''Thundering Jets'' is a 1958 American

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

Helmut Dantine Helmut Dantine (7 October 1918 – 2 May 1982) was an Austrian-American actor who often played Nazis in thriller films of the 1940s. His best-known performances are perhaps the German pilot in ''Mrs. Miniver'' and the desperate Bulgarian ref ...

, written by James Landis, and starring

Rex Reason Rex George Reason Jr. (November 30, 1928 – November 19, 2015) was an American actor best known for his role in '' This Island Earth'' (1955). He was the elder brother of actor Rhodes Reason. Life and career Reason was born in Berlin, Germany ...

Dick Foran John Nicholas "Dick" Foran (June 18, 1910 – August 10, 1979) was an American actor and singer, known for his performances in Western musicals and for playing supporting roles in dramatic pictures. He appeared in dozens of movies of every ...

, Audrey Dalton,

Barry Coe Barry S. Coe (born Barry Clark Heacock; November 26, 1934 – July 16, 2019) was an American actor who appeared in film and on television from 1956 to 1978. Many of his movie parts were minor, but he co-starred in one series, titled '' Follow the ...

, and Robert Dix. ''Thundering Jets'' was released in May 1958, by

20th Century Fox 20th Century Studios, Inc., formerly 20th Century Fox, is an American film studio, film production and Film distributor, distribution company owned by the Walt Disney Studios (division), Walt Disney Studios, the film studios division of the ...

Plot

At the United States

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 ...

Flight Test School, instructor wartime veteran Capt. Steve Morley (Rex Reason) resents "playing nursemaid to a bunch of glory jockeys." The new class includes Kurt Weber (

Giuseppe Addobbati Giuseppe Addobbati (31 December 1909 – 4 January 1986) was an Italian film actor known for his roles in Spaghetti Western and action films in the 1960s and 1970s. He was often billed as John MacDouglas for films released to an American audi ...

), who flew for Germany during World War II; Maj. Mike Geron (Buck Class); show-off Capt. Murphy ( Lee Farr); Lt. Jimmy Erskine (Robert Dix); and Lt. Bob Kiley (

Robert Conrad Robert Conrad (born Conrad Robert Falk; March 1, 1935 – February 8, 2020) was an American film and television actor, singer, and stuntman. He is best known for his role in the 1965–1969 television series ''The Wild Wild West'', playin ...

). Steve meets his sweetheart, Susan Blair (Audrey Dalton), a secretary for Lt. Col. Spalding (Dick Fora). Dissatisfied with his role, his pupils continue to have problems as he tries to stress that discipline is important. Both Susan and Steve's fellow flight instructors caution him that he is too harsh. Asking again for a transfer, Steve is denied. On a training mission the next day, Murphy flies dangerously and is expelled for his irresponsible behavior. Fellow students are certain that Steve is to blame. Later Steve takes Mike up, but the engine flames out and Mike passes out. Steve seizes the controls and lands the aircraft safely, saving them both and the aircraft. Finally, his students accept Steve, realizing he is just trying to help them achieve their goal of becoming test pilots.

Cast

as Capt. Steve Morley *

as Lt. Col. Henry Spalding * Audrey Dalton as Susan Blair *

as Capt. "Cotton" Davis * Buck Class as Maj. Mike Geron * Robert Dix as Lt. Jimmy Erskine * Lee Farr as Capt. Murphy *

as Kurt Weber *

as Lt. Robert "Tiger Bob" Kiley * Maudie Prickett as Mrs. Blocher * Richard Monahan as Mechanic #1 *

Sid Melton Sidney Meltzer (May 22, 1917 – November 2, 2011), known professionally as Sid Melton, was an American actor. He played the roles of incompetent carpenter Alf Monroe in the CBS sitcom ''Green Acres,'' Ichabod 'Ikky' Mudd as sidekick to C ...

as Sgt. Eddie Stone * William Kerwin as Gary *

Gregg Palmer Palmer Edwin Lee (January 25, 1927 – October 31, 2015), known by his stage name Gregg Palmer, was an American film and television actor. He was known for playing Tom McLowery in the final season of the American Western (genre), western televis ...

as Capt. Cory Dexter * Lionel Ames as Capt. "Andy" Anderson * Bill Bradley as Student #1

Production

''Thundering Jets'' was filmed primarily at the United States Flight Test School at Edwards Air Force Base, employing the school's

Lockheed T-33 The Lockheed T-33 Shooting Star (or T-Bird) is an American subsonic jet trainer. It was produced by Lockheed and made its first flight in 1948. The T-33 was developed from the Lockheed P-80/F-80 starting as TP-80C/TF-80C in development, then d ...

Shooting Star jet training aircraft. The production used mainly stock footage with one T-33 on loan to the studio and was featured in the process shots.

Reception

Aviation film historian Stephen Pendo in ''Aviation in the Cinema'', considered ''Thundering Jets'' a "... poor picture and has only routine aerial shots."Pendo 1985, p. 262.

Explanatory notes

References

Citations

General and cited references

* Orriss, Bruce (2018). ''When Hollywood Ruled the Skies: The Post World War II Years''. Hawthorne, California: Aero Associates. . * Pendo, Stephen (1985). ''Aviation in the Cinema''. Lanham, Maryland: Scarecrow Press. .

External links

* * {{TCMDb title, 93269, Thundering Jets 1958 films American aviation films 20th Century Fox films American drama films 1958 drama films Films about the United States Air Force 1950s English-language films 1950s American films Films scored by Irving Gertz