Sexyloutak Absolutely the worst movie.

HottWwjdIam There is just so much movie here. For some it may be too much. But in the same secretly sarcastic way most telemarketers say the phrase, the title of this one is particularly apt.

Grimossfer Clever and entertaining enough to recommend even to members of the 1%

ChampDavSlim The acting is good, and the firecracker script has some excellent ideas.

Robert J. Maxwell The 1957 cars are just -- well -- swell! Natalie Wood gets to drive a creamy yellow Ford convertible and Efron Zimbalist has a snazzy scarlet sports model. Why it could turn you green with envy -- seafoam green.The rest of the movie is a disappointment. Nothing seems quite right; it's all a little cockeyed. The plot: Zimbalist is an Air Force officer and Malden is the best flight engineer that ever existed. Malden is devoted to the USAF but his family, especially his daughter, Wood, want him to retire and take a job where he'll wear a suit and tie and "be somebody important." Well, there's a conflict right there.On top of that, Zimbalist has a reputation as a ladies' man and becomes seriously interested in Natalie Wood -- as who wouldn't? -- and Malden dislikes Zimbalist intensely and does everything but move mountains to end the romance, even though it's as innocent a romance as 1957 demanded.I don't know exactly what went wrong. The USAF/CEO problem is hackneyed. I mean, after all, that was a sub plot in just about every military movie John Wayne ever made -- career versus marriage and a settled existence. I should add that the settled existence as represented here is utterly bourgeois and materialistic, a spiritless void of apricot carpets and sparkling kitchens. Yukk.The Zimbalist/Malden conflict is botched from the beginning. In Korea, years earlier, Zimbalist endangered the field by insisting that his F-86 be repaired at night, requiring the turning on of lights and consequently "visitors" from the other side. After Zimbalist's take off, a crewman is killed by strafing. Throughout the movie, for six years, Malden believes (mistakenly) that Zimbalist forced the take off because of a hot date in Tokyo. So Malden certainly doesn't want a guy like Zimbalist courting his daughter, probably uttering hoarse, goaty cries while humping her in the back seat of his crimson convertible. The problem with this plot is that the movie shows us Malden as disliking Zimbalist BEFORE the lethal event. And the clumsy writing gives us no reason for the animus.The acting is as dull as the furniture except for Malden. Malden overacts. Every word is shouted. If he's supposed to be nervous, we watch a manic episode. The direction is careless. At the end, with Malden in a hospital bed, Natalie Wood must apologize to him for being bratty and demanding. It's her scene, and it's a long one. And the director, Gordon Douglas, doesn't allow her to build up to sobs. The whole SCENE has her in a torrent of remorseful tears, making the episode not just tedious but embarrassing.The scenes of flight are pedestrian. No sense is given of life within that thin aluminum tube at 40,000 feet. We don't get a sense of the layout. The flight deck is a mock up as are the other two sets. Leonard Rosenman's score matches the quality of the film itself -- lacking courage, vigor, and veracity.Despite these weaknesses, I'm sure the production had the eager cooperation of both Boeing and the USAF. It's practically a recruitment film.

jimakros i just saw this from the DVD release.Its an enjoyable movie,as long as one doesn't ask too much.This is a simple story of a career technician of the air-force,and his problems with his daughter and a Colonel who dates her and whom he knew back from the Korean war.Natalie Wood who plays the daughter is in her blooming youth here. Malden is a pleasure to watch in his simple working man role,also his life doesn't look half-bad,he has a lovely wife and daughter and a job he loves and he is really good at.In fact,the America in the 50's look in beautiful widescreen and Technicolor,is the main the thing i liked about this movie. The subplot is about the B-52 bomber of course,and the movie shows in detail this huge aircraft.Its not really a plane very suited for movies,unlike fighter planes,but for airplane fans its interesting. All in all,i think its a decent movie but mostly for people who like airplanes.

leeawood I was stationed at Castle AFB from 1956 to 1960 (93rd Field Maintenance Squadron) and watched the filming of the flight line segments. I even have some black & white pictures of Natalie with some of my squadron mates. The high point was the low altitude flyover of a flight of B-52s. The segment where the landing gear is jammed was done in our maintenance hanger with the bomber on jacks with wheel well doors open. An iris on the lighting gave the impression of the wheel well doors opening as the iris was opened. In the finished film it looked very realistic. My one complaint was the scene of a B-52 flying with it's gear down after being refueled by a KC-97, that just wasn't done.

eaglejet98 Fantastic wide screen, technicolor close-up images of one of the world's greatest long range nuclear bombers, the B-52. Fantastic wide screen, technicolor close-up images of one of the world's greatest actresses, Natalie Wood. ...and Efrem Zimbalist, Jr. gets to ride both of 'em. Is this a great movie, or what?