IMDb RATING
5.6/10
2.8K
YOUR RATING
Air Force Colonel Jim Shannon is tasked to escort a defecting Soviet pilot who is scheming to lure Shannon to the USSR.Air Force Colonel Jim Shannon is tasked to escort a defecting Soviet pilot who is scheming to lure Shannon to the USSR.Air Force Colonel Jim Shannon is tasked to escort a defecting Soviet pilot who is scheming to lure Shannon to the USSR.
Dorothy Abbott
- Girl
- (uncredited)
Phil Arnold
- Bellboy
- (uncredited)
Lois Austin
- Saleswoman at Palm Springs Dress Shop
- (uncredited)
Paul Bakanas
- Russian Security Man
- (uncredited)
Hall Bartlett
- Sergeant
- (uncredited)
Gregg Barton
- Military Policeman
- (uncredited)
John Bishop
- Maj. Sinclair
- (uncredited)
Earl Breithard
- Guard
- (uncredited)
James Brown
- Sergeant
- (uncredited)
William Bryant
- Radar Monitor
- (uncredited)
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaHoward Hughes intended to show off the latest in aircraft technology in 1949-50 (when this film was shot). By the time it was finally released to the public in 1957, the aircraft featured were already obsolete.
- GoofsWhen Anna's plane flames out, it would have no thrust, so it should immediately start to slow down and lose altitude, and Jim would notice right away. But he doesn't notice, and Anna has to tell him that she has flamed out. The two jets keep flying smoothly in close formation, revealing that one is seeing film of two jets both under power.
- Quotes
Lt. Anna Marladovna Shannon: [When asked why a fellow Russian has ejected from an aircraft sitting on the runway] He made a mistake. He pulled the seat ejector instead of the seat adjuster.
- Crazy creditsAdvertising carried the credits "Starring John Wayne, Janet Leigh, and the United States Air Force."
- ConnectionsFeatured in Hollywood the Golden Years: The RKO Story: Howard's Way (1987)
Featured review
Great for history, not so much for cinematic entertainment
Unless you're willing to concede that the the movie was made as a farce, which I don't happen to believe, then the plot and acting are one cringeworthy moment after another, starting with Janet Leigh's improbably striptease after landing her Soviet fighter at a US airbase, not that there's anything wrong with her stripping, of course. The improbabilities pile on higher and deeper to the point that being probable is no longer even the point and you just don't care anymore.
That said, the true star of this movie is the period hardware, some of it seldom seen anywhere else. The scene of the night interception of the Convair B-36 showed an early model in flight in such detail that if you look closely you can see that the retractable weapons, usually seen retracted on this rather rare machine, are extended. Also other fighters of the era are portrayed including the Bell X-1 that fills in for the Soviet parasite fighter that is actually the rocket plane that Chuck Yeager flew on the world's first supersonic flight. If you are an aviation enthusiast I highly recommend this movie. If you are fan of The Duke or are looking for action adventure or suspense entertainment, pass this one by, it's not for you.
That said, the true star of this movie is the period hardware, some of it seldom seen anywhere else. The scene of the night interception of the Convair B-36 showed an early model in flight in such detail that if you look closely you can see that the retractable weapons, usually seen retracted on this rather rare machine, are extended. Also other fighters of the era are portrayed including the Bell X-1 that fills in for the Soviet parasite fighter that is actually the rocket plane that Chuck Yeager flew on the world's first supersonic flight. If you are an aviation enthusiast I highly recommend this movie. If you are fan of The Duke or are looking for action adventure or suspense entertainment, pass this one by, it's not for you.
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Details
Box office
- Budget
- $9,000,000 (estimated)
- Runtime1 hour 53 minutes
- Aspect ratio
- 1.37 : 1
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