Wing and a Prayer (1944)
Genre: Drama / War
Duration: 97 minuten
Country:
United States
Directed by: Henry Hathaway
Stars: Don Ameche, Dana Andrews and Charles Bickford
IMDb score:
6,6 (1.813)
Releasedate: 1 January 1944
This movie is not available on US streaming services.
Wing and a Prayer plot
"THE MOST DANGEROUS MISSION IN THE WAR!"
An airline courier is sent on a mission as a decoy in the Pacific region. He must avoid any violent confrontation. His goal is to reduce Japanese alertness before the real battle begins. The men's frustration is steadily increasing. They've been doing nothing but avoiding battle for ages without knowing any specific strategy. But in the end, the ultimate battle still follows.
Actors and actresses
Bingo Harper
Edward Moulton
Hallam "Oscar" Scott
Captain Waddell
Admiral
Charles "Cookie" Cunningham
Beezy Bessemer
Malcolm Brainard
(archive footage)
(archive footage)
Reviews & comments
Lovelyboy
-
- 4204 messages
- 3156 votes
Continuing the film marathon with Wing and a Prayer, a film shot during World War II about the Battle of Midway and the events leading up to it.
And initially, the film isn't exactly overflowing with action and events, with most of the excitement coming from the landing of the aircraft during the film's opening, something that immediately puts certain characters' relationships to the test. There are plenty of irritations where the carrier, likely the USS Yorktown, is deployed as bait to fool the Japanese in a sort of shadow play and, above all, to lure them out around Midway. A portrayal of events that isn't entirely accurate, but that aside...
The use of real footage is, as so often, good; the young-looking Harry Morgan, whom we know better as the hospital chief in the series MASH, is amusing, and when they finally go into battle, it is beautifully depicted, once again conveying that image of stress, tension, and pilots being steered towards certain death. For if enemy anti-aircraft fire isn't fatal to them, it is the absolute limit of range that is being approached—the point of no return for the aircraft. Add to that some fine footage of the aircraft carrier itself coming under fire with all defenses in full action, shell casings flying across the deck, whereupon Wing an a Prayer ends in an unexpected way after all, as the beginning was rather dull.
In retrospect, the film does indeed portray a strong image of hopelessness, the constant movement, and irritations aboard the small cabins partly due to the tactical shuffling back and forth, only to conclude with a bang amidst the clash of weapons and action. As far as I am concerned, this is therefore a fine film.
Translated from Dutch · View original
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