Synopsis
Reviews (135)
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A
Going by its premise, I sort of expected Island in the Sky to be more of an expansive adventure drama whose focus is on John Wayne and his crew finding their way to safety following their crash. Instead, this is a more limited movie that splits its time between Wayne’s group and the people searching for them, which is a shame since I would’ve liked it more if it was something like The Flight of the Phoenix. Despite that, this is still a solid drama that features good performances, a nicely done snowy setting, and some great aerial footage that combine to make Island in the Sky a more subdued star vehicle from John Wayne.
13 -
M
John Wayne starrer Island in the Sky, ostensibly a disaster film, doesn’t have a lot of what has come to be associated with the genre, since it plays more like the granddaddy of the type. There’s no all-star ensemble cast getting picked off one-by-one, and there’s not even a visceral opening disaster. Instead, it’s a quieter effort, as a WWII-era transport plane sets down relatively gently in a great, icy, uncharted wilderness in Quebec. After that, it’s a whole lot of repetition as the crewmen on the ground encounter frozen conditions without food, and the men in the air search a huge swath of land. Occasionally, a storm will blow in, or a man gets lost in a blizzard, but…
19 3 -
A
There are actors that could do anything, any genre, any role, and be convincing in each. Others were more suited to specific genres, despite possibly having success outside of their comfort zone? According to John Wayne’s biographer he starred in 142 films, of which 95 of them were Westerns, and clearly Duke knew what suited him best. Of the other 47, we have a selection of war films, the odd romance, a few crime films, and some hybrids that could be classed as comedies, dramas, or adventure films, which is where William A. Wellman’s Island in the Sky probably fits into his filmography? My second Wellman of the year so far, following Lady of Burlesque, this one could have done…
36 3 -
G
From Paramount comes a suspense vehicle for John Wayne this features some great third act work from the Duke.
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P
Might me John Wayne’s face on the poster, but Island in the Sky (1953) was definitely a group effort of well known veteran faces from all areas of Hollywood, from former Our Gang favorite Carl ‘Alfalfa’ Switzer to poverty row cowboy hero Bob Steele, who’s father directed Wayne’s films when he was rock bottom in his career, to comedian Jimmy Lydon, beloved Andy Devine, smart mouth Lloyd Nolan, and so on. A very familiar cast in a unfamiliar premise, of high in the air as several groups go searching for a missing plane in cold mountain landscape. While they tell a fairly simple story, the chemistry of the group makes it such a likable freezing rescue.
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R
Island in the Sky adheres to a conventional survival narrative; however, its execution and commitment to realism are remarkably effective. While the film appears far more understated by contemporary standards, John Wayne’s performance, which prioritizes dramatic nuance over his traditional Western persona, remains one of the most compelling portrayals of his career.
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A
When the planes go by and John Wayne looks like he’s holding back tears… To quote John Ford, “I never knew the big son of a bitch could act”.
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D
A largely enjoyable film with a finale that annoys the shit out of me. Set just after the war with John Wayne at the helm of a freight aircraft that has to crash land in the frozen Canadian wastes. With temperatures that plunge sub zero at night Wayne and his crew have to fight to stay alive until help comes. It’s lovely and atmospheric in that chilly frozen way that films like The Thing from Another World and Day of the Outlaw are, the crisp black and white photography making that iciness all the more chilling and the outcome for the characters who are all fully fleshed out all the more perilous. There’s also some excellent aerial photography on show…
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C
2026 America, Fuck Yeah! Marathon! 2026 Macho Movie Mania Marathon 2026 Winter Wonderland Marathon 2026 First Time Watch Via MGM Plus Streaming 🛩️🏔️☁️👨✈️🏕️🥶🆘(7/10) ❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️ There is a great 80-minute thriller buried inside this 109-minute stark, bone-chilling survival story. It shines when focusing on the visceral struggle of the stranded crew and the technical challenges of the search, but it is frequently bogged down by sentimentality and redundant monologues. Moving away from his typical invincible hero persona, Wayne is remarkably vulnerable here as a captain trying to keep his crew alive in the frozen Arctic. It’s a very competent and watchable aviation procedural drama, but it lacks the consistent punch needed to be truly essential viewing beyond the John Wayne hardcore fan base.
