James Cagney is most known for his tough guy roles in the 1930s and 40s. Warner Archive released two of those early film noirs Each Dawn I Die and Angels with Dirty Faces.
In 1942 he starred as a tough guy in an action war picture entitled Captains of the Clouds. Now the good folks at Warner Archive have given this film a Blu-ray release with many bonus features.
Brian McLean (James Cagney) is a short tempered bush-pilot in Canada. After listening to Churchill's famous Dunkirk "Blood, Sweat and tears" radio address he and fellow pilots decide to join the RCAF. Brian married the former girlfriend of his now superior officer. Due to this and the fact, that McLean doesn't like to obey he continually gets in trouble.
Captains of the Clouds was one of the first films to hit theaters after America entered World War II. And while in this day and age war films are propaganda films, in the 1940s they were patriotic.
The story is exciting but can be a bit slow at times. This is probably from the length of the film. At a run time of 1 hour and 53 minutes this helps to slow up the action. But James Cagney is his usual charismatic self! You can not take your eye off him! when he is one screen. The visuals of the plane flight sequences are stunning to say the least.
The story is exciting but can be a bit slow at times. This is probably from the length of the film. At a run time of 1 hour and 53 minutes this helps to slow up the action. But James Cagney is his usual charismatic self! You can not take your eye off him! when he is one screen. The visuals of the plane flight sequences are stunning to say the least.
Michael Curtiz brings his expertise of film direction to this film. He is most notably the director of such classics as Casablanca, Angels with Dirty Faces, Mildred Pierce, The Adventures of Robin Hood, Captain Blood and Yankee Doodle Dandy. So his has the directing pedigree.
The film has been transferred in 1080p in it's original 1.37:1 aspect ratio. The audio is a DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. There is also English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing. The picture quality of this transfer is gorgeous. The transfer is crisp with no signs of damage to this print. The colors are so vibrant, it's like candy for your eyes.
A stunning looking transfer of this film is not where it ends for this Blu-ray, not by a longshot. Warner Archive has loaded some great bonus features on this Blu-ray disc. Take a look at what is included.
* 1942 Newsreel: In this newsreel James Cagney reads a message from Treasury Secretary Henry Morgenthau as an attempt to sell war bonds.
* Rocky Mountain Big Game: A hunting trip through the Rocky Mountains for shots.... camera shots that is.
* What's Cooking Doc? (1944) James Cagney wins an Oscar Bugs enraged shows clips of his films Hiawatha's Rabbit Hunt and demands a recount!
* Hold that Lion, Please (1942) The whole Animal Kingdom is making fun of the lion, so he decides to prove all of them wrong by catching a rabbit.
* Theatrical Trailer
Watch The Trailer Below:
So if you are a fan of James Cagney while Captains of the Clouds may not be his greatest film it is still an good watch. And this new Blu-ray from Warner Archive is one great way to experience this classic. Head over to Amazon and order your copy today
Out of 4 Film Reels (4 Being the Best) Warner Archive Blu-ray of Captains of the Clouds receives...
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