Connection
Thunder Birds is a american film of genre Drama directed by William A. Wellman released in USA on 20 november 1942 with Gene Tierney
Thunder Birds (1942)
If you like this film, let us know!
- Infos
- Casting
- Technical infos
- Photos
- Videos
- Film quotes
- Characters
- Music
- Awards
Add to a movie listThunder Birds (1942) (subtitled "Soldiers of the Air" and also known as Thunderbirds) is a Technicolor film directed by William A. Wellman and starring Gene Tierney, Preston Foster, and John Sutton. It features aerial photography and location filming at an actual Arizona training base of the United States Army Air Forces named Thunderbird Field No. 1 during World War II.
The film was made as a propaganda vehicle to boost civilian morale, while at the same time providing a look at training activities and promoting airpower as a means of winning the war. Wellman was himself a veteran of the U.S. Air Service as a World War I fighter pilot.
Synopsis
Soon after the US enters World War II, Steve Britt (Preston Foster), a former World War I flying ace, arrives at Thunderbird Field, looking for a job as a civilian primary flight instructor. The base commander is an old friend, Lt. Col. "Mac" MacDonald (Jack Holt), working with Squadron Leader Barrett (Reginald Denny, himself a WWI aerial observer), who is in charge of the Royal Air Force cadets at the base.Actors
Gene Tierney
(Kay Saunders)
Preston Foster
(Steve Britt)
John Sutton
(Peter Stackhouse)
Jack Holt
(Colonel MacDonald)
Reginald Denny
(Barrett)
Comments
Leave comment :
Suggestions of similar film to Thunder Birds
There are 327 films with the same actors, 158 films with the same director, 74532 with the same cinematographic genres (including 92 with exactly the same 4 genres than Thunder Birds), 17687 films with the same themes (including 35 films with the same 4 themes than Thunder Birds), to have finally 70 suggestions of similar films.If you liked Thunder Birds, you will probably like those similar films :
This Man's Navy (1945)
, 1h40Directed by William A. Wellman
Origin USA
Genres Drama, War, Adventure
Themes Seafaring films, Transport films, Aviation films, Political films, United States Armed Forces in films
Actors Wallace Beery, Tom Drake, James Gleason, Jan Clayton, Selena Royle, Noah Beery Sr.
Rating62%
During World War II, Chief Aviation Pilot Ned Trumpet (Wallace Beery) is in charge of a dirigible at Lakehurst, New Jersey naval base. "Old Gas Bag" brags about his "son" and realizes that he will need someone to impersonate his fictional son. Trumpet finds Jess Weaver (Tom Drake), a young disabled man, arranging for an operation to fix his legs, injured in a riding accident. Afterward, Weaver goes along with the deception and soon earns his Navy wings and commission as an Ensign. While on a submarine patrol mission, his "father" orders an unauthorized and premature attack on a German submarine, (orders have been sent to break off the attack, the "father" does not convey the orders) but the youngster's bomb misses and the submarine fires back, hitting the airship. Trumpet takes over the controls and sinks the submarine, but Weaver faces a court-martial for disobeying orders but the older man takes the blame for his actions. Young Weaver is awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, he gives the DFC ribbon to his "father." Leaving Lakehurst, young Weaver attends pilots training at NAS Pensacola.
Lafayette Escadrille (1958)
, 1h33Directed by William A. Wellman
Origin USA
Genres Drama, War, Romance
Themes French war films, Films about sexuality, Transport films, Erotic films, Films about prostitution, Aviation films, Political films, Erotic thriller films
Actors Tab Hunter, David Janssen, Will Hutchins, Etchika Choureau, Paul Fix, Marcel Dalio
Rating55%
Thad Walker (Tab Hunter), a spoiled, rich kid from Boston, who had gotten in serious trouble with the law, fled to France to join the French Foreign Legion in World War I. In Paris, with companions, "Duke" Sinclair (David Janssen), Dave Putnam (Will Hutchins), Tom Hitchcock (Jody McCrea) and Bill Wellman (William Wellman Jr.), the boys stop at a bar and learn of the recent formation of the Lafayette Escadrille made up of American volunteer pilots who fly for France. The group of expatriates join up and learn to fly on training aircraft before becoming combat pilots.
Wings (1927)
, 2h19Directed by William A. Wellman, Harry d'Abbadie d'Arrast
Origin USA
Genres Drama, War, Action, Romance
Themes Transport films, Aviation films, Political films, Disaster films, Films about aviation accidents or incidents
Actors Clara Bow, Buddy Rogers, Richard Arlen, Gary Cooper, Jobyna Ralston, El Brendel
Rating74%
Jack Powell and David Armstrong are rivals in the same small American town, both vying for the attentions of pretty Sylvia Lewis. Jack fails to realize that "the girl next door", Mary Preston, is desperately in love with him. The two young men both enlist to become combat pilots in the Air Service. When they leave for training camp, Jack mistakenly believes Sylvia prefers him. She actually prefers David and lets him know about her feelings, but is too kindhearted to turn down Jack's affection.
