"The Wild Blue Yonder" (1951) - WW2 B-29 Super-fortress South Pacific War Movie

"Hell-Riders of the Heavens...Heroes of the B-29s"
Wendell Corey and Forrest Tucker star as a pair of World War II Army Air Corps officers. In between their battles over the affections of a beautiful nurse, Corey and Tucker prepare to fly a bombing mission in the South Pacific. Before boarding their B-29 Superfortress, Tucker appears to be chickening out, but he’s steadfastly at his cockpit post at takeoff time.
For the next mass air raid against Tokyo, both Calvert and West are scheduled to fly together on the same bomber. But Tokyo's air defenses are formidable and many American bombers are downed by Japanese flak and Zero fighters. The bomber flown by Calvert and West is hit by AA fire and must somehow limp back home, after dropping its bomb payload. Most of its crew is badly shot-up, including Capt. Harold Calvert.
The actions portrayed by Sgt. "Red" Irwin (his actual name is Henry E. Erwin) are an accurate depiction of the actions that earned him the Medal of Honor.
Originally released December 5, 1951.
🇺🇸👕🎖️** Find All Of Our Exclusive Patriotic & History-Oriented Merchandise Here - Every Sale Supports The Channel And Keeps Us "On The Air":
teespring.com/...
☕ If you appreciate our content and want to support us further, direct donations are always welcome at: www.buymeacoff...
PLEASE SUBSCRIBE, CLICK THE 'BELL' ICON FOR ALERTS ON NEW CONTENT - AND SHARE THIS VIDEO TO HELP US GROW AND KEEP HISTORY HAPPENING!
www.lionheart-f...
Some other videos you might like on our Channel:
400 Evolution of the United States Army Uniform:
• Evolution of the Unite...
Sergeant Alvin York - Oct. 8th 1918 Medal Of Honor Moment:
• Sergeant Alvin York - ...
"Civil War Firearms: The Guns of North & South" Full Documentary:
• "Civil War Firearms: T...
"The Story of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier: 100 Years of Honor" - Special Edition:
/ xhidyc6o3s
"Civil War Uniforms of Blue & Grey - The Evolution" Volume 1:
• "Civil War Uniforms of...
✈️🚁⭐ ** ONE WAY YOU CAN SUPPORT THIS CHANNEL! If you love military history, and to collect and model the great warbirds of the past - please visit our friends at Air Models in the UK - Each purchase really helps this channel out: airmodels.net/?... **
#lionheartfilmworks #militaryhistory #WorldWarTwo

[@craig4867]

WATCHING FROM RUSSIA 🇷🇺 These old movies are priceless for us, in between flying combat missions and it's a nice diversion from the horrors of combat and you have no idea how much we appreciate these movies and the fact that we're still alive to watch them, is a blessing!

[@roaklin]

Get Putin stop his war and you can enjoy these films in peace.

[@craig4867]

@roaklin . Your guy Trump said he's going to end the war in 24 hours once he took office and having said that, this is the movie channel, not a political channel, so show some respect ⚔️🇷🇺⚔️

[@johncaldwell-wq1hp]

Hello to you Gentlemen-from Australia,-we love these Old movies too !!--All the best to you & your Friends !!--I will have a Beer,-in your honour !!

[@craig4867]

@johncaldwell-wq1hp 🍺🍺🍺🍺🍺🍺🍺🍺🍺🍺🍺🍺🍺🍺🍺🍺🍺🍺🍺🍺🍺🍺🍺🍺

[@craig4867]

@@johncaldwell-wq1hp ...... 🍺🍺🍺🍺🍺🍺🍺🍺🍺🍺🍺🍺🍺🍺🍺🍺🍺🍺🍺🍺🍺🍺🍺👍

[@joeski1859]

The greatest generation... My dad's was 101 airborne in WW2. Couldn't be more prouder

[@TRUTH-4U-NOW]

Salute to your dad. Mine was 29th infantry, 2nd wave on Omaha Beach. His twin brother, my uncle, went to Guam.

