Rear Admiral Jonathan L. Scott (Gary Cooper) is retiring in front of his aircraft carrier crew. He recalls this yet unknown warfare as a young pilot after WWI some 27 years earlier. America is sinking its fleet after the disarmament conference. Scotty and other young recruits are training for landing on the new experimental carrier.
This is a war biopic in the afterglow of WWII. It has the benefit of hindsight. It's all about showing Scott's foresight and the inevitability of war. I'm sure that the audience of its day felt this more. Gary Cooper has the perfect sincerity. It does have a good amount of old planes and interesting footage. The actual attack on Pearl is quite short. I had expected it to be the climax, but they probably needed the war. The thing that surprised me is the real-life color footage and turning the last act into a color film. It probably surprised its audience, too.
This is a war biopic in the afterglow of WWII. It has the benefit of hindsight. It's all about showing Scott's foresight and the inevitability of war. I'm sure that the audience of its day felt this more. Gary Cooper has the perfect sincerity. It does have a good amount of old planes and interesting footage. The actual attack on Pearl is quite short. I had expected it to be the climax, but they probably needed the war. The thing that surprised me is the real-life color footage and turning the last act into a color film. It probably surprised its audience, too.