student pilot (as Michael Ames)
Willie Fung	...	Willie (cafe owner)
Carl Harbord	...	Blake
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
P.G. Abercrombie	...	Flying instructor (uncredited)
Lane Allen	...	Canadian (uncredited)
Sam Ault	...	L.A.C. Grove (a Texan) (uncredited)
Barry Bernard	...	Gilbert (uncredited)
Wing Commander Brian	...	Wing commander (uncredited)
Walter Brooke	...	Duty officer (uncredited)
James Bush	...	Sergeant pilot (uncredited)
Joseph Carr	...	Man (uncredited)
James Craven	...	Instructor (uncredited)
Leslie Denison	...	Flight lieutenant (uncredited)
Charles De Ravenne	...	French Canadian (uncredited)
Don Dillaway	...	Instructor (uncredited)
Tom Dugan	...	Bartender (uncredited)
Sergeant-Major Dave Duncan	...	Sergeant-Major (uncredited)
Flying Officer Evans	...	Flying Officer (uncredited)
Gerald Fielding	...	Flight Lt. Holt (uncredited)
Pat Flaherty	...	Drill sergeant (uncredited)
John Gallaudet	...	Colby (uncredited)
Squadron Leader Greene	...	Squadron leader (uncredited)
Herbert Gunn	...	Aircraftsman (uncredited)
Tom Hamilton	...	Man (uncredited)
Winifred Harris	...	Red Cross collector (uncredited)
John Hartley	...	Cranbrook (uncredited)
Stuart Holmes	...	Man entering hotel (uncredited)
J. Anthony Hughes	...	Hunter (RCAF applicant) (uncredited)
Jack Hyde	...	Man (uncredited)
Ellis Irving	...	Commanding officer (uncredited)
Charles Irwin	...	Chief ground instructor (uncredited)
John Kellogg	...	Aircraftsman Lawrence (uncredited)
Frank Lackteen	...	Indian at Foster's (uncredited)
Harry Lewis	...	Mr. Burton (RCAF applicant) (uncredited)
Miles Mander	...	Winston S. Churchill (voice) (uncredited)
Anthony Marsh	...	Officer (uncredited)
Edward McNamara	...	Man buying dog team (uncredited)
Ray Montgomery	...	Aircraftsman Hodges (uncredited)
Will Morgan	...	Flying instructor (uncredited)
Gavin Muir	...	Orderly (uncredited)
George Offerman Jr.	...	Mechanic (uncredited)
George Ovey	...	News vendor (uncredited)
Henry Rowland	...	German pilot (uncredited)
Harry Seymour	...	Piano player (uncredited)
Charles Smith	...	Chateau Laurier bellboy, Ottawa (uncredited)
Sergeant-Major Spratt	...	Sergeant-Major (uncredited)
James Stevens	...	Indian (uncredited)
Rafael Storm	...	Playboy (uncredited)
Emmett Vogan	...	Chateau Laurier desk clerk (uncredited)
Billy Wayne	...	Mechanic (uncredited)
Frank Wilcox	...	Flight Lt. Wood (uncredited)
Billy Wilkerson	...	Indian at Foster's (uncredited)
Larry Williams	...	Duty officer (uncredited)
Flying Officer Willis	...	Liaison officer (uncredited)

Directed by
Michael Curtiz

Writing credits
Arthur T. Horman		(story) and
Roland Gillett		(story)
Arthur T. Horman		(screenplay) &
Richard Macaulay		(screenplay) &
Norman Reilly Raine		(screenplay)

Produced by
William Cagney	....	associate producer
Hal B. Wallis	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Max Steiner

Cinematography by
Wilfred M. Cline		(director of photography)
Sol Polito		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
George Amy

Art Direction by
Ted Smith

Costume Design by
Howard Shoup		(gowns)

Makeup Department
Perc Westmore	....	makeup artist

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Frank Heath	....	assistant director (uncredited)

Sound Department
C.A. Riggs	....	sound

Special Effects by
Byron Haskin	....	special effects
Rex Wimpy	....	special effects

Stunts
Paul Mantz	....	stunt pilot (uncredited)
Harvey Parry	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Elmer Dyer	....	aerial photographer
Winton C. Hoch	....	aerial photographer
Charles A. Marshall	....	aerial photographer (as Charles Marshall)

Editorial Department
Henri Jaffa	....	associate color director: Technicolor

Music Department
Leo F. Forbstein	....	musical director

Other crew
Owen Cathcart-Jones	....	technical advisor (as Squadron Leader O. Cathcart-Jones)
Frank Clarke	....	chief pilot: Warner Bros.
Natalie Kalmus	....	color advisor: Technicolor
Hugh MacMullan	....	dialogue director

Thanks
Air Marshal W.A. Bishop	....	thanks (as Air Marshal Bishop)
Air Marshal L.S. Breadner	....	sincere appreciation: Chief of the Air Staff, Royal Canadian Air Force
C.G. Power	....	sincere appreciation: Minister of National Defence for Air, Canada (as Major the Honorable C.G. Power)

Production Companies

• Warner Bros. Pictures (as Warner Bros. Pictures Inc.)

Distributors

• Warner Bros. Pictures (1942) (USA) (theatrical) (as Warner Bros. Pictures Inc.)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (2007) (USA) (DVD)

Runtime:

114 min | Argentina:113 min | USA:113 min (Turner library print)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Certification:

Argentina:Atp | Australia:G | Finland:S | Sweden:15 | USA:Approved (PCA #7627)

Filming Locations:

Canada

Company:

Warner Bros. Pictures

Trivia:

The graduation scene was an actual graduation ceremony of the R.C.A.F. with Air Marshal W.A. Bishop in attendance. He also attended the New York opening along with 200 R.C.A.F. cadets and other officials.

Quotes:

Francis Patrick 'Tiny' Murphy: You know MacLean?
Scrounger Harris: Yeah, I've met him, but I don't like him.
Blimp Lebec: You don't like him? You should know how I don't like him!
Brian MacLean: And why do you say that? You know, I've always been very happy to see you. Look at Tiny. He never used to like me. Now he hates me.
[to Willie]
Brian MacLean: Willie!
Willie: Hello! Happy landings!
Francis Patrick 'Tiny' Murphy: [to Blimp and Scrounger] Oh, come on and sit down. Come on, come on here.
[to Willie]
Francis Patrick 'Tiny' Murphy: Listen, Willie, we want four black coffees and some cake.
[...]

Soundtrack:

There'll Always Be an England

formulaic and, at times dopey, but still a lot of fun

Okay, I'll admit that this film is NOT Shakespeare! In fact, at times the plot is VERY VERY formulaic and silly but somehow the overall package is still quite entertaining.

Jimmy Cagney is the main lead of the film, though it actually has an ensemble cast consisting of Dennis Morgan and other Warner Brothers regulars. And unfortunately, the worst part of this film is Cagney's character, as he plays essentially the exact same character he played in so many Warner films. You know,...the brash and obnoxious guy who seems greatly in need of a comeuppance (such as in THE FIGHTING 69th and MANY other films). It's too bad, as the rest of the plot is very very good and this is a wonderful propaganda film meant to bolster support for the war. In fact, the more I think about it, Cagney's character and how it was written so derivatively is the only real problem in the film. It's a shame really, as apart from this the acting is excellent and the Technicolor scenes of the Canadian wilderness and flying are beautiful.