[@joybranscum4833]

I am also a proud veteran of the 101st... 506 as a medic. I sometimes remember so many memories, some good and some bad.

[@bogtrottername7001]

My guide as I entered basic in 1969 was 101st & although, as such young guys we didn't know their history we had great respect for him.

[@namvet1968]

Those guys had guts. Salute.

[@kennixox262]

What would the greatest generation think now that we are living in a coup? We threw away our representative republic to a bunch of oligarchs and a figurehead who is suffering from dementia, 34 time convicted felon, an abuser of women, bankrupted? Sad.

[@CarreraTrackOntheFloor]

My father was the radar operator on the B-29 named the Georgia Peach in the 58th Bomb Wing, 468th Bomb Group, 793rd Bomb Squadron based out of Chengdu China. They flew the first B-29 combat missions to attack Japan since the 1942 Doolittle Raid. Their first mission was bombing the Yawata Steel Works factory complex in Yawata Japan. His crew later trained with Col. Paul Tibbets and the 509th Composite Group group training for the atomic bomb missions.

[@patrickcotter5629]

Thanks to your father for his service.

[@GeraldWalker-pg3vr]

GOD bless your dad !!!!!😢

[@bogtrottername7001]

I had the privilege of shaking the hand of a member of the Enola Gay crew. How many young & innocent Americans would have died in the landing on mainland Japan ?

[@johncaldwell-wq1hp]

Wow-you should get this all written down,--I read about that Mission to Yawata,--that was some rough mission,-I think they lost a lot of B-29's on that raid,-as they were still figuring things out,--Big Salute to your Dads Service-from a Grateful Aussie !!

[@wntu4]

Red Erwin was a real person and the event portrayed happened but they could not possibly show how horrific it was. The 'flare' was actually a white phosphorous bomb. He won the CMOH for his actions, the medal approved just hours after they landed so he could receive it while he still lived. He actually survived his horrible burns, dying in 2002.

[@Exotic3000]

Thanks for the info!

[@lloydryan7716]

I saw the original movie as a kid. They cut some out and it was in black and white but it was still a great movie. Funny here it is 2025 I'm 86 and I remembered nearly al of it.

[@bboomermike2126]

Yes, some of my favorite scenes cut.

[@dennisgreen3430]

More corn than an Iowa cornfield but I LOVE this movie! Some great B-29 footage. Thank you for posting.

[@schlirf]

Wow, they even sent a boeing jet from 1984 to pick up the survivors! Cool...

[@garygraham4679]

For a film made in 1951 I was a tad surprised to see "Dumbo" show up as a "Back to the Future" Boeing!!! True it was a 3 second cut in scene sooooo, somebody goofing around??

[@rickysickles1429]

Yup goofing around in the cutting room . Every movie has to have eggs

[@SteveWagner-cb8ft]

that looked like a MD-80 from I believe 1985 guess lthey entered the same time vortex that sucked in the big "E", that went back in time--Launch the strike force--

[@bafongue1]

Thank god your mother was on that jet! She Blew the survivors!

[@schlirf]

@@bafongue1 heard you beat her too it. Again, and again and again.

[@jeffyoung60]

