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God is My Co-Pilot (film)
Encyclopedia
God is My Co-Pilot is a 1945 American
propaganda
film based on the autobiography
of the same name by Robert Lee Scott, Jr.
The film tells the story of Scott's association with the Flying Tigers
and the United States Army Air Forces
in China
and Burma during World War II
.
against the Japanese capital of Tokyo
. When the mission is cancelled after he arrives in India, Scott flies transport aircraft over The Hump
into China.
Scott persuades Claire Chennault (Massey), the leader of the Flying Tigers to let him fly with the airmen such as "Tex" Hill (Ridgely) who have been fighting the Japanese as a mercenary air force. Scott gets his chance to fight, ultimately engaging in combat with the deadly fictional Japanese pilot known as Tokyo Joe (Loo).
fighters, the production used "Hollywood Zeros," the ubiquitous North American AT-6
trainers, painted in camouflage and Japanese markings.
The Warner Brothers' Ranch near Los Angeles also became the airfield set for the film's opening sequence at the AVG Kunming
where a trio of the full-scale P-40 mock-ups built several years earlier for the 1942 Republic classic, "Flying Tigers" were evident in the background, along with two P-40Es reclaimed from the AAF Reclamation Depot in San Diego. The film's air operations were directed by Hollywood "stunt pilots" Frank "Speed" Nolta and Major Frank Clarke.Col Scott served as a technical advisor and flew in a number of sequences, reprising his role as a Flying Tiger.
Premiered in Macon, Georgia, Scott's hometown, the film went on to commercial success as one of the last of the patriotic productions to be screened during wartime.
In a modern context, the film has received a revival in interest as it is now considered one of the "classic" aviation films primarily due to its aerial scenes which were even at the time considered one of its assets. Along with Scott's role in telling the story of the Flying Tigers, God is My Co-Pilot is now considered more as a historical record.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
propaganda
Propaganda
Propaganda is a form of communication that is aimed at influencing the attitude of a community toward some cause or position so as to benefit oneself or one's group....
film based on the autobiography
Autobiography
An autobiography is a book about the life of a person, written by that person.-Origin of the term:...
of the same name by Robert Lee Scott, Jr.
Robert Lee Scott, Jr.
Robert Lee Scott Jr. was a Brigadier General in the United States Air Force. Scott is best known for his autobiography God is My Co-Pilot about his exploits in World War II with the Flying Tigers and the United States Army Air Forces in China and Burma...
The film tells the story of Scott's association with the Flying Tigers
Flying Tigers
The 1st American Volunteer Group of the Chinese Air Force in 1941–1942, famously nicknamed the Flying Tigers, was composed of pilots from the United States Army , Navy , and Marine Corps , recruited under presidential sanction and commanded by Claire Lee Chennault. The ground crew and headquarters...
and the United States Army Air Forces
United States Army Air Forces
The United States Army Air Forces was the military aviation arm of the United States of America during and immediately after World War II, and the direct predecessor of the United States Air Force....
in China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
and Burma during 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...
.
Plot
God Is My Co-Pilot was based on the best-selling autobiography by fighter pilot Col. Robert Lee Scott Jr. (Morgan), who fought in the Pacific during World War II. At 34, Scott was considered too old to fly in combat, but he volunteered for a secret bombing raid from the PhilippinesPhilippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
against the Japanese capital of Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
. When the mission is cancelled after he arrives in India, Scott flies transport aircraft over The Hump
The Hump
The Hump was the name given by Allied pilots in the Second World War to the eastern end of the Himalayan Mountains over which they flew military transport aircraft from India to China to resupply the Chinese war effort of Chiang Kai-shek and the units of the United States Army Air Forces based in...
into China.
Scott persuades Claire Chennault (Massey), the leader of the Flying Tigers to let him fly with the airmen such as "Tex" Hill (Ridgely) who have been fighting the Japanese as a mercenary air force. Scott gets his chance to fight, ultimately engaging in combat with the deadly fictional Japanese pilot known as Tokyo Joe (Loo).
