Captains of the Clouds
1942 · Movie · NR · 114 min · ★ 6.6 · 95% critics
Set among rugged Canadian bush pilots, this wartime drama follows a reckless flyer and his companions as rivalry, romance, and pride give way to duty. When the war effort calls, they enlist and face the challenge of fitting their independent ways into military service.
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Details
- Years
- 1942
- Release date
- 1942-02-12
- Language
- English
- Rated
- NR
- Runtime
- 114 min
- Critic score
- 95/100
- TMDB rating
- 6.5/10 (30 votes)
- Box office
- $3,428,000
- Budget
- $1,770,000
About
You may enjoy this if you like old-school wartime adventures with bold flying scenes and a patriotic streak, somewhere between Flying Tigers and The Fighting 69th; Not for you if you want subtle drama or an unpredictable story.
Pros: striking color visuals; exciting aerial action; strong patriotic energy | Cons: formulaic story; uneven second half; thin character drama
Themes
- canada
- raf (royal air force)
- world war ii
- pilot
Awards & recognition
- Academy Award — Best Art Direction, Color · 1943 · nominated
- Academy Award — Best Cinematography, Color · 1943 · nominated
Cast & crew
James Cagney
as Brian MacLean
Dennis Morgan
as Johnny Dutton
Brenda Marshall
as Emily Foster
Alan Hale
as Tiny Murphy
George Tobias
as Blimp Lebec
Reginald Gardiner
as Scrounger Harris
W.A. Bishop
as Himself
Reginald Denny
as Commanding Officer
Russell Arms
as Prentiss
Paul Cavanagh
as Group Captain
Directed by Michael Curtiz