Books on the B-29 Superfortress within the last two decades are far more balanced in their evaluation of the iconic B-29. All will still agree the B-29 was a beautiful, elegant, four-engine, ultra-heavy bomber design. It was a marvelous accomplishment of cutting-edge aerospace technology of its time. It even used analog computers, weighing 50-lbs apiece to manage the aiming and management of the B-29's remote-operated defensive Colt-Browning M2 0.50 machine guns. The B-29 was pressurized for crew comfort, given the need to reduce fatigue on such long distance missions. The B-29 was a gee whiz high tech wonder bomber in 1944. It was also a death trap for the unwary and the unlucky. Ever heard of the term, "immature weapon system"? That is what the B-29 was. When committed to battle in late spring-early summer 1944 from its far-flung Cheng Du, China bases, the B-29 was still not a perfected aircraft, bomber, and weapons system. In peacetime it would have continued prototype testing into early production testing for at least two or three more years, possibly more. But time was something the USAAF and the United States had in short supply. The B-29 was urgently needed now. Only the B-29 possessed the requisite range from far-away northwestern China bases and later Marianas islands bases to reach homeland Japan and drop large bombloads greater than the B-17 and B-24. It was not for trying. The U.S. Government invested thousands of trained workers, technicians, and engineers and three billion dollars into the B-29 program. And it was a rush job. Even as the B-29 started early, limited production, engineers and workers were still frantically working out some 70,000 technical, design, and mechanical bugs and faults even on the production line. The powerful engines of the B-29, producing 3,000 horsepower, were not totally perfected but had reached that stage of, since it can operate it can be used. Based on Tinian, Saipan, and Guam island bases, B-29 pilots and crew came to fear their B-29 Superfortresses. The bomber's four engines had to ramp up to full, emergency war power for take-off as the B-29 operated at overload condition. If one engine cut out on take off or even lost power, the result was a stall and a fiery crash, leaving nothing but ashes, melted metal and no trace of the crew. Even if everything went well, the B-29s needed almost the entire runways to take off. B-29s were still just taking off as they reached the runway's end and over the Pacific Ocean. Don't think the USAAF deliberately built too short runways for the B-29s. If the islands were bigger then the USAAF could have built longer runways. During the late Pacific War, the Japanese shot down around 168 B-29s but somewhere around 249 were lost in crashes and accidents. You get the idea. As a B-29 pilot, co-pilot, or crewman, you took off in an overloaded bomber with your fingers crossed, having quietly voiced a prayer of protection or forgiveness from the Lord in Heaven, on each mission. The Americans were not the only ones to commit immature weapon systems to operational combat before full readiness. The Germans committed the legendary Me-262A-1 jet interceptor and Me-163 Komet rocket interceptor to combat before both were fully perfected. Like the B-29, accidents and take-off and landing crashes were part of their operational history. The British Hawker Typhoon and Tempest are thought to have been slightly immature fighter bombers committed to battle before all technical bugs had been worked out. RAF pilots' most common complaint seems to have been persistent oil leaks from the engine.

[@pascalcoole2725]

Thanks for this extended description

[@williammasselink]

Wonderful history lesson. Many thanks.

[@garudain77]

Nice remarks. Thanks!

[@Dalesmanable]

A wonderful perspective. It was a spectacularly ambitious and costly project that had its issues.

[@billspence8963]

I've been looking for this movie for decades. Many thanks!

[@michaeltempleton783]

My father was a B-29 Flight Engineer. He told me one mission over Tokyo flattened 16 square miles and they could smell burning flesh at their bombing altitude.

[@12313846]

And that were war crimes. Bec what excuse did the US use to bomb cities.

[@MrEjidorie]

Tokyo was Auschwitz in the Far East in March 10th, 1945. More than 100,000 civilians were scorched to death. Some people insist that they were deserved to die in such gruesome way because of Rape of Nanking, Unit 731, Pearl Harbor, Bataan death march etc., but those Japanese noncombatants were not responsible for those heinous crimes.

[@namvet1968]

yikes

[@edzimdahl1158]

Dad was an AF mechanic for the 29s, stationed in Alaska, one came in all shot up, when he was done going over it and while signing off his commander tells him to grab his stuff and get on it, it was getting sent to kelly in San Antonio and he getting reassigned to the 36s there

[@juliehoffman6292]

Wendell Corey and Peter Graves and I think Harry Cary,Jr. terrific movie!

[@davidneel8327]

And Walter Brennan

[@SteveWagner-cb8ft]

@@davidneel8327 and Richard jacklel the guy who never grew old , till he did

[@deerhoda7574]

No Peter Graves...Forrest Turcker

[@jorgea.villalon9684]

Excellent video. Thank you, JV

[@natejones902]

A fun little film. Having been fortunate enough to been through Doc and FIFI. Getting to have a B29 buzz my house last year was a very cool experience. Plus taking my girls to watch the B29 take off and land was very memorable.

