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tells the story of a group of recruits struggling to make it through pilot training. The trainees are a cross-section of
American young men. Their personal lives, their families and sweethearts make up a small part of the story, but most of the drama focuses on training and camaraderie. Music plays
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to produce the play and to gather actors for the huge (nearly 300) cast. Casting calls went out not only to well-known names but to Army units around the country for Air Forces personnel with theatrical or performing background. All male personnel involved with the show were service members of the
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a large part in the play, and most of the huge cast were primarily members of a chorus under the direction of famed choral leader
Leonard de Paur. Among the musical numbers are "My Little Dream Book of Memories," and the stirring title anthem, "Winged Victory".
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commissioned famed playwright Hart to create a stage drama that would depict both the training and work of airmen and also the commitment and devotion to duty with which they carried out this work. Arnold gave Hart complete access to Air Forces resources.
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on 20 November 1943 and became a smash hit, playing to over 350,000 people in 226 performances. During the New York run, performers in the show also toured local military camps, providing entertainment to the troops. A number of
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visiting Air Forces bases and seeing firsthand how training was carried out. He then wrote an extremely patriotic and uplifting stage play based on his research. Hart partnered with
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purchased the rights and contracted the full cast and in the summer of 1944 produced a film version (which featured a few actors who had not been in the play, including
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U.S. Army Air Forces and were billed with their actual ranks. Among the then-notable or eventually-to-become-notable members of the cast and crew were
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Following filming, the company embarked on a national tour of the play, performing 445 times for over 800,000 people in
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Wertheim, Albert: "The
Dramatic Art of Uncle Sam: The Government, Drama, and World War II."
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Unit
History, 31st AAF Base Unit, Air Force Historical Research Agency, Maxwell Air Force Base
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company (officially known as the 31st AAF Base Unit) officially disbanded in
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is one of the biggest hits in
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run, and was a huge success. It then opened in New York at the
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on
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actors also rehearsed and produced a production of the play
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and Lt. Benjamin Landis, Air Forces
Commanding General
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531:in California, there to make training films. The
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202:as a morale booster and as a fundraiser for the
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173:Learn how and when to remove this message
206:Fund. Hart adapted the play for a 1944
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464:Winged Victory (film)
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329:Billy and Bobby Mauch
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196:U.S. Army Air Forces
107:improve this article
421:44th Street Theatre
411:The play opened in
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65:44th Street Theatre
611:Plays by Moss Hart
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105:Please help
100:verification
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505:Kansas City
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440:Martin Ritt
431:Yellow Jack
361:Martin Ritt
353:Walter Reed
325:Karl Malden
305:Brad Dexter
293:Mario Lanza
289:Lee J. Cobb
285:Red Buttons
265:Alan Baxter
261:Keith Andes
163:August 2011
606:1943 plays
600:Categories
546:References
458:Adaptation
407:Production
397:Don Taylor
389:Jack Slate
369:David Rose
269:Don Beddoe
230:Background
133:newspapers
53:1943-11-20
36:Written by
517:Baltimore
448:Hollywood
192:Moss Hart
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525:Richmond
417:Broadway
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