Captains of the Clouds is a 1942 World War II film from Warner Bros., directed by Michael Curtiz and starring James Cagney.
Brian MacLean (Cagney) and Johnny Dutton (Dennis Morgan) are rival bush pilots competing for business in Northern Ontario. Upon hearing Winston Churchill's famous "We shall fight on the beaches" speech following the Miracle at Dunkirk, they and their fellow bush pilots decide to enlist as fighter pilots in the Royal Canadian Air Force.
Known for its breathtaking cinematography and vivid Technicolor, the film is also notable for the heavy involvement of the RCAF (to whom the picture is dedicated) in its production, and for being the first major Hollywood film shot entirely in Canada.
The title of the film comes from a speech by Canadian World War I flying ace Billy Bishop, who plays himself in the film.
Provides examples of the following tropes:
- Anyone Can Die: Of the bush pilots who join the RCAF, only Dutton survives.
- As Himself: Billy Bishop appears as himself and is credited as such.
- Boisterous Bruiser: Tiny Murphy fits the image.
- Buzzing the Deck: MacLean and Tiny buzz the graduation ceremony while mocking Billy Bishop.
- Dead Person Impersonation: After he loses his pilot's license, MacLean steals Tiny's credentials so he can join the bomber transport when they ask for civilian pilots. Dutton notices him but allows him to get away with it.
- Foreshadowing: With tragic results. The bush pilots are rejected as fighter pilots because they are too old to physically stand up to the G forces of combat. When they protest, the recruiting officer explains that he was shot down once because he blacked out during a dive as to why these regulations are necessary. Later when buzzing the graduating class, Tiny blacks out during a dive and is killed in the resulting crash.
- Gold Digger: Emily Foster. MacLean realizes this and marries her solely to prevent Dutton from doing so and ruining his life.
- Hair-Trigger Temper: MacLean gets into fights throughout the entire film over pretty much anything and everything.
- Heroic Sacrifice: MacLean sacrifices himself to destroy the German fighter and allow the rest of the unarmed bomber group to reach Britain.
- Ironic Name: "Tiny" Murphy is The Big Guy of the group.
- Averted later when 5'4" James Cagney takes on his name.
- Jerk with a Heart of Gold: MacLean is abrasive and obnoxious, but he does genuinely care about the war effort and tries to help Dutton achieve his dream despite their personal animosity.
- Jumped at the Call: Hearing Churchill's famous "We shall fight them on the beaches" speech is all the bush pilots need to immediately sign up with the RCAF.
- Just Plane Wrong: The "Messerschmitt Bf 109" is a repainted Hawker Hurricane. Understandably so given that this film was made when the war was still going on.
- Ramming Always Works: The Lockheed Hudson bombers are unarmed for transport, so MacLean has to resort to this to destroy the German Messerschmitt Bf 109.
- Red Oni, Blue Oni: MacLean is the brash and arrogant red to Dutton's by-the-book blue.
- Refused by the Call: The bush pilots are rejected as fighter pilots because they are too old, but are tried as instructors due to their extensive flight experience. None of them are happy about this arrangement and most wash out.
- Scenery Porn: The film is filled with gorgeous shots of the Canadian countryside and earned an Academy Award nomination for cinematographer Sol Polito.
- Tempting Fate: Scrounger is initially not assigned to join the bomber transport, but requests to go so he can return to his home country of Britain. He doesn't make it.
- MacLean is told he is flying too low on a bombing run and that he's risking getting caught in the blast. He ignores this, it happens, and he is promptly Court-martialed.