[@atypicalfolkie]

At 104:42 in this movie a commercial jet suddenly appears. Must be some sort of time warp🤣

[@gordonhall9871]

i saw that

[@Montana_horseman]

I just commented about that also! I thought.. well you don't belong here do ya. 😅

[@divingfe]

Yes, a Boeing 727 !!!!!!

[@SteveWagner-cb8ft]

@@divingfe I thought maybe an MD-80

[@pascalcoole2725]

Yupp I noticed it to. Odd.

[@Paul1958R]

My father was a USAAF B-29 navigator 1944-1945. He died in 2016 age 94. He saved and I have his original flight jacket with squadron insignia. My son and I visited (did not fly on) FIFI at Boire Field in Nashua NH in 2018. My family are Friends Of Doc.

[@kennedysingh3916]

They use to come to Jamaica on training missions at Vernam Field and a few of them crashed hear too. My grand mother use to opperate a shop south of the base in tthe vilage of Gim Me Mi Bit.

[@cass4114]

great movie love these the old war movies!

[@Dalesmanable]

The editor that cut the original from 98 to 70 minutes will be laughing at the comments on people spotting his addition at 1:04:42 of a 727, a plane produced after the film was made.

[@juanmanuelparadacontreras9565]

Una grata sorpresa toparme con esta joya del cine clásico del género bélico. Es grato poder reencontrar tales producciones en resaltar la labor de estos efectivos bajo fuego, como fue el caso de las tripulaciones de los B-29. Saludos y bendiciones a todos los cinéfilos de corazón desde Venezuela.

[@michaelpowell3980]

Nothing instils confidence like a guy with a fire extinguisher standing by as you start your engines...

[@brucemoore9708]

During the "Battle of the Bulge", my uncle Al was an MP in Chicago. He was a great guy.

[@Paladin1873]

A late friend of mine was a B-24 gunner on "Hitler's Hearse" during the 1943 Ploesti raid (Operation Tidal Wave). They got shot up pretty bad (the skipper was killed) and made a forced landing in Turkey where they were interned until the OSS arranged their "escape". Tidal Wave was a cocked-up operation from the get-go, and the man who made the biggest navigational blunder was the lead pilot for the raid, Colonel Keith K. Compton. Despite the many mistakes, heavy losses, and limited damage achieved, the raid did not adversely affect his career. He eventually retired as a Lt General from the USAF.

[@alangriggs4420]

Just proves thr USAF believes in - "f**k up, promote up"

[@Paladin1873]

@@alangriggs4420 It worked for me.

[@williammasselink]

Like Frank Burns being promoted to Walter Reed on MASH.

[@Paladin1873]

@@williammasselink Yes, we had one like him at Wilford Hall Medical Center (Lackland AFB, TX) and he managed to kill at least one patient.

[@nordan00]

Back in my BUFF SAC, ‘86-‘92, we had an expression: The higher up in rank you go, the stupider you get,” which still never seemed to hurt promotions.

[@WK1745]

The B29 was a big step forward from the B17 and B24 in terms of bomb load, range, speed and operational altittude. This film demonstrated that flying them was still a dangerous job despite technical superiority over the opposition.

[@bucknaykid4236]

thanks for another great video

[@TruckerCarlsome]

I watch a lot of these old war movies. My Dad was a Korea Marine, and me Vietnam Marine. Never saw this one before, but something struck me watching this one. There's a whole mess of actors in this movie that were also in "The Sands of Iwo Jima" with John Wayne. Special effects messed up a little. At 1.04 in the movie they used a jet airliner as a prop. LOL

[@jonlewis1048]

Great movie. Very realistic. I like the accuracy about the operational details.

[@otrondal]

At 1:04:40 A DC-10 jet passenger plane

[@brianholden2609]

The terrible thing with these movies was, they tended to trivialize the bravery of the crews who flew them. Now before you all get upset hear me out. Movie land/Hollywood wanted to portray these hero's as Men, to that end they cast gents in their 30s, 40s, & even 60s. The reality was the average age of B-29 crew was 19-25 Yrs old. Many of those who pilots were commanding Squadrons by the time they were 2. That's an extreme weight to put on young shoulders, and they carried it beyond the greatest expectation.

