Target for Tonight

Infobox Film
name = Target for Tonight


amg_id = 1:48667
imdb_id = 0121791
director = Harry Watt
writer =
starring = Royal Air Force personnel
producer = Harry Watt
music = Royal Air Force Central Band
distributor = British Ministry of Information
released = 1941
runtime = 48 minutes
country = UK
language = English

"Target for Tonight" is a 1941 documentary film billed as being filmed by and acted by the Royal Air Force, all while under fire. It was directed by Harry Watt. The film revolves for the most part around one crew in a single Wellington aircraft. The film went on to win an honorary Academy Award in 1942, and 'Best Documentary' by the National Board of Review in 1941.

ynopsis

Before the film, several text cards explain bombers and the Royal Air Force chain of command. The film begins with an observation aircraft flying over and dropping a box of undeveloped film. Bomber Command develops the film and analyzes the resulting photographs, which are presented for the audience to see. There has been a massive build-up by German forces in the subject area for the past few months. The film shows the planning of the mission, even detailing how the bomber wing chooses munitions for the task. The weather forecast is expected to be good, and the pilots are briefed. The crew of "'F' for Freddie", the bomber that is the focal point of the film, suits up and takes off. While over Germany, the crew bombs the target, dead on for one bomb, but is hit by flak from 'faceless' anti-aircraft gunners. The radio operator is hit in the leg. Freddie is the last aircraft to return. There is mist covering the water, prompting worry at the Command. Meanwhile, Freddie cannot climb after the flak hit. They are not losing altitude, but are in a bad situation. Tension builds in the film until finally, 'F for Freddie' lands. No aircraft are lost and the mission is a complete success.

Production

The film was shot at RAF Mildenhall and at the real RAF Bomber Command headquarters in High Wycombe with the then-current head of Bomber Command Sir Richard Peirse appearing in the film. Squadron Leader Dickson, the captain of 'F for Freddie', was played by Percy Pickard, who went on to lead the real-life Operation "Biting" and the later Operation "Jericho" raid on Amiens Prison. The second pilot was played by Gordon Woollatt. Although the film was about a bomber squadron flying Wellingtons the aircraft shown on the movie poster are actually Boulton Paul Defiant fighters.

Popular Culture

Herman Wouk, in his novel The Winds of War, included a Wellington bomber christened "F for Freddie" in an episode of the story. The lead character, American naval captain Victor Henry, flies onboard "F for Freddie" as an observer during a bombing mission over Berlin. Wouk's fictional narrative evokes portions of "F for Freddie's" mission log: one of their bombs hits their target squarely, and flak damages the plane and injures one of their crewmembers in the leg (in the novel, the rear gunner rather than the radio operator). They have trouble holding altitude, but make it back after a long, tense flight over hostile territory.

External links

* [http://allmovie.com/cg/avg.dll?p=avg&sql=1:48667 All Movie Guide profile]
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* [http://www.chrishobbs.com/pickardcharles.htm Shooting location information]
* [http://www.movieflix.com/movie_info.mfx?movie_id=487 Complete film at MovieFlix]