10 -
S
Dooley Is Down ! Perennially underrated Hollywood pro William A. Wellman directed this basic, no-nonsense survival thriller cum aviation picture that’s one of the most underappreciated efforts from John Wayne’s golden period. Legendary tough guy ‘Wild Bill’ Wellman was a WWI fighter pilot before starting out on his long and varied movie career and naturally became something of a go-to guy for projects focusing on airplanes and pilots (his 1927 war movie Wings was the first ever Oscar winner for best picture). You can definitely feel his love for flying and the people who make a living of it throughout this movie, and all the technical stuff as well as the easygoing camaraderie between his skybound characters is nothing if…
44 2 -
P
During WWII, a military transport aircraft is forced to do an emergency landing somewhere in the uncharted northern Quebec wilderness. Without radio, and only a few resources, the crew must find a way to survive while their commanders scramble to find a way to locate and rescue them. Tense and exciting survival film (from an age when the term was not in vogue) where William Wellman succeeds in combining two of his big loves, airplanes and the great outdoors. Amazingly, the veteran director also manages to create an atmosphere of uncertainty where we actually doubt if our heroes make it to the end. For an ordinary John Wayne vehicle of the 50’s that’s an impressive feat. The back-and-forth between the…
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P
John Wayne stars as a civilian pilot working the for US Air Force whose plane gets lost in bad weather and running out of fuel, heads north towards the Canadian Arctic Circle, searching for somewhere safe to land. Having put the plane down safely it’s then a matter of surviving until they can be found. The film focuses as much on the searchers as it does on the lost men. Fellow pilots, the likes of Andy Devine, Lloyd Nolan and James Arness, rally to the call to find their compatriot, flying into what is literally unknown and uncharted territory with the location of the plane unknown, in a snowy wilderness where spotting the downed aircraft is almost impossible and with…
9 -
A
Muuy buenos visuales
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M
Just the despair on Duke’s face in the third after is worth the price of admission
1 -
M
Good cast, but story drags on. Somewhat predictable.
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R
Very good survival movie Whit a solid performance from the Duke. The localcation are beautiful,the ending Is a Little rushed
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F
Prime Wellman: not a film about a singular hero, no matter what the promotional material might suggest, but a film about an environment. The tiny details are sketched in so wonderfully, particularly in the case of Andy Devine’s character, from the way he arranges his cockpit to the way the character is introduced. One of those solid stories that is all about problem-solving, with periodic recalibrations when something doesn’t work. I’m also very happy to watch a John Wayne movie in which (a) his character is not elevated to an exaggerated state and (b) his only enemy, as specified in the narration, is the weather.
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J
Sturdy craft here.
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I
The overblown voiceover narration and some of the more dramatic scenes were a bit overplayed–much like Wayne’s face acting in the crash. However, as the movie progresses and stakes are raised, there is at least a good sense of tension and some fine shots of the brutal arctic wilderness.
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S
A John Wayne NON-WESTERN that is really quite good! Shades of “Flight of the Phoenix” as well as “Alive”. Set in the frozen tundra of Labrador, the part of Canada way northeast of Maine, a crew of air force men crash land and need a rescue before they all freeze to death or run out of food! Pretty intense with a great cast of character actors. Movie had never made it to my radar until I found a copy at…
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W
Good gravy this is dull. Some cool aerial photography for sure but the script is just guys shouting co-ordinates at each other waiting to be rescued. What a dull, dull movie.
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C
Hilarious
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P
Vu le Film Aventure dans le Grand Nord de William A.Wellman (1953) avec John Wayne Lloyd Nolan Walter Arbel James Arness Andy Devin James Lidon Wally Casell Gordon Jones Vers la fin des années 1950, l’histoire d’un groupe de pilotes (pour la plupart, vétérans de la Seconde Guerre mondiale) travaillant pour une petite compagnie aérienne spécialisée dans le transport de fret, dans le Grand Nord canadien. À la suite d’un incident technique, le pilote Dooley est contraint de poser en…
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S
The sight of Andy Devine, soaring majestically through the air above a pool in naught but a pair of Hindenburg sized swim trunks, is one that I will not soon forget. Wow, Arness is incredibly annoying. This was just too long, but fairly well done.
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H
Gutta er lost as
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C
2026 America, Fuck Yeah! Marathon! 2026 Macho Movie Mania Marathon 2026 Winter Wonderland Marathon 2026 First Time Watch Via MGM Plus Streaming 🛩️🏔️☁️👨✈️🏕️🥶🆘(7/10) ❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️ There is a great 80-minute thriller buried inside this 109-minute stark, bone-chilling survival story. It shines when focusing on the visceral struggle of the stranded crew and the technical challenges of the search, but it is frequently bogged down by sentimentality and redundant monologues. Moving away from his typical invincible hero persona, Wayne is remarkably vulnerable…
10 -
M
para a Tribuna O branco mudo da neve cobre a tela, naquele que é metade de um filme deliberadamente “monótono”. Uma aterragem de emergência em terras inexploradas do Labrador, no norte do Canadá, e cinco tripulantes civis do Corsair – um Douglas C-47 Skytrain de transporte de mercadorias ao serviço do exército – isolados de tudo, a centenas de quilómetros de um qualquer lugar conhecido. Island in the Sky constrói-se, então, em dois tempos. “Dooley is down”, e é toda…
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A
The ending is odd, they use flares in the last few minutes but not when the first round of planes fly over head? I did enjoy that it was focusing on the SAR team and how they worked to locate the crew, who mention food in the beginning and then never again. I suppose this is more about the men vs the cold.
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T
Pretty thrilling film with a great cast supporting John Wayne. My favorite is Andy Devine, the stagecoach drive in STAGECOACH, as one of the pilots and his introduction is him teaching kids to swim at a pool. Huge guy just bellyflopping into a pool, you love to see it.
