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Chain Lightning (1950)Matt Brennan runs into Jo Holloway, the Red Cross girl he romanced in Europe when he was a flyer in World War II, when he is offered a job by jet manufacturer Leland Willis as a test pilot.... See full summary » Director:Stuart Heisler |
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Edit
Cast
| Complete credited cast: | |||
| Humphrey Bogart | ... | ||
| Eleanor Parker | ... |
Joan "Jo" Holloway
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| Raymond Massey | ... |
Leland Willis
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Richard Whorf | ... |
Carl Troxell
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| James Brown | ... |
Maj. Hinkle
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| Roy Roberts | ... |
Maj. Gen. Hewitt
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Morris Ankrum | ... |
Ed Bostwick
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Fay Baker | ... |
Mrs. Willis
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Fred Sherman | ... |
Jeb Farley
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Edit
Plot Summary
|
Plot Synopsis
See All (30) »
Storyline
Matt Brennan runs into Jo Holloway, the Red Cross girl he romanced in Europe when he was a flyer in World War II, when he is offered a job by jet manufacturer Leland Willis as a test pilot. Carl Troxell, wants to sell an escape cockpit to the Air Force. He wants Matt to stall the presentation of JA-3 the prototype that doesn't include the ejection seat, to give him more time for the experimental JA-4. But Matt doesn't believe it is yet safe enough to try. Written by vlady@worldnet.att.net
Plot Keywords:
jet | test pilot | aerospace film | washington d.c. | voice over narration |Taglines:
When she's in his arms, it's the grandest thrill the screen can give! See more »Certificate:
See all certifications »Parents Guide:
View content advisory »
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See full technical specs »
Details
Country:
USALanguage:
EnglishRelease Date:
31 May 1950 (Mexico) See more »Also Known As:
Des Teufels Pilot See more »Filming Locations:
Warner Brothers Burbank Studios - 4000 Warner Boulevard, Burbank, California, USACompany Credits
Show detailed
company contact information
on
IMDbPro »
Technical Specs
Runtime:
| (cut)Sound Mix:
Mono (RCA Sound System)Color:
Black and WhiteAspect Ratio:
1.37 : 1
Edit
Leland Willis: Brennan, do you hear? Bring that plane down or you'll never fly again.
Lt. Col. Matthew "Matt" Brennan: How do you want it Willis, the easy way or the hard way?
Leland Willis: I don't want any more tests. Understand Brennan? No more tests.
Lt. Col. Matthew "Matt" Brennan: OK Willis, the hard way.
[Matt pulls the microphone plug out and puts the jet into a climb]
See more »
Written by Richard Robertson, Frank Weldon and James Cavanaugh
Played on the piano at the cafe
Also played at the party when everyone is at the bar
See more »
Did You Know?
Trivia
Filmed May-July 1949, but not released until 1950. See more »Goofs
When Brennan is wearing the pressurized suit there are holes in the bottom of the face mask. That would keep the suit from being pressurized. See more »Quotes
[Matt Brennan is doing test trials in the air]Leland Willis: Brennan, do you hear? Bring that plane down or you'll never fly again.
Lt. Col. Matthew "Matt" Brennan: How do you want it Willis, the easy way or the hard way?
Leland Willis: I don't want any more tests. Understand Brennan? No more tests.
Lt. Col. Matthew "Matt" Brennan: OK Willis, the hard way.
[Matt pulls the microphone plug out and puts the jet into a climb]
See more »
Soundtracks
A Little on the Lonely SideWritten by Richard Robertson, Frank Weldon and James Cavanaugh
Played on the piano at the cafe
Also played at the party when everyone is at the bar
See more »
From 1950, "Chain Lightning" stars Humphrey Bogart, Eleanor Parker, Raymond Massey, Richard Whorf, and James Brown. Brown played Lt. Rip Masters on Rin Tin Tin and I believe was my first crush.
This is one of those films Bogart probably made to fulfill his contract obligations with Warners, the other one being "The Two Mrs. Carrolls," a scream of a film in which he's really terrible. He's so rarely bad, and he's certainly not bad in this.
Bogart plays Matt Brennan, a pilot, and in the beginning, he's testing a plane. His girlfriend Joan (Eleanor Parker) rushes up and begs her boss (Raymond Massey) to order him down, as she's afraid for him.
The story then goes into flashback, with Matt and Joan during World War II. He was a bomber pilot, in love with Joan. He flew hazardous missions from England to Germany, while Joan is a nurse. He leaves for the states first - they want to get married, but he is unable to find anyone who can give him permission.
Once back in the states, after bouncing around for a bit, Matt is hired as a test pilot by Leland Willis (Raymond Massey) an aircraft manufacturer.
There, he re-connects with Carl Troxell (Whorf) who is now dating Joan, Willis' secretary. Apparently after he left England, Matt never contacted Joan, even though he wrote letters that he never sent. He felt the life that he could offer her wasn't good enough.
Matt takes the new jet JA-4 on a hazardous flight, and that brings us back to the first scene.
This is a pretty ordinary film, with Parker looking beautiful and Bogart acting tough - kind of Rick Blaine as a pilot. I will take issue with what one person on this board said, that Massey was playing Howard Hughes and doing a bad job. If the studio had wanted someone to play Howard Hughes, they would have hired someone else and named the character Howard Hughes. Massey was playing a Howard Hughes type, and he was fine.
The aviation part of this film was ahead of its time for sure. The rest of it was not special. I've always loved Bogart's acting, and even though he's probably going through the motions here, I'd rather watch him go through the motions than almost anyone. Eleanor Parker, another favorite of mine, gives a lovely performance and is absolutely beautiful.