[@bogtrottername7001]

As a way to instill this into the minds of young people these days ( I live in a college town ), I explain to them that these heros were their age and died for them AND they were almost all virgins. That comes as a surprise to many of them.

[@elchoya8432]

no movie credit titles ,but when i saw vera ralston and forrest tucker i knew this is got to be a REPUBLIC STUDIOS PICTURE.

[@LionHeartFilmWorks]

All movie credits are shown in the opening of the movie. None at the end. That’s the way it was until the early 1970s.

[@davidnorton2642]

Sad to see this edited version. The original ran for 98 minutes, this version just about 71 minutes.

[@GeraldWalker-pg3vr]

One name ...Curtis Lemay !!!!!😮

[@glorybound7599]

Really, the jet clip during the sea rescue 🛟

[@goplad1]

That jet didn't even exist in 1951 when this film was made. Strange,

[@briancooper2112]

Flight helmets are great!

[@evalinawarne1337]

Thank you❤

[@PhillipKnox]

Thanks for posting!

[@williamreed7347]

At 1:04:42, it looks like a piece of film was edited into the film showing a Jet airliner that would not have been around at the time.

[@pi.actual]

I saw that too, it's a B-727 landing

[@52templar]

I saw also. Major error here.

[@IncogNito-gg6uh]

How in the world did A Boeing 727 get inserted into a 1951 film?

[@3108frank1]

Great movie but one strange part "Dumbo" was a clip of a jet which weren't in existence when the movie was made in 1951. It looked like a mini 727 then the raft being dropped was below a B29. Strange sequence.

[@goplad1]

It was very strange. Somehow that footage was edited into this movie at a much later date. Why? That's a real mystery.

[@bogtrottername7001]

Picky Picky !

[@JohnnyDodge-k8q]

Great war movie

[@bongobob6200]

THX YOU!!! 🇺🇸

[@MyBlueZed]

Thank you for posting! ❤🇦🇺

[@mvseaurchin7455]

I was looking for Jay Silverheels (Benders) and couldn't be sure who he played. I think he was the comanding officer who told Forest Tucker first he couldn't go on the mission because he was just extra weight, but allowed him to go along as a ride along. He seemed to be the most Tonto-like.

[@captainbart]

Two pilots (Wendell Corey, Forrest Tucker) compete for a nurse (Vera Ralston) and go on a bombing raid in the B-29 Superfortress. Initial release: December 5, 1951

[@donbrewer7936]

What did she say

[@BetterAircraftFabric]

Good old movie, appreciated. Regards from Alaska!

[@bobkohl6779]

Pilot does not have the throttles on a 29. My Dad worked on the Nacelle problem. High level bombing over Japan was troublesome due to winds. LeMay ordered lower lever incindiary bombing

[@craig4867]

At 1:04:42 it shows a modern jet airliner and that wasn't around in 1951 and that's when this movie was made! Mandela effect, time warp! 🤔

[@Lox501_11]

Some assistance editor yahoo inserted the Boeing 727 aircraft towards the end of the movie for laughs! WOOF...WOOF!

[@BentleyRotary]

Is that why...... 1 hour and 4 minutes mark😅😅😅😅

[@richardstaples8621]

Amazing that such a precious & useful substance as tung oil was used on runways (25:00).

[@billy-m2r]

I Would Like To See More Of Sargent York That Was A Good Movie I Think If The Old Movies Was In Color They Would Be Big Again

[@timhill7105]

The B29 was a good aircraft- but nothing could beat the Lancaster!

[@georgekforrpv6857]

I love the lanc, but the b-29 was an enormous advance. Flew very high, had pressurized cabin, very effective computerized remote gun turrets. Development of the b-29 was the most expensive weapons project of WW2. Read the book Called "the bomber mafia" . Stalin spent huge resources to make copies of the b-29. And the b-29 and it's offshoots were in service longer than lancs.