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D
Plane-a-thon #123: Standard survival film. John Wayne made this a better film just with his John Wayne gravitas. My ranked list of Airplane Disaster Movies
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MMorgan 12 月 27, 2025
Not one of Wayne’s most remembered, but a solid survival tale, made just the way it should be. Wayne isn’t really even the lead, more the focus of this ensemble. Still, he shows some of those chops people always act like he never had. There’s a moment where the camera pans to the sky, and let me tell you, it’s what I live for.
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L
I liked when Wayne has a flash back about his sweetheart and she says oh frank this picture makes me look too “chinesey”
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B
John Wayne and his flight crew crash land about 600 miles north of the st Lawrence river, in butt blank nowhere Labrador. They have enough battery juice to let his buddies know that over the radio, and that they’re on a five mile long lake, but what they dont realize is there are lakes everywhere up there and it all looks the same. So his buddies have to find and rescue them before they freeze to death in the -70…
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J
Tehokas ja suoraviivainen katastrofi elokuva: onnettomuus, henkiijäämistaistelu ja pelastuminen. Siihen väleihin vähän riitaa, muistoja kotoa, itkuja ja alleviivattua ystävyyttä. Että ihan hyvä. Mutta suomalaisille ei mene läpi erämaan kylmät olosuhteet: jos pakkasta on muka 40 astetta niin puut olisivat valkoisina kuurasta. Ja puu mukamas ei pala, kun sen sisällä oleva mahla on jäätynyt. Hahhahhahhaaaa!
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I
Pretty suspenseful, and Wayne is good value.
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C
Pretty interesting and cool story of survival
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T
Aventures dans le grand nord Une célébration du courage et de la fraternité entre aviateurs, moins portée sur l’étude de caractère que Seuls les anges ont des ailes, et plus sur le suspense. Le récit, qui alterne entre le point de vue des rescapés d’un crash d’avion piégés dans la neige, et celui des secours à leur recherche, annonce la structure de nombreux films catastrophes des décennies suivantes. Wellman filme toujours aussi bien les avions et John Wayne joue parfaitement…
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F
Seen at Cinematheque Française cycle William A. Wellman Island in the Sky (1953) Intrigue. Island in the Sky raconte l’histoire d’un avion de transport de l’US Army Air Transport Command contraint d’atterrir dans le Grand Nord à la suite d’une panne moteur. Le capitaine Dooley (John Wayne) et son équipage se retrouvent prisonniers d’une immensité glacée, exposés au froid et à la faim. En parallèle, leurs collègues pilotes déclenchent une vaste opération de recherche, volant au-dessus des étendues enneigées pour…
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DDumboRoiDuMonde 9 月 17, 2025
Sa mère la copie.
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C
On peut se demander si l’inclination de William A. Wellman pour l’aviation, sa considération d’égal à égal avec les pilotes, n’affaiblit pas en partie ses films dédiés aux exploits et déconvenues aériennes (exception faite des Ailes, qui reste un chef-d’œuvre), qui pêchent un peu par générosité. Aventures dans le grand Nord se sépare ainsi en deux récits parallèles – la survie d’un groupe échoué en territoire inconnu et enneigé, et les recherches de pilotes chargés de les retrouver -, le…
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A
One of the most human characters that I have ever seen from John Wayne. I say it because Wayne expressed an emotional range that was rare for such a man who created such a cowboy macho man persona. A solid story that starts slow but the intensity picks up along the way.
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S
I enjoy Wayne being a cowboy far more than anything else he may play but then again, im missing about 4 more films with him as a pilot; but this really isnt bad at all. Its actually a great display of the ‘wilderness and harsh conditions’ of Labrador, Canada. As a canadian, it aint even that bad where they landed but its kind of funny watching them struggle, especially the hallucination scene. Theres alot of great shots of the snow,…
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N
The Good: all the airplane footage and there was some genuinely good cinematography; the plane crash scene was really well-executed, with a great score, good sound design, and editing The Bad: the tone of this film is so unbalanced… Dooley and crew are playing it so seriously and gravely, but the band of rescue pilots are on a light-hearted journey; everything with the rescue pilots is outrageous; the performances are bad and frozen stiff; the way they could only write…
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M
This is a survival film starring Wayne as the pilot forced to land in the far North. Interesting and mostly entertaining. I feel like I have seen this plot in different ways many times before. Decent airplane shots and special effects for a 1950’s film in black and white.
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G
Fine for an old survival tale. Different from a lot of other John Wayne films. This is the first time, perhaps, that I’ve seen him play desperate or regretful, but he’s still got that grit, determination and stoicism that are an integral part of him and his characters. He is surrounded by several major characters in the four he’s stranded with in the middle of a frozen Canadian nowhere, and several of his pilot buddies who are valiantly searching for…
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J
Simplistic but strong drama. Wayne is great as the stranded crews captain but its a really great effort from the whole cast.
