Some months ago a question was asked as to member’s favourite aviation films. Most who responded, including myself, referred with choices in the main that were war films.

One of my hobbies is collecting British films of the 1940’s, 50’s and 60’s, preferably black and white. A number of them have an aviation theme and I thought I might recommend a few that members may enjoy. The one’s chosen are not that well known, other than maybe to British aircraft enthusiasts but l I believe they all interesting for various reasons and very evocative of the period.

The first film is “Cone of Silence” (titled “Trouble in the Sky” in the US) which is black and white and came out in 1960. This was about 6 years after the early Comet disasters and the influence of these events on the film is clear. The plot surrounds an accident to a fictitious jet airliner called the Atlas Phoenix and accusations of pilot error. The cast includes Peter Cushing, Michael Craig and Bernard Lee (M in the James Bond Films) but the star for aeroplane buffs is the Avro 706 Ashton 3, serial number WB493 posing as the Phoenix. This was a jet development of the Avro Tudor and was used for research purposes including acting as an engine test bed for Bristol Siddeley Engines Ltd. There is some excellent footage of this aeroplane filmed I believe at Filton Aerodrome. A good film with good acting and plot even if maybe the reasons for the accident when found out should have been more obvious at the time.

“Out of the Clouds” a colour film of 1955 is basically a fictional day in the life of Heathrow Airport. It stars amongst others Anthony Steel, Canadian, Robert Beatty and the marvellous James Robertson Justice as a BOAC, Boeing Stratocruiser Captain. The plot is thin but the colour footage of Heathrow Airport and the BOAC Strats etc., is very good. It is also nice to see real Air and Ground Hostesses who could certainly show today’s Trolley Dollies a thing or two about customer service.

The black and white 1957 film “The Man in the Sky” is a real corker starring the always brilliant Jack Hawkins and an excellent supporting cast including John Stratton, the gorgeous Elisabeth Sellars and one of my favourite character actors, Victor Maddern. Hawkins plays a test pilot flying what is actually a Bristol 170 MK IIA Freighter. He has a serious problem on one of the test flights and the emotional effects on him, his ground crew and the manufacturer’s management who are suffering commercial pressures is particularly well portrayed. The film has excellent footage of the aircraft which was G-AIFV. This aeroplane ended it’s days with Silver City Airways. Extremely enjoyable are the wonderfully evocative views of the former Wolverhampton Pendeford airfield. This sadly closed on the last day of 1970, succumbing to the incessant demand for housing as so many delightful aerodromes have done before and since. A splendid film.

My final selection is a film I have not been able to get on DVD. It is called “The Crooked Sky”. Made again in 1957 it is in Black and White. The plot is fairly routine, about smuggling but there are a number of things about it that are of interest. In the 1950’s a number of British film studios would cast an American “Leading Man” in their films to hopefully increase the chances of some business being generated in the USA. These tended to be actors who were reaching the end of their careers and they were rarely top notch. However it meant they could earn a few quid without requiring outstanding acting abilities. The actor cast in this film was one Wayne Morris. Now he was an interesting chap. Acted till 1940 and then became a naval pilot. Flying in the Pacific from the USS Essex he flew Grumman F6F Hellcats, shooting down seven enemy aircraft. He was an Ace. After the war he went back to acting but never really made it to the top. By the time he made this film he had packed a few pounds on and wasn’t at his most agile . Nevertheless, as far as I’m concerned anyone with his war record was a top bloke. He unfortunately died at the young age of 45 due to a heart attack and is interred in the Arlington military cemetery having been buried with full military honours. As a matter of interest his brother is also interred there having been a B17 pilot. Besides Wayne’s impressive flying feats the film has many scenes filmed at Blackbushe when it was an international airport. These feature many views of Eagle Airways Vikings, the area outside the old terminal building and some of the other infrastructure. As with a number of films of the period and surprisingly even now in some cases, the continuity regarding aircraft taking off, cruising and landing leaves something to be desired. Seeing the chaps board a Vickers Viking, cruise in a Dutch Air Force C47 and land back in the Viking again is quite amusing. Another “star” of the film is the always reliable and entertaining German actor Anton Diffring. Normally known for his roles as German military types he seems rather incongruous as a British bloke called Fraser. The story line is fairly mediocre and the acting isn’t of an Oscar winning level but it is entertaining nevertheless .

There are other British Films which would be of interest to some members including “The Night My Number Came Up” , “The Sound Barrier” and “Dangerous Cargo, “ but I have gone on long enough.

Bob