Island in the Sky
Directed by William A. Wellman
Written by Ernest K. Gann from his novel
1953/USA
Warner Bros./Wayne-Fellows Productions
First viewing/Netflix rental
[box] Capt. Dooley: I’ll shoot the first one of ya to leave camp. I’ll aim for your legs. I may miss and hit ya in the back of the head. Either way serves ya right.[/box]
What this disaster flick lacks in realism, it makes up for in suspense.
Capt. Dooley (John Wayne) pilots a C-47 transport plane called the Corsair on an Arctic mission. Icing forces him to make an emergency landing in an uncharted part of Northern Labrador. There, he and his men are forced to wait for possible rescue with scant food and dwindling radio communication.
Dooley is fortunate to have many fellow pilots who love him. They rush to the rescue but it is like looking for a needle in a haystack. Meanwhile, Dooley must stop his crew from succumbing to despair. With Lloyd Nolan, James Arness, and Andy Devine as rescuers.
I don’t for a minute believe that people clad as these were with no food to speak of could survive in -70 F conditions for a week. Nevertheless, while I was actually watching the film I was buying it and rooting for the characters. Wellman could certainly still make a compelling aviation drama 30 years into his career.
Trailer