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ℭ
A very underrated and incredibly shot little survival thriller. It’s very simple in its plot. The crew of a cargo plane gets stranded in the far north and we watch them struggle to survive while we also watch other pilots try to find them. But there are a lot of little moments that really make this movie. A lot of internal moments that serve no purpose other than to bring us closer to all of these men fighting for survival…
5 -
C
My boys were straight cranking it out there.
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CChristopher Malcolm 6 月 14, 2025
Stuart
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R
邦題”男の叫び”。 吹雪の中、遭難した乗員が実は機体のすぐそこだった無情さ。子供を殴ったことはあるかと部下たちを脅して自責の念に駆られるウェイン。
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P
John Wayne plays pilot Captain Dooley, downed with his crew in the frozen wastelands of the Northern latitudes of Canada and trying to survive in the hopes his airborne compatriots find the needle in the haystack and rescue them. I’ve rarely seen Wayne play a character who has to express genuine fear and worry – and I’m not sure if this is a case of him not being able to do it, or me so unused to seeing him try…
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M
Fuck me this was boring.
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2
B&W set in cold Labrador Canada winter… both add to the isolation & despair in this search & rescue venture. John Wayne leads his survivors making due on the wintery forested landscape, as a slew of prominent pilot friends rush to locate & rescue. Fine mid-20th century drama, with legit stakes at hand.
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J
Director William A. Wellman hits the ball out of the park with “Island in the Sky”. He delivers a great looking movie that is filled with tension and has a lot of heart. Wellman also gets great performances out of his entire cast. John Wayne gives a terrific performance. It’s Oscar caliber stuff. In fact, everything about this movie is Oscar caliber stuff. “Island in the Sky” lands in John Wayne’s Top 5.
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P
Might me John Wayne’s face on the poster, but Island in the Sky (1953) was definitely a group effort of well known veteran faces from all areas of Hollywood, from former Our Gang favorite Carl ‘Alfalfa’ Switzer to poverty row cowboy hero Bob Steele, who’s father directed Wayne’s films when he was rock bottom in his career, to comedian Jimmy Lydon, beloved Andy Devine, smart mouth Lloyd Nolan, and so on. A very familiar cast in a unfamiliar premise, of…
10 -
T
Magnificent adaptation of Ernest Gann’s novel about the search for a missing supply plane in the frozen north. John Wayne leads a seasoned cast as the pilot whose plane goes down and must keep his men on point as the cold season and hampers their survival . Great actors lead the rescue planes with Andy Devine and Lloyd Nolan playing determined allies .
1 -
D
Not to be confused with an Alan Parsons Project song with a somewhat similar title.
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S
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C
Island in the Sky is one of the earliest entries in the surprisingly fruitful “plane crash in the snow” subgenre, but it never quite takes off. John Wayne, always a commanding presence, feels oddly out of place here—less a desperate pilot fighting for survival than a cowboy who’s wandered into the Arctic by mistake. His performance leans on familiar Western mannerisms, missing an opportunity to dig deeper into the psychological toll of isolation and dwindling hope.
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J
I wanted to like this movie way more than I did. I love an arctic survival story and I thought that’s what I would be getting. Unfortunately it was extremely lite on any sort of cold weather survival content. Wayne does an above average job in the acting department on this compared to his usual performances, but it’s ultimately not really about him because he’s not in it all that much. It’s actually a movie more about the group of…
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J
Long withheld from public view by the John Wayne estate, this film made a most welcome return to TV and DVD several years ago. I’m glad I finally caught up with it for a number of reasons. It’s a gripping survival yarn, based on true events from author Ernest K. Gann’s stint as a civilian pilot during WWII. John Wayne and his crew lose their bearings over an uncharted stretch of Canada, survive a forced landing and struggle to survive…
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F
Notable película de aventuras y supervivencia al estilo Howard Hawks. No es que la película la dirija Hawks, pero, se nota la influencia, en esta historia de una tripulación cuyo avión se estrella en el ártico, mientras intentan sobrevivir, sus compañeros intentarán rescatarlos, construyendo la aventura y épica de camaradería entre hombres con un trabajo peligroso, dejándose ver las historias de amor que tienen algunos, esas historias de amor entre hombres que tanto le gustaban a Hawks y John Ford. John Wayne siempre magnífico, como el resto del reparto. Hora y cuarenta minutos que se pasan volando. 🇮🇱 🇺🇦
1 -
L
John Wayne in a disaster movie. In the collection
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D
A largely enjoyable film with a finale that annoys the shit out of me. Set just after the war with John Wayne at the helm of a freight aircraft that has to crash land in the frozen Canadian wastes. With temperatures that plunge sub zero at night Wayne and his crew have to fight to stay alive until help comes. It’s lovely and atmospheric in that chilly frozen way that films like The Thing from Another World and Day of…
16 -
Ooau 1 月 29, 2025
Love some of the shots in this. All black and white films should feature a snowstorm. (brought me back to the Grey’s plane crash episode, obv) Now please, somebody, get John Wayne a hat that covers his ears!
