The Way to the Stars

1945 "Thrills in the sky ! and romance below ..."

The Way to the Stars

7.3 | 1h49m | NR | en | Drama

Life on a British bomber base, and the surrounding towns, from the opening days of the Battle of Britain, to the arrival of the Americans, who join in the bomber offensive. The film centres around Pilot Officer Peter Penrose, fresh out of a training unit, who joins the squadron, and quickly discovers about life during war time. He falls for Iris, a young girl who lives at the local hotel, but he becomes disillusioned about marriage, when the squadron commander dies in a raid, and leaves his wife, the hotel manageress, with a young son to bring up. As the war progresses, Penross comes to terms that he has survived, while others have been killed.

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7.3 | 1h49m | NR | en | Drama , Romance , War | More Info

Released: November. 15,1945 | Released Producted By: United Artists , Two Cities Films Country: United Kingdom Budget: 0 Revenue: 0 Official Website:

Synopsis

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Cast

Michael Redgrave , John Mills , Rosamund John

Director

Anthony Asquith

Producted By

United Artists , Two Cities Films

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Trailers & Images

Cast

Michael Redgrave

as Flight Lt. David Archdale

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde A Christmas Carol The Go-Between Goodbye Gemini Battle of Britain Goodbye, Mr. Chips Assignment K Alice in Wonderland The Hill

John Mills

as Pilot Officer Peter Penrose

Cameraman: The Life and Work of Jack Cardiff Bright Young Things Cats Bean Harnessing Peacocks Frankenstein Night of the Fox Around the World in 80 Days A Tale of Two Cities

Rosamund John

as Miss Todd

The Upturned Glass Green for Danger The Way to the Stars The First of the Few The Gentle Sex

Reviews

andrew muhling If you are looking for a war film where black as black bad guys are dealt violent and bloody justice buy faultless good guys? This is not the film for you. In this film you find ordinary people making there way from one day to the next as best they can.The characters are colourful and varied. Though their emotional travels they develop and share their lessons openly with the viewer. There is no simple lessons or clean cut right or wrong. the characters are heroes not because of their battlefield antics, but by their personal interaction and support for each other.The Way to the Stars is directed at pleasing walk, with some clever camera angles and thoughtful pauses. The battle scenes are all subliminal. So while you do get to see all sorts of planes flying, landing and taking off. There is next to no combat action. This is ok, as the film is really here to explore the affect combat has on the characters, not the actual combat it's self. In this, it's very close to perfect.I'd recommend it to anyone other than a gore hound.

colin-cooper I was in the British armed forces from 1944 to 1947, and I can confirm that this movie gets the feel of the period exactly right.. Anthony Asquith and the actors breathed life into the cardboard of Rattigan's characters. I didn't like it when I saw it all those decades ago - too sentimental - but now that I can see it more objectively I rate it very highly indeed. One piece of plotting puzzled me: why does Johnny Hollis agonise about the mail from home he never receives? Was it intended that his wife should die or leave him, thus freeing him to court the widowed Iris? This in fact does not happen, and the film ends in a rather downbeat way.

Martin Dawson You have got to see this film, I saw it as a kid in Yorkshire, England where I live but did not appreciate it. until I saw it years later in my forties. But one line really stood out for me, been interested in the Apollo moon flights and spaceflight in general a character in the film says "...rockets, a thousands tons!" very prophetic, especially when you realise rockets weigh that much if not more. Been made in 1945 the largest rocket was the German A4/V2 which weighed about 25 tons. Guess who ever wrote the film had seen sight of The British Interplanetary Society's 'Journal' and Practical Mechanics from before the war.

Peter What an excellent film, with a cast that lifts it above other films made during WW2. Was there a British war film made that did not have John Mills starring in it? Many of the actors here went on to become familiar faces in film and British TV. The story-line and the absence of background music do make this film both nostalgic and entertaining.It may interest some that the 'Golden Lion' in the film does exist, it is a hotel in Northallerton, North Yorkshire. The street scenes were shot in nearby Bedale. I'm not sure which airfield was used, but it may have been one of the many bomber bases situated in this area, such as Leeming or Dishforth.