Original review at
TVGuide
TV Guide review
One of Our Aircraft is Missing (1942)
During WW II, squadrons of heavy Wellington bombers take off from Britain
at dusk and cross the English Channel for a raid on Stuttgart. On the return
flight, six crewmen on one plane are forced to bail out over German-occupied
Holland. Some Dutch children help them evade a German patrol; then, disguised,
they are aided by an underground network that enables them to reach the
coast and to return to Britain in a small boat. Almost immediately after
being reunited with their squadron they are back in the air, flying even
more dangerous missions into Germany. The second Michael Powell-Emeric Pressburger
collaboration (the first on which Pressburger was codirector), this film
does not reach the heights of their previous, similarly plotted picture,
The Invaders (aka 49th Parallel).
The best sequences are the opening ones, precisely detailing
the raid as the men concentrate on their duties, adjusting instruments while
their planes shake under the anti-aircraft fire all around them. The performances -- of
the stiff-upper-lip variety--are all good, especially Godfrey Tearle's as
the aircraft commander, Googie Withers' as an important link in the chain
of rescuers, and Scottish character actor Hay Petrie's as an apoplectic
burgomeister. The film's worth as a propaganda piece was considerable, but
too many long-winded speeches about people uniting to fight the Germans
date the film somewhat now. The film earned Academy Award nominations for
Best Original Screenplay and Best Special Effects.
Back to index
