World War II film set in German occupied Italy. A US fighter pilot is shot down in enemy territory during a raid against a German supply depot. He receives from Italian partisans in laying the groundwork for a new attack by his squadron.
Acting
Sterling Hayden's jawline carries 80 minutes of sheer determination.
Practical Effects
Real P-47 Thunderbolts and crash-happy model work that aged like wine.
Direction
Selander squeezes every nickel into actual aerial sequences.
Director
Lesley Selander
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Sterling Hayden was a real WWII Marine Corps officer and OSS operative who smuggled supplies to Yugoslav partisans — he's basically playing himself with worse dialogue.
This was one of Allied Artists' 'second feature' programmers, shot in ten days to fill double bills when audiences expected newsreels and cartoons before the A-picture.
US
