A Yank in the R.A.F.
| A Yank in the R.A.F. | |
|---|---|
 Original theatrical release poster |
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| Directed by | Henry King |
| Produced by | Louis Edelman, Darryl F. Zanuck |
| Written by | Karl Tunberg Darrell Ware Melville Crossman (story) |
| Starring | Tyrone Power Betty Grable |
| Music by | Alfred Newman |
| Cinematography | Ronald Neame, Leon Shamroy |
| Editing by | Barbara McLean |
| Studio | Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corp. |
| Distributed by | Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corp. |
| Release date(s) | September 26, 1941 |
| Running time | 98 minutes |
| Country | USA |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $200,000 |
A Yank in the R.A.F. (aka "The Eagle Flies Again") is a 1941 black-and-white war film directed by Henry King, and is considered a typical early-World War II film. Originally titled "The Eagle Squadron," based on a story by "Melville Crossman", the pen name for 20th Century Fox studio chief Darryl F. Zanuck, it followed the efforts of American pilots to serve in the Royal Air Force (RAF), during a period when the United States was still neutral. Despite the settings of wartime Canada, England, Holland and France, the entire film was shot on Hollywood sound stages, back lots and locations in California.[1]
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[edit] Plot
In 1940, an American pilot Tim Baker (Tyrone Power) is hired to deliver US-built training aircraft to Britain via Canada where the North American Harvard aircraft are "towed" across the border at Emerson, Manitoba, to comply with the US Neutrality Acts. Rashly, Baker decides to fly across the border to Trenton, Ontario and winds up in trouble with military authorities, claiming he was looking for Trenton, New Jersey. After being assigned to ferry Lockheed Hudson bombers to Britain, Baker who is looking for adventure as well as the $1,000 per flight fee, meets his former girl friend, Carol Brown (Betty Grable), who is a London nightclub performer and a volunteer ambulance attendant in the Women's Auxiliary Air Force (RAF). He decides to enlist in the RAF to impress her. Baker finds his former girl friend is being wooed by a dashing RAF officer, Wing Commander John Morley (John Sutton).
After completing pilot training and being assigned to Morley's squadron, Baker takes part in dangerous bomber missions, teamed with a mutual friend, Flying Officer Roger Pillby (Reginald Gardiner). While on days-off, he continues to try to win back Brown's hand, even slipping a wedding ring on her finger. One of the missions to bomb Dortmund, Germany after Holland and Belgium are invaded, ends badly with Philby killed while taking out searchlights to give Baker and Morley a chance to survive. After ditching on a Dutch beach and nearly being captured, only to be saved by the sacrifice of their gunner who attacks the German officer who has the trio trapped, Baker and Morley make their way back to England via motorboat.
When Baker is reassigned to a Supermarine Spitfire fighter squadron, the action takes place over Dunkirk and despite shooting down two Luftwaffe fighters, he is shot down. When word gets back, Brown and Morley are drawn to the docks where ships returning from the Dunkirk beaches, are bringing back survivors. When Baker appears, Brown rushes to him and Morley realizes that the two are still in love.
[edit] Cast
As appearing in screen credits (main roles identified):[2]
| Actor | Role |
|---|---|
| Tyrone Power | Tim Baker |
| Betty Grable | Carol Brown |
| John Sutton | Wing Commander John Morley |
| Reginald Gardiner | Flying Officer Roger Pillby |
| Donald Stuart | Corporal Harry Baker |
| Ralph Byrd | Al |
| Richard Fraser | Thorndyke |
| Denis Green | Flight Lieutenant Redmond |
| Bruce Lester | Flight Lieutenant Richardson |
| Gilchrist Stuart | Wales |
| Lester Matthews | Group Captain |
| Frederick Worlock | Canadian Major |
| Ethel Griffies | Lady Fitzhugh |
| Fortunio Bonanova | Headwaiter |
| James Craven | Instructor |
[edit] Production
With principal photography taking place during four months (April–July) in the spring and early summer 1941, the film leaned heavily on the headline news of the Battle of Britain. Although mainly shot on Twentieth Century-Fox back lots, the production used contemporary production Lockheed Hudson bombers that were built in the nearby Lockheed factory at Burbank, California. The sequence of the Dunkirk evacuation filmed at Point Mugu, California, is especially notable, involving over 1,000 extras. [3][N 1]
