James Cagney

Za Rodinu · 22-04-2007, 10:23 PM

Last night flipping through the channels I stumbled upon a film already long past the beginning and I couldn't find the title. It was a 40's colour (not colourised, I'm sure it was true colour) with James Cagney, and as all J.C. films the story was horrid!

Anyway, it was airplane related, and my goodness, what airplanes! Located in Canada at some training base, it featured none less than Fairey Battles (!!!), Avro Ansons, Harvard Is, later on Lockheed Hudsons. I had never imagined seeing a Battle flying on film, but there they were in their Earth and Green glory, with large yellow patches, a different yellow than the insignia outer circle. Air Marshal Billy Bishop of WWI fame also put in an appearance, acting as himself.

I have no idea what film it was and really it was baaad, but seeing the Battles certainly ended up my day in a good note

morse1001 · 22-04-2007, 10:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Za Rodinu

Last night flipping through the channels I stumbled upon a film already long past the beginning and I couldn't find the title. It was a 40's colour (not colourised, I'm sure it was true colour) with James Cagney, and as all J.C. films the story was horrid!

Anyway, it was airplane related, and my goodness, what airplanes! Located in Canada at some training base, it featured none less than Fairey Battles (!!!), Avro Ansons, Harvard Is, later on Lockheed Hudsons. I had never imagined seeing a Battle flying on film, but there they were in their Earth and Green glory, with large yellow patches, a different yellow than the insignia outer circle. Air Marshal Billy Bishop of WWI fame also put in an appearance, acting as himself.

I have no idea what film it was and really it was baaad, but seeing the Battles certainly ended up my day in a good note

I remember the film from years ago and it was filmed in Canada.

Rich Payne · 22-04-2007, 10:39 PM

It's a wonderful thing, the Internet !
Captains of the Clouds - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

It must have been this one and in Technicolor !

spidge · 22-04-2007, 11:30 PM

It was on here last week and yes I watched it.

I like Alan Hale too!

adrian roberts · 23-04-2007, 01:52 AM

I've got "Captains of the Clouds" on videotape - fascinating; I could identify the WW2 aircraft but the 1930's bush planes were a little more tricky! Mainly Stinsons and Bellancas I think.
In the final reel the Hudsons are attacked by a "German" fighter, actually a Hurricane with black crosses painted on, which somehow seems able to operate miles out over the Atlantic!
Never mind, better than using Computer Graphics - even if the story is naff, to see genuine 1940's colour shots makes up for it.

The other colour early 40's aviation film is "Dive Bomber", starring Clark Gable - shots of testing Vultee Vindicators etc. Again, non-historical story but great pictures.

22-04-2007, 10:23 PM	#1 (permalink)
Za Rodinu So you hear voices too? Join Date: Feb 2006 Posts: 1,246	James Cagney Last night flipping through the channels I stumbled upon a film already long past the beginning and I couldn't find the title. It was a 40's colour (not colourised, I'm sure it was true colour) with James Cagney, and as all J.C. films the story was horrid! Anyway, it was airplane related, and my goodness, what airplanes! Located in Canada at some training base, it featured none less than Fairey Battles (!!!), Avro Ansons, Harvard Is, later on Lockheed Hudsons. I had never imagined seeing a Battle flying on film, but there they were in their Earth and Green glory, with large yellow patches, a different yellow than the insignia outer circle. Air Marshal Billy Bishop of WWI fame also put in an appearance, acting as himself. I have no idea what film it was and really it was baaad, but seeing the Battles certainly ended up my day in a good note __________________ "Tell me again, son, who lost the frigging war?"

22-04-2007, 11:30 PM	#4 (permalink)
spidge Legendary Member Join Date: May 2005 Location: Melbourne, Australia Posts: 8,058	It was on here last week and yes I watched it. I like Alan Hale too! __________________ Spidge, ------------------------------------------------------- My Avatar is the memorial to the 22 Commonwealth Coastwatchers at the Temakin Cemetery on Betio (Tarawa Atoll) who were beheaded by the Japanese on 15th October 1942. http://www.dva.gov.au/media/publicat...mem_beito.html "You were given the choice between war and dishonor. You chose dishonor and you will have war." (Winston Churchill made this prophetic pronouncement in a House of Commons speech in 1938, just after Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain signed the Munich agreement with Hitler. Chamberlain returned from Germany with the signed agreement in hand, proclaiming that "peace in our time" had been achieved. Churchill attacked Chamberlain's "politics of appeasement" in this and many other speeches.) What did the Australians do in ww2 and other conflicts? Check out this site: http://www.diggerhistory.info/00-pag...ster-index.htm

23-04-2007, 01:52 AM	#5 (permalink)
adrian roberts Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: NW Kent, England Posts: 758	I've got "Captains of the Clouds" on videotape - fascinating; I could identify the WW2 aircraft but the 1930's bush planes were a little more tricky! Mainly Stinsons and Bellancas I think. In the final reel the Hudsons are attacked by a "German" fighter, actually a Hurricane with black crosses painted on, which somehow seems able to operate miles out over the Atlantic! Never mind, better than using Computer Graphics - even if the story is naff, to see genuine 1940's colour shots makes up for it. The other colour early 40's aviation film is "Dive Bomber", starring Clark Gable - shots of testing Vultee Vindicators etc. Again, non-historical story but great pictures. __________________ for heathen heart that puts its trust in reeking tube and iron shard all valiant dust that builds on dust and guarding, calls not thee to guard thy mercy on thy people, Lord (Kipling)

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22-04-2007, 10:39 PM	#3 (permalink)
Rich Payne Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2005 Posts: 737	It's a wonderful thing, the Internet ! Captains of the Clouds - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia It must have been this one and in Technicolor !

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