Air Force (1943): Cast & Plot
Air Force is a 1943 war drama directed by Howard Hawks, starring Sol Gorss as Sergeant (uncredited), Theodore von Eltz and Ross Ford. It runs 2 hours 4 minutes.
- Released
- Runtime
- 2h 4m (124 min)
- Director
- Howard Hawks
- Original language
-
English - Studio
- Warner Bros. Pictures
- After the credits
- No No extra scene
What Is Air Force About?
The premise of Air Force without spoilers. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.
The crew of an Air Force bomber arrives at Pearl Harbor in the aftermath of the Japanese attack and is dispatched to Manila to aid the defense of the Philippines. Amid the early Pacific campaign, they fly dangerous sorties, confront enemy forces, and bond tightly as they fight to turn the tide of World War II.
Air Force Themes & Keywords
· 50 tags- flying over the ocean
- u.s. military
- war propaganda
- aircrew
- air crew
- flying in formation
- army air corps
- b 17 bomber
- u.s. army air corps
- propaganda film
- propaganda
- year 1941
+38 more Show fewer
- december 7 1941
- reference to franklin d. roosevelt
- hickam field
- decoder
- reference to douglas macarthur
- hospital nurse
- pacific war zone
- archive newsreel footage
- sabotage
- reprisal
- retribution
- grief
- remorse
- bitterness
- agony
- anxiety
- dairy farmer
- dejection
- cigar smoking
- attitude adjustment
- reformation
- brooklyn hack driver
- misery
- trauma
- shock
- treachery
- salvage
- grease monkey
- cold sweat
- violence
- victim
- vengeance
- battle of the coral sea
- wake island surrender
- transgression
- anger
- shell shocked
- fierce bombarment
Air Force Cast & Characters
Sol Gorss leads the cast as Sergeant (uncredited), with Theodore von Eltz as First Lieutenant (uncredited) and Ross Ford as Second Lieutenant (uncredited). Directed by Howard Hawks; 60 actors are credited in all.
-
Director Howard Hawks
- Sol Gorss as Sergeant (uncredited)
- Theodore von Eltz as First Lieutenant (uncredited)
- Ross Ford as Second Lieutenant (uncredited)
- Ann Doran as Mrs. Mary Quincannon (uncredited)
Also Starring in Air Force
· 56 more- Edwin Stanley Doctor Attending Quincannon (uncredited)
- Gig Young Co-Pilot
- Arthur Kennedy Bombardier
- Pat West Soldier with Demolition Squad (uncredited)
- John Garfield Tail Gunner Joe Winocki
- Walter Sande Joe - Mechanic at Clark Field (uncredited)
- Willard Robertson Colonel at Hickam Field
- Stanley Ridges Maj. Mallory - Clark Field
- Warren Douglas Hickam Field Control Officer (uncredited)
- George N. Neise Hickam Field Radio Operator (uncredited)
- James Brown Pilot Tex Rader
- James Millican Marine with Dog on Wake Island (uncredited)
- James Bush Clark Field Control Officer (uncredited)
- Dorothy Peterson Mrs. Chester (uncredited)
- Ray Montgomery Asst. Radio Operator Chester
- James Flavin Maj. A.M. Bagley
Show all 60 cast members Show fewer cast members
- Edward Brophy Marine Sgt. J.J. Callahan
- Moroni Olsen Col. Blake
- Harry Carey Crew Chief
- Addison Richards Maj. Daniels
- Charles Sullivan Undetermined Role (uncredited)
- John Ridgely Pilot
- William Forrest Group Commander Jack Harper (uncredited)
- Murray Alper Butch - Demolition Squad Corporal (uncredited)
- Richard Lane Maj. W.G. Roberts
- Frank Marlowe Undetermined Role (uncredited)
- William Hopper Sergeant (uncredited)
- George Tobias Asst. Crew Chief
- Charles Drake Navigator
- George Offerman, Jr. Ground Crewman (uncredited)
- Bill Hunter Marine (uncredited)
- Rand Brooks Co-Pilot (uncredited)
- Tom Neal Marine (uncredited)
- Allan Lane Marine (uncredited)
- Harry Lewis Undetermined Role (uncredited)
- Bill Kennedy Marine (uncredited)
- Faye Emerson Susan McMartin
- Pat Gleason Marine (uncredited)
- Charles Flynn Sergeant (uncredited)
- Ruth Ford Nurse (uncredited)
- Maurice Murphy Harper's Co-Pilot (uncredited)
- Bill Edwards Soldier (uncredited)
- Marjorie Hoshelle Nurse (uncredited)
- Freddie Steele Marine (uncredited)
- Leah Baird Nurse #2 (uncredited)
- Victor Zimmerman Marine (uncredited)
- Charles Lang Soldier (uncredited)
- Ward Wood Radio Operator Peterson
- Lynn Baggett Nurse (uncredited)
- Walter Soo Hoo Chinese Boy (uncredited)
- David S. Horsley Orderly (uncredited)
- Warren Mace Orderly (uncredited)
- John Estes Orderly (uncredited)
- Edward Soo Hoo Chinese Man (uncredited)
- Bill Crago Lieut. P T. Moran
- Hal Welling Officer (uncredited)
More from Howard Hawks
More films directed by Howard Hawks, best-rated first: Rio Bravo, To Have and Have Not, Bringing Up Baby and The Big Sleep.
