Posts from ethanedwards in thread „Island In The Sky (1953)“

  • Island In The Sky (1953)

    I still think that out of two, i.e. High and the Mighty,
    Island in the Sky was the much better film.
    Duke's acting was superb, and I consider the whole
    movie, script, action etc much more convincing
    and less contrived, then the other movie, which on watching nowadays,
    is laughable in many scenes!

  • Island In The Sky (1953)

    Hi Tabitha,

    First of all a big

    WELCOME to the JWMB

    I am sure you will meet many friendly and knowledgeable
    folk here, on this great Board.

    What you posted is very interesting, and I feel
    sure, lots of our members would be interested.

    Is it possible you could copy and paste, your
    fathers accounts, here in this thread?

  • Island In The Sky (1953)


    Hi Jim and Sue,
    Thanks for your post, and it underlines, once again,
    that all this fragmentation, was not helpful.
    Now at least, we can now have all this, in one forum.

  • Island In The Sky (1953)

    Island in the Sky is a 1953 American aviation adventure drama film
    written by Ernest K. Gann based on his 1944 novel of the same name,
    directed by William A. Wellman, and starring and co-produced by John Wayne.
    It was released by Warner Bros.
    Due to its realism depicting the events
    surrounding an actual aircraft crash,
    it is considered one of the "classic" aviation films.


    Great realistic movie with Duke outstanding.
    Well supported by strong performances of
    Lloyd Nolan, Walter Abel
    James Arness     and Andy Devine


    Also look out for a young Fess Parker
    and Duke 'Pals'
    Harry Carey Jr. as Ralph Hunt, Moon's co-pilot
    Paul Fix as Wally Miller
    and
    Bob Steele as Wilson, Moon's radioman


    User Review

    Quote

    Can't Forget It
    27 June 2004 | by Bruce Gilliland (Birmingham, AL)


    I saw Island in the Sky in 1953 as a 6-year-old. I've never seen it again, but I still remember scenes from the movie. Like The Searchers, which I saw when it first came out in 1956, some of John Wayne's work stays with us. His movies had an impact that carries over generations.
    I think The High and the Mighty, which came out a year later, overshadowed Island in the Sky. It was a bigger production and it has been shown on TV.
    When AMC and other cable networks do their John Wayne retrospectives, they ought to include some of his earlier, lesser-known films such as Island in the Sky. All they ever show are his 1960s westerns and an occasional war film (I saw In Harm's Way last night).

  • Island In The Sky (1953)

    ISLAND IN THE SKY

    DIRECTED BY WILLIAM A. WELLMAN
    PRODUCED BY JOHN WAYNE/ ROBERT FELLOWS
    WAYNE-FELLOWS/ BATJAC PRODUCTION
    MUSIC BY EMIL NEWMAN
    WARNER BROS


    Photo with the courtesy of lasbugas


    Information from IMDb


    Plot Summary
    A transport plane crash-lands in the frozen wastes of Labrador, and the plane's pilot, Dooley, must keep his men alive in deadly conditions while waiting for rescue.
    Summary written by Jim Beaver


