Fighter Squadron (Warner Bros.) (1948)

“FIGHTER SQUADRON” — DAREDEVILS. Trio of ace combat pilots, played by Walter Reed, Robert Stack and Edmond O'Brien, await takeoff word in Warner Bros.’ smashing film of the air force, "Fighter Squadron", which opens next Friday at the Strand. Color is by Technicolor. Still 705-Pub. I ORDERS IS ORDERS. Edmond O'Brien disciplines Robert Stack in a dramatic Mat 705-2E moment in Warner Bros.’ exciting new Technicolor drama "Fighter Squadron", which has its local premiere Friday at the Strand Theatre. Still 705-30 Mat 705-2B Expert Flying Shots in Film In one of the longest and most unique dolly shots ever attempted, Cameraman Sid Hickox wheeled a brace of Technicolor cameras a total of 1245 feet at Oscoda, Mich., during location shots of Warner Bros.’ saga, “Fighter Squadron.” which is now finished and comes to the Strand Theatre next week. With one camera set for a medium shot and the other for a close shot, Hickox dollied down a line of 24 idling P-47 fighters at the Oscoda Army Air Base to complete running footage of a full squadron climbing into their planes for D-Day sequences. Raoul Walsh Plots Bright Warner Star Walter Reed, making his first appearance for Warner Bros. in “Fighter Squadron,” may emerge from the Technicolor saga of the Army Air Forces another Edward G. Robinson. Reed has always played romantic leading man roles, but Director Raoul Walsh stuck a cigar in Reed’s face and now predicts that the stogie may change Reed’s entire picture career. I’m going to have Reed chewing on a cigar in every scene in the picture,” Walsh said. Combat Pilots Assist Warners A squadron of 18 P-47 Thunderbolt fighters participated in the production of Warner Bros.’ exciting Technicolor film, “Fighter Squadron’, which opens next Friday at the Strand Theatre. Pilots were combat veterans of both the Pacific and European theaters. The commanding officer of the detachment was Lt. Col. Raymond ‘Skeets’ Gallagher, famed Army stunt pilot and Pacific veteran. Technical advisor on the film was Major Joseph Perry, jet pilot and an ace in the European theater. Another outstanding pilot identified with the picture was Major Lee Gover, former skipper of the American Eagle squadron in England during the war. Edmond O’Brien Reaches the Top Edmond O’Brien, ordinarily a modest fellow, wonders if his career is not a perfect example of climbing from the bottom to the top. O’Brien, who, as a flying Major in Warner Bros.’ thrilling Technicolor saga, “Fighter Squadron,” does most of his emoting at 25,000 feet altitude, started his Broadway career as the second gravedigger in “Hamlet.” Advance Stories — Review (Prepared Review) Fighter Squadron’, Smash Air Force Technicolor Film “Fighter Squadron”, Warner Bros.’ Technicolor saga of the U. S. Army air forces, bristles with zooming action and excitement. P-47 Thunderbolts fill the skies, dogfights ring with ack-ack fire, and a regular umbrella of— flyers cover the screen, during the unfolding of this smashing drama—a story of one of our intrepid fighter units in the last war. Three stars top the cast. Edmond O’Brien, Robert Stack and John Rodney, lead off the roster. Rising luminaries including: Tom D’Andrea, James Holden, Walter Reed, Sheppard Strudwick and Jack Larson are also present. Not to forget Henry Hull who plays top-ranking brass in this thriller. Raoul Walsh is responsible for the ace direction. “Fighter Squadron” tells the story of life and duty up to DDay. Heavy research has brought out many real-life experiences, which Seton I. Miller has skilfully moulded into the running script. This makes the film doubly gripping when it comes to straight undiluted suspense. While the camera captures considerable ground activity of the men, off-duty and on-duty, it is the air sequences which really put one on edge. One particular shot shows a fleet of fighters ready to take off. Up in the air, planes swoop down, engage in gunfire, break in two, burst into flame and spiral down to earth in trailing ribbons of smoke. Close-ups also show the pilots displaying realistic courage under fire which is far off the beaten track for Hollywood histrionics. Walsh has seen to it that this realistic touch is paramount throughout. His high spot comes when D-Day looms. This is a smash-bang stanza for all-out action. O’Brien is an accomplished actor, displaying authority and command when he tackles a role. Stack discards his past juvenile personality for a mature character here, revealing new dramatic facets. Rodney, fast coming along on the Hollywood scene, shares stellar honors with this duo. The entire cast looks Army and acts Army. Walsh has done a particularly smooth job on his casting. Incidentally, part of “Fighter Squadron” was shot at Oscoda, Michigan air base, with the Army co-operating. GI’s donned German uniforms for certain stanzas. Lake Huron even doubled for the English Channel at times. It all measures up as a superb piece of film fare. Exciting to the nth degree. That’s “Fighter Squadron”. Air Force Film Uses Ace Cast “Fighter Squadron” boasts of a superior cast. Edmond O’Brien, Robert Stack, John Rodney, Henry Hull, Tom D’Andrea, Sheppard Strudwick, James Holden and John McGuire carry the main assignments. Utilization of Army weather services at the Oscoda, Mich. Army air base proved invaluable during shooting of Warner Bros. Technicolor special, ‘Fighter Squadron”, which comes to the Strand Theatre soon. Hourly weather data indicated the type of clouds moving into the direct area. In this way, director Raoul Walsh was able to take advantage of the clouds which appeared on many occasions. To facilitate communications between ground troops, crews and aircraft overhead, a walkietalkie radio system connecting all units was devised which enabled the director to call any or all of his groups. ‘Little Nell’, Plane’s Name Ships, airplanes and other machines manufactured for the purpose of waging war were at one time merely props in the backgrounds of motion pictures. But the war boosted the inanimate machine into its own. In Warner Bros.’ thrill-packed Technicolor saga, “Fighter Squadron,” the cast, headed by such competent thespians as Edmond O’Brien, Robert Stack and Henry Hull, plays second fiddle to a bullet-riddled P-47 fighter plane known as “Little Nell.” “Nell’s” trials and tribulations and her final demise at the hands of a German Messerschmitt pilot is certain to endear her to audiences. In “Air Force,” another notable Warner air film, audience sympathy fell to a Boeing B-17 bomber called “Mary Ann,” in spite of the fact that John Garfield, Harry Carey, Gig Young and George Tobias were in it. BETWEEN FLIGHTS. A paradoxical example of how highstrung pilots "relax", in Warner Bros.’ thrilling Technicolor drama of the air force, ‘Fighter Squadron", due next Friday at the Strand. Above are Walter Reed, John Rodney, Edmond O'Brien and Robert Stack. Still 705-26 Mat 705-2D