Gallant Journey * (1946, Glenn Ford, Janet Blair, Charles Ruggles, Henry Travers, Arthur Shields, Selena Royle) Classic Movie Review 13,224

William A Wellman’s 1946 historical biopic film Gallant Journey stars Glenn Ford as aviation pioneer John J Montgomery, the first American to fly a glider in 1883.

Director William A Wellman’s 1946 Columbia Pictures American historical biopic film Gallant Journey stars Glenn Ford, Janet Blair, Charles Ruggles, Henry Travers, Arthur Shields, and Selena Royle.

Gallant Journey is a well-meaning but rather sloppy and dull biography of the early US aviation pioneer John Joseph Montgomery, the first man to fly in a glider in 1883, and his fall from the air when he loses control because of vertigo. It details his work from childhood till his death in 1911 to build and fly gliders.

Glenn Ford is bland as the hero and Janet Blair is blander as the love of his life.

Co-writer/ producer/ director William A Wellman works competently with great professional skill but finds it hard to show why this is a pet subject for him, though the aerial sequences of gliders and gas balloons are the best of it.

The chief stunt pilot is Paul Mantz.

Eleven gliders reproducing Montgomery’s original three gliders were built for the film and a series of model gliders was also created.

It is also known as The Great Highway.

It premiered in San Diego, California, on 4 September 1946 and was released in the US on 24 September 1946.

Wellman’s obsession with flying also spawned the Best Picture Oscar winning Wings (1927), Young Eagles (1930), Central Airport (1933), Men with Wings (1938) and Thunder Birds (1942).

Gallant Journey is directed by William A Wellman, runs 85 minutes, is made and released by Columbia Pictures, is written by William A Wellman and Byron Morgan, is shot in black and white by Burnett Guffey, George B Meehan, Jr and Elmer Dyer, is produced by William A Wellman, and is scored by Marlin Skiles.

The cast are Glenn Ford as John J Montgomery, Janet Blair as Ginny Cleary, Charlie Ruggles as Jim Montgomery, Henry Travers as Thomas Logan, Jimmy Lloyd as Dan Mahoney / Professor LaSalle, Charles Kemper as Father ‘Dickie Ball’, Arthur Shields as Father Kenton, Willard Robertson as Zachary Montgomery, Selena Royle as Mrs Zachary Montgomery, Robert De Haven as Jim Logan as a boy, and Eula Morgan as Mrs Logan.

© Derek Winnert 2024 – Classic Movie Review 13,224

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