weezeralfalfa
A love triangle develops between womanizing American volunteer for the RAF Tim Baker(Tyrone Power), his bomber squadron leader, British aristocrat John Morley(John Sutton), and American nightclub entertainer Carol Brown(Betty Grable). Each of the two suitors have their pluses and minuses, as afar as Carol is concerned. Tim is footloose and impossibly handsome, meaning he has no problem attracting all the women he wants. Carol is his female counterpart in this respect, but acts more restrained when it comes to admitting new men into her life(unexpected for a nightclub entertainer). Morely is a classic gentlemanly British aristocrat, seemingly a tad dull on the surface, with a huge ancient mansion just waiting to be occupied by the right girl. Realistically, a show girl, however beautiful and sexy, would be an unlikely choice for a wife for a man in his position. She would much more likely be his mistress. Given the short mean life expectancy of RAF pilots then(Baker's plane was shot down twice within a short time), unless they quit the service at the end of the film, there was a high probability that neither Baker nor Morley would be alive for very long, especially since the 'Battle of Britain' would soon begin, with high casualty rates for pilots on both sides. Against expected plot formula, originally, the ending had Baker die a hero in the historic Dunkirk evacuation. However, a test screening elicited a strong negative reaction in the audience. Also, since Fox chief Zanuck hoped this film would promote popular sentiment toward a formal entry of the US into the war, it was feared that Baker's death might prove a war morale damper, rather than booster.The Lockheed-built Hudson light bomber is portrayed as the RAF bomber of the times. Superficially, with its dual tail fins, it looks rather like the then current RAF 2-engine Hampden bomber, as well as the later, much improved, 4- engine Lancaster bomber. However, it was used by the RAF primarily for training, submarine and coastal patrol and reconnaissance. It wouldn't be making bombing raids over Germany, as depicted(Where were the expected German defense fighters?). Also, it wouldn't be flying across the Atlantic, as depicted. Rather, when they reached the Canadian border, they were dissembled(believe it or not), and packed in crates, to be loaded on a ship and reassembled in the UK. Brash former mail pilot Baker decided to ignore this neutrality rule and flew his Hudson across Lake Ontario to Trenton. As some others have noted, the often clearly faked aerial maneuvers and battles make the film look cheesy.. Fortunately, some shots supplied by the RAF of real British warplanes and battles lend some credibility to the limited aerial segments.Although clearly very popular with film audiences of the time, I seldom find the characters played by Tyrone Power appealing or especially interesting. In the film, clearly, he had an advantage in his persistent pursuit of the resisting Carol, in past experiences of having her breakdown her defenses periodically. Clearly, she was going to have to accept the fact that Baker wasn't a 'one woman' man, if she was going to accept him back into her life...In contrast, I found Carol(Betty) very appealing, as obviously did many men in those times. Betty did a great acting job and the camera close-ups of her head were great. Also, she was the leader of a couple of brief song and dance performances at the nightclub the fliers frequented. Marriage between the two, as suggested in the final scene? It wouldn't have lasted a month, even if Tim was still alive. If you think Baker's treatment of Carol was chauvinistic, wait until you see his treatment, as a pirate, of Maureen O'Hara's character, in the following year's "The Black Swan"!Britisher John Sutton plays Power's chief rival for capturing Carol's heart, apparently ending as runner up: a fate he graciously accepts, knowing that he would be fighting an uphill battle all the way, considering that Baker and Carol had a long history of romantic involvement. For some reason, Fox generally chose to cast the gentlemanly, athletic, rather good looking Sutton as 'the other man', often comparatively stuffy. For example, he suffered a similar fate in competition with Victor Mature over Rita Hayworth, the following year, in "My Gal Sal". However, earlier in '41, he was the romantic lead to Gene Tierney, in "Hudson's Bay": my favorite of his roles that I've seen.
