jacobs-greenwood A pre-World War II melodrama starring Robert Taylor as an ensign dubbed "Pensacola", the Navy's flight school location, by the seasoned "Hell Cat" pilots who land on aircraft carriers. Walter Pidgeon plays the squadron's commander who's too busy for his wife (Ruth Hussey) such that one of his lieutenants (Shepperd Strudwick) keeps her company. But this lieutenant dies after his invention to enable pilots to land in the fog fails and his plane crashes.When Pensacola fills the vacancy left next to the commander's wife, suddenly the other pilots (Paul Kelly, Red Skelton, Dick Purcell, etc.) have a problem with the arrangement. But Pensacola's ability to fix the fog device (with help from Nat Pendleton's character) and his later associated heroics redeem him in the end.The film, which features primitive yet Academy Award nominated Special Effects, was directed and co-produced by Frank Borzage (with J. Walter Ruben), and written by Harvey S. Haislip and Wells Root.The lovely Marsha Hunt appears as a Southern Belle who entertains some of the pilots; Lee Tung Foo and John Hamilton are among those who appear uncredited.

gregormandella Flight Command is a wonderful look into a Navy Fighting Squadron a year before the U.S. entered World War 2. Starring Robert Taylor as Ensign Alan Drake, a fresh graduate of the Navy's Flight School in Pensacola, he's an eager young pilot assigned to a veteran Squadron, Fighting 8, better known as the "Hellcats". Walter Pidgeon is his CO, Lt. Commander Bill Gary and Ruth Hussey plays Pidgeon's wife, Lorna Gary. All three put in a fine performance. The supporting cast does a fine job as well, making it believable that they were a very tight knit group of fliers.The movie had full support of the U.S. Navy and it shows. The attention to detail is excellent, giving the viewer a great inside look into what the pilots did in and out of the cockpit. The aircraft featured is the Grumman F3F-2, the last biplane fighter ever flown by the Navy on their aircraft carriers. It's great to see these pudgy fighters going through their paces. At the time this movie was filmed, Fighting Squadron 8 actually didn't exist. It wouldn't be formed for another year in the fall of 1941.The story line is quite touching at times, especially between the three main characters. Ruth Hussey plays the outwardly tough but inwardly unsettled wife of the squadron commander very well. There isn't a bad portrayal by any of the actors in the film. Hats off to the production team for keeping this film on the level. There's a realism to Flight Command that is very well done. I can imagine that this movie had an effect on recruitment of Navy pilots just like Top Gun did back in the mid 80's.I really couldn't recommend this movie enough, I feel it's that entertaining in so many ways. The story line, the acting and the look back at Naval Aviation at the end of its Golden Era make Flight Command a great choice.

moonspinner55 Lots of fun. Wells Root and Commander Harvey Haislip penned this screenplay from an original story Haislip also co-authored about an eager Naval Flight School cadet (Robert Taylor) in Pensacola flying solo out to Southern California to join Hellcat Fighters who have just lost one of their beloved teammates; he makes a colorful entrance (having to ditch his plane and parachute into the ocean because of fog!) and finds an early friend in a somewhat-emotional woman...the Skipper's wife! Camaraderie between the pilots on the ground is enjoyably written and played, with Taylor's charming self-assurance an interesting dynamic within the group (he isn't cocky, he's careful--though anxious to fit in). Subplot with Ruth Hussey's lonesome wife is soapy yet surprisingly skillful, while the aerial maneuvers are nicely photographed. An extra bonus: Red Skelton as a joshing lieutenant...and Walter Pidgeon looking younger than I have ever seen him. **1/2 from ****

dexter-10 Ens. Alan Drake (Robert Taylor) is a naval air cadet assigned to one of the U.S. Navy's most elite flying squadrons. In the face of personal problems and social conflicts, can he make the grade?