- Also known as Shadows of Their Wings
- Directed by Michael Curtiz
- February 12, 1942 (New York City) / February 21, 1942 (US)
Opening Text
“This picture is respectfully dedicated to the Royal Canadian Air Force….
With sincere appreciation of their cooperation and admiration for their abilities and courage…
To those student pilots in this picture who are now in actual combat overseas….
And most particularly is dedicated to the many in the Service who have trailed the shadows of their wings over the vastness of Canada from the forty-ninth parallel to the Arctic Circle….
The Bush Pilots”
After Churchill’s Dunkirk speech, an undisciplined bush pilot and his three friends enlist in the RCAF but are deemed too old to be fliers.
When I first began Captains of the Clouds I was expecting a Canadian-set adventure film that ignored the then-ongoing WWII. Not improbable since Hollywood produced such escapist material to keep public morale during the time. What I got instead was a patriotic film focusing on Canadian involvement in that war effort.
This is filmed in stunning technicolor with fantastic aerial footage from the time mixed in with that impressive miniature work. Not all of it is perfect but much of it is very hard to spot. The colors are bright and sharp as they jump off the screen.
James Cagney plays Canadian pilot Brian MacLean. He is bit of a jerk yet patriotic enough to want to get active in the war. Often he is seeking a fun adventure which is part of his problem when he finally gets involved in the military mechanizations of the conflict. A theme in war era movies meant to push service to the cause of some type.
Brian is one of many brash characters Cagney played making this repeat saved by Cagney playing him. Any other actor of the time could not have made him watchable. Somehow you do not care about this Canadian with a New York accent as he pushes through some unimaginative dialogue that is occasionally spiced up by adlibbing on the part of the masterful Cagney.
As portrayed Brian genuinely cares about the heroic male character of Johnny Dutton (Dennis Morgan) with Johnny reciprocating though I’m not exactly sure why. It is that odd mix of rivalry and friendship that could only appear in the ‘40s.
It’s more of a rivalry that should become outright hatred because Brian proceeds to steal Johnny’s fiancé Emily Foster (Brenda Marshall), marry her, and then dump her the day after they’re married. Why does he do this? Because marrying Emily would prevent Johnny from achieving his dreams and being all that he could be whether that was in the military or organizing a minor airline for bush pilots or whatever. Huh? That sounds a touch psychopathic, but this was to communicate to the public what type of man could help win the war.
The characters of the film are one note individuals. A single quirk defines their whole personality. They are meant to be identifiable stereotypes so we can say we all know someone like that and they’re all supposed to be likable. The rural characters (those that largely constitute the bush pilots) all have very descriptive nicknames which tell you all you need to know about them.
Dialogue given to the cast is not the most original or very deep. Curtiz and pals knew exactly what they had and never portray it as something they think is great. It was propaganda to engender support for events of the era. Humor meant to lighten the mood is very broad or slapstick.
As a film Captains of the Clouds is not deep or sophisticated. It’s just fun and entertaining with a point. That point is be patriotic and do the right thing. Fight the war and do your duty. Who makes it out of this okay looking the best? Everybody that does their duty. If you do not keep your mind on your job or duty you might get killed. Brian is always doing things by the gut. No plan. Johnny is doing things by the book and with a plan. Things go smoothly for the latter while things always get screwed up with the former.
In hindsight, I’m shocked that there’s not a matronly character in this. That generic character meant to represent all mothers. The only woman I can think of that we see on screen in this entire movie is Emily. Intentionally or not, it’s driven home when Cagney mentions that she is the only woman at the outpost we see in the beginning. I don’t think we even see any females in the background as nurses or waitresses or anything like that.
Early on Brian is injured and Johnny fetches a doctor to perform some emergency surgery on Brian’s head. What that surgery is and how it saves his life is never defined and probably worked much better in the early 40s than it does today. The perception of doctors and medicine was much different then as compared to now. It is a peek into the psyche of the time that a country doctor would perform sophisticated surgery.
This bit of formula movie can be viewed as two films in one. The opening adventure story set in the wilds of Canada is different in tone from the war portion which hits you on the head like a mallet with its message. The opening is a guy’s movie of the era with the latter portion being what amounts to entertaining propaganda. That first part would seem to begin an ongoing conflict between Johnny and Brian, but Johnny is unsettlingly amiable towards Brian considering what he did.
As a movie to get you focused on the war Captains of the Clouds does well. As a drama or adventure film, it’s not bad. Michael Curtiz worked his usual magic and made an enjoyable movie. Certainly not one of Cagney’s better offerings though.
Closing Text
“Sincere appreciation is expressed to Major the Honourable C. G. Power, P.C., M.C., Minister of National Defence for Air (Canada) and to Air Marshal L. S. Breadner, D.S.C., Chief of the Air Staff, Royal Canadian Air Force, without whose authority and generous co-operation this picture could not have been brought to its splendid conclusion.We also wish to express our thanks to Air Marshal Bishop, V.C., and the other officers and men of the R.C.A.F. who, in the making of this picture, are portrayed in the actual performance of their regular duties.”
