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U.S. Army Air ForcesCombat America (Part I) (1945)

Follows the Flying Fortress crews of the 351st Bombardment Group from the end of their training at a Colorado training field to actual combat over Germany.


This movie is part of the collection: Prelinger Archives

Producer: U.S. Army Air Forces
Sponsor: U.S. Office of War Information
Audio/Visual: Sd, B&W
Keywords: World War II: Homefront; World War II: Aviation; World War II: Army Air Forces

Creative Commons license: Public Domain

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Reviewer: Bush Pilot - - October 20, 2007
Subject: Gable Missions
Gable is supposed to have flown as a gunner on five missions before they made him stop. He resented being treated as a star and not being allowed to participate as a gunner more.

Reviewer: Christine Hennig - - January 10, 2004
Subject: Clark Gable Goes to War!
After his wife, Carole Lombard, was killed in a plane crash, a grieving Clark Gable couldnt face Hollywood anymore, so he joined up with the Army Air Corps, requesting that he be sent into actual combat. So naturally the Army decided he should make a movie about his combat group, the 351st Bombardier Group. Gable narrates this complete portrait of his outfit and appears in several short scenes where he interviews his comrades-in-arms. The focus of the film, though, is the group itself, especially the gunners. The film starts just after training is complete and the group flies to England to begin flying actual missions. The film covers all aspects of the lives of the gunners, from actual combat to leisure time, and from goofy hijinks to the gritty reality of seeing your buddies get killed or seriously wounded in combat. The film is quite similar to The Memphis Belle, though perhaps not as engrossing as that film. Still, the film has quite a bit of historical value as a portrait of combat and army life, and in color to boot.
Ratings: Camp/Humor Value: **. Weirdness: **. Historical Interest: *****. Overall Rating: ****.

Reviewer: Spuzz - - April 5, 2003
Subject: Clark Gable stars in the spectacle of a lifetime!
In this highly romanticized flick about air bombers, air fighting footage is mixed in with obvious renactments (by the soldiers themselves!) of life at war. Narrated by Clark Gable, who narrated this film as his contribution to the war effort (lucky guy) the hour long film drags a lot, and that's a shame, as it's really cool to look at WWII in color. The whole thing doesnt REALLY get going until the third part, and it's doubtful people would want to stick it out to get to that point.

Shotlist

Follows the Flying Fortress crews of the 351st Bombardment Group from the end of their training at a Colorado training field to actual combat over Germany. It tells the story of the crews and the gunners, showing how they live, how they fight, and how they rest. Produced at the command of General Henry H. Arnold, Commanding General of the Army Air Forces, as an orientation film for gunners training to serve in the European theater of operations