Dive Bomber (film)
Encyclopedia
Dive Bomber is a 1941 American propaganda film
directed by Michael Curtiz
. It is notable for both its Technicolor
photography of pre-World War II
United States Navy
aircraft and as a historical document of the US in 1941, including the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise
, one of the best known World War II US warships.
The film was the last of a collaboration between director Curtiz and actor Errol Flynn
which began in 1935 and spanned 12 films. The cast also includes Fred MacMurray
, on loan from Paramount Studios and Alexis Smith
in her first credited screen performance. Flynn portrays a Harvard
-educated doctor who is involved in heroic medical research on pilots, with MacMurray as the skeptical veteran aviator who gets swept up in the project. The plot is not historically accurate but, depicted in a near-documentary style, the film contains elements of true events that were involved in period aeromedical research, as well as real contemporary medical equipment.
The vivid cinematography prompted the tagline: The stunning spectacle of color rides with you into the heavens! Dive Bomber was nominated for an Oscar for Best Color Cinematography
at the 14th Academy Awards
in 1942. The movie is dedicated to the flight surgeons of the US armed forces "in recognition of their heroic efforts to solve the immensely difficult problems of aviation medicine." The film was a big hit at the box office, rounding out as the 19th highest-grossing film of 1941.
, and winds up being trained at the U.S. Naval Air Station in San Diego by a number of instructors, including his nemesis, Lt. Commander Blake. A sub-plot involving the romantic adventures of Blake, Lee and a group of mechanics, introduces Mrs. Linda Fisher (Alexis Smith) as a love interest for the two rivals, Blake and Lee.
On completion of his flight training, Dr. Lee is posted as an assistant to Dr. Lance Rogers (Ralph Bellamy), who is working to find a solution for altitude sickness
that affects pilots in dive bombers. Lee flies with Blake as his pilot in a camera-equipped aircraft and observes Blake blacking out. He experiments with a pneumatic belt that will keep blood above the heart and successfully flight tests it himself, although he disobeys regulations in flying by himself. Even though he has qualified as a pilot, Lee is still not trusted, considered a "grandstander" and a "vulture", always there when someone crashes. His judgment over pilots' ability to fly is further resented when he grounds a pilot, Lt. Tim Griffin (Regis Toomey), who is suffering from chronic fatigue. In anger, Griffin quits the Navy, and joins the RAF in Canada but visits his old squadron when he is ferrying a new fighter from the Los Angeles factory. On his return flight, Griffin suffers from fatigue and dies attempting to land at an emergency field, completely misjudging his approach.
Lt. Commander Blake finally accepts that the flight surgeon is trying to help pilots survive dangerous high altitude flying, and volunteers as a "guinea pig" pilot for aerial experiments. The first flight test of a pressurized cabin nearly ends in disaster when the aircraft ices up and Blake passes out, forcing Dr. Lee to take over. After ground testing of a new invention jointly developed by Lee and Blake, a pressure suit, Blake is told that he did not pass his most recent physical and will be grounded. Taking off without permission, Blake carries out the aerial testing of the new suit anyway, but when the oxygen regulator fails, he loses consciousness and fatally crashes. His notes are salvaged from the wreckage, however, and mass production of the suit can begin. In the final scene, Blake's self-sacrifice is acknowledged while Rogers and Lee are honored for their pioneering work in protecting pilots flying at high altitude.
An ongoing motif involving cigarettes in National Air Races
cases that each of the "High Hats" squadron pilots carries, continues into the final sequence where Dr. Lee throws Lt. Commander Blake's cigarette case out over the Pacific as a final tribute.
's tribute to the pre-Pearl Harbor
US Navy." Based on a screenplay adapted from an original story by US Navy Commander (retired) Frank "Spig" Wead, Dive Bomber features spectacular flying scenes (as in other films with a scenario written by Wead) interwoven into a storyline of medical research undertaken to combat the effects of high "G"
combat maneuvers. Upon the first reading of the proposed script, the Department of the Navy realized the potential of the film to be a showcase of US naval aviation and lent its full support to the production. The principal aircraft depicted are Vought SB2U Vindicator
dive bombers and Douglas TBD Devastator
torpedo bombers, although many other types are included, especially parked, as backdrops. The N3N Canary trainers were the primary type in use at Naval Air Station North Island and are featured prominently in the flight training sequence. All other aircraft were deployed temporarily for training to North Island and were subsequently available for use in the film. An entire squadron of Grumman F3F
fighters from the USS Enterprise was flown to NAS North Island with a single example appearing prominently in the penultimate "pressure suit" scenes both on the ground and in the air. All the aerial closeup work with the cast was photographed later in the studio using a series of realistic mock-ups. Some of the aircraft types used in Dive Bomber were engaged a few months later in combat with the Japanese aerial and naval forces, up to and including the Battle of Midway
, while other types were declared obsolescent and relegated to home use when the US geared up for war in earnest.