mason_612
I watched this movie for the first time today. I have to say that it was pure rubbish. The most annoying thing was the trivialization of the War. At that time, Britain was fighting desperately for its life, men were fighting and dying for their country, and Power , a real smart-ass, and his two pals were much more interested in chasing the girl than flying. In one scene his mission was to drop information leaflets over Germany. While not very exciting this was an important method of countering German propaganda, as propaganda was all the German people had. Power could not be bothered , so he simply pitched the full boxes out. This of course would have been a court-martial offence at the time. These guys spent almost the entire movie, either on leave in London, or driving out to the country to chase the girl. At that time, gasoline was strictly rationed and would have been almost impossible to obtain for joy riding. The special effects were pitiful , even by 1941 standards. For example the near final scene shows Power flying a Spitfire in an aerial dogfight , with the canopy open. At 350 m.p.h I don't think so. Also , he started the movie flying multi-engine bombers, then all of a sudden he switches over to Spitfires, the finest fighter aircraft of WW2. Again, I don't think so. Don't ever waste your time by watching this pathetic stinker. I only gave it a 3 rating because Betty Grable's legs were worth a look. They were however no better than those of the rest of the girl's in the nightclub.
jt_3d
Maybe this was a great flick. I didn't think so but I must have missed something because I didn't care about any of it. And yet others score it higher than my generous and benevolent 5/10. At first I cared; would Betty gain her senses and go with the suave Brit? Would she spy the other suave Brit who loved her from afar? No, she keeps running back to the jerk. And Power was a very annoying jerk. And it just keeps going on and on. Maybe I'm just jealous. I could never treat a woman like that and have her crawling back over and over.......Anyway, this movie could have had the chaps doing anything and it wouldn't have mattered. It had nothing to do with the war. It was a love triangle flick, with not enough action to keep the men in the audience interested. The lead lads could have been trucking dynamite over the Rockie Mountains, building a skyscraper in NYC or bagging groceries at the local Piggly Wiggly. It wouldn't have mattered. It was about the love triangle and that just does nothing for me, especially in a 'war movie'. There wasn't even a cliché chance for one of the competitors to save the other one and get killed in the process. No, in the end they traipse off as a threesome. Nothing is resolved and the jerk is still hitting on every woman he sees, nobody wins. I find it annoying.5/10 ...nope make that 4/10. What a waste of time.
bkoganbing
In the only time that Darryl F. Zanuck teamed his two leading adult stars in the forties, Tyrone Power and Betty Grable co-star in A Yank in the RAF. I think the title explains all in terms of the location.Power plays one of his patented hero/heel types, a lot like Dion O'Leary in In Old Chicago. If you'll remember Alice Faye was being courted by the two O'Leary brothers, sober and industrious Don Ameche and devil may care Tyrone Power. Now it's Betty as an entertainer over in the United Kingdom to entertain and otherwise help out in the war effort. She meets Ty who is also over there as an American volunteer in the RAF. Ty's someone who really isn't that crazy about military and other kinds of discipline, but he's one charming rogue and Betty can't get her fill of him.Taking the Ameche part is very British and very stiff upper lip John Sutton. He's totally flipping out over Grable and who could blame him. Still it's Tyrone who powers the Grable engine.John Sutton would co-star again with Ty Power after World War II in a vastly different part in Captain from Castile. He plays the cowardly and malevolent Diego DeSylva and that particular part from him might have been his career role. In my book it's one of the most evil villains the screen has ever had.Reginald Gardiner and a whole flock of other British actors from Hollywood's British colony lend support. The RAF flying sequences were shot over in the war theater and were nominated for Best Special Effects.Betty sings some forgettable tunes as an entertainer by Leo Robin and Ralph Rainger. But heard throughout the film is the standard These Foolish Things. That song, as popular in Great Britain where it originated as in the United States, is one of the best ballads ever written. Why Zanuck didn't have Betty sing it is a mystery. It's by no means clear who Betty winds up with in the end. I could make a case for either Power or Sutton. You'll have to see the film and make your own mind up. One thing for sure is that Ty is far from reforming. You'll have to see the film to see what I'm talking about there.
