355:, and make its presence known in order to deceive the Japanese about American fleet dispositions and intentions. However, they are under strict orders not to fight. When Moulton's bombers encounter some Japanese aircraft, they follow orders and retreat, but two aircraft are lost. Not knowing the plan, the pilots are furious. This is repeated several times in other widely-separated locations, driving the aviators to the brink of rebellion. The carrier, however, accomplishes its mission as the Japanese believe that the sightings are of different American carriers, not just one.
332:, where they will be attacked. Meanwhile, on the carrier charged with the mission ("Carrier X"), flight commander Bingo Harper is in charge of the bomber crews that shouldered the burden in the desperate early days of the war. He is tough and sticks to the rules, while his young pilots behave more like youngsters and do not always understand his thinking.
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or turn on the searchlights to guide him in, but Harper refuses to risk betraying the carrier's location to any
Japanese submarines that may be lurking nearby. Eventually, Scott's aircraft is heard crashing into the water when it runs out of fuel. Moulton and Harper quarrel, but in a few minutes, it
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led by
Lieutenant Commander Edward Moulton is assigned to the carrier. From the first landing, Harper notices a careless and inexperienced attitude by ex-Hollywood Academy Award–winning star, Ensign Hallam "Oscar" Scott. Harper warns Moulton that the squadron's safety cannot be jeopardized and any
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Finally, the long-prepared trap is sprung. Deceived into believing that the
American carriers are scattered across the Pacific, the Japanese are taken by surprise when the concentrated American fleet attacks their carriers. Many pilots are lost, but the Americans win a great victory. However, the
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also makes a very brief appearance as a
Japanese reconnaissance aircraft. The action on the carrier deck is convincing as well as the character of the pilots. Real footage is mixed with action shot on the carrier. For some scenes, scale models were also utilized.
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In reality, the losses at Pearl Harbor and the numerical superiority of the
Japanese had the Americans operating constantly on the defensive in the early period of the Pacific war. It was mainly superior military intelligence, specifically the breaking of
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repeat of the sloppiness will not be tolerated. Moulton does his best with his men, but is far from having absolute control. During a bombing run, Ensign
Breinard drops a bomb close to the carrier and Harper grounds him. After winning the
348:, Ensign Cunningham fails to follow the correct takeoff procedure and ditches his aircraft into the sea: Harper forbids him to fly again. Later, Cunningham saves the ship in a suicide attack on a torpedo from a Japanese aircraft.
603:. He commented: "at once a sobering reminder of the perilous conditions under which the American Navy sailed the vast Pacific in the months immediately following Pearl Harbor and a first-rate piece of movie-making to boot."
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is reported that Scott has been picked up by a destroyer. Harper gives his men an explanation of his reasoning when giving orders which may mean sacrificing a few for the success of the mission.
494:. The scenario is, however, intentionally changed to justify the initial defensive rather than offensive posture of a US Navy reeling from the early Japanese victories in 1942.
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tried to buy but the rights were not obtained. After a legal tangle, the studio dropped its plans to buy rights but
Johnson sued and won a settlement in 1946.
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dive bombers. These were contemporary with US Navy carrier aircraft designs during 1943 and 1944 rather than 1942 when the film is set. In a few scenes,
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last bomber, flown by Scott and very low on fuel, has trouble finding their carrier, which is concealed below low clouds. Moulton begs Harper to break
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is justified as a calculated plot to deceive the
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In the meantime, a message is received from Navy headquarters. The carrier is ordered to travel deep into enemy waters, near the
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is depicted as the eventual springing of this carefully laid trap which thereby caught the enemy at a disadvantage.
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comes up with a plan to trap the
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From the Wright
Brothers to Top Gun: Aviation, Nationalism, and Popular Cinema.
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When Hollywood Ruled the Skies: The Aviation Film Classics of World War II
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loosely portrays actual historic events related mainly with the
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to the extent that the film was a "semi-official" production.
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dive bombers appear which would have been accurate for 1942.
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This article is about the 1944 war film. For other uses, see
802:. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland and Company, 2016.
860:
Twentieth Century-Fox: A Corporate and Financial History
576:
Grumman F4F Wildcat fighters play the part of Japanese
817:. Hawthorne, California: Aero Associates Inc., 1984.
416:(credited as Henry Morgan) as Ensign Malcolm Brainard
957:
862:. Lanham, Maryland: Rowman & Littlefield, 2002.
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The Aircraft-Spotter's Film and Television Companion
832:Manchester, UK: Manchester University Press, 1995.
1526:Films about the United States Navy in World War II
404:Kevin O'Shea as Ensign Charles "Cookie" Cunningham
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737:"Curtiss SB2C Helldiver: The last dive bomber."
713:
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785:, August 31, 1944. Retrieved: March 28, 2017.
847:. Lanham, Maryland: Scarecrow Press, 1985.
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285:Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay
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916:Wing and a Prayer, The Story of Carrier X
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894:Wing and a Prayer, The Story of Carrier X
883:Wing and a Prayer, The Story of Carrier X
595:Wing and a Prayer, The Story of Carrier X
551:Wing and a Prayer, The Story of Carrier X
240:Wing and a Prayer, The Story of Carrier X
40:Wing and a Prayer, The Story of Carrier X
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383:as Lieutenant Commander Edward Moulton
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593:Film critic Thomas M. Pryor reviewed
259:about the heroic crew of an American
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267:in the Pacific theater, directed by
1276:The Desert Fox: The Story of Rommel
24:
1536:World War II films made in wartime
32:Wing and a Prayer (disambiguation)
25:
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473:as Sailor assisting projectionist
431:Renny McEvoy as Ensign Cliff Hale
1511:Films directed by Henry Hathaway
300:Comin' In on a Wing and a Prayer
283:. It was nominated for the 1944
163:Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corp.
