Airborne (1962 film)
Encyclopedia
Airborne is a 1962 American film directed by James Landis and starring Bobby Diamond
. As of 2009 it is in the Public Domain
and can be streamed on Youtube or downloaded via the Internet Archive
. The film tells the story of a young man (Diamond) and his journey to become a US paratrooper
. It was made with the co-operation of the US Army and was filmed entirely on location in Fort Bragg
, North Carolina
, the training ground of the US Airborne division.
,NC he meets a motley crew of volunteers and draftees predictably all-white and from varying socio-economic backgrounds. Most notable are Rocky, the bully of the group, and Mouse,jive-talking ,self-styled "lover" of the group, who both play important supporting roles in the film. There are also the two sargeants of the Company, the tough martinet Snr.Sgt. Benner and the more affable and pleasant but still tough Sgt.White (played by the famous Hollywood stunt man Whitney Hughes). As a wet behind the ears, immature and naive farm-boy and bumpkin, Eddie is initially mocked by his peers for his wholesome ways and trusting manner, eventually however he earns their respect by his courage, honor, friendliness and his ability to be a good teammate and comrade despite not being the most skilled paratrooper.Drama develops when Eddie meets a doe-eyed country girl by the name of Jenny May and this provides the then necessary "love-interest" for the male lead and a diverting but unsatisfying, irrelevant sub-plot to the main theme of the film. Various ups and downs in the life and training of the main protagonist follow and in the end predictably everything and everyone lives happily ever after. The bully is shamed and humiliated and the hero and his now bosom-buddies become proud members of the US 82nd Airborne Division.
The film features frequent scenes of training methods used by the US airborne division at the time and is an interesting document in this respect.
A vehicle to launch the film career of its star (Bobby Diamond
) who had been a well known child actor on TV for most of the 50's, co-starring in the formula-Western (genre)
Fury. The film failed to achieve its aim and purpose, as this was Diamond's only leading role on film and one of his last appearances on either film or TV before he quit the screen in the mid 60's. The film has not stood the test of time and is now almost forgotten.
Though formulaic and highly predictable the film's interest to modern audiences lies primarily in its depictions of the life and training of soldiers of the US airborne division at the time.
Bobby Diamond
Bobby Diamond, also known as Robert Leroy Diamond , is a California civil and criminal law attorney who was a child star and young-adult actor, mostly in the 1950s and 1960s...
. As of 2009 it is in the Public Domain
Public domain
Works are in the public domain if the intellectual property rights have expired, if the intellectual property rights are forfeited, or if they are not covered by intellectual property rights at all...
and can be streamed on Youtube or downloaded via the Internet Archive
Internet Archive
The Internet Archive is a non-profit digital library with the stated mission of "universal access to all knowledge". It offers permanent storage and access to collections of digitized materials, including websites, music, moving images, and nearly 3 million public domain books. The Internet Archive...
. The film tells the story of a young man (Diamond) and his journey to become a US paratrooper
Paratrooper
Paratroopers are soldiers trained in parachuting and generally operate as part of an airborne force.Paratroopers are used for tactical advantage as they can be inserted into the battlefield from the air, thereby allowing them to be positioned in areas not accessible by land...
. It was made with the co-operation of the US Army and was filmed entirely on location in Fort Bragg
Fort Bragg (North Carolina)
Fort Bragg is a major United States Army installation, in Cumberland and Hoke counties, North Carolina, U.S., mostly in Fayetteville but also partly in the town of Spring Lake. It was also a census-designated place in the 2010 census and had a population of 39,457. The fort is named for Confederate...
, North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
, the training ground of the US Airborne division.
Plot summary
Eddie Slocome (Bobby Daimond) is a young country boy from a farm in Idaho who decides to volunteer to become a paratrooper because of his dreams to be like his uncle Charlie, a paratrooper in WWII. Upon arriving at Fort BraggFort Bragg (North Carolina)
Fort Bragg is a major United States Army installation, in Cumberland and Hoke counties, North Carolina, U.S., mostly in Fayetteville but also partly in the town of Spring Lake. It was also a census-designated place in the 2010 census and had a population of 39,457. The fort is named for Confederate...
,NC he meets a motley crew of volunteers and draftees predictably all-white and from varying socio-economic backgrounds. Most notable are Rocky, the bully of the group, and Mouse,jive-talking ,self-styled "lover" of the group, who both play important supporting roles in the film. There are also the two sargeants of the Company, the tough martinet Snr.Sgt. Benner and the more affable and pleasant but still tough Sgt.White (played by the famous Hollywood stunt man Whitney Hughes). As a wet behind the ears, immature and naive farm-boy and bumpkin, Eddie is initially mocked by his peers for his wholesome ways and trusting manner, eventually however he earns their respect by his courage, honor, friendliness and his ability to be a good teammate and comrade despite not being the most skilled paratrooper.Drama develops when Eddie meets a doe-eyed country girl by the name of Jenny May and this provides the then necessary "love-interest" for the male lead and a diverting but unsatisfying, irrelevant sub-plot to the main theme of the film. Various ups and downs in the life and training of the main protagonist follow and in the end predictably everything and everyone lives happily ever after. The bully is shamed and humiliated and the hero and his now bosom-buddies become proud members of the US 82nd Airborne Division.
The film features frequent scenes of training methods used by the US airborne division at the time and is an interesting document in this respect.
Reception
A pleasant film with likable characters played fairly well by a cast of predominantly non-professional actors, the film was moderately well received in the US upon its release due to its content and the limited fame of its star.A vehicle to launch the film career of its star (Bobby Diamond
Bobby Diamond
Bobby Diamond, also known as Robert Leroy Diamond , is a California civil and criminal law attorney who was a child star and young-adult actor, mostly in the 1950s and 1960s...
) who had been a well known child actor on TV for most of the 50's, co-starring in the formula-Western (genre)
Western (genre)
The Western is a genre of various visual arts, such as film, television, radio, literature, painting and others. Westerns are devoted to telling stories set primarily in the latter half of the 19th century in the American Old West, hence the name. Some Westerns are set as early as the Battle of...
Fury. The film failed to achieve its aim and purpose, as this was Diamond's only leading role on film and one of his last appearances on either film or TV before he quit the screen in the mid 60's. The film has not stood the test of time and is now almost forgotten.
Though formulaic and highly predictable the film's interest to modern audiences lies primarily in its depictions of the life and training of soldiers of the US airborne division at the time.
Cast
- Bobby DiamondBobby DiamondBobby Diamond, also known as Robert Leroy Diamond , is a California civil and criminal law attorney who was a child star and young-adult actor, mostly in the 1950s and 1960s...
as Pvt. Eddie Slocum - Carolyn Byrd as Jenny May
- Robert Christian as Pvt. Rocky Layman
- Mike Angel as Pvt. Mouse Talliaferro
- Bill Hale as Sgt. Benner
- Whitey Hughes as Sgt. White
- James Maydock as Pvt. Barnowski
- George Marlowe as Pvt. Erski
- Keith Babcock as Pvt. Gordblitz
- Barbara Markham as Bertha
- Robert MayBob May (actor)Bob May was an American actor best remembered for playing The Robot on the television series Lost in Space, which debuted in 1965 and ran until 1968...
- D.J. Sullivan
- L. Blue
- John Smothergood
- Carl C. Allgood