Wild in the Sky
Wild in the Sky | |
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Directed by | William T. Naud |
Written by | Dick Gautier Peter Marshall William T. Naud (story) |
Screenplay by | William T. Naud |
Produced by | Ralph Andrews Dick Gautier William T. Naud |
Starring | Georg Stanford Brown Brandon deWilde Keenan Wynn Tim O'Connor Dick Gautier |
Cinematography | Thomas E. Spalding |
Edited by | Michael Kahn William T. Naud |
Music by | Jerry Styner |
Production company | Bald Eagle Productions |
Distributed by | American International Pictures |
Release dates |
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Running time | 87 minutes |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Wild in the Skyis a 1972 Americanaction comedy filmdirected byWilliam T. Naudand starringGeorg Stanford Brown,Brandon deWilde(in his final film role),Keenan Wynn,Tim O'Connor,andDick Gautier.The film was released asBlack Jackin New York in December 1973. The film was released byAmerican International Picturesin March 1972.[1][2][3]
The film is a comedy set during theVietnam War.Three boys are sentenced to prison for usingcannabis,by a judge who views them asHippies.The bus transporting them to prison falls down acanyon,and the surviving prisoners find themselves in anAir Forcebase with troops waiting for transport toVietnam.The prisoners attempt to blend in with the troops, but unwittingly board aBoeing B-52 Stratofortress.They attempt tohijackthe aircraft, causing most of the crew to parachute out. By the end of the film, the bomber wanders aimlessly over the United States.
Plot
[edit]Three draft age boys are caught with marijuana during theVietnam Warera. The judge hates "Hippies"so sentences them to prison. The driver of the bus taking them to prison must go to the bathroom, so he stops at a remote and poorly maintained wayside to use its outhouse. The outhouse floor is rotted and the driver plunges through and is killed by the fall.
The driver hadn't set the parking brake on the prison bus, so the bus rolls down the highway and falls into and down a canyon with the three boys chained on board. They survive, and after some minor trouble free themselves from the wrecked bus. They then find their driver, dead. They realize that the bus fell into anAir Forcebase where troops are gathering for transport to thewar overseas.They plot to steal uniforms, board a troop transport plane, and get off in the Philippines – figuring that since they are not on any passenger list they will make a clean get-away.
The three boys know nothing about air force planes and board aB 52 bomberinstead of a troop passenger plane. The bomber crew quickly realize that the three new guys know nothing about working on a bomber crew. Having been found out, the three boys take over the bomber, planning to take thehijackedbomber to Cuba. When they find out that the B52 is carrying anatomic bomb,they realize that the United States will destroy the aircraft rather than let them escape to Cuba with anuclear weapon,and give up that plan.
All the bomber crew except the pilot decide to escape and parachute out, abandoning the plane. The film ends with a view of the bomber flying aimlessly over the United States.
Cast
[edit]- Georg Stanford Brownas Lynch
- Brandon deWildeas Josh
- Keenan Wynnas Gen. Harry Gobohare
- Tim O'Connoras Sen. Bob Recker
- Dick Gautieras Diver (as Richard Gautier)
- Robert Lansingas Major Reason
- James Dalyas The President
- Michael Fox
- Larry Hovisas Capt. Breen
- Bernie Kopellas Penrat
- Karl Lucas
- Emby Mellay
- Chet Stratton
- Dub Tayloras Officer Roddenberry
- Joe Turkelas Corazza
- Phil Vandervort as Woody
References
[edit]- ^"Black Jack".afi.com.Retrieved5 May2018.
- ^"Wild in the Sky".AllMovie.Retrieved5 May2018.
- ^"Wild in the Sky".TCM.com.Retrieved5 May2018.
External links
[edit]- 1972 films
- 1972 action comedy films
- American action comedy films
- American International Pictures films
- 1970s English-language films
- 1970s American films
- English-language action comedy films
- American films about cannabis
- Vietnam War aviation films
- Films about the United States Air Force
- Films about aircraft hijackings