In order to stage some of the airfield scenes, the prop department turned out a group of accurately reconstructed replica Spitfire and Messerschmitt fighters as well as Lockheed Hudson bombers.[3] All the flying sequences were under the direction of long-time Hollywood pilot, Paul Mantz, who used a team of stunt pilots including Frank Clarke. [5]
With complete cooperation from the RAF, as well as extensive use of stock RAF footage, the studio was allowed to film actual aerial battles shot by a camera-equipped aircraft. [N 2][4]In the original version of the film, the hero played by Powers dies at Dunkirk, but after the RAF expressed concerns, fearing that morale would be jeopardized in having the film show an American pilot dying in service of England, the scene was re-shot with Baker surviving.[6]
The screen credits show "Tyrone Power with Betty Grable." The pairing of Twentieth Century-Fox's two leading stars, as well as cashing into bankable star-power, was considered an opportunity to promote Grable in more serious roles although A Yank in the R.A.F. was really a melange of light romantic musical and wartime drama.[7]
[edit] Reception
Promoted as a light-hearted look at war, and despite the studio's insistence that it was not a propaganda film, A Yank in the R.A.F. was able to give prominence to Americans already at war, similar to other films such as Warner Brothers' Captains of the Clouds. The film was also notable in introducing Grable as the pinup favorite to the troops as well as giving her dramatic scenes that expanded her range; a crying scene reportedly took over six hours to film. [4] When released in September 1941, A Yank in the R.A.F. was a popular film with audiences and critics alike. The New York Times reviewer, Bosley Crowther cosidered it a, "thoroughly enjoyable show ...thrilling" and filled with "pulsing action."[8]
More contemporary reviewers have been more critical, decrying the unrealistic portrayal of a nation at war. Recent re-releases in video and 2002 DVD have similarly brought negative reviews concerning the content and filmmaker's approach to a serious subject. [9]
[edit] Awards
Although unsuccessful, for their work in A Yank in the R.A.F., Fred Sersen was nominated for an Academy Award in the category of Best Effects, Special Effects: photographic and Edmund H. Hansen in the category of Best Effects, Special Effects: sound.[4]
[edit] See also
- Billy Fiske: An American in the RAF during the Battle of Britain
- Bertie Lewis: An American who served in RAF Bomber Command
- Eagle Squadrons: Squadrons of the RAF formed with volunteer American pilots
[edit] References
- Notes
- ^ The scenes of the Dunkirk evacuation were impressive and have been used in numerous documentary features, as the footage was assumed to be authentic.[4]
- ^ Two Fox cinematographers, Otto Kanturek and Jack Parry, were killed in the production when their Avro Anson aircraft was involved in a midair collision with a Hawker Hurricane.[4]
- Citations
- ^ Orriss 1984, pp. 31–32.
- ^ "A Yank in the RAF (1941)." IMDb. Retrieved: January 14, 2012.
- ^ a b Orris 1984, p. 33.
- ^ a b c d e Arnold, Jeremy. "A Yank in the R.A.F. (1941)." Turner Classic Movies. Retrieved: January 14, 2012.
- ^ Orris 1984, p. 31.
- ^ Parish 1990, p. 456.
- ^ Parish 1990, pp. 455–456.
- ^ Crowther, Bosley. "' A Yank in the R.A.F.' Is a Lively Bit of Romance and Adventure, at the Roxy." The New York Times, September 27, 1941.
- ^ Ordway, Holly E. "A Yank in the RAF." DVD Talk Review, June 19, 2002. Retrieved: January 14, 2012.
- Bibliography
- Dolan, Edward F. Jr. Hollywood Goes to War. London: Bison Books, 1985. ISBN 0-86124-229-7.
- Hardwick, Jack and Ed Schnepf. "A Buff's Guide to Aviation Movies". Air Progress Aviation, Vol. 7, No. 1, Spring 1983.
- Orriss, Bruce. When Hollywood Ruled the Skies: The Aviation Film Classics of World War II. Hawthorne, California: Aero Associates Inc., 1984. ISBN 0-9613088-0-X.
- Parish, James Robert. The Great Combat Pictures: Twentieth-Century Warfare on the Screen. Metuchen, New Jersey: The Scarecrow Press, 1990. ISBN 978-0810823150.
[edit] External links
- A Yank in the RAF at the Internet Movie Database
- A Yank in the R.A.F. at the TCM Movie Database
- A Yank in the RAF at AllRovi
- A Yank in the R.A.F. (1941) at Rotten Tomatoes
