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Air Force Overview:

Air Force (1943) was a Black-and-white - War Film directed by Howard Hawks and produced by Hal B. Wallis and Jack L. Warner.

SYNOPSIS

The story of the crew manning a B-17 Flying Fortress in action throughout the Pacific is tailor-made for director Hawks, the undisputed master of men-under-pressure adventures. Stirring aerial battle scenes and believable dialogue life this far above the average WWII propaganda vehicle.

(Source: available at Amazon AMC Classic Movie Companion).

Academy Awards 1943 --- Ceremony Number 16 (source: AMPAS)

AwardRecipientResult
Best CinematographyJames Wong Howe, Elmer Dyer, Charles MarshallNominated
Best Film EditingGeorge AmyWon
Best WritingDudley NicholsNominated
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Air Force BlogHub Articles:

Air Force (1943): Howard Hawks Takes on WWII

By 4 Star Film Fan on Nov 4, 2020 From 4 Star Films

At times, Air Force functions like a staged documentary. It feels both instructive and informed by Howard Hawks’ own passion for aviation. It has the simple task of making sure the folks at home can empathize with their boys up in the air. In fact, it falls short of being a mere instructional ... Read full article

Air Force (1943)

By Beatrice on Oct 11, 2014 From Flickers in Time

Air Force Directed by Howard Hawks Written by Dudley Nichols 1943/USA Warner Bros. First viewing/Amazon Instant Video Air Force is a solid piece of wartime propaganda, this time in the air. An air crew comprised of the usual assortment of Hollywood types has been assigned to deliver a new bomber... Read full article

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Air Force Quotes:

Pilot Irish Quincannon: Tell the crew they can sleep in the next world.
Pilot Irish Quincannon: Pilot to crew: take a good look at Pearl Harbor. Maybe it's something you'll want to remember.
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Air Force Facts
Aerial scenes were filmed in Texas and Florida because airplanes appearing to be Japanese were not allowed on the west coast due to a fear of Japanese invasion.
The aircraft used to play "Mary Ann" was a B-17B, one of 19 that had the gunners' bubbles replaced by the flush gun positions of the B-17C and B-17D. This aircraft MAY have been aircraft 38-583 or possibly 39-010. Also, aircraft "18" in the movie is 38-269. Pause the scenes where John Ridgely has walked in front of the daytime flight line with numbers "18" and "05" in the back ground, and, as he is talking to the crew in the bombay, look through the gap between the bomb bay door and the fuselage: as you pause and forward frame-by-frame, you will see the tail of "18" just barely enough to see the numbers "8269" showing! This means that aircraft "18" is actually B-17B 38-269.
In the scene on Wake Island where a marine hands the dog to Assistant Crew Chief Weinberg (George Tobias), a voice can be heard telling the dog to give Weinberg a kiss. The voice was from the dog's owner and trainer, Frank Weatherwax. The dog, named Rommy, had appeared in numerous other movies including Reap the Wild Wind, George Washington Slept Here and Without Love.
Henry Blair is in studio records/casting call lists playing "Quincannon's Son" and he's called Michael in the film, but he does not appear.
Actual newsreel footage was expertly inserted into the film, including scenes from the Battle of the Coral Sea.
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