Pilot No. 5
| Pilot #5 | |
|---|---|
Theatrical poster
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| Directed by | George Sidney |
| Produced by | B.P. Fineman |
| Written by | David Hertz |
| Starring |
Franchot Tone Marsha Hunt Gene Kelly Van Johnson |
| Music by | Lennie Hayton |
| Cinematography | Paul Vogel |
| Edited by | George White |
| Distributed by | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer |
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Release date
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Running time
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71 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $486,000 |
| Box office | $969,000 |
Pilot #5 is a 1943 propaganda war film starring Franchot Tone, Marsha Hunt, Gene Kelly and Van Johnson. It was directed by George Sidney. Told in flashback, Pilot #5 marked Gene Kelly's dramatic debut. It was also known by the titles Destination Tokyo, Skyway to Glory and The Story of Number Five.
In 1942, a small group of Allied soldiers and airmen stationed on Java are being bombed by Japanese aircraft daily. With only one working fighter of their own, and five pilots who volunteer to fly a dangerous mission, the Dutch commander, Major Eichel (Steven Geray) chooses George Collins (Franchot Tone) to bomb the Japanese aircraft carrier lying offshore. As the flight progresses, Eichel asks the other pilots to tell him about George. As they recount his rise from brilliant law student, it is apparent that his involvement in a scandal with the state's Governor, has led to attempts to redeem himself, especially for Freddie (Marsha Hunt), his long-time love. With the promise that his mission is "for his country," Collins sacrifices himself in a final dive on the carrier.
As appearing in Pilot #5 (main roles and screen credits identified):
Casting included Peter Lawford who had an uncredited role as a British soldier.
The California facilities at Cal-Aero Aviation Training School (formerly Curtiss-Wright Technical Institute) were used for the wartime sequence. A Republic P-43 Lancer was prominently featured as the sole remaining fighter aircraft in Java.
Although a relatively minor production, a great number of studio players who later achieved fame were used in the film, but their scenes may have been lost in editing Studio records and casting call lists indicate Hobart Cavanaugh, Jim Davis, Marilyn Maxwell, Marie Windsor and Frances Rafferty as cast members. Ava Gardner has been listed in a modern source as uncredited.
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