Tonight's movie was called "A Yank In The RAF" (1941) starring the handsome Tyrone Power and Pin-Up Favorite Betty Grable. I just happened to find it on the shelf at Northridge Library this afternoon so I figured I'd give it a try. The reviews on IMDB indicated an "entertainment" film rather than a more serious WW2 battle story, and the reviewers were correct in their assessments. Ty Power is an American pilot who flies to Canada to volunteer for the British Royal Air Force (RAF). It is not well known in this country that, before America entered the war, the English were putting out offers to American civilian pilots to sign up for the RAF by going to Canada, a country of the British Commonwealth. The pay was very good (a G a week, huge bux in those days), and many US pilots wound up serving for England in that way.
Anyhow, the depiction of Power's enlistment is played in a light hearted manner, setting the style for the film, which is a pure Hollywood War Propaganda Piece. Not that that's a bad thing; this was WW2, unlike any war before or since, and soldiers were needed in droves. Hence the feel-good flow of the film, which - once Power is finished signing up - turns toward romance for almost the full first hour of it's 98 minute running time. The movie is mostly a light romantic "dramedy". Once Power gets to England he very quickly discovers that Grable, his recent girlfriend, is working Over There as a singer/dancer in a popular revue. No explanation is given as to why she is there, but hey! - that's Hollywood. This was propaganda to try and get American audiences to feel good about the idea of joining the war. The movie was released before Pearl Harbor.
At any rate, the first hour of the film is spent mostly on Power chasing Grable, against a rival British officer who is also vying for her affections. This might become tedious in a war film were it not for the two leads. Tyrone Power is a favorite of mine, he can turn on the charm like few others, and even as a Cad you can't help but like him. And having seen Betty Grable in a few movies now, she certainly had some talent to go with those famous legs. Her talent was mostly for light comedy, so she is perfectly cast here.
To cut to the chase, you finally get some WW2 action in the last 40 minutes of the film, with some pretty cool looking bombing runs over Berlin. And, the movie ends with a ten minute sequence having to do with the rescue at Dunkirk, which was so brilliantly depicted in Christopher Nolan's current film. It is well done here also, at least by 1940s cinematic standards.
All in all an enjoyable film, but not a profound one. Simply a picture to entertain and get the fighting spirit up and running in America, which had yet to join the war.
I always "IMDB" all the movies I watch, so I can look at the bios and film history of all the actors in each movie. I love all the old Hollywood Stars, but as I check out their bios, it is very often sad to find out that a great many of them did not live to an old age. Tyrone Power only lived to be 50, and Betty Grable only made it to 56. In the movie I watched last night, "Walk On The Wild Side", star Laurence Harvey only lived to 45, Anne Baxter to 62, and I already told you about Capucine.....
But you will see this in many of the casts of movies from Golden Era Hollywood, actors and actresses not making it much past their 60s, at the far end, and many not living past their 50s. Of course, smoking was huge then. Everybody smoked, and many smoked multiple packs a day. Steaks were The Main Course Of Choice also. No Sushi or veganism in those days. And everybody drank.....and drank.
Errol Flynn only made it to 50. As much as he drank, it's probably a wonder he made it that far. One of my very favorite actors is Montgomery Clift. He only made it to 46.
I could list a bunch more, and if I got into character actors, at least a couple hundred more. And those would be just the ones I've "IMDB"ed.
In the 40s through the 50s, they didn't last long in Hollywood. They died in what we would now consider early middle age.
But they gave their all on that screen. They always looked perfect. Does any star of today look half as good as Tyrone Power, or Betty Grable, or.........Capucine?
No they don't. A lot of excellent movies are made today, with some incredible actors, but......
they don't even approach the onscreen Mythos that was created by the Original Stars Of Hollywood.
The Stars who died mostly young (or at least did not make it to old age) but who are immortalised forever onscreen, looking (and acting) fantastic in movies both deep and.......well, not shallow really _ Hollywood in the 40s was incapable of Shallow - but made just for entertainment.
Such was "A Yank In The RAF", a movie for entertainment, made on the brink of the worst war in human history. I can see why they made such movies at that time, and it is probably much easier to enjoy it today than it was in 1941. ////
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