Island in the Sky (1953 film)
| Island in the Sky | |
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Theatrical release poster
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| Directed by | William Wellman |
| Produced by |
Robert Fellows John Wayne |
| Based on |
Island in the Sky 1944 novel by Ernest K. Gann |
| Starring |
John Wayne Lloyd Nolan James Arness Andy Devine Harry Carey Jr. |
| Narrated by | William Wellman |
| Music by | Emil Newman |
| Cinematography | Archie Stout |
| Edited by | Ralph Dawson |
| Distributed by | Warner Bros. |
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Release date
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Running time
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109 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $967,000 (estimated) |
| Box office | $2.75 million (US) |
Island in the Sky is a 1953 American aviation adventure drama film written by Ernest K. Gann based on his 1944 novel Island in the Sky, directed by William A. Wellman, and starring and co-produced by John Wayne. It was released by Warner Bros. Due to its realism depicting the events surrounding an actual aircraft crash, it is considered one of the "classic" aviation films.
The film follows a pilot and crew of a World War II-era Douglas C-47 Skytrain (the military version of the DC-3) who try to survive after a forced emergency landing in the uncharted wildlands near the Quebec-Labrador border. The pilot, Dooley (John Wayne), is a former airline pilot, who, like many others, was pressed into duty hauling war supplies across the northern route to England. Icy conditions force the aircraft to land, and with the difficulties of navigating far from settled country, they can provide only an approximate position to rescuers.
After finding a frozen lake for a landing field, Dooley must keep his men alive while waiting for rescue in the extreme winter cold with temperatures plummeting to -70 °F. Meanwhile, at Air Transport Headquarters, Col. Fuller (Walter Abel) gathers fellow airmen (played by Lloyd Nolan, James Arness, Andy Devine and Paul Fix), who are determined to find the downed crew before hunger and the winter do them in. Wellman provides internal narrative for the stoic characters. There is tension and a fear-filled meeting among the search pilots when no one is quite sure about what to do, since a wrong decision could doom the missing crew.
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Wikipedia