This was the final film collaboration between Errol Flynn and Michael Curtiz. It was the 12th and most contentious pairing of the high-spirited matinee idol and the fiery director. Throughout the production, an ever-widening rift emerged between the two due to conflicts over the use of actors in demanding and sometimes risky scenes, leading to inevitable clashes and delays in filming. The off-screen moments were fraught with stress for the cast and crew observing the contentious exchanges. One bizarre incident came about when a formation of aircraft flew over the film set at a time when all the cameras were being reloaded. Curtiz reacted immediately by standing up and waving them off when he realized that the camera crews were not in position. The pilots, who were setting out on a daily exercise, simply ignored the gesticulating and screaming Curtiz below. The film crews were mightily amused by Curtiz's declarations of "No, no. Go back!" as if the flight crews could actually hear him. The incident was symptomatic of the many outbursts and exchanges on the set when the autocratic Curtiz helmed a film.
Pre-production planning began in January 1941, and once the generous $1.7 million budget was established, a tight schedule of two months was determined for principal photography on location. Although the Navy had agreed to cooperate, providing over 1,000 officers and enlisted men along with access to some of its most highly secured facilities, world events had dictated a full war-readiness, which placed additional pressures on the film cast and crew. With all naval air and sea forces committed to training and war exercises, Curtiz was notified in advance so that he could take advantage of the ongoing activities and set up his camera crews accordingly. Principal photography began on March 20, 1941 at NAS North Island
in San Diego with the USS Enterprise
, the famous aircraft carrier, also placed at the disposal of the production crew of 150 actors and technicians for an entire week.
When principal photography commenced, the initial aircraft scenes featured US Navy aircraft in their pre-war colorful schemes, set off by the Technicolor process, making this a vibrant document, unique for its time. During filming, as war preparations ramped up, the Navy ordered a new grey color camouflage for all its sea-based aircraft, with the associate producer Robert Lord scrambling to have a concession made where a few aircraft in each squadron would retain their colorful schemes in order to match previously shot footage. The film ultimately uses footage that includes aircraft in this new uniform light-grey color scheme especially in the carrier sequence.
Even though famed aerial pilot and cinematographer Paul Mantz
is listed in the credits as the Chief Pilot for Warner Bros., his injuries in a previous accident prevented him from doing the flying and Frank Clarke took over, with Mantz continuing to oversee the air operations. With the preponderance of actual aerial footage shot from a bevy of camera platforms, both on the ground and mounted to aircraft, the film was notable in the restrained use of special effects. During the two months of studio post-production, footage of scale models and closeup "blue screen" effects were matched up with the aerial sequences. Although Errol Flynn had a pilot's license, he was expressly forbidden to fly in the production, under threat of suspension from Warner Bros. due to his "buzzing" the cast and crew of The Adventures of Robin Hood
(1938). Flynn did taxi a dive bomber to allow closeups of him in the cockpit during a critical scene when his character "is testing a G-resistant belt."
to be displayed in conjunction with film screenings at principal cities, and set up recruiting booths by the theaters. The film was one of Warner's biggest hits of 1941, generating a profit in excess of $1 million. Critically reviewed, Dive Bomber was praised for its colorful subject matter, but the plot as conceived by the screenwriting team of Frank Wead and Robert Buckner was considered "fanciful" and a "necessary evil" by Bosley Crowther
of The New York Times
.
Propaganda film
The term propaganda can be defined as the ability to produce and spread fertile messages that, once sown, will germinate in large human cultures.” However, in the 20th century, a “new” propaganda emerged, which revolved around political organizations and their need to communicate messages that...
directed by Michael Curtiz
Michael Curtiz
Michael Curtiz was an Academy award winning Hungarian-American film director. He had early creditsas Mihály Kertész and Michael Kertész...
