While Strategic Air Command may seem terribly dated today, in the 1950's, the B-36 and B-47's depicted in the movie were the height of technology. This movie is one of two Air Force recruiting films that Hollywood made (the other was Bombers B-52 with Karl Malden and Natalie Wood a few years later).
The plot is somewhat trite, as others have noted. But, that isn't the point of the movie. The purpose of the movie was to help enlistments into SAC, and to reassure a nervous public about the strength of our nuclear deterrent. This was before ICBM's and submarine launched missiles could destroy a city within minutes of launch.
The best part of the whole movie is the rare footage of the B-36. This airplane could stay aloft for over 24 hours without refueling. It was initially designed in the early 1940's when it looked like England might fall, meaning we would have to bomb Germany from bases in the US.
There is about a five-minute sequence of the B-36 in flight, plus a guided tour. For airplane buffs, this is pure nirvana. This movie isn't for everyone, but if you like airplanes and want to see a slice of history, watch at least the first half.
The plot is somewhat trite, as others have noted. But, that isn't the point of the movie. The purpose of the movie was to help enlistments into SAC, and to reassure a nervous public about the strength of our nuclear deterrent. This was before ICBM's and submarine launched missiles could destroy a city within minutes of launch.
The best part of the whole movie is the rare footage of the B-36. This airplane could stay aloft for over 24 hours without refueling. It was initially designed in the early 1940's when it looked like England might fall, meaning we would have to bomb Germany from bases in the US.
There is about a five-minute sequence of the B-36 in flight, plus a guided tour. For airplane buffs, this is pure nirvana. This movie isn't for everyone, but if you like airplanes and want to see a slice of history, watch at least the first half.