Air Force

The crew of a B-17 flying fortress set out for Pearl Harbor on the eve of the United States’ entry into World War II.

Air Force is director Howard Hawks’s salute to the Army Air Corps. It’s basically an epic wartime propaganda film, but its use of authentic equipment and Hawks’s mastery of the material make it something more.

There are two big problems with Air Force. The first is that the cast is too homogenized. With the exception of Harry Carey, they all blend together. John Wayne would have been a knockout in John Ridgely’s role as the pilot, but his and Hawks first collaboration wouldn’t be for another six years.

The second problem lies with the film’s first half. It’s very talky. For a war picture, the first hour is very slow. Things pick up quickly in the second half, but a stronger opening would go a long way.

Despite these problems, Howard Hawks still turns in a descent movie. The finale delivers, and Hawks’s innate feel for the camaraderie amongst men serves him well.