Thunder Birds (1942)

The PT-17 Stearman

If you were a cadet in the Army Air Forces in WW II, you will enjoy this film. The story is flimsy but the shots of dozens of Stearmen lined up on the tarmak and the shots of them stunt flying will make up for the story line.
This was the movie that in 1942 made me sign up as an Army Air Force cadet. January 2, 2008

Awesome

First movie I've seen of Gene and Wow she was gorgeous! I'm also a classic airplane lover, and military wife, so this movie was interesting in every way. I would definately recommend it! October 28, 2007

WORLD WAR II FIGHTER PILOT ACE MAJOR RICHARD BONG

WORLD WAR II'S FIGHTER PILOT ACE MAJOR RICHARD BONG IS SEEN IN ONE OF FILMS FLYING SCENES. A FORMATION OF AT6'S.HE GOES ON TO THE PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS AND GETS CREDIT FOR NEARLY 50 JAP PLANES SHOT DOWN. BECOMING THE NUMBER 1 ACE OF WWII. June 20, 2006

Flying Under the Radar

This World War II programmer is distinguished by two lovely elements: its leading lady, Gene Tierney; and some spectacular Technicolor photography. Certainly Tierney and Technicolor were made for each other, and "Thunder Birds" offers the actress' fans a singular opportunity to see what she would have looked like in the classic mystery "Laura" had it been filmed in color. For although Tierney was frequently photographed in Technicolor during the early 1940's ("The Return of Frank James", "Belle Starr", "Heaven Can Wait"), her role in "Thunder Birds" was the first - and only - Technicolor film to feature her in a contemporary setting while wearing her hair in the same style and length as "Laura". (Tierney had changed her hair length and makeup style by 1945 and the classic "Leave Her to Heaven".)

So, you may be asking, is there nothing else to recommend this movie beyond Ms. Tierney and the candybox Technicolor photography? Well, not really. The script, based on a story by "Melville Crossman" (a penname for 20th Century-Fox studio chief Darryl F. Zanuck) is a fairly cliched affair in which a flying instructor (Preston Foster) and one of his students (John Sutton) compete for the affections of a local beauty (Tierney) while training at Thunderbird Air Field in Arizona. And William A. Wellman's direction is fairly lackluster - this is one of the two films he was forced to make at Fox in order to get one of his pet projects - "The Ox-Bow Incident" - financed by Zanuck. The film's cast does include a very young Peter Lawford, but his part is actually little more than an "extra" role.

Despite its relative unimportance in the annals of Hollywood history, "Thunder Birds" nonetheless sports excellent production values, and at 78 minutes long, it's a fast and pleasant diversion. Recommended for fans of the spectacularly beautiful Ms. Tierney; Technicolor enthusiasts; and devotees of aerial films. Others may find it decidedly uninvolving. March 30, 2006

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