The Way to the Stars
| The Way to the Stars | |
|---|---|
British DVD cover
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| Directed by | Anthony Asquith |
| Produced by | Anatole de Grunwald |
| Written by |
Terence Rattigan Anatole de Grunwald Richard Sherman John Pudney (poems) |
| Starring |
Michael Redgrave John Mills Rosamund John Stanley Holloway |
| Music by |
Nicholas Brodszky Charles Williams |
| Cinematography | Derrick Williams |
| Edited by | Fergus McDonell |
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Production
company |
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| Distributed by |
Rank Organisation (UK) United Artists (U.S.) |
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Release date
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16 June 1945 (UK) 15 November 1945 (U.S.) |
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Running time
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109 minutes (UK) 87 minutes (U.S.) |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
| Box office | $63,434 (U.S. rentals) |
The Way to the Stars is a 1945 British war drama film made by Two Cities Films. In the United States it was known as Johnny in the Clouds and distributed by United Artists. It was produced by Anatole de Grunwald and directed by Anthony Asquith. The screenplay was co-written by noted dramatist, Terence Rattigan, as a significant reworking of his 1942 play Flare Path, which incorporated his Royal Air Force (RAF) experiences as a Flight Lieutenant. The film stars Michael Redgrave, John Mills, Rosamund John and Stanley Holloway.
The title, The Way to the Stars, is often assumed to have been taken from the Latin motto of the RAF, Per ardua ad astra. However, the literal translation of the RAF motto is "Through adversity to the stars". The alternative title, Johnny in the Clouds, is derived from the poem recited in the film as tribute to a dead aviator.
Pilot Officer Peter Penrose (John Mills) is posted in the summer of 1940 as a pilot to (the fictional) No. 720 Squadron, at a new airfield, RAF Station Halfpenny Field. He is a very green "15-hour sprog" Bristol Blenheim pilot and is assigned to B Flight, under Flight Lieutenant David Archdale (Michael Redgrave).
When No. 720 Squadron's commanding officer, Squadron Leader Carter (Trevor Howard, in his second but first credited film role), is shot down, Archdale takes over. While Penrose develops into a first-class pilot, he meets Iris Winterton (Renee Asherson), a young woman living with her domineering aunt at the Golden Lion hotel in the nearby town. Archdale marries Miss Todd (Rosamund John), the popular manageress of the hotel, who is known to everyone as Toddy. The Archdales later have a son, Peter.
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