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K
I’m a sucker for a good plane movie so this checked a lot of boxes. At times it works in a medley of vibes – from earnestness, goofiness and then streaks of suspense. One may think that wouldn’t work well… But overall it comes together fairly well, it’s strongest moments coming in the final half when the recovery mission (putting the unique personalities at proper display) is in full swing. I feel it could have benefited by 5-10 extra minutes right at the end… But it’s still good.
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E
Althought the ending felt some what premature, it finished with me on the edge of my seat. I would have liked to see their reintroduction to society, and how their experiences impacted their psyches. I will admit the package drop made me tear up, the feeling of relief that washed over me was amazing.
1 -
S
Good movie. All around good performances. Good plot, a bit slow at some points but still a movie that kept me watching
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S
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J
웰먼에게 있어 죽음이란 바로 무(無)의 상태로 화하는 것이다. 그렇기에 그는 동시기 다른 이들이 찾지 않았던 지형을 찾게 되는데 바로 설산 혹은 북극과 같은 빙하의 장소이다. 영화사에서 스크린의 무를 위해 다른 이들이 찾던 바다와 호수와 같은 물가가 물의 파장으로서 스크린의 입자를 새기며 사막의 경우 아무 것도 존재하지 않기에 반대로 감독들이 스크린 위를 도화지에 그림 그리듯이 미학적 극한을 보여줄 수 있었던 것과 달리, 웰먼이 가져오는 스크린은 허무라고 할 수 있을 정도로 아무 의미를 가지고 있지 않다. 이 때 생존이란 어떻게든 무의 상태로…
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H
A good Wayne performance with what could’ve been a somewhat good survival film but falls short.
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W
John Wayne and his crew of familiar faces come together in this very exciting survival film! Men vs nature, you feel the tension as their peers search the uncharted terrain for the lost pilots. Time is running out, and the temperature is dropping! Really wonderful performances from everyone involved, I think this has to be the most serious I’ve ever seen Andy Devine as well!
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TTyler 9 月 29, 2024
This amount of male camaraderie DISGUSTS me, due to JEALOUSLY. Nothing about this film’s marketing makes sense. The original poster is scary and confounding, regardless of whether you have or haven’t seen the film. The title makes it sound like it’s either a fantasy or about flying, when it’s really more of a survival movie. And the tagline is, ‘He fought every fury of man and mountain to get where his woman was!’ It’s not even revealed that he has a wife until the last 30 seconds of the movie.
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L
Apparently Wellman isn’t gonna join the extremely exclusive club of directors who managed to make a great movie with someone as boring as John Wayne in the lead (for the record, those are Ford, Hawks and Walsh). He sure tried his best though and managed to conjure up at least a couple of fun moments.
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C
Although the film has long been forgotten, Island in the Sky should be remembered simply because it contains one of John Wayne’s most memorable performances. The ‘Duke’ can be seen in it as pilot Dooley, who goes off course with a transport plane in a kind of ice storm and has to make an emergency landing with his crew somewhere in the Canadian pampas, which after the Second World War had not even been mapped yet. His former army colleagues…
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D
Brilliant film about a small airplane crew crash landing in remote Labrador and trying to survive while rescue efforts are underway to find them. One of John Wayne’s greatest performances; he can play sure-handed with the best of them, but here he turns in a moving, emotional, and multifaceted performance. This is a truly tense film from start to finish, and Wayne is a surprisingly solid lead. Of course, only about half of the scenes take place with the stranded…
2 -
S
Dooley Is Down ! Perennially underrated Hollywood pro William A. Wellman directed this basic, no-nonsense survival thriller cum aviation picture that’s one of the most underappreciated efforts from John Wayne’s golden period. Legendary tough guy ‘Wild Bill’ Wellman was a WWI fighter pilot before starting out on his long and varied movie career and naturally became something of a go-to guy for projects focusing on airplanes and pilots (his 1927 war movie Wings was the first ever Oscar winner for…
44 2 -
G
Its a disaster movie, though not really with big grand set pieces or anything I would consider “fun” as far as spectacle. It is ok to have on in the afternoon but not really something that has much going on to pay attention to, there is an awful lot of talking scenes. There are some nice aviation scenes/aerial photography and if you are a big John Wayne/James Arness etc fans then you will enjoy sitting through it more than most modern audiences I bet.
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D
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M
This was fine and all but it was very boring! It could’ve been more engaging for sure. The Duke’s great in a couple of scenes though.
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P
Not the best script, and some mediocre acting despite solid efforts from Wayne, Devine, and a young Arness. The star of this film is its gorgeous aerial photography, which is quite impressive for the time period and holds up 70+ years later.
2 -
T
I’ll celebrate the aerial photography and shooting in the elements, it must of been tough. The cast is a collection of strong character actors and John Wayne, but the story is not presented in an interesting or exciting way. There is alot of sitting and talking with static shots for long periods and that is not exciting. Nothing particularly horrible about it, it just didn’t hit the mark with me.
2 -
Z
This John Wayne deep cut was out of circulation for over 20 years, and it took a literal pilot to introduce it to Zane, Jeff, and I. Personally, I enjoyed it even more than The High and the Mighty – I was actually on the edge of my seat a few times.
