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The Man in the Sky

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7.2/10 • 7

1957-01-241h 27m

Drama

Dare-devil test pilot takes you on a nerve-tingling adventure!

The efforts of test pilot John Mitchell to make a better life for his wife Mary and their two children seem doomed to failure and he blames himself. At the Conway Aero-Manufacturing Company of Wolverhampton, Mitchell is to take the company's new rocket-propulsion transport plane up for tests, fully loaded and carrying two important passengers - Ministry official Crabtree and buyer's representative Ashmore. Mitchell learns from his boss, Reg Conway, that if Ashmore does not recommend the plane, the company will be out of business and Mitchell out of a job, since the plane is not even insured as the firm's entire capital is tied up in the plane. Aloft, an engine catches fire and the passengers and other crew bail out, but Mitchell refuses to obey orders to jettison the plane in the Irish Sea.

Directors
Charles Crichton
Editors
Peter Tanner

Top Billed Cast

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  1. Jack Hawkins

    Jack Hawkins

    John Mitchell

  2. Elizabeth Sellars

    Elizabeth Sellars

    Mary Mitchell

  3. Walter Fitzgerald

    Walter Fitzgerald

    Reginald Conway

  4. Eddie Byrne

    Eddie Byrne

    Ashmore

  5. John Stratton

    John Stratton

    Peter Hook

  6. Victor Maddern

    Victor Maddern

    Joe Biggs

  7. Lionel Jeffries

    Lionel Jeffries

    Keith

  8. Donald Pleasence

    Donald Pleasence

    Crabtree

  9. Catherine Lacey

    Catherine Lacey

    Mary's mother

Reviews1

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Eskyman Avatar

Eskyman

Mar 10, 2022

10/10

What an absolute ripper of a film! I wasn't expecting it to be so very tense; the title character, the Man in the Sky, played wonderfully well by Jack Hawkins, is a test pilot with much on his mind. He seems to feel that he's reached the end of the line, that he has nowhere to go, because the company he works for is one month away from bankruptcy and soon he'll be out of a job with nothing to fall back on. His wife is disappointed, she wants a home of her own badly to bring up their two sons, but it looks like that too won't happen because her test pilot husband can't bring himself to finance the house they both want, since he knows he may soon be in financial straits. The only hope they have is that the plane he's testing is purchased, which will save the company. In this last flight, the plane (a cargo plane) is fully loaded, with the prospective buyer aboard as well as a complete crew. Everything is going well until the port engine starts on fire! All the others on board the plane bail out, leaving only our test pilot; he's subjected to the strain of deciding whether to bail out himself, as the company owner & everyone else is telling him to do, or to try to land the plane. The fire has left the plane with only one engine & has damaged the operation of the wings, so attempting to land may well be fatal. At risk is his life, the company & all its employees, his marriage, and his future; what a decision to have to make! I just loved the character development in this film, the acting was superb, and the actual aircraft was incredible too. This movie has very little action, but a lot of tension, and I thoroughly enjoyed it! 5 stars is my rating!

Media

  • The Man in the Sky backdrop
  • The Man in the Sky backdrop
  • The Man in the Sky backdrop

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Status
Released
Original Language
English
Budget
--
Revenue
--
Keywords
aviationtest pilot