Cast
As appearing in screen credits (main roles identified):- Dennis MorganDennis MorganDennis Morgan was an American actor-singer. Born as Earl Stanley Morner, he used the acting pseudonym Richard Stanley before adopting his professional name....
as Robert Lee Scott Jr. - Dane ClarkDane ClarkDane Clark was an American film actor who was known for playing, as he labeled himself, "Joe Average".-Early life:...
as Johnny Petach - Raymond MasseyRaymond MasseyRaymond Hart Massey was a Canadian/American actor.-Early life:Massey was born in Toronto, Ontario, the son of Anna , who was born in Illinois, and Chester Daniel Massey, the wealthy owner of the Massey-Ferguson Tractor Company. Massey's family could trace their ancestry back to the American...
as Maj. Gen. Claire L. Chennault - Alan Hale, Sr.Alan Hale, Sr.Alan Hale, Sr. was an American movie actor and director, most widely remembered for his many supporting character roles, in particular as frequent sidekick of Errol Flynn. His wife of over thirty years was Gretchen Hartman , a child actress and silent film player and mother of their three children...
as "Big Mike" Harrigan, Missionary Priest - Richard LooRichard LooRichard Loo was a Chinese American film actor who was one of the most familiar Asian character actors in American films of the 1930s and 1940s. A prolific actor, he appeared in over 120 films between 1931 and 1982....
as Tokyo Joe - John RidgelyJohn RidgelyJohn Ridgely was an American film character actor with over 100 film credits. He appeared in the 1946 Humphrey Bogart film The Big Sleep as blackmailing gangster Eddie Mars and had a memorable role as a suffering heart patient in the film noir Nora Prentiss .The Chicago, Illinois-born actor...
as "Tex" Hill - Craig StevensCraig 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....
as Ed Rector - Andrea KingAndrea KingAndrea King was an American film and stage actress. She was sometimes billed as Georgette McKee.-Early life:Andrea King was born Georgette André Barry in Paris, France...
as Catherine Scott, Robert Lee Scott Jr.'s wife - Stanley Ridges as Col. Merian CooperMerian C. CooperMerian Caldwell Cooper was an American aviator, United States Air Force and Polish Air Force officer, adventurer, screenwriter, and film director and producer. His most famous film was the 1933 movie King Kong.-Early life:...
- Warren Douglas as Bob Neale
- Stephen Richard as Sgt. Baldridge
- Charles Smith as Pvt. Motley
Production
In order to provide authentic aerial sequences, the principal photography took place in July–August 1944 at Luke Auxiliary One airfield in Arizona. The use of Training Command Curtiss P-40E and Fs, some one dozen North American B-25Gs and various other training aircraft helped create a busy sky, but unfortunately also led to the loss of five airmen in a midair collision. With as many as 60 aircraft committed to the production, the film was the most ambitious of its kind in wartime. To portray the Japanese A6M ZeroA6M Zero
The Mitsubishi A6M Zero was a long-range fighter aircraft operated by the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service from 1940 to 1945. The A6M was designated as the , and also designated as the Mitsubishi A6M Rei-sen and Mitsubishi Navy 12-shi Carrier Fighter. The A6M was usually referred to by the...
fighters, the production used "Hollywood Zeros," the ubiquitous North American AT-6
T-6 Texan
The North American Aviation T-6 Texan was a single-engine advanced trainer aircraft used to train pilots of the United States Army Air Forces, United States Navy, Royal Air Force and other air forces of the British Commonwealth during World War II and into the 1950s...
trainers, painted in camouflage and Japanese markings.
Kunming
' is the capital and largest city of Yunnan Province in Southwest China. It was known as Yunnan-Fou until the 1920s. A prefecture-level city, it is the political, economic, communications and cultural centre of Yunnan, and is the seat of the provincial government...
where a trio of the full-scale P-40 mock-ups built several years earlier for the 1942 Republic classic, "Flying Tigers" were evident in the background, along with two P-40Es reclaimed from the AAF Reclamation Depot in San Diego. The film's air operations were directed by Hollywood "stunt pilots" Frank "Speed" Nolta and Major Frank Clarke.Col Scott served as a technical advisor and flew in a number of sequences, reprising his role as a Flying Tiger.
Reception
Regarded as typical Hollywood fare by most moviegoers, the script nonetheless attempted to be mainly faithful to Col. Robert Lee Scott Jr.'s original story of his exploits over China, and bringing in enough of his backstory to let the audience feel they knew him. By basing the film on exploits of actual historical figures (only occasionally resorting to fictional characters such as Tokyo Joe), the film gained considerable credibility. However, by 1945 the American film-going public were wary of what was essentially seen as another in a series of patriotic, "flag-waving" films. Critics relegated it to an "also-ran" position regarding the sub-plot of Scott's inspirational message as forced. The New York Times reviewer, Bosley Crowther noted that the "pious injection of the spiritual in an otherwise noisy action film is patently ostentatious and results in a maudlin effect."Premiered in Macon, Georgia, Scott's hometown, the film went on to commercial success as one of the last of the patriotic productions to be screened during wartime.
In a modern context, the film has received a revival in interest as it is now considered one of the "classic" aviation films primarily due to its aerial scenes which were even at the time considered one of its assets. Along with Scott's role in telling the story of the Flying Tigers, God is My Co-Pilot is now considered more as a historical record.