5 -
Z
At the time of this review, barely over 100 people have ever reviewed this movie and that feels pretty awesome. Almost as awesome as watching this with a real-life pilot. Same director, released within 2 years of each other, but in my opinion, I enjoyed this more than The High and the Mighty, just because of the focus on this smaller group of men and the grit it took for them to pull together and stick it out. Raw. Brutal. Harsh. Warm. Joyous. Thank God for John Wayne.
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P
This is more than a man and his crew lost after a down aircraft. This is a film about the brotherhood of the air. Only an experienced pilot like William Wellman can transpose that culture to the screen. A wonderful supporting cast brings a great deal of life to this film. Due to the legal issues, it has been decades since audiences got to enjoy this again.
2 -
R
It’s an otherwise straight forward survival story that follows a predictable format, but what makes Island in the Sky a good watch is it’s smooth pace which allows the tension and suspense to really feel believable. As for the rest of the film, the characters are one dimensional and follow very specific archetypes seen before and the acting falls between very stiff and underbaked on a few occasions. But in the end, Island in the Sky makes for a good viewing that’s simple and easy to pick up.
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L
The Duke rarely got to show off his dramatic acting chops which is unfortunate. He had a much wider range than most people realize.
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N
Amusing if dopey precursor to Society of the Snow and Cast Away, with the collaborative problemsolving of The Martian. An incredible scene has a man walking in circles in the blinding snow, talking to himself as he accepts death. The illusion of remoteness is shattered once you see the movie trucks’ tracks in the snow. Still, I found myself exploring Labrador on Google maps, never mind that they filmed in California. Fascinating place is still inaccessible today. When the ice melts, the mosquitos take over.
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A
Not much to the story – John Wayne and crew crash land their Corsair in the Canadian wilderness (actually California), and have to keep trying to signal for help whilst other pilots try to find them – but it’s a solid film with some great aerial cinematography (William A Wellman did direct Wings after all) and an entertaining supporting cast that includes Andy Devine and James Arness, a couple of years before he went on to star as Marshall Matt…
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D
D. Masters
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N
Its not surprising that this was made by someone who flew air combat roles in WW1 and was the genius behind the classic Wings. The injection of the human story into a disaster movie scenario, and how well the motley crew of seasoned character actors drive it forward is just a pleasure to watch (looking at Lloyd Nolan and Andy Devine mostly here). Another fantastic and unforgettable movie in the Wellman canon, with its right mix of technical and emotional prowess told with a sincerity that never is over the top or schmalzy.
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J
ehhh
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R
The Duke plays a pilot transporting supplies to England during World War 2. He and his crew encounter ice and their plane crashes in the wilderness of Quebec during the dead of winter. The best parts of this film are the flying scenes and John Wayne’s performance. You almost feel like you’re in the plane as it’s encountering trouble and going down. Wayne is the stalwart leader keeping his crew calm and collected as they struggle to stay alive while…
7 -
A
Sturdy survival drama. Kind of static.
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N
William Wellman finally makes a good movie about the weather! This is a SLEEPER GEM because I’ve never heard anyone ever talk about this movie. It’s really a magnificent film based on a true story of arctic survival. Highly recommend to all.
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K
I’ll never be friends with John Wayne. All his movies are about him and he always seem to play the same person… himself. Also, in this he insists on calling a grown man (and friend) for kid and another grown man insists on calling him daddy. And every time the rescue crew talks about the men who are lost… they only refer to Dooley, John Wayne’s character, of course. Nope. My grandfather loved him, but I have yet to see a movie that makes me feel differently. Maybe when I finally watch The Searchers one day… we’ll see.
4 -
J
Wellman and Wayne mount a technically impressive and well crafted aviation drama that’s unfortunately uneven in its storytelling and dramatic scattershot, with too much time wasted on two-dimensional, comically overplayed supporting characters in the search party rather than the actually interesting survival story playing out in the inhospitable Canadian wilderness. As both producer and star, John Wayne delivers exactly what you’d expect—a muscular, non-nonsense boys own action spectacle with a degree of righteousness and all-American pride on display, though to…
7 -
T
Not among the better survival tales following a plane going down you’re going to find, but considering my experience with William A. Wellman-John Wayne collaborations – feeling they’re generally among the lesser efforts of each collaborator – this was a solid surprise helped enormously by a terrific ensemble. Wellman himself as narrator starts by getting is into the mindset of the pilot, and in particular during wartime, during which these men (he may not be intentionally doing so, but over…
2 -
J
Tal vez de metraje un tanto alargado. Aun así, no aburre. Se trata de una sencilla, pero notable historia acerca de un rescate, de excelente factura y fotografía en b/n. Camaradería, solidaridad y el buen hacer de John Wayne. Bien, correcta.
4 -
J
Finally back to watching new stuff after the holidays! This is a great survival and rescue movie all rolled into one. Based on a true story of someone who waa stranded in the Arctic, this sees John Wayne in the lead as a guy who takes charge, but never loses his softer side, a bit atypical. Boasting a strong supporting cast including James Arness! Highly recommend this one.