1516:Films scored by Hugo Friedhofer
791:
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675:"Review: 'Wing and a Prayer'."
660:"Review: 'Wing and a Prayer'."
263:in the desperate early days of
1506:American black-and-white films
1084:The Trail of the Lonesome Pine
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696:. Retrieved: October 13, 2010.
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389:as Ensign Hallam "Oscar" Scott
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1156:Ten Gentlemen from West Point
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1496:1940s English-language films
1060:The Lives of a Bengal Lancer
922:AFI Catalog of Feature Films
742:. Retrieved: March 28, 2017.
691:"Song: 'Wing and a Prayer'."
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255:) is a black-and-white 1944
7:
1531:World War II aviation films
778:Pryor, Thomas M. as T.M.P.
496:The Battle of the Coral Sea
316:In the days just after the
296:number one hit song in 1943
27:1944 film by Henry Hathaway
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780:"At the Globe and Gotham."
437:as Ensign Paducah Holloway
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1140:The Shepherd of the Hills
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377:as Commander Bingo Harper
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1348:23 Paces to Baker Street
1340:The Bottom of the Bottle
1236:Down to the Sea in Ships
1196:The House on 92nd Street
681:, July 22, 1944, p. 118.
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428:as the Executive Officer
308:(1940), during the film.
1501:American aviation films
1412:The Sons of Katie Elder
705:Orriss 1984, pp. 89–90.
666:, July 19, 1944, p. 13.
488:Battle of the Coral Sea
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246:Queen of the Flat Tops
188:July 24, 1944
1541:20th Century Fox films
1252:You're in the Navy Now
972:Heritage of the Desert
845:Aviation in the Cinema
563:Curtiss SB2C Helldiver
519:Queen of the Flat Tops
443:as Commander O'Donnell
422:as Ensign Gus Chisholm
318:attack on Pearl Harbor
252:Torpedo Squadron Eight
52:1944 theatrical poster
1551:1940s war drama films
1292:O. Henry's Full House
571:Douglas SBD Dauntless
484:Wing and a Prayer ...
1396:How the West Was Won
582:Curtiss-Wright CW-22
521:(1942), a book that
294:was borrowed from a
996:Under the Tonto Rim
988:The Thundering Herd
769:Orriss 1984, p. 91.
751:Orriss 1984, p. 90.
726:Pendo 1985, p. 211.
717:Paris 1995, p. 161.
567:Grumman F4F Wildcat
559:Grumman F6F Hellcat
555:Grumman TBF Avenger
479:Historical accuracy
1364:From Hell to Texas
1356:Legend of the Lost
1308:White Witch Doctor
1284:Diplomatic Courier
1228:Call Northside 777
1108:Spawn of the North
1092:Go West, Young Man
958:Films directed by
910:TCM Movie Database
783:The New York Times
760:Beck 2016, p. 217.
678:Harrison's Reports
600:The New York Times
395:as Captain Waddell
138:J. Watson Webb Jr.
1521:Pacific War films
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1180:Wing and a Prayer
1076:I Loved a Soldier
1044:The Last Round-Up
1036:The Witching Hour
1012:Man of the Forest
868:978-0-8108-4244-1
858:Solomon, Aubrey.
838:978-0-7190-4074-0
808:978-1-4766-2293-4
735:Guttman, Robert.
627:the Japanese code
557:torpedo bombers,
544:Wing and a Prayer
511:Wing and a Prayer
449:as a Duty Officer
410:as Beezy Bessemer
328:into heading for
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16:(Redirected from
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1212:13 Rue Madeleine
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426:Glenn Langan
414:Harry Morgan
381:Dana Andrews
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265:World War II
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204:Running time
181:Release date
110:Dana Andrews
1436:5 Card Stud
1004:Sunset Pass
694:phrases.org
461:as Flat Top
441:Reed Hadley
232:$ 2,250,000
79:Produced by
73:Jerome Cady
59:Directed by
1491:1944 films
1485:Categories
1332:The Racers
1164:China Girl
740:HistoryNet
607:References
506:Production
471:Ray Walker
459:B.S. Pully
375:Don Ameche
342:Navy Cross
273:Don Ameche
229:Box office
192:1944-07-24
155:Production
105:Don Ameche
69:Written by
1460:Shoot Out
1444:True Grit
637:Citations
589:Reception
455:as Dooley
346:Coral Sea
134:Edited by
1188:Nob Hill
899:AllMovie
648:Solomon
532:Yorktown
490:and the
337:squadron
257:war film
221:Language
144:Music by
98:Starring
1300:Niagara
1268:Rawhide
1148:Sundown
919:at the
908:at the
663:Variety
322:US Navy
224:English
213:Country
190: (
157:company
1471:(1974)
1468:Hangup
1463:(1971)
1455:(1971)
1447:(1969)
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578:"Zero"
335:A new
330:Midway
208:97 min
612:Notes
540:class
538:Essex
249:and
888:IMDb
864:ISBN
849:ISBN
834:ISBN
819:ISBN
804:ISBN
597:for
530:USS
368:Cast
312:Plot
279:and
897:at
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517:’s
298:, "
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