Bomber's Moon

Bomber's Moon
Bomber's Moon
	Theatrical poster
Directed by	Edward Ludwig (as "Charles Fuhr"); Harold D. Schuster (as "Charles Fuhr"); John Brahm (uncredited); Robert Florey (2nd unit aerial sequences)
Written by	Kenneth Gamet (Screenwriter) ; Aubrey Wisberg (Screenwriter); Leonard Lee (story)
Produced by	Sol M. Wurtzel
Starring	George Montgomery ; Annabella ; Kent Taylor
Cinematography	Lucien Ballard
Edited by	Robert Fritch
Music by	David Buttolph
Distributed by	20th Century-Fox
Release date	August 6, 1943;
Running time	67 mins.
Country	United States
Language	English

Bomber's Moon is a 1943 American wartime propaganda film, produced by 20th Century Fox, based on an unpublished magazine serial "Bomber's Moon" by Leonard Lee.^[1]^[2]

Plot

Captain Jeff Dakin (George Montgomery) is shot down over Germany on a bombing raid. He sees his brother, Danny (Richard Graham), serving on the same aircraft, shot dead as he parachutes out of the stricken aircraft. Imprisoned in a camp, Dakin conspires with Alexandra "Alec" Zorich (Annabella), a beautiful Russian doctor, and Captain Paul Husnik (Kent Taylor), a Czech resistance leader, to mount an escape. They escape during an air raid and make their way towards safety, but the Czech is not who he seems.

Husnik is really Gestapo officer Paul von Block, who wants to get Alec to lead him to the leaders of the Czech underground movement. Killing the underground leader, von Block summons the Gestapo, but Dakin overpowers him and together with Alec, goes on the run. Reaching the Netherlands, Dakin learns that his bomber is now repaired, with the Nazis planning a mysterious flight to England. Disguised as a German soldier, Dakin finds out his brother's killer, Major. Von Streicher (Martin Kosleck), is to pilot the aircraft on a mission to kill Prime Minister Winston Churchill. Stealing a German aircraft, Dakin exacts his revenge by shooting down Von Streicher. Landing in England, he is reunited with Alec, who has made her way there.

Cast

George Montgomery as Jeffrey Dakin
Annabella as Alexandra "Alec" Zorich
Kent Taylor as Paul von Block
Walter Kingsford as Professor Mueller
Martin Kosleck as Luftwaffe Maj. von Streicher
Dennis Hoey as Gestapo Col. von Grunow
Robert Barrat as Ernst
Leon Tyler as Karl
Lionel Royce as Derbitz
Victor Kilian as Henryk van Seeler

With only a limited budget, all aerial sequences in *Bomber's Moon*, were completed with special effects and model work, such as this one of a Lockheed Hudson. (Screenshot)

Production

Although a low-budget production, entirely filmed at the 20th Century Fox studio lot, a total of six directors worked on the film. Shortly after completing Bomber's Moon, George Montgomery enlisted in the United States Army Air Corps and did not appear in another film until the 1946 20th Century Fox production Three Little Girls in Blue. French actress Annabella also filmed Tonight We Raid Calais (1943) and 13 Rue Madeleine (1947).^[1]

Reception

Strictly a "B" film, Bomber's Moon was not well received. The contemporary review in The New York Times succinctly summed it up as "shoddy" and "... second-rate Hollywood."^[3]

References

Notes

^ ^a ^b ^c "Notes: Bomber's Moon." Turner Classic Movies. Retrieved; March 22, 2012.
^ Evans 2000, p. 30.
^ T.S. "Movie Review." The New York Times, July 31, 1943. Retrieved March 22, 2012.

Bibliography

Evans, Alun. Brassey's Guide to War Films. Dulles, Virginia: Potomac Books, 2000. ISBN 1-57488-263-5.

External links

Bomber's Moon at the TCM Movie Database
Bomber's Moon at IMDb

[Notes-1] "Notes: Bomber's Moon." Turner Classic Movies. Retrieved; March 22, 2012.

[2] Evans 2000, p. 30.

[3] T.S. "Movie Review." The New York Times, July 31, 1943. Retrieved March 22, 2012.

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