Storm Squadron Comet
| Movie | |
|---|---|
| German title | Storm Squadron Comet |
| Original title | Flat top |
| Country of production | United States |
| original language | English |
| Publishing year | 1952 |
| length | 85 minutes |
| Age rating | FSK 16 |
| Rod | |
| Director | Lesley Selander |
| script | Steve Fisher |
| production | Walter Mirisch |
| music | Marlin Skiles |
| camera | Harry Neumann |
| cut | William Austin |
| occupation | |
| |
Sturmgeschwader Komet is an American war film from 1952 that is set in flashback at the time of the reconquest of the Philippines in World War II.
action
Dan Collier stands aboard the US aircraft carrier USS Princeton during the Korean War . He remembers his first mission on the predecessor ship of the same name.
Collier and his squadron were transferred to Princeton in 1944 . The squadron includes officer Rodgers, singer Kelley, ex-football player McKay, poet Longfellow, and law student Judge. When Smith, another member of the squadron, lands on the carrier despite being banned, Rodgers is supposed to ban him from flying. Rodgers realizes how badly Smith suffers from the ban. He wants to get Collier to treat men more gently. He believes that leadership that is not so strict produces better results with men than strict adherence to discipline. But Collier is not amenable to argumentation.
Over the next few weeks, Collier's men carried out continuous training flights. The men are soon nervous and stressed. Rodgers asks Collier for briefing for the next combat mission, but Collier corrects Rodgers. Ultimately, it is the Princeton captain who announces the target of the next combat mission. You are supposed to support the invasion of the Philippines under General Douglas MacArthur . The squadron first attacks a small fleet of enemy ships. Smith stays behind and sees his comrades return victorious. The aviators are happy about their victory, but Collier criticizes that the radio silence was not observed. Rodgers insists again, but Collier makes it clear to him that he will not tolerate mistakes in his men.
When Princeton is attacked, Collier's men are able to repel the attackers. However, as Collier expected, the Japanese attack in two waves. When the second attack begins, Collier orders Rodgers to disperse the Japanese machines and await further orders. But instead of waiting, he and his men shoot down the enemy. The men celebrate their victory. Collier pulls Rodgers aside and tells him to learn to obey orders. Instead of him, another officer was Collier's deputy.
Over the next few days, Collier shows his pilots what mistakes they are making. The squadron's respect for its commander grows. The superstitious Kelley believes that the first casualties of the season will soon appear. When the porter reached Corregidor Island , the men received mail from home. Collier learns that his wife Dorothy has given birth to a son. Smith receives a letter from his father telling him how proud he is that his son is a pilot.
The squadron is supposed to make sightseeing flights around the ships of the US Navy to protect the invasion troops and to repel any attackers. Already on their first mission there was a fight with the Japanese, in which Kelley was shot down. The porter is also attacked the next day. Smith is assigned to a rescue team. Smith is also attacked on his flight and fights the Japanese so doggedly that Collier congratulates him over the radio. When the island of Corregidor is in American hands, Rodgers visits Collier in his cabin and admits that he was wrong. Collier, who has been reassigned, informs Rodgers that he has proposed him as the new squadron commander.
Collier's memories are over. He's proud to hear the reports of Rodger's exploits. He watches the new squadron commander Smith, who bans a young pilot from flying after landing.
Reviews
The lexicon of the international film about the film: "The documentary material integrated into the film about aerial battles and ship bombings reveals more about the gruesome reality than the plot that presents the war as a sporting adventure."
For the film magazine Cinema , the production is an "aviation adventure with critical approaches."
The New York Times describes the film as a "serious but standard film adaptation of life on an aircraft carrier."
Awards
William Austin was nominated for an Oscar in the category Best Editing in 1953 .
background
The film premiered in the US on October 26, 1952. In Germany, it was released on May 16, 1958.
Much of the filming took place on board the aircraft carrier USS Princeton . The ship is the successor to the aircraft carrier in the film, the light aircraft carrier USS Princeton , which sank in the Battle of Leyte Gulf in 1944 .
Fighting scenes from newsreel reports were incorporated into the film.
Web links
- Storm Squadron comet in the Internet Movie Database (English)