. It is notable for both its Technicolor
Technicolor
Technicolor is a color motion picture process invented in 1916 and improved over several decades.It was the second major process, after Britain's Kinemacolor, and the most widely used color process in Hollywood from 1922 to 1952...
photography of pre-World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
aircraft and as a historical document of the US in 1941, including the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise
USS Enterprise (CV-6)
USS Enterprise , colloquially referred to as the "Big E," was the sixth aircraft carrier of the United States Navy and the seventh U.S. Navy ship to bear the name. Launched in 1936, she was a ship of the Yorktown class, and one of only three American carriers commissioned prior to World War II to...
, one of the best known World War II US warships.
The film was the last of a collaboration between director Curtiz and actor Errol Flynn
Errol Flynn
Errol Leslie Flynn was an Australian-born actor. He was known for his romantic swashbuckler roles in Hollywood films, being a legend and his flamboyant lifestyle.-Early life:...
which began in 1935 and spanned 12 films. The cast also includes Fred MacMurray
Fred MacMurray
Frederick Martin "Fred" MacMurray was an American actor who appeared in more than 100 movies and a successful television series during a career that spanned nearly a half-century, from 1930 to the 1970s....
, on loan from Paramount Studios and Alexis Smith
Alexis Smith
Alexis Smith was a Canadian-born stage, film, and television actress. She appeared in several major Hollywood movies in the 1940s and had a notable career on Broadway in the 1970s, winning a Tony Award in 1972.-Life and career:...
in her first credited screen performance. Flynn portrays a Harvard
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
-educated doctor who is involved in heroic medical research on pilots, with MacMurray as the skeptical veteran aviator who gets swept up in the project. The plot is not historically accurate but, depicted in a near-documentary style, the film contains elements of true events that were involved in period aeromedical research, as well as real contemporary medical equipment.
The vivid cinematography prompted the tagline: The stunning spectacle of color rides with you into the heavens! Dive Bomber was nominated for an Oscar for Best Color Cinematography
Academy Award for Best Cinematography
The Academy Award for Best Cinematography is an Academy Award awarded each year to a cinematographer for work in one particular motion picture.-History:...
at the 14th Academy Awards
14th Academy Awards
The 14th Academy Awards honored American film achievements in 1941 and was held in the Biltmore Bowl at the Biltmore Hotel. The ceremony is now considered notable, in retrospect, as the year in which Citizen Kane failed to win Best Picture. Best Picture of the year was awarded to How Green Was My...
in 1942. The movie is dedicated to the flight surgeons of the US armed forces "in recognition of their heroic efforts to solve the immensely difficult problems of aviation medicine." The film was a big hit at the box office, rounding out as the 19th highest-grossing film of 1941.
Plot
During pre-war operations from an aircraft carrier off Hawaii, the VB-3 dive bombing squadron (bearing the "High Hat" emblem of Bombing Squadron Four) arrives in a wingover approach to Honolulu; one of its pilots blacks out during the high speed dive and crashes. At the base hospital in Honolulu, Lt. Commander Joe Blake (Fred MacMurray) is concerned that Lt. "Swede" Larson (Louis Jean Heydt) will not survive. Navy Lt. Doctor Doug Lee (Errol Flynn) convinces the Senior Surgeon (Moroni Olsen) to operate but the pilot dies on the operating table. After Blake blames Lee for rushing the surgery, the doctor decides to become a flight surgeonFlight surgeon
A flight surgeon is a military medical officer assigned to duties in the clinical field variously known as aviation medicine, aerospace medicine, or flight medicine...
, and winds up being trained at the U.S. Naval Air Station in San Diego by a number of instructors, including his nemesis, Lt. Commander Blake. A sub-plot involving the romantic adventures of Blake, Lee and a group of mechanics, introduces Mrs. Linda Fisher (Alexis Smith) as a love interest for the two rivals, Blake and Lee.
On completion of his flight training, Dr. Lee is posted as an assistant to Dr. Lance Rogers (Ralph Bellamy), who is working to find a solution for altitude sickness
Altitude sickness
Altitude sickness—also known as acute mountain sickness , altitude illness, hypobaropathy, or soroche—is a pathological effect of high altitude on humans, caused by acute exposure to low partial pressure of oxygen at high altitude...
that affects pilots in dive bombers. Lee flies with Blake as his pilot in a camera-equipped aircraft and observes Blake blacking out. He experiments with a pneumatic belt that will keep blood above the heart and successfully flight tests it himself, although he disobeys regulations in flying by himself. Even though he has qualified as a pilot, Lee is still not trusted, considered a "grandstander" and a "vulture", always there when someone crashes. His judgment over pilots' ability to fly is further resented when he grounds a pilot, Lt. Tim Griffin (Regis Toomey), who is suffering from chronic fatigue. In anger, Griffin quits the Navy, and joins the RAF in Canada but visits his old squadron when he is ferrying a new fighter from the Los Angeles factory. On his return flight, Griffin suffers from fatigue and dies attempting to land at an emergency field, completely misjudging his approach.