2 -
S
Quite a procedural take on the survival genre, switching between the search party and the survivors. There’s not a lot of thrills, but in this case that works out for the better. Just a lot of professional men, humbled and afraid by nature’s vast power.
2 -
Z
Any movie that gets Andy Devine in a bathing suit…
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V
John Wayne is a pilot here, flying some supplies across the Atlantic. He has to crash-land his plane in northern Quebec or somewhere frozen and snowy and desolate. He and his men have to fight extreme cold, lack of supplies, and survive. A bunch of other pilots back home realize he’s gone down, and since he’s John Wayne, hero, they all rush to save him. The survival side of this with John Wayne and his team is harrowing and pretty…
6 -
D
Great supporting cast. None of them had enough to do.
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W
De muziekkeuze maakt alles nog 10x zo dramatisch.
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G
A surprisingly entertaining rescue adventure featuring a sparkling cast, believable drama and a stunning performance by Wayne… as a guy who doesn’t think he’s invincible, a guy who’s really worried! Who thought he could ever pull that off!?
2 -
M
Hier gibt es den Flugzeugabsturz jetzt dagegen recht schnell aber man landet in der bitteren Kälte Nordkanadas. Leider kommt auch hier keine richtige Spannung auf, ist zwar wenigstens zackiger Inszeniert als der große Kollege aus dem nächsten Jahr aber bei mir kommt trotzdem wenig an.
2 -
F
This survival adventure film stars John Wayne as the civilian commander of a US plane that is forced to land in the unexplored Northwest Territories of Canada. Frigid and unforgiving conditions is nothing to the silence and hunger the 4 men have to endure. Back at the airfields the other civilian pilots all gather round to begin a search party for the downed plane, in a large search area where equipment doesn’t work right because of the altitude and the…
3 -
R
We caught part of ISLAND IN THE SKY on tv last week, and it quickly shot to the top of our family watchlist. It’s difficult to find films that please our diverse and varied tastes, but this well-crafted disaster drama was a huge hit. We loved the film’s insightful dialogue, appreciated its undertones of faith and divine intervention, and were literally on the edge of our seats during its rousing conclusion. Personally, I *adored* its cast. Duke never fails to…
2 -
T
I wanted to check this out because of its alleged ‘influence’ on Joe Carnahan’s THE GREY and, to be fair, films about men trying to survive against the elements in harsh and unforgiving environments is absolutely my “cup o’ tea”. I’ve never really ‘got’ the whole John Wayne “thing” at all. The man could not act, had zero range nor charisma as an atypical “movie star” per se but yet was / remains one of the biggest movie stars on…
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T
Beaucoup de suspense dans ce film avec le jeu charismatique et fraternel de John Wayne et des prises de vues aériennes à couper le souffle. Dans ce film 100% masculin, l’amitié, le respect mutuel et l’entraide entre ces aviateurs est certes naïvement idéale, mais ce côté positif de l’âme humaine fait du bien. Excellent film d’aventures.
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L
Sturdy and surprisingly minimalistic adventure where Wayne is more the star in name, not because he dominates the story so much. This is a team effort and some great, tense moments of repetitive desperate attempts of one side to reach another. Free of horses or war, I can see why Duke wanted to tackle something more inward and challenging. But he’s still the most righteous, let’s not get carried away.
7 -
M
John Wayne starrer Island in the Sky, ostensibly a disaster film, doesn’t have a lot of what has come to be associated with the genre, since it plays more like the granddaddy of the type. There’s no all-star ensemble cast getting picked off one-by-one, and there’s not even a visceral opening disaster. Instead, it’s a quieter effort, as a WWII-era transport plane sets down relatively gently in a great, icy, uncharted wilderness in Quebec. After that, it’s a whole lot…
19 3 -
E
Black and white and cold. No fancy special effects but a look and feel that is effective. Many intense moments in this John Wayne drama about trying to find people stranded in the frozen nowhere. Full of well known actors including a decent part for Carl ‘Alfalfa’ Switzer.
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S
What a hidden gem! It’s basically Alive with John Wayne. Okay, not really, as this is still from 1953, so it’s more like Flight Of The Phoenix with John Wayne (that film features a death by exposure in the desert that now feels like a callback to a death by exposure in the tundra here). Wayne is quite good here after some wobbliness in the first scene. Unlike most survival films, this features lots of scenes set “back at the…
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M
New respect for the SAR people who have to find crash sites in the middle of nowhere in Northern Quebec. Best looks of concern from John Wayne in this one.
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J
John Wayne as Captain Dooley who must keep his man alive in horribly frigid conditions after their plane is forced down in frozen Quebec, as they wait to be rescued. Realistic, compelling, well played by a great cast, and typically fine direction by William Wellman.