[@MrEjidorie]

@@georgekforrpv6857 >Stalin spent huge resources to make copies of the b-29. That was Tu-4 which could carry A-bomb to the United States, but could not return to the Soviet Union.

[@Redwhiteblue-gr5em]

Lancaster was an outdated slow wreck by the time the B29 came out. Just as outdated as your British empire lol.

[@MrEjidorie]

@@Redwhiteblue-gr5em Great Britain was a victor nation of World War II, but her economy was devastated and lost most of her colonies in the world while the United States established her position as a leader of the Free World.

[@geoffmower8729]

@@Redwhiteblue-gr5em The same British Empire that made the Avro Vulcan bomber that nuked America twice during operation sky shield!

[@lesliemacmillan9932]

Of course the aircrew were much much younger than the actors playing these T-Sgts and lieutenants!

[@1951jmds]

At 1:10:13 there is a brief shot of a modern passenger jet. Weird😮

[@TigerDominic-uh1dv]

Good 👍 Movie 🎬 Thanks 😊

[@robertlong7033]

Had an uncle who was a copilot on a b24 51 missions with the 15th out of Italy He hated that airplane but later he did get the chance to fly a B29 and enormous upgrade and improvement Trouble was we lost nearly as many to engine fires as we did Japanese enemy action. And when the Korean War came around B29's were easy pickings for North Korean MIG15's flown by highly skilled Russian pilots.

[@delaneyalusa]

My sister in laws dad was Edward Buckley who was the radar operator on The Great Artiste who flew the escourt with Enola Gay and was to be the original plane, but was changed. Then that crew flew Bock Car

[@glennpetree8554]

Two things, it is escort, not escourt; it is Bock's Car, not bock car.

[@johnfowler6600]

Funny thing unit patches being worn are from pursuit squadrons used during WW2. Not many people left would catch that oops, I did because I'm a student of military history.

[@bogtrottername7001]

Oh, you're my hero ! .......and a student of history !!!

[@allanloiselle7290]

That gumbo at 1:04:42, what type of aircraft is that? Looks like a modern passenger jet to me.

[@davidhicks3955]

Did anyone notice right after they fire on the ships, the gunner says"here comes dumbo" there is a clip of a 727 or an MD80.

[@GlenDoer-gq1rs]

I was an engine fitter in the early 70's working on the R3350..Good to have a connection to the B29

[@pascalcoole2725]

Those engines where stil in use in the 70s ? Must have been verry expensive to run and maintan

[@GlenDoer-gq1rs]

@@pascalcoole2725 Not sure on the cost but most of the work was serving..Never did an engine change ,,few carbys.

[@jeffyoung60]

Feel free to correct me. This is the only B-29 Superfortress war movie I've ever seen or found on film. More, it actually depicts how the remote controlled defensive Colt-Browning M2 heavy machine guns were fired. I had read descriptions about it in books but one actually has to see it being performed and this movie does so. At the movie's end we can see a number of B-36 Peacemaker bombers flying overhead. You can tell because the B-36 had six, turboprop engines mounted on the trailing edge of its long wings. The B-36 dwarfed the large B-29. The Peacemaker had reached the size of modern passenger jet airplanes. Design of the B-29 and B-36 actually started close together before the United States' entry into WW2, in the very late 1930s. But the B-29 had the greater priority and so the B-36 did not reach completion until 1947. British would be astonished to learn the B-36 Peacemaker had been intended to be the USAAF's "England bomber". There existed the possibility of Nazi Germany invading and occupying southern England in the summer of 1940. In that case, the ultra-long range B-36 bombers would take off from Greenland, bomb German military installations, factories, supply, and communications centers in occupied southern England.

[@Reddy54]

What was this at 1:04:42 ? Time warp?

[@thomasbalivet1057]

Great movie for who loves airplanes!!

[@ScoutSniper3124]

Great movie showing off the Boeing B-29. Don't know how a Boeing 727 managed to photobomb the movie but it did. 1:04:42

[@eklund86]

Saw it too! What on earth was going on there?