Lt. Commander Blake finally accepts that the flight surgeon is trying to help pilots survive dangerous high altitude flying, and volunteers as a "guinea pig" pilot for aerial experiments. The first flight test of a pressurized cabin nearly ends in disaster when the aircraft ices up and Blake passes out, forcing Dr. Lee to take over. After ground testing of a new invention jointly developed by Lee and Blake, a pressure suit, Blake is told that he did not pass his most recent physical and will be grounded. Taking off without permission, Blake carries out the aerial testing of the new suit anyway, but when the oxygen regulator fails, he loses consciousness and fatally crashes. His notes are salvaged from the wreckage, however, and mass production of the suit can begin. In the final scene, Blake's self-sacrifice is acknowledged while Rogers and Lee are honored for their pioneering work in protecting pilots flying at high altitude.
An ongoing motif involving cigarettes in National Air Races
National Air Races
The National Air Races were a series of pylon and cross-country races that took place in the United States from 1920 to 1949. The science of aviation, and the speed and reliability of aircraft and engines grew rapidly during this period; the National Air Races were both a proving ground and...
cases that each of the "High Hats" squadron pilots carries, continues into the final sequence where Dr. Lee throws Lt. Commander Blake's cigarette case out over the Pacific as a final tribute.
Cast
Principal credited cast members (in order of on-screen credits) and roles:| Actor | Role |
|---|---|
| Errol Flynn Errol Flynn Errol Leslie Flynn was an Australian-born actor. He was known for his romantic swashbuckler roles in Hollywood films, being a legend and his flamboyant lifestyle.-Early life:... |
Lt. Douglas S. "Doug" Lee, MD |
| Fred MacMurray Fred MacMurray Frederick Martin "Fred" MacMurray was an American actor who appeared in more than 100 movies and a successful television series during a career that spanned nearly a half-century, from 1930 to the 1970s.... |
Lt. Commander Joe Blake, squadron commander |
| Ralph Bellamy Ralph Bellamy Ralph Bellamy was an American actor whose career spanned sixty-two years.-Early life:He was born Ralph Rexford Bellamy in Chicago, Illinois, the son of Lilla Louise , a native of Canada, and Charles Rexford Bellamy. He ran away from home when he was fifteen and managed to get into a road show... |
Lt. Commander Lance Rogers, MD, Flight Surgeon |
| Alexis Smith Alexis Smith Alexis Smith was a Canadian-born stage, film, and television actress. She appeared in several major Hollywood movies in the 1940s and had a notable career on Broadway in the 1970s, winning a Tony Award in 1972.-Life and career:... |
Mrs. Linda Fisher |
| Robert Armstrong Robert Armstrong (actor) Robert Armstrong was an American film actor best remembered for his role as Carl Denham in the 1933 version of King Kong by RKO Pictures. He uttered the famous exit quote, "'Twas beauty killed the beast," at the film's end... |
Art Lyons - aviation designer |
| Regis Toomey Regis Toomey John Regis Toomey was an American film and television actor.-Early life:Born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, he was one of four children of Francis X. and Mary Ellen Toomey and attended Peabody High School... |
Lt. Tim Griffin |
| Allen Jenkins Allen Jenkins Allen Jenkins was an American character actor of stage, screen and television.-Early life:He was born David Allen Curtis Jenkins in Staten Island, New York on April 9, 1900.-Career:... |
Corpsman 2nd Class "Lucky" James |
| Craig Stevens Craig Stevens (actor) Craig Stevens was an American motion picture and television actor.-Early and personal life:Born Gail Shikles, Jr., in Liberty, Missouri, his father was a high school teacher.... |
Pilot Trainee John Anthony |
| Herbert Anderson Herbert Anderson Herbert Anderson was an American character actor from Oakland, California, probably best remembered for his part as Henry Mitchell in the classic television sitcom Dennis The Menace.-Career:... |
Lt. "Slim" Markham, MD - assigned to Norfolk, identified in the credits as "Chubby" |
| Moroni Olsen Moroni Olsen Moroni Olsen was an American actor.-Biography:Olsen was born in Ogden, Utah to Mormon parents Edward Arenholt Olsen and Marsha Hoverholst who named him after the Moroni found in the Book of Mormon. Some sources have claimed that Olsen's birth name was John Willard Clawson, or even John Willard... |
Commander Martin, Senior Surgeon at Naval Air Station North Island, San Diego |
| Dennie Moore Dennie Moore Dennie Moore was an American film and stage actress.-Early life:Deena Rivka Moore was born in New York City on New Year's Eve 1902 to Jewish parents Oren Moore , a cantor at one of the local synagogues, and Gabriella Gefen... |
Ex-wife of "Lucky" James |
| Louis Jean Heydt | Lt. "Swede" Larson |
| Cliff Nazarro | Corpsman - "Lucky"'s fast-talking buddy |
Production
The film is characterized as "WarnerWarner Bros.
Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc., also known as Warner Bros. Pictures or simply Warner Bros. , is an American producer of film and television entertainment.One of the major film studios, it is a subsidiary of Time Warner, with its headquarters in Burbank,...
's tribute to the pre-Pearl Harbor
Attack on Pearl Harbor
The attack on Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike conducted by the Imperial Japanese Navy against the United States naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on the morning of December 7, 1941...
US Navy." Based on a screenplay adapted from an original story by US Navy Commander (retired) Frank "Spig" Wead, Dive Bomber features spectacular flying scenes (as in other films with a scenario written by Wead) interwoven into a storyline of medical research undertaken to combat the effects of high "G"
G-force
The g-force associated with an object is its acceleration relative to free-fall. This acceleration experienced by an object is due to the vector sum of non-gravitational forces acting on an object free to move. The accelerations that are not produced by gravity are termed proper accelerations, and...
combat maneuvers. Upon the first reading of the proposed script, the Department of the Navy realized the potential of the film to be a showcase of US naval aviation and lent its full support to the production. The principal aircraft depicted are Vought SB2U Vindicator
SB2U Vindicator
The Vought SB2U Vindicator was a carrier-based dive bomber developed for the United States Navy in the 1930s, the first monoplane in this role. Obsolescent at the outbreak of World War II, Vindicators still remained in service at the time of the Battle of Midway, but by 1943, all had been withdrawn...
dive bombers and Douglas TBD Devastator
TBD Devastator
The Douglas TBD Devastator was a torpedo bomber of the United States Navy, ordered in 1934, first flying in 1935 and entering service in 1937. At that point, it was the most advanced aircraft flying for the USN and possibly for any navy in the world...
torpedo bombers, although many other types are included, especially parked, as backdrops. The N3N Canary trainers were the primary type in use at Naval Air Station North Island and are featured prominently in the flight training sequence. All other aircraft were deployed temporarily for training to North Island and were subsequently available for use in the film. An entire squadron of Grumman F3F
Grumman F3F
|-Popular culture:The F3F was featured as an "experimental fighter" in Warner Bros's Wings of the Navy .The F3F-2 was featured in the 1940 film Flight Command, starring Robert Taylor as a pilot whose work developing instrument landing systems helps his lost squadron return to NAS North...
fighters from the USS Enterprise was flown to NAS North Island with a single example appearing prominently in the penultimate "pressure suit" scenes both on the ground and in the air. All the aerial closeup work with the cast was photographed later in the studio using a series of realistic mock-ups. Some of the aircraft types used in Dive Bomber were engaged a few months later in combat with the Japanese aerial and naval forces, up to and including the Battle of Midway
Battle of Midway
The Battle of Midway is widely regarded as the most important naval battle of the Pacific Campaign of World War II. Between 4 and 7 June 1942, approximately one month after the Battle of the Coral Sea and six months after Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor, the United States Navy decisively defeated...
, while other types were declared obsolescent and relegated to home use when the US geared up for war in earnest.
This was the final film collaboration between Errol Flynn and Michael Curtiz. It was the 12th and most contentious pairing of the high-spirited matinee idol and the fiery director. Throughout the production, an ever-widening rift emerged between the two due to conflicts over the use of actors in demanding and sometimes risky scenes, leading to inevitable clashes and delays in filming. The off-screen moments were fraught with stress for the cast and crew observing the contentious exchanges. One bizarre incident came about when a formation of aircraft flew over the film set at a time when all the cameras were being reloaded. Curtiz reacted immediately by standing up and waving them off when he realized that the camera crews were not in position. The pilots, who were setting out on a daily exercise, simply ignored the gesticulating and screaming Curtiz below. The film crews were mightily amused by Curtiz's declarations of "No, no. Go back!" as if the flight crews could actually hear him. The incident was symptomatic of the many outbursts and exchanges on the set when the autocratic Curtiz helmed a film.
