I was looking for something to watch last night (without paying anything more than monthly fees). I had wanted to watch "The Final Countdown", as I had seen that pop up a short while ago on the "no pay" list on one of the services. Alas, I found it on Prime Video but they wanted $$ and there is too much stuff. But then I saw "Strategic Air Command", the Jimmy Stewart movie from around 1955. I had actually been reading on Wikipedia, earlier that day, about the Convair B-36, and this movie features them, so I decided to watch it. I've probably seen it before, but didn't remember most of it, so I may have only see pieces of it in the past, or just be getting old and forget. I tried to get my 18 year old son to watch, but he was too busy with stupid things. (In general though, he is pretty good for an 18 year old -- has definitely not drunk any woke Kool-aid [makes fun of it actually], loves to shoot and supports 2A, freedom, etc.)
This is a movie from a different time. And the actors are from a different time. This is a stand up, solute the American flag, go get 'em movie. One in which the main character, the great Jimmy Stewart (himself a war veteran as a B-24 pilot, andd later AF Reserve officer including B-47 and B-52 pilot, who also flew on a B-52 mission in Vietnam as an observer), has to struggle with his desires and feelings to get on with life, against the call to serve he is extended by the Air Force, later choosing the Air Force above returning to baseball fame when his 21 month reserve call up commitment is done (at the beginning of the movie he is a baseball star with the Cardinals), only to get a medical discharge for a nagging injury sustained in a B-36 crash in Greenland, which injury also made it unlikely to be able to return to baseball star as a player.
Compare this to most of the Hollywood "stars" of today, who line up to speak against the very ideas embodied in the USA, while continuing to enjoy the freedoms they despise.
"Strategic Air Command" is a throwback to a different time, the height of the early Red Scare / Cold War, and a time when people remembered which country they were citizens of, and why it was important. Besides the great flying scenes, the movie is OK from a technical production view -- nothing particularly great, though Mr Stewart does a good job in his role. But the movie, especially for Independence Day weekend, struck a nerve for me. I would encourage this, or other older "patriotic" film as a solid entertainment this weekend. And get your younger kids and young adults to watch it with you if you are in the older camp, like me. And if you are one of the younger ones, enjoy.
Reply With Quote
Originally Posted by FromMyColdDeadHand
Bookmarks