The men that flew the mail planes and the woman who prayed for them to land safely. This biographical drama is the true story of the MacDonald brothers, going from air shows to a lifelong career, and the audience prays that they didn't end like the Sullivan Brothers of the world war that followed in this time period. Ironically the woman who plays the wife, Anne Baxter, played one of the wives in "The Sullivans" just three years before, and coming off of "The Razors Edge" (and an Oscar) was very popular.
This was William Holden's first film in four years and his most prestigious film since "Our Town", indicating that there were serious parts around the corner, not just the frivolous comedies that he had spent the early war years making. He's the oldest of the four brothers and first to marry, supported by Sonny Tufts, Sterling Hayden and Johnny Sands as his brothers. Holden dominates as the other three seem destined to be alternating lines as the screenwriter dictated. Hayden, the best of the three actors, at least gets a subplot involving a crash that leaves his character despondent about not being able to fly again.
However, giving excellent performances in support of the brothers are the always dependable Howard da Silva and William Bendix, getting very well written characters that serve a purpose. Jean Wallace plays an actress who sets her sights on Holden and doesn't let his marriage stop her. It's a film that the viewers will want to be better, and it is as far as the fought sequences are concerned. The main story isn't enough to create a plot as everything that occurs seems to be just a series of incidents passing time, but as a piece of aviation history is educational and interesting.
This was William Holden's first film in four years and his most prestigious film since "Our Town", indicating that there were serious parts around the corner, not just the frivolous comedies that he had spent the early war years making. He's the oldest of the four brothers and first to marry, supported by Sonny Tufts, Sterling Hayden and Johnny Sands as his brothers. Holden dominates as the other three seem destined to be alternating lines as the screenwriter dictated. Hayden, the best of the three actors, at least gets a subplot involving a crash that leaves his character despondent about not being able to fly again.
However, giving excellent performances in support of the brothers are the always dependable Howard da Silva and William Bendix, getting very well written characters that serve a purpose. Jean Wallace plays an actress who sets her sights on Holden and doesn't let his marriage stop her. It's a film that the viewers will want to be better, and it is as far as the fought sequences are concerned. The main story isn't enough to create a plot as everything that occurs seems to be just a series of incidents passing time, but as a piece of aviation history is educational and interesting.