- Dragonfly Squadron
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Dragonfly Squadron Directed by Lesley Selander Produced by John C. Chamion Written by John C. Chamion Starring John Hodiak
Barbara Britton
Bruce Bennett
Jess Barker
Gerald Mohr
Chuck Connors
Harry Lauter
Dick Simmons
Adam Williams
Frank FergusonMusic by Paul Dunlap Cinematography Harry Neumann Editing by Walter Hannemann Release date(s) 1954 Running time 83 minutes Country United States Language English Dragonfly Squadron is an American war film by Lesley Selander from 1954. It is set in the period shortly before and during the invasion of South Korea by North Korean troops.
Contents
Plot
In May 1950, Major Matt Brady is redeployed to Pusan, South Korea. His mission there is to train South Korean pilots in the defensive struggle. Also, there are air support exercises in case of the need to evacuate the Americans. Colonel Schuller sends Brady and Captain MacIntyre to the airbase in Kungju. The American instructors only have 25 days left to introduce the South Korean pilots to US tactics.
At the base, Brady meets Donna Cottrell, a former fiancé of his. Donna's husband, Red Cross physician Dr. Stephen Cottrell, is said to have been killed in action. When Donna finds out that he is actually alive - he had been captured, but was able to escape - she returns to him. She tells Matt, that Stephen cannot work as a surgeon any more, as his hands were badly injured during enemy torture. She is intent to do the right thing, but she feels torn apart between the two men.
The training of the South Korean pilots makes progress, which is carefully noticed by Dixon, a reporter. Captain Veddors tells him, that Matt does not fly any more because he had caused a deadly crash with a test pilot. Matt receives an encrypted message announcing a serious enemy attack. MacIntyre informs Matt, that Lieutenant Kim-Sun is not able to fly due to the illness of his sister. But Matt needs every man, Kim-Sun dies in the crash of his plane. As a consequence, the pilots raise grave reproaches against Matt. MacIntyre suspects, that Kim-Sun's plane has been sabotaged.
Colonel Schuller orders the evacuation of all Americans and gives Matt the order, to release the South Korean pilots into active service. Stephen stays behind in Kungju to carry on his work, Donna leaves the base in a convoy. The convoy is attacked by two tanks. Colonel Conners cautions Matt, that air support for the convoy is out of the question. But by sanction of the UN, intervention by US infantrymen was possible.Matt stays behind on the base with Veddors and MacIntyre.
Soon the news of the invasion of South Korea arrive. Captain Warnowski and his infantry battailon reach Kungju. Of originally 400 men, only 30 remain, due to heavy tank assaults. The infantrymen found wounded Captain Wyler and picked him up. Wyler had been driving the truck Donna was on. Before he dies, he can tell Matt about Donna's successful escape. As the attacks increase in gravity, North Korean airplanes damage the airfield. Matt and Warnowski agree to retreat. South Koreans identify an old woman as a spy, who has been transmitting information about the base to the enemy by radio and execute her.
Matt and his remaining troop come under heavy fire. Matt's arm is wounded, Veddors is killed. In the villange of Chungtu, they reach a Red Cross hospital, and soon Donna arrives there, too. There she hears, that Stephen was killed during the fighting. The enemy tanks thrust forward and force the survivors to retreat further. Only as US planes attack and stop the tanks, Matt, Donna and the rest of the convoy can escape.
Additional Facts
The life of the movie's military consultant Colonel Dean Hess was made into a movie three years later by Douglas Sirk, titled Battle Hymn. Rock Hudson is starring it as the US pilot and later, politician.
According to the Hollywood reporter, the Allied Artists production cost $300'000 and grossed $700'000.[1]
Before his acting career, Bruce Bennett was a successful and well-known athlete. Carrying his birth name Herman Brix, he won the shot put silver medal during the 1928 Olympic Games. In 1931, he started to work as an actor, especially gaining renown in dancing productions. Altogether, he featured in 140 movies. He took his alias to avoid confusion with Austrian actor Herman Brix.
Sources
References
Categories:- 1954 films
- American films
- English-language films
- Aviation films
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