FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 14 @ 07:30 AM (ET)
December 6, 1941. Three B-17 Flying Fortress heavy bombers take off from San Francisco bound for Hickam Field, Hawaii. Day of Infamy minus one. This is the set-up for Howard Hawks’ Air Force (1943). Based on actual events, the story follows the 9 man crew of “The Mary-Ann” as they fly into the face of the Pearl Harbor attack. Hickam field is under fire; Maui is full of local saboteurs; so they head east, to the Philippines via Wake Island.
The film starts with preps for departure. Joe Winocki (John Garfield), the digruntled sargeant, makes it clear he plans to get out the service as soon as possible. Seems he’s a failed flying candidate, and it seems that he was washed out by The Mary-Ann’s Captain Quincannon (John Ridgely). Quincannon attempts a sit-down with Winocki. He stresses the importance of teamwork, of each team member’s vital job. Basically, he tells him to
get over it, but Winocki’s not having any. Until he gets a serious attitude adjustment. Flying over the flaming ruins of the U.S. Pacific Fleet at Pearl Harbor, he mutters “damn them. Damn them.”
This is just one of several storylines. Air Force is like a dramatic fugue, with multiple voices combining for a polyphonic whole. It’s interesting that IMDb credits all but two of the crew members by position-pilot, co-pilot, bombardier-rather than by name. Each character has a name. And a job. And each character is an individual with a story line. The crew of nine comprises a very effective ensemble cast. Ridgely is “Irish” Quincannon, the steadfast captain, assisted by a very young Gig Young as Lieutenant Bill Williams, who’s engaged to bombardier Tom McMartin (Arthur Kennedy)’s sister. Garfield’s Winocki is the focus of early friction before the Japanese become the common enemy.
It’s is like a Dixieland jazz band, with each player knowing who plays the lead and who plays the obligato. But each enjoys a moment shine. The navigator, Lieutenant Monk Hauser Jr., (Charles Drake) is hailed as “Magellan” when he finds wake island in the middle of the pacific in the middle of the night. Radio men Peterson and Chester are the first to dicover the hostilities, and they remain The Mary-Ann’s link. Crew Chief Master Sergeant Robbie White (Harry Carey) is a long-time vet who’s looking forward to seeing his fighter pilot son, when they land at Clark field in the Phillipines. Asst. Crew Chief Corporal Weinberg (George Tobias) the voice of New York City, shoots down several planes.
Several characters are given added dimension through the introduction of family members. We meet Irish’s wife and Chester’s mother just before departure. We’ll eventually meet Williams’ Sister/McMartin’s fiance. Robbie can’t stop talking about his son. And it turns out that Monk Hauser’s father was a hero pilot in World War I. Hauser is the anti-Winocki-he channeled his disappointment over failing to become a pilot into becoming the best navigator possible.
All of this drama is the backdrop for a series of exciting aerial battle scenes courtesy of two oscar-nominated teams; James Wong Howe Elmer Dyer and Charles A. Marshall for Black-and-White Cinematography and Hans F. Koenekamp, Rex Wimpy, and Nathan Levinson for Special Effects. And it’s all expertly assembled by Oscar Winner for Best Film Editing George Amy. Additionally, Dudley Nichols was nominated for Best Original Screenplay.
Air Force is clearly a product of its time. The war film of 1943 was obviously intended to maintain the morale of the folks at home. There’s a sense of “we’re all in this together,” as this multi-ethnic (but all white) crew perseveres to keep the Mary-Ann in the air and strike a blow for freedom. We witness loss, but it’s with a brave face, ennobled. Films like Command Decision (1948) And Twelve O’clock High (1949), depicting the psychological as well as the physical price being exacted from both the crews and the commanders who must send send them out to face death, won’t emerge until after the war.
