With some minor plot revisions, "Chain Lightning" would just about qualify as a remake of Humphrey Bogart's 1936 film, "China Clipper". In both stories, Bogey's character is a former military pilot who takes on a civilian job as a test pilot for demanding bosses. Raymond Massey portrays the owner of the Willis Aircraft Company, a role performed in the earlier film by Pat O'Brien. Both men are hard driving, ruthless individuals who put work and success above having a personal life, whose ambition test the people around them, including the Bogey character. The minor difference might be in the romantic interest for Bogart; in 'Clipper' there was none, here he's on again, off again with Jo Holloway (Eleanor Parker) in a romance that tests one's patience throughout the film.
I don't know when the device was first used, but in this movie, the opening scene serves as the introduction to a flashback narrative that winds up back at the same point later in the film. The bookends are fairly successful in delivering a complete story, but left this viewer wondering how much of it was based in fact. A reference was made to breaking the sound barrier by Chuck Yeager's earlier 1946 flight, and it seems that the story builds on technological advances in the history of military flight building up to the invention of the ejector pod. Bogey's conflicted character is in it for the money right up to the point he hears his buddy's voice recorder message detailing how he lost his life in a failed test of a 'JA-4' experimental craft. Will he or won't he? If it means hurtling back to Earth to be with his one true love Jo, all systems say go.
I must say, I was a bit dismayed by Colonel Matt Brennan's (Bogart) post war job prospects. He's shown running his own flight school and charging customers three dollars an hour for the privilege. When a novice crash lands his only plane, it's time to look for more meaningful possibilities. What he's offered at Massey's company turns out to be seven hundred fifty dollars per MONTH! The good old days swung both ways.
Humphrey Bogart and Raymond Massey worked together once before in the 1943 war adventure "Action in the North Atlantic". Interestingly, Bogey was top billed in both films, while Massey's character was his boss in both. Sometimes things just work out that way.
As mentioned earlier, the film doesn't elaborate on events portrayed when it comes to accuracy. Obviously the ejector pod was someone's good idea at some point in time, but the way it's presented here would have meant more in a historical context. Even so, this viewer was kept interested enough by events in the film, even if the romantic angle between the principals seemed forced. Perhaps the film makers couldn't decide between Bogey landing his girl the easy way or the hard way.
I don't know when the device was first used, but in this movie, the opening scene serves as the introduction to a flashback narrative that winds up back at the same point later in the film. The bookends are fairly successful in delivering a complete story, but left this viewer wondering how much of it was based in fact. A reference was made to breaking the sound barrier by Chuck Yeager's earlier 1946 flight, and it seems that the story builds on technological advances in the history of military flight building up to the invention of the ejector pod. Bogey's conflicted character is in it for the money right up to the point he hears his buddy's voice recorder message detailing how he lost his life in a failed test of a 'JA-4' experimental craft. Will he or won't he? If it means hurtling back to Earth to be with his one true love Jo, all systems say go.
I must say, I was a bit dismayed by Colonel Matt Brennan's (Bogart) post war job prospects. He's shown running his own flight school and charging customers three dollars an hour for the privilege. When a novice crash lands his only plane, it's time to look for more meaningful possibilities. What he's offered at Massey's company turns out to be seven hundred fifty dollars per MONTH! The good old days swung both ways.
Humphrey Bogart and Raymond Massey worked together once before in the 1943 war adventure "Action in the North Atlantic". Interestingly, Bogey was top billed in both films, while Massey's character was his boss in both. Sometimes things just work out that way.
As mentioned earlier, the film doesn't elaborate on events portrayed when it comes to accuracy. Obviously the ejector pod was someone's good idea at some point in time, but the way it's presented here would have meant more in a historical context. Even so, this viewer was kept interested enough by events in the film, even if the romantic angle between the principals seemed forced. Perhaps the film makers couldn't decide between Bogey landing his girl the easy way or the hard way.