Pre-production planning began in January 1941, and once the generous $1.7 million budget was established, a tight schedule of two months was determined for principal photography on location. Although the Navy had agreed to cooperate, providing over 1,000 officers and enlisted men along with access to some of its most highly secured facilities, world events had dictated a full war-readiness, which placed additional pressures on the film cast and crew. With all naval air and sea forces committed to training and war exercises, Curtiz was notified in advance so that he could take advantage of the ongoing activities and set up his camera crews accordingly. Principal photography began on March 20, 1941 at NAS North Island
Naval Air Station North Island
Naval Air Station North Island or NAS North Island is located at the north end of the Coronado peninsula on San Diego Bay and is the home port of several aircraft carriers of the United States Navy...
in San Diego with the USS Enterprise
USS Enterprise (CV-6)
USS Enterprise , colloquially referred to as the "Big E," was the sixth aircraft carrier of the United States Navy and the seventh U.S. Navy ship to bear the name. Launched in 1936, she was a ship of the Yorktown class, and one of only three American carriers commissioned prior to World War II to...
, the famous aircraft carrier, also placed at the disposal of the production crew of 150 actors and technicians for an entire week.
When principal photography commenced, the initial aircraft scenes featured US Navy aircraft in their pre-war colorful schemes, set off by the Technicolor process, making this a vibrant document, unique for its time. During filming, as war preparations ramped up, the Navy ordered a new grey color camouflage for all its sea-based aircraft, with the associate producer Robert Lord scrambling to have a concession made where a few aircraft in each squadron would retain their colorful schemes in order to match previously shot footage. The film ultimately uses footage that includes aircraft in this new uniform light-grey color scheme especially in the carrier sequence.
Even though famed aerial pilot and cinematographer Paul Mantz
Paul Mantz
Albert Paul Mantz was a noted air racing pilot, movie stunt pilot and consultant from the late 1930s until his death in the mid-1960s. He gained fame on two stages: Hollywood and in air races.-Early years:...
is listed in the credits as the Chief Pilot for Warner Bros., his injuries in a previous accident prevented him from doing the flying and Frank Clarke took over, with Mantz continuing to oversee the air operations. With the preponderance of actual aerial footage shot from a bevy of camera platforms, both on the ground and mounted to aircraft, the film was notable in the restrained use of special effects. During the two months of studio post-production, footage of scale models and closeup "blue screen" effects were matched up with the aerial sequences. Although Errol Flynn had a pilot's license, he was expressly forbidden to fly in the production, under threat of suspension from Warner Bros. due to his "buzzing" the cast and crew of The Adventures of Robin Hood
The Adventures of Robin Hood (film)
The Adventures of Robin Hood is a 1938 American swashbuckler film directed by Michael Curtiz and William Keighley. Filmed in Technicolor, the picture stars Errol Flynn, Olivia de Havilland, Basil Rathbone, and Claude Rains.-Plot:...
(1938). Flynn did taxi a dive bomber to allow closeups of him in the cockpit during a critical scene when his character "is testing a G-resistant belt."
Reception
Released just months before the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, the film generally was well received by the public while the US Navy lent the new Douglas dive bomberSBD Dauntless
The Douglas SBD Dauntless was a naval dive bomber made by Douglas during World War II. The SBD was the United States Navy's main dive bomber from mid-1940 until late 1943, when it was largely replaced by the SB2C Helldiver...
to be displayed in conjunction with film screenings at principal cities, and set up recruiting booths by the theaters. The film was one of Warner's biggest hits of 1941, generating a profit in excess of $1 million. Critically reviewed, Dive Bomber was praised for its colorful subject matter, but the plot as conceived by the screenwriting team of Frank Wead and Robert Buckner was considered "fanciful" and a "necessary evil" by Bosley Crowther
Bosley Crowther
Bosley Crowther was a journalist and author who was film critic for The New York Times for 27 years. His reviews and articles helped shape the careers of actors, directors and screenwriters, though his reviews, at times, were unnecessarily mean...
of The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
.