The McConnell Story
| The McConnell Story | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Gordon Douglas |
| Produced by | Henry Blanke |
| Written by |
Ted Sherdeman Sam Rolfe |
| Based on | a story by Ted Sherdeman |
| Starring |
Alan Ladd June Allyson James Whitmore |
| Music by | Max Steiner |
| Cinematography | John F. Seitz |
| Edited by | Owen Marks |
| Distributed by | Warner Bros. |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 107 mins |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Box office | $3.5 million (US)[1] |
The McConnell Story is a 1955 dramatization of the life and career of U.S. Air Force pilot Joseph C. McConnell (1922–1954), who served as a navigator in World War II before becoming the top American ace during the Korean War. He was killed while serving as a test pilot at Edwards Air Force Base in the Mojave Desert of California. The Warner Brothers production, filmed in CinemaScope and Warner Color, starred Alan Ladd as McConnell and June Allyson as his wife. Longtime Warners staff composer Max Steiner wrote the musical score for the film.
Cast
- Alan Ladd as Joseph "Mac" McConnell, Jr.
- June Allyson as Pearl "Butch" Brown McConnell
- James Whitmore as Ty Whitman
- Frank Faylen as Sgt. Sykes
- Robert Ellis as Bob Brown
- Willis Bouchey as Newton Bass
- Sarah Selby as Mom Brown
- Gregory Walcott as Military policeman
- Frank Ferguson as Mechanic
- Perry Lopez as Red
- John Pickard as Military policeman
- Dabbs Greer as Pilot instructor
Production
The movie was announced in May 1954, with Alan Ladd and June Allyson attached from the beginning.[2] It was Alan Ladd's second consecutive film for Warner Bros following Drum Beat. However unlike that film, it was made for Warner Bros, not Ladd's own production company.[3]
A number of months after the film was announced, McConnell died in a crash. This required the script to be rewritten.[4]
For a sequence depicting the rescue of a downed B-29 Superfortress crew that McConnell was trying to protect, a Sikorsky H-19 of the 48th Air Rescue Squadron, Eglin AFB, Florida, was deployed to Alexandria AFB, Louisiana, for seven days in February 1955. Captain E. R. Thone and Airman First Class Ronald K. Opitz, of the 48th ARS, were the crew for the helicopter, TDY to shoot the rescue sequence.
Colonel William L. Orris, Commander Detachment No. 1, Air Force Operational Test Center at Kirtland AFB, New Mexico was the technical advisor for the film.[5]
Shown on American Movie Classics, host Bob Dorian said that Ladd, who hated flying, filmed his scenes in mockups in front of blue screens. He also noted that Ladd and Allyson fell in love during filming; Ladd reportedly called Allyson's husband, actor/director Dick Powell, and told him, "I'm in love with your wife," to which Powell replied, "Everyone is in love with my wife."[6]
Legacy
This film helped establish the Missing Man Formation as part of military aviation culture.
Directed by Gordon Douglas, the film was released in the VHS home video format in 1995.
See also
References
- ↑ 'The Top Box-Office Hits of 1955', Variety Weekly, January 25, 1956.
- ↑ WYLER WILL FILM NOVEL BY HAYES: Paramount Producer Lists 'Desperate Hours,' Suspense Drama Set in Midwest By THOMAS M. PRYORSpecial to The New York Times.. New York Times (1923-Current file) [New York, N.Y] 14 May 1954: 20.
- ↑ ALAN LADD STARS IN 'DARKEST HOUR': Warner Film, a Melodrama, Will Be Made by Actor's Own Producing Company By THOMAS M. PRYORSpecial to The New York Times.. New York Times (1923-Current file) [New York, N.Y] 18 Nov 1954: 40.
- ↑ BY THE WAY with BILL HENRY: Rites for Jet Ace Scheduled for Tomorrow Los Angeles Times (1923-Current File) [Los Angeles, Calif] 27 Aug 1954: A1.
- ↑ Fort Walton Beach, Florida, "Eglin Group Aiding In Film Story", Playground News, Thursday 3 March 1955, Volume 9, Number 57, page 3.
- ↑ American Movie Classics
External links
- The McConnell Story at the Internet Movie Database
- The McConnell Story at the TCM Movie Database
- The McConnell Story at Allmovie