"Captains of the Clouds" seems to be a big-budget production that splurged on a star like Cagney, color film, and lots of exciting flight footage. There must not have been any money left for a cohesive screenplay.
The story never gains traction, and instead ends up being a series of episodes. First, we're in the backwoods, beginning to learn about the life of Canada's bush pilots. Then we're off to a big city hotel. A love triangle of sorts is introduced, then a third of the way through is abandoned. At an odd point in the plot's progression, we're off to prepare for flying planes in the war, and then Cagney is back in his bush plane, buzzing an airfield.
The performances are weak, too, with the actors relying on overly broad strokes and lots of mugging and strutting.
The story never gains traction, and instead ends up being a series of episodes. First, we're in the backwoods, beginning to learn about the life of Canada's bush pilots. Then we're off to a big city hotel. A love triangle of sorts is introduced, then a third of the way through is abandoned. At an odd point in the plot's progression, we're off to prepare for flying planes in the war, and then Cagney is back in his bush plane, buzzing an airfield.
The performances are weak, too, with the actors relying on overly broad strokes and lots of mugging and strutting.