Bombers B-52
| Bombers B-52 | |
|---|---|
Efrem Zimbalist Jr | |
| Cinematography | William H. Clothier |
| Edited by | Thomas Reilly |
| Music by | Leonard Rosenman |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | Warner Bros. |
Release date |
|
Running time | 106 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $1.8 million |
Bombers B-52 (released in the UK as No Sleep till Dawn)
The film's storyline is focused on the introduction of the Boeing B-52 Stratofortress bomber by the U.S. Strategic Air Command (SAC) in the 1950s. A respected and highly experienced master sergeant must choose between continuing his career in the Air Force and accepting a job in the private sector that would pay him three times his military salary.
Plot
The Strategic Air Command is about to introduce the B-52 Stratofortress bomber as its primary manned strategic weapon. Stationed at
Brennan, Herlihy, and others try to solve all the technical problems that plague the introduction of the B-52. On one top-secret test flight to Africa, after being refueled in mid-air, a control panel short-circuits, causing a fire. Herlihy orders everyone to bail out and ejects Brennan when he refuses to leave the bomber. After safely landing the burning aircraft at Castle AFB, Herlihy sends out search parties, who manage to recover all of the crew except for Brennan. Following a hunch, Herlihy eventually finds his chief aircraft mechanic, who is severely injured, and airlifts him by helicopter from remote back country to the base hospital.
While recovering, Brennan realizes that he was wrong about Herlihy, who risked his life to bring him home. He accepts that his daughter and his commanding officer should now reunite. Eventually, Brennan also has to choose between a high-paying civilian job and his US Air Force career. When told that his discharge papers are ready to sign, he decides to continue the career he loves in the USAF.
Cast
- Natalie Wood as Lois Brennan
- Karl Malden as MSgt. Chuck V. Brennan
- Marsha Hunt as Edith Brennan
- Efrem Zimbalist Jr. as Lt. Col. Jim Herlihy
- Don Kellyas MSgt. Darren McKine
- Nelson Leigh as Brig. Gen. Wayne Acton
- Robert Nichols as Wilbur "Brooklyn" Stuart
- Ray Montgomery as Barnes
- Robert Hover as Simpson (as Bob Hover)
- Juanita Moore as Clarissa
Production
Bombers B-52 was filmed with the full cooperation of the United States Air Force at
The first choice for the starring role was Tab Hunter, who subsequently turned it down because he was tired of playing military roles.[4] Writer Irving Wallace wrote a "racy" screenplay; one of the working titles was No Sleep till Dawn (which was used as the title for the film's UK release).[1] The screenplay was later the subject of a 1980s exposé of sexual innuendo by film historian Hal Erickson.[3]
Reception
Reviews of Bombers B-52 mainly focused on the aerial scenes, which during the Cold War era projected a near-propaganda effort, using many period aircraft to depict the era faithfully.[5] The review in The New York Times was mildly laudatory, describing it as a "frank tribute to Air Force nuclear power, laced together with a familiar service feud ... Irving Wallace's dialogue is excellent. Furthermore, his unpretentious scenario is credible and persuasive in training sequences and especially in the hearth scenes".[6] The performances of the leads was also considered "natural". Overall, The New York Times critic thought "'Bombers B-52' is not [terrific], but it could have been much, much worse".[6] Variety gushed that it was "magnificently mounted, with breathtaking scenes of the new B-52s", while Time magazine more aptly characterized Bombers B-52 as a "$1,400,000 want ad for Air Force technicians".[3] In other reviews, the dichotomy of 19-year-old Natalie Wood being courted by 40-year-old Efrem Zimbalist Jr. was noted, as well as the attempt to portray a contemporary, if tepid, love story.[3]
Comic book adaptation
- Dell Four Color #831 (September 1957)[7][8]
See also
References
Notes
- ^ a b Leverence 1974, pp. 233–234.
- ^ "Bombers B-52". Turner Classic Movies. Archived from the original on March 6, 2016. Retrieved March 3, 2016.
- ^ a b c d Fristoe, Roger. "Article: Bombers B-52."[permanent dead link] Turner Classic Movies. Retrieved: March 29, 2012.
- ^ Hunter and Muller 2005, p. 147.
- ^ Maltin 2009, p. 158.
- ^ a b "'Bombers B-52'; Film at Paramount Stars Karl Malden." The New York Times, November 23, 1957.
- ^ "Dell Four Color #831". Grand Comics Database.
- ^ Dell Four Color #831 at the Comic Book DB (archived from the original)
Bibliography
- Hunter, Tab and Eddie Muller. Tab Hunter Confidential: The Making of a Movie Star. New York: Algonquin Books, 2005. ISBN 978-1565124660.
- Leverence, John. Irving Wallace: A Writer's Profile. Bowling Green, Ohio: Popular Press 1, 1974. ISBN 978-0879720636.
- Maltin, Leonard. Leonard Maltin's Movie Guide 2009. New York: New American Library, 2009 (originally published as TV Movies, then Leonard Maltin’s Movie & Video Guide), First edition 1969, published annually since 1988. ISBN 978-0-451-22468-2.
External links
- Bombers B-52 at IMDb
- Bombers B-52 at the TCM Movie Database
- Bombers B-52 at AllMovie
- Bombers B-52 at the American Film Institute Catalog
- Bombers B-52 movie trailer on YouTube.com
