Like a huge amount of other propaganda films produced during the second world war, Wings Up doesn't really have much in the way of a storyline and is instead more geared towards getting americans to enlist. Although he doesn't appear physically until the final seconds, the film is narrated by Clark Gable, who was actually in the military during the war and achieved the rank of major. Wings Up is focused mostly on the US Army Air Forces OCS, or officer candidate school. Because the US Air Force wasn't an independent service until after the war, the USAAF was technically a detachment of the regular US Army and operated planes. The film starts by showing a Boeing b-17 heavy bomber returning from a mission, and the person responsible for navigating the plane has made a serious navigational error. Because the navigator couldn't do his job correctly, the entire aircraft and everyone on it are now in trouble. To prevent situations like this from happening, the government established an educational institution in Miami, Florida which specializes in training future officers for the US military. An officer, in military terms, is distinct from an ordinary soldier because officers operate in positions of authority. Junior ones (lieutenants and captains) are typically in harm's way more often and in the thick of the fighting wherever the troops they lead are located. Senior officers (majors, colonels and generals) are usually located far away from the battlefield and act as commanders for much larger formations, which can range from between 300 to 150k men. Obviously, everybody likes being promoted, but the higher the rank, the higher the amount of responsibility. The OCS in Florida was founded so that future officers can have a chance at leading their fellow men successfully, thereby allowing the soldiers to survive the war and allowing the officers to gain a solid understanding of good commanding abilities. OCS is not an easy school to participate in. Out of every 1000 recruits, 977 are turned down due to not being serious, strong, or level-headed enough. OCS is definitely not for people who cannot handle stress, as the ability to command successfully while under pressure is the hallmark of truly great officers. For those strong enough to persevere, they will find that attending OCS is its own reward. The film shows how ordinary people from all across america enlist for instruction, and even some ww1 veterans are there, despite being around 50 by this point. Strangely, OCS is structured much like a typical college, and future officers attend classes such as physics and botany, but other classes are focused on military subjects. The recruits also undergo a huge amount of discipline, so much so that it seems horrible to even think about. In one instance, they're shown standing outside on a boiling hot day to watch a military parade. All the men must stand at attention with perfect posture for an entire 30 minutes. You're allowed to move your eyeballs, but that is it. The men in the front (already graduated officers) have to stand for 3 times as long. One of the men passes out from the extreme heat and even though they're curious, nobody around him dares to step out of line. It sounds like a nightmare. Not only this, but Gable says how soldiers who fall asleep on guard duty outside the school are executed, which is surprisingly harsh for the United States. In a way though, it makes sense because falling asleep while guarding an important government building doesn't sound like the best idea. Eventually, General Henry Arnold pays a visit to the men who are about to graduate and be commissioned as second lieutenants (first officer rank) in the US armed forces. Arnold, who was taught to fly by the Wright Brothers, commanded the USAAF during the war and is the only american general ever to hold a 5 star rank in two different branches of the military. After his speech, the 3 month long stay at OCS is over, and the men are no longer recruits. While this film is pretty average, and there are hundreds of ww2 things just like it, I thought it was cool because it shows how difficult it is to become an officer in the armed forces. Because you get to boss other people around, the government has to be very careful that they choose the right men for this job. Only people with extremely solid resumes and experience make it to general. This film shows how nothing in life is really easy, but you can accomplish almost anything you set your mind to. Completing OCS training is well worth the practice it takes.
2 Reviews
Great roster of officer candidates in this film
SimonJack30 April 2016
"Wings Up" is a short wartime recruiting and information film about the Officer Candidate School of the U.S. Army Air Forces. Capt. Clark Gable made the film. He received his commission after attending and graduating from the school himself. The film has a well-written script and shows the typical things one would see in films about training in any of the Armed Forces.
But the script here emphasizes that this school for training leaders goes much further. Of every 1,000 men who are in the service, only 23 will qualify to enter OCS. The school then was located at Miami, FL. The U.S. Air Force Officer Training School today is located at Maxwell Air Force Base near Montgomery, AL.
Gable produced and narrates the film with some snappy and witty dialog in places. What sets this apart from any other military training film I've seen, is its presentation of the variety of officer candidates. The film does much to emphasize that men came from all walks of life, and with varied backgrounds, to serve and become leaders in the Army Air Forces.
It is worth itemizing the diversity as Gable narrates and the camera shows these individuals. Gable begins, "A lot of strange fellows here. No author could invent their past experiences. Let's look at some of them.
"The man on the left is the national intercollegiate high jump champion. On the right – he served with the American volunteer group in China under Gen. Chennault.
"This is Elmer E. Meadows, once world champion pole vaulter. He won the Olympic title in 1936 – in Berlin. The man on the left was taken off Corregidor. The other one is a symphony conductor.
