Strategic Air Command

Our first line of defense, before our missiles became more accurate, was huge bombers. When these huge aircraft flew, their power and size seemed awe-inspiring. Looking back at this movie, the B-36 now seems ungainly and incredibly complex. The B-47 seems less ungainly, but technology has clearly superceded both these aircraft.

This movie comes across as a recruiting film for the Air Force, and to a certain extent a patriotic film justifying our strategic air forces. The plot is relatively simple, and trying to spice it up with a sub-story regarding Jimmy Stewart's career as a baseball player and his relationship with his wife becomes a distraction. The focus of this movie is flying big bombers.

What gloriously complex aircraft these were. The scenes showing the takeoff of the B-36 were incredible. For airplane enthusiasts, the portion of the film focusing on the reading of the checklist is unusual (because for most people it would seem boring) and unique. Watching how the plane is powered up is nearly worth the exercise of watching the film.

Later we get to watch as the B-47 is transitioned into the active military. We watch as the B-47 is flown in poor weather conditions, and watch the fatigue and boredom set in as the crews flew incredibly lengthy missions.

Some of the most interesting and now somewhat anachronistic parts of the movies are those portions dealing with the functioning of Strategic Air Command (SAC) bases. These bases were very highly protected, and exercises were continuously run to assure that saboteurs or an enemy invading force would be repelled by base security forces. During their period of duty, crews were either in the air or standing by on alert, ready to jump in their plane and be airborne in less than 15 minutes. I remember well an exercise called a "total recall" where every member of the base is called to duty to be prepared for a possible enemy attack.

While the parts of the movie dealing with Jimmy Stewart the baseball player and husband are relative distractions, they do point out the sacrifice that many people made to be in the military at that time. Military aircraft were huge and complex, and tended to break down a lot. The missions were incredibly long, and the flight systems relatively crude, requiring fatiguing concentration. For all the hardship of flying, the pay was low, and often the working conditions including the noise and cold (military aircraft are generally not well-insulated - note how the flight crew is dressed; it was cold up there) were uncomfortable to say the least.

This movie is a rarity that is close to being a historical artifact. While some of the operational details are simplified, in general the scenes depicted are relatively accurate. Further, the scenes with the aircraft are rare and detailed. Forget the plot of this movie; it's about the airplanes, Jimmy Stewart's love of flying and a time that was not so far away.


Great footage of some great airplanes.   August 6, 1999
28 out of 28 found this review helpful

This is a great movie that the true airplane buff shouldn't miss.

Although the bulk of the film portrays either the B-36 or the B-47, don't forget to take a close look at the scene near the beginning of the film when the DC-3 in distress makes the phoney emergency landing at the SAC base. Note that the airplane is landed with the left engine feathered, and then the same engine is fired up when it's still on the roll. Great flying, probably by Paul Mantz.

One of the highlights as far as I'm concerned is when Dutch Holland (aka Jimmy Stewart) goes for his first familiarization flight in the Peacemaker. The checklist sounds like it's being done by real flightcrew. Have a look at that big pusher prop turning over as they start number 4. And let's not forget the sequence where they follow the airplane from mid takeoff through the early climb; from rotation to liftoff to brake application to gear up. Footage that is hard to beat no matter what type of airplane is being filmed, but especially outstanding with a subject as unique as the B-36. And, of course, one can't forget the high altitude shots during cruise. Simply beautiful.

Yes, I know that the storyline can get a little hokey when referring to the love side of the film, but it didn't detract much at all from my enjoyment of the flying side of the picture.

Airplane enthusiasts, have a look at this movie and I think you will be pleasantly surprised. I know I was.


A patriots movie with historical flare.   October 16, 1999
22 out of 23 found this review helpful

This is a movie that really "waves the flag"; and rightly so. I was a member of SAC, worked and flew in the B-36. The photography is second to none. Turn up your sound system and "live" being in or around a B-36 during a take-off. There is no sound like "6-a-churning and 4-a-burning". The scenes inside the B-36 are great and gives me a chance to relive my times "bouncing" around inside a B-36.

Harry Morgan had one line that will live in an Airman's heart. "One on the ramp and one in the hanger". How many of us lived this condition? I had three children (AF brats).

Jimmy Stewart and June Allyson played roles that can bring back true memories of SAC and Gen. Curtis LeMay. It took this type of person to take the rituals necessary for the day.


Baseball and bombers -- Cold-war patriotism at its best!   April 6, 1999
Tim Barber (Macon, Georgia)
16 out of 16 found this review helpful

Although the interactions between Stewart and Allyson can get pretty sappy, the aerial footage is well worth the investment. And surprisingly enough, the ending is not as happy as one would expect -- a rather bitter-sweet commentary on the sacrifices that these folks made during the Cold War.

The movie appears to portray life on a SAC base in the mid-fifties pretty accurately. I got a kick out of the SAC Commander, a not-so-subtle caricature of real-life SAC visionary General Curtis LeMay, the guy who inspired the George C. Scott character in "Dr. Strangelove".

Before the B-52 became a legend, there was the B-47 and B-36. This flick spotlights both of those aircraft, presenting the interesting contrast between the two: the B-47 was a small, fast, three-person plane, while the B-36 was just so dang HUGE! At one point, Stewart traverses a tunnel to get from the front to the rear of the bomber -- take a good look at how long that thing is!

As a bonus, we get to see a rather young-looking Harry Morgan in a military role that foreshadows his "M*A*S*H" days. Who woulda thunk it?


The Way We Were   August 19, 2002
Robert States (Coral Springs, Florida)
14 out of 14 found this review helpful

Almost fifty years after this movie's release date (1955), I am still haunted by the magnificent aerial photography. This movie must be seen for that reason alone! As a time-capsule, the movie also deals with a period when the Air Force was moving to jet bombers and gearing up to fight the cold war.

It is now history. We "won" the cold war, most actors in this film are no longer with us and the largest aircraft ever in active service with the Air Force---the B-36, exists only on film.

Forget the story line, forget the Air Force propaganda pitch from the fifties and just relax and enjoy a spectacular scenic view of what others did to help "protect and defend" during a earlier era.

Today, those who continue to protect us by flying stealth technology bombers stand on the shoulders of those who flew the B-36's and B-47's depicted in this movie.

We are all indebted...enjoy the movie!