Ordinarily I'd call Fakey Fakerstein on something as ridiculous as the thick fog that engulfs the North Island Naval Air Station as hotshot Robert Taylor attempts to land the navy's latest toy.
But I've been in San Diego's Gaslamp District, barely a block away from the convention center, which itself is right across the water from Coronado. And let me tell you, when that fog rolls in, it really rolls in. One night, the fog was so thick I couldn't even see the condo units directly across the courtyad barely 25 yards away. The convention centre and every highrise normally within view were completely shrouded. I don't know how anyone could possible land a plane in that mess.
Oh, the movie. Hotshot Taylor gets a cool reception from the stiffs in the Hellcats, who all seem to have sticks up their ssses and fly around in airplanes that look straight out of World War I. The Japanese probably saw a cut of this movie and figured, h3ck, we can take these guys out in a week if those are the buckets they're flying.
The commander is super-stiff Walter Pidgeon. Red Skelton plays the very unfunny comic relief. And the McGuffin is some sort of anti-fog device. Who cares.
Perhaps the movie's worst sin is it fails to take advantage of exteriors on the North Island. Probably shot the whole thing on the Hollywood backlot. Well, other than the flying scenes, which frankly were nothing spectacular.
Man, Hollywood made a lot of terrible movies in their desperate attempt to convince Iowa farmboys to sign up to get themselves killed in Europe or the Pacific.
But that's not even the mopvie's.
But I've been in San Diego's Gaslamp District, barely a block away from the convention center, which itself is right across the water from Coronado. And let me tell you, when that fog rolls in, it really rolls in. One night, the fog was so thick I couldn't even see the condo units directly across the courtyad barely 25 yards away. The convention centre and every highrise normally within view were completely shrouded. I don't know how anyone could possible land a plane in that mess.
Oh, the movie. Hotshot Taylor gets a cool reception from the stiffs in the Hellcats, who all seem to have sticks up their ssses and fly around in airplanes that look straight out of World War I. The Japanese probably saw a cut of this movie and figured, h3ck, we can take these guys out in a week if those are the buckets they're flying.
The commander is super-stiff Walter Pidgeon. Red Skelton plays the very unfunny comic relief. And the McGuffin is some sort of anti-fog device. Who cares.
Perhaps the movie's worst sin is it fails to take advantage of exteriors on the North Island. Probably shot the whole thing on the Hollywood backlot. Well, other than the flying scenes, which frankly were nothing spectacular.
Man, Hollywood made a lot of terrible movies in their desperate attempt to convince Iowa farmboys to sign up to get themselves killed in Europe or the Pacific.
But that's not even the mopvie's.