Aerial Gunner

Plot

A wounded aerial gunner tells his story in this wartime propaganda film. He begins with his recruitment and basic training before the war. There he discovers that his sergeant is one of his foes, and that both of them are fighting for the affection of the lovely sister of a fellow recruit who becomes terrified of flying and suffers a plane crash during training. Eventually all is overcome and the new squadron prepares to fly for the South Pacific. The two rivals end up landing on an island overrun by Japanese troops. They frantically try to repair their downed plane. Later the brave sergeant sacrifices his life to save his rival who takes off and somehow makes it back to safety. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

Review

A rather routine war movie, Aerial Gunner is the kind of flick that leaves very little impression, good or bad. It's extremely familiar, with a typical "two rivals find themselves having to work together" plot that ends with the "bad" guy showing his true stripes by nobly sacrificing himself. Along the way, there's a strictly perfunctory romance that seems to exist for no real reason other than to pad the running time and to add more conflict between the two men; certainly, no one really believes that either cares for Lita Ward, who does the best she can with a nothing part. (As the men in question, Chester Morris is fine and Richard Arlen is slightly less than adequate.) There are a few sequences involving training that pique the interest, as they seem to present a genuine look at life inside a wartime camp, but most of the film is just a lot of the usual booming and fighting. The characters are stock types, the dialogue is generic, and the plot goes just where expected. For those who like this kind of film, it's an okay way to pass a little time when there's nothing better on. For those who aren't already inclined to this genre, it's better to give it a miss. ~ Craig Butler, Rovi

Cast

• Chester Morris - Foxy Pattis
• Richard Arlen - Ben Davis
• Lita Ward - Peggy Lunt
• Jimmy Lydon - Sandy Lunt
• Dick Purcell - Gadget Blaine

Keith Richards - Sgt. Jones; Billy Benedict - Pvt. Laswell; Ralph Sanford - Barclay; Robert Mitchum - Sergeant

Credit

William Pine - Director, William H. Ziegler - Editor, Fred Jackman, Jr. - Cinematographer, William Pine - Producer, Maxwell Shane - Screenwriter

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