Young Eagles (1930)
, 1h12Directed by William A. Wellman
Origin USA
Genres Drama, War, Romance
Themes Spy films, Prison films, Transport films, Aviation films, Political films, Disaster films, Films about aviation accidents or incidents
Actors Buddy Rogers, Jean Arthur, Paul Lukas, Stuart Erwin, Virginia Bruce, Gordon De Main
Rating58%
Lieutenant Robert Banks (Buddy Rogers), a young American aviator in the Lafayette Escadrille, on leave in Paris, meets Mary Gordon (Jean Arthur), a young American living abroad. Their romance is cut short by his return to the front. In an air battle, Robert brings down and captures von Baden, nicknamed the "Grey Eagle" (Paul Lukas), and takes him to Allied headquarters in Paris, to obtain intelligence on German plans.
The Iron Curtain (1948)
, 1h27Directed by William A. Wellman
Origin USA
Genres Thriller, Documentary
Themes Spy films, Political films, Children's films
Actors Dana Andrews, Gene Tierney, June Havoc, Edna Best, Berry Kroeger, Stefan Schnabel
Rating62%
Igor Gouzenko (Dana Andrews), an expert at deciphering codes, comes to the Soviet embassy in Ottawa, Canada in wartime 1943, along with a Soviet military colonel, Trigorin (Frederic Tozere), and a major, Kulin (Eduard Franz), to set up a base of operations.
The Legion of the Condemned (1928)
, 1h20Directed by William A. Wellman, Charles Barton
Origin USA
Genres Drama, War, Romance
Themes Transport films, Aviation films, Political films
Actors Fay Wray, Gary Cooper, Barry Norton, Lane Chandler, Francis McDonald, Freeman Wood
Rating61%
Four young men from various walks of life sign up as flyers for the Lafayette Escadrille, a military unit known as "The Legion of the Condemned" composed mostly of American volunteer pilots flying fighters in World War I. All four men are running away from something—the law, love, or themselves. Whenever a dangerous mission comes up, the four men draw cards to see who will fly off to near-certain doom. With his best friend Byron Dashwood (Barry Norton) already having died in combat, Gale Price (Gary Cooper) draws the high card next time around.
Blood Alley (1955)
, 1h55Directed by William A. Wellman
Origin USA
Genres Drama, Thriller, Action, Adventure
Themes Seafaring films, Transport films, Political films
Actors John Wayne, Lauren Bacall, Paul Fix, Anita Ekberg, Mike Mazurki, James Hong
Rating61%
The ship of Captain Tom Wilder, an American Merchant Mariner, is seized by the Chinese Communists and he is imprisoned by them for two years in the vicinity of Amoy Island. Captain Wilder is helped to escape from prison, dressed as a Soviet officer. The huge Chinese who transports him to Chiku Shan village (Big Han) will not tell him why he has been broken out of prison.
China Seas (1935)
, 1h27Directed by Tay Garnett, William A. Wellman, Harold S. Bucquet
Origin USA
Genres Drama, Action, Adventure, Romance
Themes Seafaring films, Transport films, Pirate films
Actors Clark Gable, Jean Harlow, Wallace Beery, Lewis Stone, Rosalind Russell, Robert Benchley
Rating68%
Alan Gaskell (Clark Gable) is the captain of a tramp steamer chugging between Singapore and Hong Kong. Dolly Portland (Jean Harlow) is Alan's former girlfriend who books passage on the steamer at the same time that another of Alan's former loves, aristocratic Sybil Barclay (Rosalind Russell), shows up. Jamesy McArdle (Wallace Beery) is a passenger, who is actually in league with a gang of pirates who plan to steal the gold shipment being carried on the steamer.
Call of the Wild (1935)
, 1h35Directed by William A. Wellman
Origin USA
Genres Drama, Adventure, Romance, Western
Themes Films about animals, Films about dogs, Children's films, Mise en scène d'un mammifère
Actors Clark Gable, Loretta Young, Jack Oakie, Reginald Owen, Frank Conroy, Katherine DeMille
Rating67%
A prospector heading for the Alaska gold fields loses most of his money gambling. His luck changes when he pays $250 for a sled dog to keep him from being shot by an arrogant Englishman, who is also headed for the Yukon. The prospector and his friend head off for the Yukon with a map showing the location of a major gold mine. Along the way, they rescue a woman whose missing husband owned the original map. After the dog wins them a thousand dollars used to purchase supplies, the three continue north in search of the gold mine.
Battleground (1949)
, 1h58Directed by William A. Wellman
Origin USA
Genres Drama, War, Comedy, Action, Adventure
Themes Political films
Actors Van Johnson, John Hodiak, George Murphy, Ricardo Montalbán, James Whitmore, Don Taylor
Rating73%
In mid-December 1944 Pvt. Jim Layton (Marshall Thompson) and his buddy Pvt. William J. Hooper are fresh replacements assigned to separate companies in the 327th Glider Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division. As a newcomer Layton receives a chilly welcome. PFC Holley (Van Johnson) returns to the company after recuperating from a wound.