The fourth collaboration between the British writer-director-producer team of Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger, One of Our Aircraft Is Missing is the first film made under the banner of The Archers.
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Theatrical release poster
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Grade: B
The title “One of Our Aircraft Is Missing” is taken from a phrase in news reports after bombing raid, “one of our aircraft failed to return,” which originally served as the working title, but was then altered to a less-downbeat one.
One reason for script’s continual revisions during the shoot was the constant advance in wartime technology.
In One of Our Aircraft Is Missing, the British are trying to escape with the help of the locals. In their previous film, 49th Parallel, the Germans stranded in Canada fought amongst themselves, while the British fliers in this film work together as a team.
The crew of Royal Air Force (RAF) Wellington bomber is forced to bail out over the Netherlands near the Zuider Zee when an engine is damaged. Five of the six airmen find each other; the sixth goes missing.
The first Dutch citizens they encounter, led by English-speaking teacher Else Meertens, are suspicious, but after debate, they agree to help, despite fear of German reprisals.
The disguised airmen, led by the pilots, bicycle to a football match where they are passed along to the local burgomaster, where they discover their missing crewman playing. Reunited, they hide in a truck carrying supplies to Jo de Vries (Googie Withers).
De Vries pretends to be pro-German, blaming the British for killing her husband in a raid (whereas he is actually in England as a radio announcer). The men row undetected to the sea, but a bridge sentry spots them and a shot wounds the oldest man, Sir George Corbett (Godfrey Tearle), but they reach the North Sea.
They take shelter in a German rescue buoy, where they take two enemy aviators’ prisoner. By chance, two British boats arrive first. Corbett cannot be moved, and so they tow the buoy back to England.
Months later, he is recovered and the crew board their new heavy bomber, a Short Stirling.
Although considered a propaganda film, made by the Ministry of Information to boost morale, the movie is elevated by the story, acting, and production values.
David Lean served as an editor, while embarking on his own directing career.
The actors included famous stage and screen talents such as Eric Portman, Hugh Williams and Godfrey Tearle as well as newcomers such as Peter Ustinov making his film debut.
Powell encouraged Pressburger to create some significant female characters, such as Pamela Brown and Googie Withers as female Dutch Resistance leaders.
To maintain an aura of authenticity, actual RAF bombers on “ops” (operations) were filmed but the aerial scene of the bombing of Stuttgart was created by using a large-scale model at Riverside Studios, Hammersmith.
One of Our Aircraft Is Missing was cut by 20 minutes for its original American release.
Commercial Appeal
The film was one of the most popular at the British box office, after Mrs Miniver, First of the Few, How Green was My Valley, Reap the Wild Wind, Holiday Inn, Captains of the Clouds, and Sergeant York.
Oscar Context:
Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger were nominated for the Academy Award for Best Writing, Original Screenplay, and Ronald Neame (photography) and C. C. Stevens (sound) for Best Effects, Special Effects.
It was Powell’s only Oscar nomination, whereas Pressburger won an Oscar for 49th Parallel and was nominated for The Red Shoes as well.
In popular culture
In the James Bond film From Russia With Love, after dispatching an attack helicopter sent by SPECTRE, 007 observes, “I’d say one of their aircraft is missing.”
Cast
Hugh Burden as John Glyn Haggard, pilot of B for Bertie
Eric Portman as Tom Earnshaw, second pilot
Hugh Williams as Frank Shelley, observer-navigator
Emrys Jones as Bob Ashley, wireless operator
Bernard Miles as Geoff Hickman, front gunner
Godfrey Tearle as Sir George Corbett, rear gunner
Googie Withers as Jo de Vries
Joyce Redman as Jet van Dieren
Pamela Brown as Els Meertens
Peter Ustinov as Priest
Alec Clunes as Organist
Hay Petrie as Burgomaster
Credits:
Directed, written by Michael Powell, Emeric Pressburger
Produced by Powell, Pressburger, Stanley Haynes
Cinematography Ronald Neame
Edited by David Lean
Distributed by Anglo-Amalgamated Film Distributors
Release date: 27 June 27, 1942
Running time: UK: 102 minutes; US: 82 minutes
Budget: $100,000 estimated
Box office $478,939 (US rentals)
