Air Force (1943)

The crew of a B-17 Flying Fortress, the Pearl Harbor-bound Mary Ann, takes off from San Francisco on December 6, 1941, with a collection of men ranging from grizzled veteran White (Harry Carey) to rookie radio operator Chester (Ray Montgomery) to disgruntled tail gunner Winocki (John Garfield). Along the way, they learn of the surpise attack by the Japanese, and their plane, sent to Wake Island and the Philippines, encounters a furious fight with the enemy that is depicted in stirring aerial battle sequences. As the story unfolds, the men struggle with various personal issues, including one man's frustrated desire to be a pilot, another's hope to live up to his war-hero father's reputation, and a romantic rivalry. A quintessential war film from director Howard Hawks featuring his trademark theme of a group of professionals working together against a common enemy, the picture includes both authentic and re-created war footage; the story culminates in a massive attack on a Japanese fleet. The film garnered four Oscar nominations, including Best Original Screenplay; William Faulkner was an uncredited collaborator on the script.