Winged Victory Reviews

Decent if not terrific. A paean to the Army Air Force training program, this film was adapted from the smash hit Broadway play by Moss Hart. Much of the same cast, most of them actual members of the AAF, is also carried over from the play. The plot, what there is of it, follows McCallister through his flight training, along with his friends and comrades from all over the country, O'Brien, Daniels, Taylor, and others. Their trials and tests on the way to getting their wings is contrasted with the worries of their wives, mothers, and girlfriends, including Holliday, Crain, Dennison, and Ball. This film marked the first meeting of director George Cukor and Judy Holliday, who would later become one of his favorite actresses, appearing in such films as ADAM'S RIB (1949), THE MARRYING KIND (1952), and IT SHOULD HAPPEN TO YOU (1953) for the director. Her performance here is excellent, making the other women look stiff and artificial by comparison. The profits from this film, like those of the stage production, went to assorted Army charities, and the film made a lot of money for those coffers.