Toward the Unknown (1956) - Movie Review

My Rating

6.5/10

 6.5/10

William Holden, Lloyd Nolan, Virginia Leith. Holden stars in this drama about a Korean War POW trying to make a comeback as a test pilot. Times have changed and Major Lincoln Bond has a been deemed unstable after breaking under the strain of being tortured in a Korean prison camp and signing a confession as a war criminal. Nolan does a predictable job as the base commander General Bill Banner who is set against giving Bond a chance to prove himself. However Bond does have the second in command Colonel R.H “Mickey” McKee as an old friend and pilot buddy.

The movie boasts several scenes showing all of the Air Force emergency equipment and 1950’s technology. Typical love story between Leith and Holden with Nolan completing the love triangle. There is also the standard villain Major “Bromo” Lee- (Murry Hamilton)- who appears to be the base top pilot who doesn’t want anything to do with Bond or the competition he may bring to the base.

The movie is excellent if you’re a fan of the early X-planes. The X-2, the X-3 Stiletto, Douglas B558 all have significant appearances. There is also good footage of the Martin XB-51 doubling as the Gilbert XF-120, a new fighter being tested by the Air Force. Bond works his way into testing the airplane and finds the airframe has problems and brings back the airplane damaged. The general flies another airplane in the same maneuvers as Bond, but cannot recreate the structural damage. Once again Bond’s reputation is put in question. Later the airplane is again tested by Major Joe Craven (a very young James Garner) with disastrous results. (Research the Martin XB-51 aircraft it is a great story. )

Other aircraft appearances include:

Convair F-102 Delta Dagger
McDonnel F-101 Voodoo
North American F100
Sikorsky H-19D Chickasaw helicopter
Douglas B-66 Destroyer
Republic F84F Thunderstreak
Lockheed F94 Starfire

There also some very rare footage of aerial re-fueling I found interesting. Watch in the background for North American B-25 Mitchell, Douglas C47, Boeing B-47, and Convair B-36 Peacemaker. Unusual stock footage includes a rocket sled being tested. And the Boeing YKB-29T Superfortress aerial tanker with a F-100, F-101, and B-66 being fueled.

Summary

Not a great movie for theatrical content. However, it is an enjoyable movie to watch and gives a good sampling of US Air Force hardware during the early years of the Cold War. Again – the early X-planes footage make this movie worth having. Enjoy.

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