2 -
O
Easily the best thing I watched this weekend. An air crew during World War II is forced to land in the wilds of uncharted Quebec. As they fight to survive, there is a search and rescue operation. Excellent cast, many of whom make a meal out of their small roles. Andy Devine was a total surprise to me. John Wayne is surprisingly subdued. Exceedingly well written and directed. Definitely worth watching.
5 2 -
F
7/10 This was just one of the weeks where I managed to watch like twenty films back to back and this one really stuck with me. Like you know when the IMAX people ask which film you’d love to see in that format, this one would definitely come to mind. I was genuinely stunned by this one having a narrator; I feel like for a very long time it’s been a standard for movies and nowadays it’s just super rare and mostly cheap exposition. It worked really well in this and overall the film was a really fun watch.
2 -
P
A survival tale based on a true story about Wayne and his crew downed by lack of fuel in the Canadian wilderness. A great performance from Wayne and the cast is filled out by his stock company of friends and fellow John Ford alumni. The aerial scenes are gorgeous and the location filming adds a documentary feel to the film. Directed by the great William A Wellman.
2 -
E
Moving survival search and rescue story with many familiar faces bringing macho mojo.
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M
I really loved the Duke’s acting in this movie. When the search planes pass by without stopping, you could see the anguish in his face. A very good film, one of his better ones.
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R
A World War 2 movie that while about people serving and in danger isn’t about combat, which is kind of interesting. Tone is a little weird at points and Wayne seems to be napping between takes and he’s a little lethargic. Almost maybe just has 2 and half pounds of steak in his colon knocking him out. In more recent films comparable to The Grey and or Arctic but those two are far better films even without grading on a curve. Still kind of heartwarming and innocent. And the actual looking for a landing spot sequence at the beginning is some good shit.
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Jjhmidd 8 月 18, 2022
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B
A drama of the spirit by way of a technological thriller: “Just keep crankin’ and prayin’.” I’m conditioned to imagine every Old Hollywood director as a raspy-voiced carmudgeon, but Wellman’s narration is as measured and compassionate as his gaze, leading to maybe the only survival film that portrays nature as deadly but never cruel. Andy Devine folding a Snickers bar in half so he can gulp it down in one bite: my guy.
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L
Pluto TV
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W
There’s the cross! There’s the corsair!
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R
All about geolocating the homies …using all your instruments. Its nice to be reminded that quebec can also be cold
6 -
L
John Wayne is a good actor???
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A
this movie eventually pulled me in but it took a bit. I’m a big fan of William A. Wellman so I had to watch it. hes my favorite pre-code director besides Fritz Lang
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O
Un équipage aéronautique se perd dans le grand nord, les missions de sauvetage se succèdent pour le retrouver. William A. Wellman, rigueur et inspiration.
5 -
S
Prior review: Excellent John Wayne billed movie which in truth is a team effort with some great support actors. Dooley (Wayne) and his crew have to crash land their C47 while on transport operations in Labrador in Canada’s vast wilderness. The whole movie then concerns the crew staying alive in sub zero temperatures while their crew mates back at base attempt to locate them. As an aerial cameraman myself for 10 years I was interested in the documentary which outlines…
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MMartin Scorsese 12 月 1, 2007
The Scorsese Selection (William Wellman Tribute) It’s rare that a month goes by and there aren’t a few William Wellman pictures being shown on DIRECTV, but this December, TCM is offering viewers a rare chance to really focus on the work of this unusual and still underrated director, who was known during his heyday as “Wild” Bill Wellman. TCM is showing more than 30 of his films, made between the early 1930s and the late ’50s, and many of them…
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MMartin Scorsese 5 月 1, 2007
The Scorsese Selection (John Wayne Birthday Tribute) So much has been said about John Wayne, good and bad, that I hesitate to add anything. But this is his centenary — May 26th, to be exact — and when you look back at his career, it takes your breath away. The man made over 170 pictures between the late ’20s and the late ’70s, so you have to acknowledge him on the basis of quantity alone. However, to put it simply,…
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M
A forgotten John Wayne classic. Kind of an update on Shackleton’s adventure. Tons of character actors who went on to fame and fortune (James Arness) and some that had seen better days (Carl “Alfalfa” Switzer). No tricks, no getting eaten by bears, just the basic story of heroism by the ill-fated crew and their rescuers. Wayne overacts a bit, especially in the crash sequence, but watch the fine acting by some of the rest of the cast. Kind of a cross between “Survivor” and “Lost”. (02-01-06)
- Synopsis
- A C-47 transport plane, named the Corsair, makes a forced landing in the frozen wastelands of Labrador, and the plane's pilot, Captain Dooley, must keep his men alive in deadly conditions while awaiting rescue.
- Director
- William A. Wellman
- Writer
- Ernest K. Gann
- Studio
- Wayne-Fellows Productions, Warner Bros. Pictures
- Country
- USA
- Language
- English
- Year
- 1953
- Runtime
- 109 mins
- USA03 Sep 1953
- USA05 Sep 1953
- UK09 Nov 1953
- France30 Dec 1953
- Portugal05 Aug 1955
- Austria01 Sep 1955
- UK27 Apr 2007
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