"D.R. Doano, fifth cousin of Pres. Franklin Delano Roosevelt. On the left, a trapeze artist in Ringling Brothers Circus. On the right, the mayor of Glen Cove, Long Island.
"He's a former Austrian attorney. He spent quite a while in a German concentration camp. Never mind how he got out. He's an American citizen now.
"A gunner with the Royal Air Force. Next to him, a Broadway playwright. Gilbert Roland of the motion pictures. He used to have a mustache. I know how you feel, mister.
"Both these men won the order of the Purple Heart. One got his for Pearl Harbor. The other for the Battle of Verdun. This is Robert Present of the motion pictures. Left – came from Burma – member of the Flying Tigers. Right – catcher for the Detroit Tigers." "He was cited for bravery at Pearl Harbor – saved a tanker. Left – first bombardier ever to touch Midway, Wake and Guam. Right, the AAU light heavyweight champ.
"A lieutenant in the French Army, World War I. Survived the Battle of Dunkirk. Left – All American football player and member of the Green bay Packers. On the right is a baritone in the Philadelphia Opera Company.
"William H. Jordan, bombardier in the Battle of Midway. The fellow with glasses is an ecologist. He worked for the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture the last 14 years. He's done research on the sugar beet leafhopper. He knows more about the sugar beet leafhopper than anyone else in the whole world.
After this roster and some other scenes, the film concludes with men at religious services. Gable says, "There are Protestant, Catholic and Jewish services. They're obligatory in the first six weeks. Yet the attendance the second six weeks is surprisingly high. It seems a man's moral values become clearer to him in the Armed Forces. It was Gen. MacArthur who said at Bataan, 'There are no atheists in foxholes.'" This is one the best military-produced films about training or wartime service that I have seen. Leave it to Hollywood and great stars like Clark Gable to devise a zinger of a plot to make it interesting and appealing. It's a good film for any wartime film library.
But the script here emphasizes that this school for training leaders goes much further. Of every 1,000 men who are in the service, only 23 will qualify to enter OCS. The school then was located at Miami, FL. The U.S. Air Force Officer Training School today is located at Maxwell Air Force Base near Montgomery, AL.
Gable produced and narrates the film with some snappy and witty dialog in places. What sets this apart from any other military training film I've seen, is its presentation of the variety of officer candidates. The film does much to emphasize that men came from all walks of life, and with varied backgrounds, to serve and become leaders in the Army Air Forces.
It is worth itemizing the diversity as Gable narrates and the camera shows these individuals. Gable begins, "A lot of strange fellows here. No author could invent their past experiences. Let's look at some of them.
"The man on the left is the national intercollegiate high jump champion. On the right – he served with the American volunteer group in China under Gen. Chennault.
"This is Elmer E. Meadows, once world champion pole vaulter. He won the Olympic title in 1936 – in Berlin. The man on the left was taken off Corregidor. The other one is a symphony conductor.
"D.R. Doano, fifth cousin of Pres. Franklin Delano Roosevelt. On the left, a trapeze artist in Ringling Brothers Circus. On the right, the mayor of Glen Cove, Long Island.
"He's a former Austrian attorney. He spent quite a while in a German concentration camp. Never mind how he got out. He's an American citizen now.
"A gunner with the Royal Air Force. Next to him, a Broadway playwright. Gilbert Roland of the motion pictures. He used to have a mustache. I know how you feel, mister.
"Both these men won the order of the Purple Heart. One got his for Pearl Harbor. The other for the Battle of Verdun. This is Robert Present of the motion pictures. Left – came from Burma – member of the Flying Tigers. Right – catcher for the Detroit Tigers." "He was cited for bravery at Pearl Harbor – saved a tanker. Left – first bombardier ever to touch Midway, Wake and Guam. Right, the AAU light heavyweight champ.
"A lieutenant in the French Army, World War I. Survived the Battle of Dunkirk. Left – All American football player and member of the Green bay Packers. On the right is a baritone in the Philadelphia Opera Company.
"William H. Jordan, bombardier in the Battle of Midway. The fellow with glasses is an ecologist. He worked for the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture the last 14 years. He's done research on the sugar beet leafhopper. He knows more about the sugar beet leafhopper than anyone else in the whole world.
After this roster and some other scenes, the film concludes with men at religious services. Gable says, "There are Protestant, Catholic and Jewish services. They're obligatory in the first six weeks. Yet the attendance the second six weeks is surprisingly high. It seems a man's moral values become clearer to him in the Armed Forces. It was Gen. MacArthur who said at Bataan, 'There are no atheists in foxholes.'" This is one the best military-produced films about training or wartime service that I have seen. Leave it to Hollywood and great stars like Clark Gable to devise a zinger of a plot to make it interesting and appealing. It's a good film for any wartime film library.
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