Air Force Plot Summary
What happens in Air Force from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 10 key events. The opening is below; the full summary is a 5-minute read.
Spoilers ahead
S. Army Air Corps B-17D, is ordered to fly a crucial mission from San Francisco to Hawaii alongside eight other Flying Fortresses. The crew is a tight-knit mix of seasoned veterans and rising officers, each carrying personal stakes into the flight. Master Sergeant Robbie White, the crew chief, is a long-time aviation man whose pride is shadowed by a personal loss—the fact that his son Danny is serving as an officer and fighter pilot. , is the son of a World War I hero from the Lafayette Escadrille, and his presence adds a weight of legacy and expectation to the mission as the crew charts a dangerous, untested course.
Full summary
The whole story of Air Force, scene by scene
Air Force Trailers & Videos
The trailer of Air Force.
How Well Do You Know Air Force?
10 questions about the story, each with a hint if you get stuck. Pick an answer to see whether you were right.
Question 1 of 10
- Question 1: not answered
- Question 2: not answered
- Question 3: not answered
- Question 4: not answered
- Question 5: not answered
- Question 6: not answered
- Question 7: not answered
- Question 8: not answered
- Question 9: not answered
- Question 10: not answered
What is the name of the B-17 bomber that the main crew flies at the start of the film?
Cars in Air Force
4 cars on screen, including the Clark Clarktor and the Dodge unknown.
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Clark Clarktor Minor role -
Dodge unknown Minor role -
1928 Sterling EB 18 Minor role -
Willys MB 'Jeep' Minor role
Air Force Also Known As
13 alternative titles, including “飞行堡垒” and “空军”.
- Also known as
-
- 飞行堡垒
- 空军
- 空中堡垒
- Arcipelago in fiamme
- A légierő
- In die japanische Sonne
- Águias Americanas
- Fuerzas aéreas (El bombardero heroico)
- Perutě pomsty
- Военно-воздушные силы
- Αεροναυμαχία των Φιλιππίνων
- 에어 포스
+1 more Show fewer
- Luften är vårt liv
Seen Air Force?
Movies Like Air Force
Films with a similar story, tone or audience, including Pearl Harbor, Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo and The War at Sea from Hawaii to Malaya.
Air Force FAQ: Cast, Runtime & Release Date
Runtime, release date, director, cast and post-credit scenes of Air Force, each answered in a sentence.
How long is Air Force?
Air Force runs 2 hours 4 minutes (124 minutes).
When was Air Force released?
Air Force was released on February 3, 1943.
Who directed Air Force?
Air Force was directed by Howard Hawks.
More films by Howard Hawks Who is in the cast of Air Force?
Air Force stars Sol Gorss as Sergeant (uncredited), Theodore von Eltz as First Lieutenant (uncredited) and Ross Ford as Second Lieutenant (uncredited), among 60 credited actors.
Does Air Force have a post-credit scene?
No. Air Force has no extra scene during or after the credits.
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