A Yank in the R.A.F.

Plot

A Yank in the RAF is brash pilot Tim Baker (Tyrone Power), freshly arrived in London. Hoping to impress his nightclub-singer girlfriend Carol Brown (Betty Grable), Tim joins the Royal Air Force, immediately alienating everyone with his cockiness and "What the Hell?" attitude concerning the war. All this changes when Baker is obliged to fly under combat conditions, whereupon he shows what he's really made of. One of the most popular of the pre-Pearl Harbor "preparedness" films, A Yank in the RAF comes to an exciting conclusion, with actual newsreel footage of the evacuation of Dunkirk expertly matched with studio mockups. As a bonus, Betty Grable sings such catchy numbers as Another Little Dream Won't Do Us Any Harm. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Review

While A Yank in the R.A.F. is a decidedly uneven affair, there's enough positive about it that most viewers will probably rate it as a fairly decent, if very dated, film. Like many other such war-elated films made at the same time, Yank has a propagandistic aspect to it; in this case, it's to help convince the isolationists in America that the U.S. needed to get involved in the war overseas. It plays this angle with little subtlety, but the bigger problem for many modern viewers will be the manner in which Tyrone Power's character pursues Betty Grable's character. His relentless will be considered harassment by many viewing the film today, and it doesn't help matters that Power's character -- despite the actor's considerable charm -- is simply too much of a jerk. But there are factors that balance these flaws, among them the fact that Power and Grable possess such delightful chemistry and that both are in peak physical form. Garble also gets to entertain with a few pointless but engaging musical numbers, and the action sequences are quite gripping and very well done. The special effects work for the time is top notch, and the cinematography is very effective. ~ Craig Butler, Rovi

Cast

• Tyrone Power - Tom Baker
• Betty Grable - Carol Brown
• John Sutton - Wing Cmdr. Morley
• Reginald Gardiner - Roger Pillby
• Donald Stuart - Cpl. Harry Baker

Morton Lowry - Squadron Leader; Ralph Byrd - Al Bennett; Richard Fraser - Thorndyke; Denis Green - Flight Lt. Redmond; Gilchrist Stuart - Wales; Lester Matthews - Group Captain; Frederic Worlock - Canadian Major; Ethel Griffies - Mrs. Fitzhugh; Fortunio Bonanova - Headwaiter at Regency; James Craven - Instructor; Stuart Robertson - Intelligence Officer; Dennis Hoey - Intelligence Officer; Claud Allister; Gladys Cooper - Mrs. Pillby; Leslie Denison - Group Commander; G.P. Huntley - Radio Operator; John Hartley - Copilot; Forrester Harvey - Cubby; Charles Irwin - Uniformed Man; Crauford Kent - Group Captain; Guy Kingsford - Officer; Kurt Kreuger - German Pilot; Bruce Lister - Flight Lt. Richardson; Eric Lonsdale - Radio Man; Alphonse Martell - Headwaiter; Gavin Muir - Wing Commander; Pat O'Hara - Navigator; Gil Perkins - Sergeant; Lillian Porter - Chorus Girl; Otto Reichow; Lynne Roberts - Nurse at Boat; John Rogers - Chauffeur; Hans Schumm - German Soldier; Hans Von Morhart - German Sergeant; John Wilde - Graves; Bobby Hale - Cab Driver; John Meredith - Cadet; Howard Davis - Air Raid Warden; Maureen Roden-Ryan - Barmaid

Credit

James Basevi - Art Director, Richard Day - Art Director, Travis Banton - Costume Designer, Henry King - Director, Barbara McLean - Editor, Alfred Newman - Composer (Music Score), Alfred Newman - Musical Direction/Supervision, Ralph Rainger - Songwriter, Leo Robin - Songwriter, Ronald Neame - Cinematographer, Leon Shamroy - Cinematographer, Louis Edelman - Producer, Darryl F. Zanuck - Producer, Thomas K. Little - Set Designer, Fred Sersen - Special Effects, Karl Tunberg - Screenwriter, Darrell Ware - Screenwriter

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