Captains of the clouds

Brian McLean (James Cagney), Johnny Dutton (Dennis Morgan), "Tiny" Murphy (Alan Hale, Sr.), "Blimp" Lebec (George Tobias) and "Scrounger" Harris (Reginald Denny) are bush pilots competing for business in rugged Northern Ontario, Canada in 1939, as the Second World War is beginning. While Dutton flies by the book, McLean is a seat-of-the-pants kind of pilot, mirroring the differences in their personalities.

When Dutton saves McLean's life by transporting a doctor under dangerous flying conditions, McLean is grateful. He steals and marries Dutton's no-good girlfriend Emily Foster (Brenda Marshall) in order to save him from a life of misery. Dutton not surprisingly doesn't see it that way and their friendship comes to an abrupt end. Depressed, Dutton gives his savings to charity and enlists in the Royal Canadian Air Force.

Brenda Marshall and James Cagney during his recovery Reginald Denny, Alan Hale, George Tobias and James Cagney listening to Churchill's radio broadcast James Cagney and Dennis Morgan in a confrontation prior to takeoff on the ferry mission

Among the four bush planes that "starred" in the production was a prototype Noorduyn Norseman seen touching down.

Later, after hearing Winston Churchill's "We shall fight on the beaches" speech on the radio, McLean and the other bush pilots attempt to enlist in the air force, only to find that they are too old for combat. Unfortunately, Tiny suffers a blackout (loss of vision due to g-forces) during a strenuous maneuver, crashes, and dies.

With his navigator Scrounger dead and no other way to fight back, McLean uses his superb flying skills to crash his unwieldy bomber into the nimble fighter, sacrificing himself to save the remainder of the flight.

Starring James Cagney and made in 1942 it was nominated for 2 Oscars.