Ordered a region free Spirit of St Louis after posting last night (why can't all DVD's be like that? - greedy feckers)

The Hunters doesn't ring a bell, but it was definitely a John Wayne movie I'm thinking of. I think the Cagney film I referred to was 'Captains of the Clouds' but I cannot find this or SAC on region 2 or region free, alas.

I do have The Aviator but forgot to put it on the list, at a stretch you could also include Catch Me If You Can, which I enjoyed too.

Catch 22 is a must buy, thanks for jogging my memory on that. I also have 12 o clock high, but haven't watched it yet.

Harmonious Dragmaster

I think you are looking for "Jet Pilot", John Wayne as a USAF (F86?) Squadron Commander and Janet Leigh as a Russian fighter pilot:ok:

Did Anybody Mention?
 

The War Lover with Steve McQueen, Robert Wagner and Shirley Ann Field. C**p movie but great flying sequences.

Speaking of "The War Lover", well worth seeking out a copy of "Everything but the Flak" by Martin Caidin about how they got the B-17s used in the film across the pond...

Add "The Bridges at Toko-Ri"

Two more early/mid fifties fillums worth a mention -
Conflict of Wings - All rather corny and twee looking back at it. John Gregson & and lovely Muriel 'Dahling' Pavlow, nice to see some Vampires howling about the place, and-
Angels One Five -WW2 Drama - John Gregson again, and Jack Hawkins at his very snarling best -on the phone, giving someone a B:mad: "Hello Bonzo, Tiger here" etc. etc. Excellent stuff!

Did any of you chaps mention that splendid Bomber film, Appointment in London? THE FILM APPOINTMENT IN LONDON

I remember being taken by my dad to see Man in the Sky at the flicks when it came out.

12 O Clock High
 

I always thought that the above 1949 movie was the best of all the aircraft based films. It rightfully won Academy and other awards and led to a three season TV series. I still watch it every so often and after all these years I am surprised by the crackling dialogue and plot development. You can see the first five minutes, the whole movie or download it all for free at the attached link.

Twelve o'Clock High | Free Entertainment Videos - Watch Entertainment Videos Online | Veoh

Some years ago I was in the Officers Club at Fort Snelling and was introduced to a gentleman who had served in 8AAF in the wartime UK. He told me that the author Beirne Lay had been a CO at an operational station in 1943/44. It was widely thought by the veterans that some of the senior characters were based on Ira C. Eaker and his staff and the Bomb Group the Bloody 100th. He also told me that Walter Matthau was a gunner, John Ehrlichman a navigator, Paul Tibbits did a tour and Curtis Lemay led a bomb group.
The film is terrific

I remember being taken to a Biggin Hill display, I think in 1958. Ray Milland made a personal appearance to promote "High Flight". My mum got quite excited but I hadn't the faintest who he was.

A very thin aviation link, but there is a film about an aircraft designer who also runs a traction engine in his spare time. He ends up in a traction engine rally with an airline owner who he is trying to sell his aircraft design to.

No idea what it's called.

The Iron Maiden...Michael Craig, Cecil Parker & Alan Hale Jnr:ok:

Thanks again everyone, Keep em coming. I'll watch 12 o clock high on my next day off, I've had it about a year and never played it!!

Regarding Iron Maiden, I remember watching this one afternoon on TV and it stuck in my memory, I remember the HP Victor acting as an airliner. I periodically search for a DVD release of it but it isn't out yet.

This thread is going to help me compile my 'to do' list :ok:

I recall two Korean War films:
'The Bridges at Toko Ri' with William Holden as a US Navy pilot flying Grumman F9 Cougars and Mickey Rooney flying an S-51 rescue helicopter.
Another film with Robert Mitchum which had loads of shots of F-80s doing ground attack runs mostly with napalm - it was called '60 Seconds to Zero' (or similar)

Way to the Stars
 

Many years ago I saw The Flare Path by Terence Rattigan in a theatre in Bath. I was most impressed by it and I long remembered the wail of the violin in the Pit Orchestra.
I was unaware that it had been adapted into Way to the Stars in a 1945 film. I suppose I was too young to have seen it and in those days so many films were made that there were few re-runs. Many years later I fleetingly saw the movie whose storyline was vaguely familiar, possibly on TV.
It was not until I saw the film in its entirety that I realised what a fine movie it was and I particularly remember its theme music by Nick Brodsky and Charles Williams and realised where I had first heard John Pudney’s famous poem Johnny in the Clouds

FOR JOHNNY
Do not despair.........For Johnny-head-in-air;
He sleeps as sound.....As Johnny underground.
Fetch out no shroud....For Johnny-in-the-cloud;
And keep your tears....For him in after years.
Better by far..........For Johnny-the-bright-star,
To keep your head......And see his children fed.

It is an outstanding film which has not dated. I recommend it strongly

FWIW - Films to See

The Spirit of St Louis with James Stewart as Charles Lindbergh is on the box on Easter Monday - Channel Five at 2.45pm.

As the thread has drifted a bit, thought I might throw in a reference to an RAF recruitment film made in the 1930's which is absolutely brilliant for early aircraft flying sequences. I have recorded it to DVD off air.

The actual film goes from Appies at Halton learning to fix these quite massive radial piston engines, to Cranwell - officer training, all the way through to flying sequences over various deserts using biplanes hand -dropping bombs over the side of the cockpit onto unruly tribesmen.

It's a must have if aviation history is an interest.

http://alisoncc.com/nwimages/RAFrecruit.jpg

as mentioned previously - Landfall by N Shute is quite a nice film...it is released on DVD this summer !!
Some nice shots of early Anson and also Wellington with turret..
Filmed at Thorney Island and Lee on Solent ????
Anybody confirm the locations ??

The man in the sky
 

Watched this on DVD on Friday night: a very good aviation/propliner film, tho not much of a story, but who cares with all that footage of a Freighter.