[@briansilcox5720]

Chinese hackers…. Trump’s fault! Russia Russia Russia!

[@robertlong7033]

Was the 727 even in the development stage in 1951?

[@eklund86]

@ must have been warped space time

[@joseSpamer]

1:04:42 un jet comercial aparece como nave de rescate ¿?, una imagen muy extraña en una película de 1951, ni habla del año 1944.... Exijo una explicación!!

[@stevelewis7263]

15:30 "She could outclimb any fighter" seeing as the climb rate of the B-29 was only 950ft/min, compared to the Mustang's 3200ft/min, or the Zero's 300ft/min, the statement is a bit far fetched.

[@craig4867]

B-29 Superfortress, the bomber that ended World War II

[@stephenwaite6479]

if this movie was made in 1951 how did the picture of a lear jet get in the movie in the dighting sequence?

[@HobokenEscapee]

Hey it’s Sgt O’Rourke from F Troop!

[@GathKingLeppbertI]

Ground control to Major Thom😊

[@el_aleman]

Take your protein pill and put your helmet on

[@Redwhiteblue-gr5em]

Entertaining and informative movie about the real American heroes flying the great B29. The plane that won WWII in the Pacific. Nice to see an American military before it went DEI and Woke.

[@tincans87]

They don't make movies like this anymore.

[@hglick5419]

My father was with the 509th. Spent a lot of time in Utah and on Tinian.

[@Twobeers1]

Why is it that all the stories I hear from veterans is that they were all young, yet in a lot of these movies that actors look like they are ready for the retirement home. Just sayin

[@brendonrutherford5118]

Yes I noticed that factor as well & as you say, most of the actors portraying the various parts are indeed far too bloody old to have been taking part in most if not all of those raids!! From what I could gather the marjority of these men (young men at that) were certainly closer to 21 years of age then they were to 30 plus years!! I also believe if you were around 30 for flight crew, you were duly considerd a "bloody ole man" & from my war history readings over the years, it just did not happen the way the movies made it out to be!! But then that's Hollywood for you. Bullshit then & even more bullshit today as at least the actors could act then not like the the so called pathetic actors of today & with their lack lustre performances based more on their looks (heaven forbid) then their actual acting abilities of which there was not a lot to crow about!! Looking at the age of some of these actors in this movie, The Wild Blue Yonder" they really were bloody ole men absolutely & in reality, I'm sure way past the age for flight crews then & even more so now!! (today). However an interesting aspect indeed!!

[@stephenp8086]

@@brendonrutherford5118 My Dad a B-29 Flight Engineer was 30 years old in 1944 when I was born. He joined the Army Air Courps in Jan 1941, before WWll and flew on the Last Mission of the war. B-29B 44-83979. 430th Bomb Sqd.

[@michaelgrimes1131]

That's because they are Actors! They were young back then! Think!😂

[@michaelgrimes1131]

They did have jets back then. It was really top secret stuff. The US and Britain were researching jets along with Germany. The Germans had the upper hand at the time but not for long.

[@A1FAHx]

@@brendonrutherford5118Ever hear of Greg Boyington?

[@jamesglavich1426]

Anyone know what the aircraft at the 104:42 is? It looks to be something from 1951 instead of 1945. I first saw this picture in 1952, as I was about 6 or 7 years old, and that scene with the bomb and the crew member fell and caught on the bays doors leaves impression on a kid.

[@alanwilliams9310]

Did anyone notice the Boeing 727 appearing over the water!

[@gillesbignolas8431]

First glance I couldn't believe it!! Thank you for telling me it was no illusion!

[@robertlong7033]

This movie was made in 1951. Was the Boeing 727 even off the drawing board in 1951?

[@Casper1tfg]

The first flight of a Boeing 727 was Feb 9th, 1963, so it could not have been in this movie.

[@stephenp8086]

How did film of a B-727 that first flew in 1963, end up in a movie that was filmed in 1951? Was it added many years later? If so why did they go through all the trouble of adding a few seconds of an aircraft that was not correct to that time frame?

