''Destination 60,000'' (aka ''Jet'') is a 65-minute 1957

drama film In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. The drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular ...

, directed by

George Waggner George Waggner (September 7, 1894 – December 11, 1984) was an American actor, director, producer and writer. He is best known for producing and directing the 1941 film '' The Wolf Man''. For some unknown reason, Waggner sometimes configured his ...

and produced by the Allied Artists Pictures . The film stars

Preston Foster Preston Stratton Foster (August 24, 1900 – July 14, 1970), was an American actor of stage, film, radio, and television, whose career spanned nearly four decades. He also had a career as a vocalist. Early life Born in Ocean City, New Jerse ...

Pat Conway Patrick Douglas Conway (January 9, 1931 – April 24, 1981) was an American actor best known for starring as Sheriff Clay Hollister on the Western television series ''Tombstone Territory'' (1957–1960). Early years Conway was the son of M ...

and Jeff Donnell. ''Destination 60,000'' depicts the life of test pilots flying the fastest experimental

supersonic Supersonic speed is the speed of an object that exceeds the speed of sound (Mach 1). For objects traveling in dry air of a temperature of 20 °C (68 °F) at sea level, this speed is approximately . Speeds greater than five times ...

fighter designs from

Edwards Air Force Base Edwards Air Force Base (AFB) is a United States Air Force installation in California. Most of the base sits in Kern County, California, Kern County, but its eastern end is in San Bernardino County, California, San Bernardino County and a souther ...

."Edwards AFB Prime movie, TV location."
''The Free Library''. 1999. Retrieved: October 17, 2014.

Plot

A new experimental aircraft, "The Dream" is the pride of the Buckley Aircraft Corporation. Owner Colonel Ed Buckley (Preston Foster), has designed and built a prototype that his former wartime flying buddy, Jeff Connors (Pat Conway), wants to fly. Buckley's wife Ruth likes Jeff, who is godfather to their son "Skip" ( Bobby Clark). Test flying is dangerous work, and Jeff has to learn how to fly to supersonic speeds, coached by Mickey Hill ( Denver Pyle). Ed's secretary, Mary Ellen (

Coleen Gray Coleen Gray (born Doris Jensen; October 23, 1922 – August 3, 2015) was an American actress. She was best known for her roles in the films '' Nightmare Alley'' (1947), '' Red River'' (1948), and Stanley Kubrick's '' The Killing'' (1956). ...

), is another reason for Jeff to want to join the company. Although Mickey is scheduled to do the first test, his wife Grace ( Anne Barton) is expecting, so Ed assigns Jeff. "The Dream" is carried to altitude by a Boeing B-29/P2B mothership before being released to fly on its own power. When Jeff tries to ignite the rocket motors, the aircraft explodes. but he ejects using an escape pod, landing safely. Suspected of somehow being responsible for the explosion, he is placed on a 30-day suspension, but Jeff protests and quits. With his partner Dan Maddox (

Russell Thorson Russell Thorson (October 14, 1906 – July 6, 1982 ) was an American actor, perhaps best known for his co-starring role as Det. Lt. Otto Lindstrom in American Broadcasting Company, ABC's 1959–1962 hit crime drama, ''The Detectives Starrin ...

), Ed constructs a second prototype, with Mickey as the test pilot. A repeat of the same explosion lands Mickey in the hospital. He had blacked out, but the automatic escape pod had deployed, saving his life. In a visit to the hospital where he sees Ed, Jeff asks to come back, claiming he will serve his suspension while a new aircraft is being built. With his company's fortunes at a low ebb, Ed believes he has the answer to the violent explosions and elects to fly the next test himself. Jeff accompanies him. "The Dream" climbs to 60,000 feet, then Ed cuts the motors and reignites them successfully, but blacks out. Jeff sends out a

Mayday Mayday is an emergency procedure word used internationally as a distress signal in voice-procedure radio communications. It is used to signal a life-threatening emergency primarily by aviators and mariners, but in some countries local organiz ...

, shouting, "Bandits at two o'clock." Like he had in wartime, Ed instinctively reacts and pulls out of the dive. With the test a success and the company again in good shape, Ed and Jeff land safely and return to Ruth and Mary, who are waiting for them.

Cast

as Col. Ed Buckley *

as Pat Connors * Jeff Donnell as Ruth Buckley *

as Mary Ellen * Bobby Clark as "Skip" Buckley * Denver Pyle as Mickey Hill *

as Dan Maddox * Anne Barton as Grace Hill

Production

''Destination 60,000'' has the feel of a

docudrama Docudrama (or documentary drama) is a genre of television show, television and feature film, film, which features Drama (film and television), dramatized Historical reenactment, re-enactments of actual events. It is described as a hybrid of docu ...

, weaving a fictional story into a depiction of the brave test pilots flying the Douglas D-558-2 Skyrocket. Principal photography began in mid-August 1956 at California Studios. Full cooperation from the Douglas Aircraft Company was acknowledged. The ability to film at Edwards Air Force Base also enhanced the "first-hand" descriptions.

Reception

''Destination 60,000'' was primarily a

B film A B movie, or B film, is a type of cheap, low-budget commercial motion picture. Originally, during the Classical Hollywood cinema, Golden Age of Hollywood, this term specifically referred to films meant to be shown as the lesser-known second ...

, "one of a cycle of late-1950s films dealing with the exploits of supersonic-jet test pilots. ... Destination 60,000 was put together by Gross-Krasne Productions, a firm more closely associated with weekly TV series (''Big Town'', ''Dr. Hudson's Secret Journal'', ''Mayor of the Town'', etc.)."Erickson, Ha
"Overview: Destination 60,000."
''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'', 2014. Retrieved: October 17, 2014.

References

Notes Citations Bibliography * Libis, Scott. ''Douglas D-558-2 Skyrocket'' (Naval Fighters Number Fifty-Seven). Simi Valley, California: Ginter Books, 2002. . * Winchester, Jim. "Grumman X-29". X-Planes and Prototypes. London: Amber Books, 2005. .

External links