This film was on Talking Pictures today and, in truth I had no recollection of it at all, and yet it starred Robert Mitchum, Robert Wagner, Richard Egan and May Britt and was released in Cinemascope and Technicolor by Twentieth Century Fox – so it had all the credentials of a memorable one.

Also it had quite a big budget

There were some impressive action sequences and for the experts apparently, some of the best aerial scenes of conflict that we have seen on screen

ABOVE and BELOW :- Robert Mitchum rescues a colleague who is just hanging from his parachute in a tree

However they have been spotted by the Korean enemy and are pursued

Robert Mitchum pulls out his gun as the pursuers close in – but just at that moment a Sabre Jet comes out of nowhere and strafes the aggressors with bullets.

This was Dick Powell’s last film as a Director for 20th Century Fox

Robert Mitchum plays Ceve Saville, an older pilot looking to fly again. He becomes commander of an air squadron led by his old WWII leader, Dutch Imil ( Richard Egan).

Ceve forms his squadron with a young pilot, Lt. Pell ( RobertWagner), a gentler type, Corona (John Gabriel), an alcoholic, Carl Abbott (Phillips) and a more brazen type (Stacy Harris).

Meanwhile, Ceve falls in love with Carl Abbott’s beautiful and unhappy wife ( May Britt), and she with him.

The flying sequences are wonderful, filmed over the southwest United States giving the impression of great speed on the screen. Very few models were used – it was mostly real jets. Very exciting it was too

The Korean pursuers

BELOW – In a second attack one of the Korean vehicles is hit and bursts into flames.

A Korean vehicle is hit and bursts into flame

May Britt is the female lead.

In many ways I am reminded of a 20th Century Fox Film of a few years earlier – ‘D Day 6th June’ which starred Robert Taylor, Richard Todd and Dana Wynter. The conflict in that one was different but the storyline of a service man falling in love with his colleague’s wife was much the same.

Richard Egan and Robert Wagner

ABOVE – Robert Mitchum

ABOVE – Richard Egan

ABOVE – A Double Bill with ‘The Fly’ – Looking at all of the posters makes me realise that there were some vey good films released at that time