    Full Cast
    John Wayne .... Capt. Dooley
    Lloyd Nolan .... Captain Stutz
    Walter Abel .... Col. Fuller
    James Arness .... Mac McMullen, pilot
    Andy Devine .... Willie Moon, pilot
    Allyn Joslyn .... J.H. Handy, pilot
    Jimmy Lydon .... Murray, Dooley's navigator (as James Lydon)
    Harry Carey Jr. .... Ralph Hunt, Moon's co-pilot
    Hal Baylor .... Stankowski, Dooley's engineer
    Sean McClory .... Frank Lovatt, Dooley's co-pilot
    Wally Cassell .... D'Annunzia, Dooley's radioman
    Gordon Jones .... Walrus
    Frank Fenton .... Capt. Turner
    Robert Keys .... Maj. Ditson
    Sumner Getchell .... Lt. Cord
    Regis Toomey .... Sgt. Harper
    Paul Fix .... Wally Miller
    Jim Dugan .... Gidley
    George Chandler .... Rene
    Louis Jean Heydt .... Fitch, pilot (as Louis Heydt)
    Bob Steele .... Wilson, Moon's radioman
    Darryl Hickman .... Swanson, McMullen's radioman
    Mike Connors .... Gainer (as Touch Connors)
    Carl 'Alfalfa' Switzer .... Sonny Hopper, Stutz' co-pilot (as Carl Switzer)
    Cass Gidley .... Stannish, pilot
    Herbert Anderson .... Breezy, Stannish's co-pilot (as Guy Anderson)
    Tony De Mario .... Ogden
    Dawn Bender .... Murray's wife (uncredited)
    Gene Coogan .... Stutz's Navigator (uncredited)
    Ann Doran .... Moon's wife (uncredited)
    John Indrisano .... Mechanic (uncredited)
    Tom Irish .... Dusty, McMullen's co-pilot (uncredited)
    Fess Parker .... Fitch's co-pilot (uncredited)
    Richard Walsh .... (uncredited)
    Michael Wellman .... Mike Moon (uncredited)
    Tim Wellman .... Jim Moon (uncredited)
    Phyllis Winger .... Margaret, Girl in flashback (uncredited)


    Writing Credits
    Ernest K. Gann also novel


    Original Music
    Emil Newman
    Hugo Friedhofer (uncredited)


    Cinematography
    Archie Stout


    Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
    Andrew V. McLaglen


    Trivia
    The little yellow radio shown in the movie was a actual radio. Its design is based on a WWII German emergency transmitter. It is a BC-778/SCR-578/AN-CRT3 emergency transmitter (it could not receive) affectionately called 'Gibson Girl', a name taken from the narrow-waisted female drawings of 1890s fashion artist Charles Gibson. Its shape allowed the operator to hold it between the legs while cranking it the necessary 80 RPM to produce enough electricity to operate. It could be set to automatically send an SOS signal or switched to send Morse Code signals. Early models transmitted only on 500kHz, later models also could transmit on 8280kHz (later modified to 8364kHz). It was notorious for being tough to crank.


    The general plot is based on a true story that the author, Ernest Gann related in his 1961 autobiographical book about his flying career, "Fate is the Hunter". He and other pilots searched successfully for a lost fellow pilot in the wilds of northern Canada during World War II.


    Goofs
    * Continuity: The stranded crew had arranged branches in the snow into the shape of a cross so the planes could spot it. Then they rearrange the branches to spell out a message when they fly over. The planes fly over one more time, and the branches are back in the shape of a cross.


    * Revealing mistakes: When the crewman is lost in the blizzard, you can see some white fabric in the "snowbank" behind him flapping in the wind.


    * Factual errors: As the plane begins its crash landing on the lake three crew members - not the pilots - are standing up behind the pilots looking out the windows. Under no circumstances would the non pilots be there. They would be in crash position in the rear area, not standing in the cockpit.


    * Miscellaneous: Just before their plane goes down, when Wayne and the co-pilot look out the windows, the wings are covered in ice, and the fuselage and windows are covered in snow - the camera then pans to a full view of the plane and there is no snow or ice anywhere. After the plane lands there is only a small amount of snow on it.


    * Factual errors: Hearing an incorrect latitude reading, Dooley says it could put them in Paris, Vladivostok, or Bangor ME, "all on the same latitude". The last two cities are at latitudes 43.1° and 44.8° north, which might be considered roundly the same, but Paris is significantly farther north at 48.8°. As a pilot with experience on Atlantic flights, Dooley would certainly know this.


    * Continuity: When Lovatt died, he had curled up into a fetal position. He would have frozen in that position. When the crew buried him, he was straightened out.


    Memorable Quotes


    Filming Location
    Donner Lake, Truckee, California, USA


    Watch the Trailer:-


    Island In The Sky


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