[@raygreenberg6720]

@@stephenp8086 - I think this was a slapdash version of the movie. There were a lot of cuts that looked like they didn't belong. Also the 727, of all things. When I saw that, I almost stopped watching.

[@alanwhittle8247]

anyone know what the small middle turret under the aircraft at 9:07is maybe thought used for the film to house film camera for outside shots

[@allandavis8201]

That is the radome, the B-29 was the first aircraft that had radar as a standard part of the aircraft systems, unlike all the other aircraft that had radar installed as a modification to the aircraft.

[@stevelewis7263]

1.04:41, Where the hell did that jet come from

[@411gtz]

Love the jet aircraft at 1:04 :42

[@delaneyalusa]

Ok 1:02:44 who in the hell added in a Modern Jet in?

[@justnotg00d]

Did not know that Boeing had rescue jets back then ! wow

[@timreed-dq3nx]

@104:41- a 727 jet ?

[@auhs70]

That is a jet at 1:04:42. Similar to a DC 9. How did that escape editing?

[@divingfe]

It is a Boeing 727 first flew around 1963.

[@dennispine2603]

Forrest Tucker, I believe.

[@SteveWagner-cb8ft]

Sgt. 'O' Rourke

[@goplad1]

What was that brief clip of what looked like a Boeing 727? If this movie was made in 1951 how could there be footage of an aircraft that wasn't even thought of at that time?? How bizarre is that?

[@Joybarnespima]

At the end they said the atom bomb would revolutionize warfare. Sounds like they figured we were going to start lobing atom bombs at one another

[@rgarizonahomestead2729]

Great movie

[@michaelscheel9533]

At 1:04:00 someone says there's the dumbo. But what is that plane it not a B-17 that you see in the next shot.

[@rodgerrodger1839]

The end the movie with B-36 backfire bombers. They even had a quick glimpse of a 727 jet in here. They showed B-17s bombing Europe. You think they're would be plenty of film from the Japanese raids. I did like the part when they used the B-29 as a fighter,then strafed a boat. I didn't know Walter Brennan was actually young once. I think Penut was in love. Damn shame!

[@TheMajor-d7b]

There was footage of the 73rd Bomb Wing in some of the WW2 action. Colonel Rollin C, Reineck was the staff navigator.

[@myfavoritemartian1]

They didn't pull off to the side and run up the engines, (From basic training)

[@nordan00]

Boston area native and perennial western character actor Walter Brennan as a Brigadier General! No sign of that Boston accent, though!

[@patricegancel5273]

nous reculons j'ai regarder ce film je devais avoir 12 /13 ans il était en Français dans les années 60, faites un effort les gars.

[@cristina-h9o9z]

Why is there no opening or closing credits.

[@billlewis9362]

Showing person/ company doesn't have Copyright to movie

[@MPlain]

Just think There is not 1 single pilot from WW2 that would not drop their bombs on DC today not one

[@davewitter6565]

Here come Dumb Boeing 727 in a time warp. at 1:05:00

[@cliffhankins5886]

They should have named her 'Lovey'...after all Its Mr Howell the millionaire from Gilligan's Island at the helm😅

[@mvseaurchin7455]

You are confusing Jim Backus with the star in this movie, probably Forest Tucker, although both Forest and Phil Harris are similar to Backus (Mr Magoo, also Thurston Howell).

[@waynescarpaci5332]

Wow, nobody salutes superiors in the movies?

[@seafuryt2031]

104.42 Dumbo is a B727?

[@RaySmith-r4f]

Hmm. the file takes liberties with the facts. The stock footage really dosen't sync with what is happening in the film. for example the Japenses fighters attacking the B-29 were actually A5Ms, which could not have gotten anywhere near a B29. I guess in 1951 the producers thought that Ok was good enough

[@Helm-w1q]

Here is another one just like it. Elliot Ness and his Untouchables. Ness was 26 years old, all of the untouchables , all 13 of them were younger. Al Capone was 31 when they busted him. These were all young men, and for the record, Ness did all that he did, without ever firing a shot. But that's not Hollywood.